My Renovated Circus Circus West Tower Room – I’m Still Out

Key Points:

• Rooms at Circus Circus start at under $55/nt after fees (Skyrise Tower). West Tower rooms start at $70.

• Recent improvements to the room include new flooring, furnishings, and even a new TV (much needed).

• The resort is home to unique draws like the Adventuredome, deals at Slots A Fun, live bingo, and token slots.

Let’s start with a disclaimer: Circus Circus isn’t my favorite resort in Las Vegas.

I love the idea of Circus Circus. The history. The fact my grandparents hung there back in the day. The food & drink deals. That it’s different from anything else on the Strip.

Then I walk in the front door and feel the depression creep in. The vast majority of the property is in disrepair, dark, dull, and dusty.

My previous stay in the West Tower was a few years ago, and while not appalling, I concluded that similarly priced properties in a better location, such as LINQ, Flamingo, Luxor, or Excalibur, were preferable.

I noticed that these rooms had been quietly refreshed, and figured it was time to swing in for a look.

Room, Cost, and Check-In

I booked a West Tower room for $107.26 before tax & fees, which is spendier than the “starts at” price, as it was a weekend.

Rooms in the West Tower are typically a few bucks more expensive than the Skyrise Tower, which has a more dated look.

Obviously, I had to snap a pic of one of my favorite porte cocheres in Vegas, despite it’s age.

Stepping into the hotel lobby, I was thrilled to see a row of automated kiosks, allowing me to duck human interaction.

I arrived a few hours prior to check in, and paid $22.62 after tax for early check in, which is reasonable.

The hotel elevators are just off the main lobby, and the elevators themselves recieved some serious love since my last stay.

The hotel hallways are nothing special, but the faux wood flooring is a massive improvement over the carpet it replaced.

Circus Circus West Tower Room Review

First impression of the room: Much improved.

The flooring pops, the furnishings are new and in great shape, and the bedroom portion of the room outperformed the reputation Circus Circus has earned over the years.

I assumed the furniture was a hand me down from a different resort, but I can’t find any information on the web. If you know, drop it in the comments!

Oddly, this room didn’t have a bedside clock. Not sure I’ve seen that in Las Vegas before.

Bedside charging was also a challenge, as the only accessable outlet was the one visible to the left of the bed.

The TV situation was a massive upgrade from the tiny, crappy one that was here previously. This one was larger and had a crisp picture despite not having a channel guide (which drives me insane).

The work desk was fashionable, and had a charging bank atop it. I thought a mini fridge may live behind theat door on the right side, but this room disappointingly didn’t have one.

Even the entryway looked great for a budget hotel. The flooring helped quite a bit.

Carpeting can help mask an unclean floor. Dust, debris, and/or sticky spots are much easier to detect on hard flooring. These were immaculate.

Despite concerns I had about the adjoining door, I didn’t hear a peep. It’s entirely possible the room was vacant, though.

The bathroom is where this room takes a nose dive, unfortunately.

This is an ADA room (no idea if it’s what I accidentally booked, or if it was what was randomly assigned), so the layout is different than a typical bathroom.

In standard bathrooms, the shower uses a granite looking finish for the walls vs. the white plastic in my room.

Look, this bathroom looks like something you’d use in prison. The shower turns on, and the sink runs, and the toilet flushes, but I detest the look of it, and that little circus painting thing ain’t helping.

What’s Not to Like?

When I review hotels, I don’t just share the good. I aim to present a wholistic picture so you can make a more informed decision.

While the bedroom area sported a new, fresh look and was in solid shape, the bathroom was rough.

Peeling wallpaper, wall splats, and staining. That said, the bedroom portion was legit perfect, which I didn’t expect coming in.

Resort Experience

The Pool

Not many Vegas pools are more kid-friendly than Circus Circus, which is equipped with waterslides (that were closed midday on a Saturday, oddly), a splashpad, and standard pools.

