Golden Nugget Cripple Creek Hotel & Casino — Hotel in Cripple Creek

First the hotel along with the Gold King up the hill are now part of the Golden Nugget. We arrived as we booked the Wildwood as we wanted the restaurant and hotel with the casino and not be up on the top of the hill as we had stayed once before. We tried to get an early check in, but they mentioned that they had over 70 checkouts and only had 2 maids working, and none at the old Gold King up the hill. No worries, though the 4pm check-in is really late and it should be more a 2pm like hotels generally do. We also were informed that now since both hotels are part of the Golden Nugget, our room was at the old Gold King up the hill, the one we specifically didn't want or even know both had been bought out. Booked through Expedia, so it could have been they haven't updated their hotel descriptions. So, this was a disappointment.|| We decided to eat in the restaurant which we have enjoyed in the past, but that too has changed to be the Saltgrass Steakhouse instead with a now tiny little menu selection and very expensive. We all opted to skip eating there and just got a few drinks instead and ended up finding numerous places down on Bennett St in the casinos that had so much better selections and much better prices.|| We did try and check in early up the hill, but found out we couldn't. The original person working wasn't very friendly at all, however the lady at the old Wildwood (the first person we talked to) and the guy working the desk up the hill in the late afternoon when we actually checked in were both very good and nice.|| The hotel (old Gold King)'s halls were very dirty and the carpet was very stained with who knows what all the way down the halls. When we got in the room there was an odd smell, but eventually we got used to it and forgot about it. We had one beat up table with scratches and what looked like multicolored stains all over it, along with two kind of old worn chairs. Both corners in the room on the bed side were completely empty and it would have been nice to have bed side tables there or more seating options to watch TV and use the outlets. The walls were completely bare and having just one painting on the one wall where the bathroom was.|| The bathroom was also very small. What was good was they had shampoo and stuff in bottles, but also had dispensers in the shower that were locked which was really good as there have been many instances in hotels around the world where people have tainted those types of dispensers with other horrible liquids (bodily fluids to Nair, etc). So good to know they kept them locked to prevent this. The issue with ours though was that only 1 of the 3 dispensers had anything in it and the body lotion and conditioner were empty. The toilet seat in our bathroom also kept sliding if you sat on it.|| There isn't much in terms of charging capabilities on the single night table between the beds. One USB port in the lamp and then one outlet behind the table. We also found old dried-up food under the main dresser as well.|| As for the location, as mentioned, this was the one that had the worst spot, way up the top of a hill and furthest from town from other hotels in town. Just to get to the casino at the main building (the old Wildwood) you had to walk down a steep hill without much light if it was dark and it was that much further away from the main town and those casinos as well.|| You can get the shuttle service which is free and provided. You can just call them or if you see him driving around just flag him down and he'll pick you up. This was great, but in the past sometimes it does mean having to wait for them to arrive, but it's either use the shuttle or walk up the hill to the main building and then up the much steeper hills to get to the Gold King building.|| We also ended up getting another charge after we checked into the hotel for an extra $140 which we went down to complain, and they stated that was a mistake. Still for the $180 we paid for the room, it was on par with roadside motels you can get off the interstates around the country for $45-50. || We also heard other guests complaining about various things to the front desk as well when we'd walk by it. We were also told by one of the desk staff that it's been pretty chaotic since the take over and they have been getting quite a number of complaints recently.|| As it is now, I'd avoid the Golden Nugget. I'm not sure how the old Wildwood building is, but I'm thinking it had to have been better than the Gold King building. The issue is when booking, I'm not sure you can even select which building you want and only find out when you arrive. It's not worth the price anyways.|| Very disappointed this time...

Well first off, talk about a bait and switch. When you book through the website, chances are you are not getting a room at the Golden Nugget but actually getting a room at the Gold King Mountain Inn, their "sister" hotel. I would use sister as loosely as possible. It's worst than the motel 6 next to a truck stop. So first off, Mom booked three rooms for the Golden Nugget Casino hotel and when she got the itinerary, it was two rooms for their "sister" hotel the Gold King Mountain Inn and one at the Golden Nugget. When she called to ask about it, all the rooms ended up at the Gold King with the understanding that the rooms and amenities were just as good. Ok whatever sounds good right. You pull up and see the smoking area is next to the parking spots but the ash tray is next to the front door under the sign that says no smoking within 20 feet. There's no casino at this place and the sidewalk isn't shoveled or deiced. Not a great start. Almost an hour before check in and only one of the three rooms we booked was ready. Not a big deal, we had a place to drop everything off so we can go explore. Well getting into the sketchy elevator and up stairs we went. Step off and all you smell is fresh smoked marijuana...in a hotel they swear no one is allowed to smoke in. Apparently there were others that complained before us about it and nothing was done. When speaking with one of the staff members, he responded that he was a smoker and had been on the floor all day and he didn't smell a thing and was quite defensive when talking to him about it. Well as a nonsmoker, it's obvious to us the smell of cigarettes and marijuana. The room at least smelled clean and fresh but not what we expected from a "sister" hotel of the casino. This was obviously not a room from any of the photos online. It was basic and drab whereas the casino hotel room photos were bright and modern. This place reminded me of the motels on the trucking routes where you just need a bed and a roof for the night. I've seen places that resembled the Shining hotel and would have preferred that. Being in the room held an air of disappointment and distaste. You had an itch that made you want to check for unwanted guests. Overall, if you are looking for something cheap with a pool then Gold King is for you, just don't mind the smokers. As for the Golden Nugget, the customer service was nice and respectful but they purposely forgot to mention the obvious downgrade they handed out. The hotel and amenities went unseen as checking them out was out of our way and it was far to cold to wait for a shuttle to drive you over. 10/10 won't be booking with this...

Beware of where you book. I made reservations (or so I thought) at Gold Nugget for 2 nights for 5 rooms. Upon arrival, I was informed that 4 rooms were booked at their sister hotel the Gold King Mountain Inn. When you look at photos on their website the two properties' photos are mixed and not separated. Very confusing. The GKMI is located about 2 miles on the hill from the Golden Nugget. The front desk lady was rude and unprofessional and made very rude and harsh comments about my booking from a third party and not directly from the hotel. One person in our party had checked into a room at the Golden Nugget. The TV did not work. His key did not work three times. The hallways smelled of marijuana. In the middle of the night, a couple were arguing in the hallway from midnight until about 6 a.m. Security was not sent up until close to 6 a.m. even though repeated calls to the front desk were made. When we asked to speak to a manager, we were told that no manager was available and they had no idea when one would be available. The customer service at this location was some of the worst I have ever experienced. ||The Gold King Mountain Inn was old and outdated but the staff there was very helpful, friendly, and professional. We checked into one room on the second floor. The entire floor reeked of marijuana. The front desk allowed us to switch rooms. I did find it very odd that there were no bedspreads or comforters on the beds. A velour blanket was on top of the bottom sheet and the top sheet was tucked in over that for the make-shift comforter. The hot tub was not working for part of the stay, the pool was very cold, and the ice machine was broken. ||If I ever return to Cripple Creek, I will...