Our Las Vegas must-do list always includes a stop to the Bass Pro Shop. In a city where everything is large than life, nothing is quite as spectacular as the Bass Pro Shop. It's a spectacle. The store is located adjacent to the Silverton Casino and on our Christmas trip, we spent a little time gambling in the hotel. When I say little, I mean little. It didn't take a whole lot to have the offers of free rooms, slot tournaments and dining credit come our way. We decided to take them up on an offer during a weekend in March.

Silverton has a nature/lodge theme, with wood beams and wildlife art. The theming of the Bass Pro Shop spills over into the theme of the hotel. It's cozy. We liked the decor of the casino and anticipated that it would carry over to the rooms.

This is a small hotel and we were given a room on the top floor with a partially obstructed pool view. Our room was basic, but it met all of our needs. Did I mention that it was free? 

The bath tub was too small and shallow for a proper bath. I loved that they featured Bath and Body Works products. Rainkissed leaves smelled wonderful. 

My favorite part of the room was the reading material. What other hotel are you going to get this?

Our room had a funky smell when we arrived, but it was late and we didn't call to complain. The next day, we noticed the smell when we came back from the pool. It was awful. We called and within ten minutes a nice woman from housekeeping came to the rescue. We were moved to an identical room, minus the smell and she gave us a handful of vouchers for our trouble.

Every single staff member that we encountered at Silverton was super friendly and helpful. Seriously, they were giving Disney a run for their money in the customer service department. 

This was first really warm weekend of the year and I was very excited to use the pool. We practically had the pool to ourselves. It was too early in their season to have staff working the pool area, so no cocktail service. The pool is tiny and a concrete jungle. It wasn't very nice and I can't even imagine it on a busy day. The pool complex desperately needs an upgrade.

We had food credit and coupons, so we tried several of the restaurants. I was most impressed with the cafe, which has good quality food with a wide selection. It's inexpensive and the restaurant is pretty with a continued nature theme. I was less than impressed with the buffet, especially steer clear of "Polynesian Night." Ick. 

The best spot in the hotel is at the Mermaid Bar, which has chairs facing a giant aquarium. It's mesmerizing. Several times during the day, the aquarium has shows with women dressed as mermaids, who swim with the fish, sharks and stingrays. They have a smaller aquarium with beautiful jellyfish.

We enjoyed our stay at Silverton, but it doesn't compare to staying on the strip. Silverton is a much quieter casino that attracts both an older crowd and large families with young children. We fit in neither category. Since the pool is a disappointment, it's not really a warm weather hotel. We found ourselves leaving the Silverton frequently to get to the strip for entertainment and better food options. The hotel is clean and safe, but very basic. You can't beat staying for free, but I wouldn't pay more than fifty-sixty a night for a room here. That said, if you have a car, it's probably cleaner and nicer than comparable hotels on the strip. Plus, it has the best staff in Vegas!