This is what a Circus Circus pool cabana looks like, btw.

The Casino

The gaming floor always depresses me. It’s just dingy, old, dark, and lacking energy. It’s not a place I care to stay and gamble at.

I bet this place was rocking in it’s heyday though.

During my visit, Slots A Fun was dealing $5 6:5 Blackjack, a rarity on the Strip.

Roulette, Blackjack, and Craps at Circus Circus proper were $10 on Saturday night.

Circus Circus is the only resort on the Strip to offer old-school token slots. Most can be found over at Slots A Fun, but there’s a random bank upstairs on the path to the pool.

Adventuredome & Arcade

The indoor Adventuredome is one of the best maintained aspects of the resort, offering rides suitable for all ages. Plenty of “tame” for the little ones, and some “wild” for older kids & adults.

All day ride passes cost $30 for kids under 48″ tall and $60 for those over 48″.

Circus Circus also has the best arcade on the Strip on the second level above the casino, home to 200+ modern and classic games and fair-style midway games.

The prize redemption room is the size of a small retail store.

You can even catch a free circus act while you’re up there.

Food & Drink

Dining options at Circus Circus range from food court fare (Einstein Bagels, Pick up Stix, Burger King, and Popeyes and a buffet, to The Steakhouse, which is still well regarded.

Buffet hours and price fluctuate pretty wildly, but it’s typically open on the weekends for brunch & dinner service for $30-$35 per person.

I visited a few years back and havn’t felt the need to return.

Kind of funny, but they offer several kid-friendly options like corn dogs & chicken fingers in addition to adult options like pasta and ribs.

The lack of a signiture item like prime rib was disappointing, as was the clientale.

I watched one dude aggresively suck his fingers clean, like the kind of sucking that makes an audible noise, then head up to scoop more food with the communal spoons.

Another guy sat at the shrimp pasta for an eternity as I waited behind him, scooping out only the shrimps, ha. I respect the hustle, but FFS.

Anyway, there’s probably value if you’re in the area anyway and want to eat 1.7 million calories. Otherwise, just hit a sit down restaurant or another buffet.

My go-to at Circus Circus has been Big Top Eats.

Yes, it looks like a high school football game concession stand, and the food isn’t some sort of screamin’ deal, but I think it’s solid for the price.

Here are a couple of recent bites I’ve had & enjoyed:

Slots A Fun

My favorite part of the Circus Circus experience is Slots A Fun, which is along the Strip, about 15 outdoor steps away from Circus Circus’ front entrance.

Yea, it’s still an absolute dump, but they’ve injected some energy with table games, reak token slots, and a slew of food & drink deals that includes $2 hot dogs, shrimp cocktails, popcorn, and draft High Life. They’re also dealing $5 blackjack in there.

But put a craps table out by the front entrance already, you cowards.

Verdict on Circus Circus’ West Tower

Circus Circus isn’t a hotel I prioritized staying at before this trip, and the same is true after.

My West Tower room was certainly elevated vs. what it was previously. New flooring, a new TV, and new furnishings all made a big difference. That said, the bathroom still leaves much to be desired.

The rest of the resort, sans the Adventuredome, is just dark, grimey, low energy, and uninspiring.

Not really the environment I want as a home base, and CC’s north Strip location doesn’t help matters.

Hotels I prefer at a similar price point include Luxor’s Tower (…hell, even Luxor’s Pyramid), Flamingo, LINQ, Harrah’s, Excalibur… you get the idea. Basically, any lower rung Strip hotel, all of which boast a better location.

There’s also an incentive to hang out at and gamble in those other casinos, as comps can be used at a handful of Strip resorts, whereas playing at Circus Circus can only earn you a stay at… Circus Circus.

The resort is still worth a visit. Cheap gambling, cheap food & drink at Slots A Fun, and real token slots are all fun draws.

As a history nerd, I love the history of Circus Circus. I just don’t like sleeping there.