12 Feb At downtown’s Oasis, retro respite: Travel Weekly
While restaurants, bars and local retail vendors have been shaping a more down-to-earth experience in downtown Las Vegas, one thing that has been missing is a small, fun hotel property. Classic casino-hotels pervade the downtown area, but the 38-room, six-suite Oasis at Gold Spike, near the Fremont Street Experience, brings the area a splash of character and personality.Originally built in 1962, the Oasis was acquired in 2013 by the Downtown Project, the $350 million revitalization effort led by Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh.The nongaming, nonsmoking property underwent a renovation before reopening in October, but it retains its vintage Vegas charm, with the original Oasis neon sign out front and a retro exterior color scheme with shocks of turquoise blue. The lobby is spacious, comfortable and communal in nature, designed to encourage co-working (the collaborative process where entrepreneurs surround themselves with other creative professionals and which has directed many of the Downtown Project’s ventures) and stocked with books on entrepreneurship and records that suite guests can borrow to play on their in-room turntables. Visitors can also rent bicycles to easily explore the downtown area.Every room in the property features different decor and design elements, creating a kaleidoscopic array of artwork and furnishings.
“It has a residential feel in terms of the furniture but with that hotel and hospitality setting,” said Michael Stoll, operations manager of the Downtown Project. Whereas most Las Vegas hotels, even ones located downtown, tend to be enclosed and contained, Oasis bucks convention with outward-facing rooms in the traditional motel style. In the center of the property is a pool, where live music events are occasionally scheduled, and an on-site walkway leads to the neighboring Gold Spike, which has indoor and outdoor games like cornhole and shuffleboard, plentiful co-working lounge spaces and a bar and restaurant. Demographically, the Oasis appeals to a wide variety of guests, Stoll said, but most are not interested in the typical Las Vegas vacation experience.
“It’s the guest in Las Vegas that doesn’t necessarily want to get wrapped up in all the action and everything going on in the big properties,” he said. However, the Oasis’ location on the corner of Ogden Avenue and North Las Vegas Boulevard makes it easy to explore downtown on foot or catch public transportation to the Strip.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Stoll said.Visit www.oasisatgoldspike.com.
Article originally appeared here.