Artisan Hotel and Spa

It is full of art. It is quirky and interesting. And the staff tries hard - but, the owner needs to stop skimping on maintenance. My A/C never worked correctly. The ice machines in the hallway on all floors were not working.

However, if you find this property under 100 dollars - it is a decent deal. It has wireless in most rooms (ask if this is important to you) It does have an adult channel - but I didn't realize it until the second night. (in other words, it isn't in your face) The place is kind of goth. In other words, I like it - but my parents might be freaked out.

The location is close to the strip - not walking but an easy 10 dollar taxi ride.

My sister and I both stayed at the Artisan Hotel in Las Vegas in early April 2007. We absolutely loved the hotel, and it was a refreshing change from the usual neon glitz of Vegas.

First off, the hotel is beautifully decorated with gorgeous art everywhere. As you step inside, the lobby is dark and candlelit with fountains and gothic-style furniture and decor. There is no gaming in the casino, so it is always soothing, peaceful, and cool walking inside. The restaurant has its lobby, pool, exercise room, and guest office to the left of the front door, and the restaurant and bar to the right. Everything is decorated in a gorgeous gothic style, including the 24 hour bar and restaurant. At the front desk, they have green and red apples piled up in a deep bowl which are yours for the taking! (As well as for added visual appeal!)

A Few Tips About the Artisan:

Rooms:

All rooms are named after famous artists and decorated inside with their artwork. If you have a favorite artist, request their room! The best rooms are the large king bedrooms versus the two double bed rooms, because the king bedrooms face the Vegas Strip, and the double rooms face the parking lot. The beds were comfy and the rooms were clean. Sometimes the maids made up our rooms twice a day! They had a good blow-dryer and nice big towels. The rooms are a bit small and dark, but we didn't mind. Oh- minor alert! The TV's have a "Channel 69" that airs porno without a block or pay system. Interesting to stumble upon while channel surfing with your little sister in the room!

Halls:

It's kind of like walking in a fun-house down the halls which are studded on all sides with art. Also, the floor is a little uneven, so sometimes you feel like you are unbalanced!

Lobby:

Everyday at 4:30 pm The Artisan has free wine-tasting. This was awesome! Great wine, and a great place to meet new people. By the way, the fact that the hotel is non-smoking is one of the best things about this place. Smoking is restricted to bar side and poolside only.

Front desk:

It's staffed by really nice, friendly, and accommodating people. However, a word of warning: If you have a car (which I recommend) you will have to pay a $6.50/day valet charge to park it. There is no self parking. However, we really liked having the convenience of 24 hour valet. Also, there is a $3.50 energy tax placed on your bill each day. I thought this was worth it, given that the guest business center was free, with free internet access, wifi, printing, etc. and I used it every day. Also, if you want a pool towel, you have to leave your license at the front desk and won't get it back until you return the towel.

Pool:

The pool is really small, but clean and refreshing with beautiful vases and decor surrounding it. There are lounge chairs and lounge daybeds for relaxing. There was no Jacuzzi or spa available at the time we went. Also, there is no open bar or food service poolside. You can request food or drink service from the restaurant though, but it's pricey.

Restaurant:

It's beautifully decorated, good Italian food, but definitely a bit pricey. Entrees range from $12-$32.

Location:

I would really recommend having a car if you are staying at this hotel. The hotel is quite a ways down Sahara Ave. over a freeway overpass. You can walk to the strip, but it takes about 25 minutes, and you have to cross quadruple lane freeways on foot. There is no way I would do this by myself or at night. Also, remember, you are walking in the Vegas heat! There are no major casinos nearby that you can catch a free shuttle from. To get a taxi to the strip from The Artisan costs $7-$10 one way. This is way too expensive if you are going back and forth to the hotel. We ended up just renting a car and paying the valet fee, which actually worked out well since we felt we needed a car to get around the strip efficiently. The hotel is located near some strip clubs, but it is safely cornered away, and there is no seedy element or shady drunk people coming into contact with the hotel.

Overall, my sister and I were very happy with The Artisan. If you have a car and are looking for an amazing alternative atmosphere with a chill, relaxing vibe, this is the place for you. I would definitely stay at The Artisan again.

First, this place is dank, smelly, and dirty.

If you're into porn, you'll like the art. The tub area in the bathroom was covered with mold, even the ceiling! The tub faucet ran all the time. The carpet was disgusting.

But the biggest insult was the unadvertised $3.50 energy charge which is added to the bill. This is nothing more than a ploy to steal. Nevada Power does have a, energy surcharge based on their cost of electricity. If one does the calculations, even if the A/C were run at full blast 24/7 and all the lights were on 24/7, the energy charge would maybe be a dime! I argued the energy charge upon checkout, but hit a stone wall. (I did, however, get it taken off through my credit card company.)

Don't put up with the thieves you'll find here.

On my recent stay in Las Vegas I stayed at the Artisan Hotel and Spa. At first I thought that it looked liked it would be a nice hotel but I couldn't have been more wrong. This hotel charged me for items from a mini bar that I never even broke the seal on! If you value your hard earned money stay away from the Artisan Hotel and Spa.

I stayed here for my best friend's wedding, and it was horrible. She was in tears within an hour. We received no help with our luggage, the room wasn't even ready at 4:30 pm. Their staff was very rude, but the valets were very nice though. Our room keys only worked about 75% of the time.

The room was so dreary, I could not see well enough to put in my contacts. Watch your head in the elevator, or you'll get sprayed in the head with air freshener (they use it to hide the mold smell).

The bed was very hard! The linens they used were bottom of the line, all piled and worn. I also had to pay $6.50 a night for parking, and $3.50 for an energy surcharge. It's an absolute joke.