Ellis Island Casino & Hotel — Hotel in Paradise

UPDATE: Thankfully I check out Friday. I’ve confirmed I’m not the only one who has had problems with the rooms. An older lady, maybe in her 60s, told me her room had a strange smell and she had to switch rooms; she said the same thing pillows definitely not new and feel old.

Also, I’ve noticed a very clear difference in how certain guests are treated by the “security manager.” I couldn’t care less about your passive aggressive racism because I document everything and have no issue filing formal complaints against specific individuals. Let me be clear it’s not the entire staff.

The rest of the security team have been kind, professional, and even agreed with me about the incident. They told me exactly what they are legally allowed to ask regarding service dogs. But now that I’ve left a review, this “security manager” has an attitude and is stopping the guards who have had no issues with me from interacting with me and my dogs. The only people my service dogs are allowed to regularly engage with are employees and security. I always give them the command it’s okay to say hello. The white lady with short hair loves my dogs, the white man with short hair loves them, and the older Black man on security loves them too. Today the older Black man asked if he could say hey, and I said yes but the “manager” immediately told him no. Excuse me? These are my dogs. You do not get to give permission about my dogs. But trust, that was documented too.

So what’s the real issue?

Is it because when I was struggling to open my heavy hotel room door with one good leg & two service dogs, housekeeping was standing there cooing at my dogs but didn’t offer to help me? That pissed me off. Are you serious?

Then, while walking back from the store, a woman swung her SUV into the pull-in while I was already in the street with my dogs. I called out to security like “Hey, do you see this?” & she looked at me crazy like I wouldn’t defend myself. He tried to downplay it, then started talking to her behind my back. Now I’m questioning why this security was even called when I asked to speak to a manager about one of their employees. Was I yelling? Did I threaten someone? So why was security called? Because I’m Black, & your first instinct when you mess up is to call security & assume I’ll “show out”? That’s passive aggressive racial profiling, plain and simple. But I’ll show out in court.

I do not recommend this hotel to Black or Disabled travelers.

I took every proper step before booking and before arriving, making sure all ADA requirements and service dog policies were followed. Upon check-in, the ladies were sweet and gave me no issues. But later that night I was immediately met with discrimination and ignorance from some rude front desk employee who decided to question my legitimacy, asking for “papers” for my service dogs which is illegal under ADA law then said, “I’ll take your word.” Sir, that’s not a favor. That’s your legal obligation. You’re a walking lawsuit waiting to happen.

Management tried to apologize, but that was just damage control to avoid a lawsuit and appease me in the moment. I brought up racial discrimination, and somehow they tried to blame it on how bad the property used to be. What does that have to do with me? I didn’t see anyone questioning the Asian lady with her little white dog though. Interesting.

Now let’s talk about the room. The pillows felt like rocks in socks — flat, lumpy, clearly old, & should’ve been replaced years ago. The bed was uncomfortable, and within 48 hours of checking in, I got sick out of nowhere — fever, chills, body weakness, all of it. I’m disabled, so dealing with that on top of everything else was just cruel timing. I’ve lived in Vegas for seven years and have never gotten sick like that, not even with Covid.

Stay away from Ellis Island. The lack of respect, the ignorance of ADA law, the inconsistency, & the poor conditions are not worth saving a few dollars. I thought I was being smart before heading to Thailand should’ve just booked the...

Ellis Island Hotel (Las Vega

Ellis Island Hotel – Guest Ratings & Feedback

Expedia / Hotels.com

Overall Rating: 8.2 out of 10 (“Very Good”) based on تقریباً 3,800

Cleanliness: 8.4

Staff & Service: 8.2

Amenities: 7.8

Property Conditions & Facilities: 7.8

Eco-friendliness: 7.8 .

Birdeye / Google Aggregate

Google-based Review Score: 4.2 out of 5 (“Very Good”) from more than 13,300 reviews .

Wanderlog Summary: Rated 4.2/5 (“Very Good”) based on Google data; praised for its clean rooms, friendly staff, on-site brewery, generous food portions, low-limit casino, and convenient parking near the Strip .

Trip.com

Guest Review Score: 7.9 out of 10 (“Good”) from 46 user reviews .

Highlights: Convenience, great value, close proximity to the Strip, clean and spacious rooms, although some mention of extra fees .

J2Ski (Travel Site)

Average Score: 7.7 out of 10 (“Good”) from 6,764 reviews .

Summary Table

Platform Rating Interpretation

Expedia / Hotels.com 8.2/10 Very Good Google / Birdeye 4.2/5 Very Good Trip.com 7.9/10 Good J2Ski 7.7/10 Good

Highlighted Guest Sentiments (Reddit Insights)

Positive perspectives:

“Guests rave about the exceptional service provided by staff… large portions of delicious food… on-site brewery… low table limits… clean rooms and friendly staff.”

Mixed/critical viewpoints:

“I would eat/drink there, not sleep there.” “Good gamble, poor rooms.” Some describe it as “essentially a motel with a casino” and “rooms are dumps.”

A bit more nuanced:

“If you aren’t looking for anything fancy, it’s a great place to stay. … Safe, clean and a quick walk.” “Everyone is right it is a motel 8 but a tad nicer. … you’ll have access to a mini fridge and a coffee maker in the room.”

Other user opinions:

“Great place… clean… perfect for me. … more of a 2-star hotel and that’s ok.” Others highlight food, brewery, and value.

However, there are also remarks about inconsistency in service:

“Ellis isn’t what it used to be… The service absolutely sucks.”

Final Takeaway (In English)

Ellis Island Hotel in Las Vegas generally receives “Very Good” (around 8/10 or 4.2/5) guest ratings across multiple platforms. Guests highlight its clean rooms, convenient location near the Strip, friendly staff, great food with generous portions, free parking, and affordable casino gaming.

That said, it remains a budget-friendly, motel-style hotel—more modest and functional than luxurious. Some reviewers specifically caution:

“Eat or gamble there, but don’t necessarily expect a luxury stay.”

Occasional complaints about outdated decor, pricing surprises, or service inconsistencies.

Overall, it’s a solid choice if you value convenience, affordability, and a laid-back local vibe—rather than...

I have to update the review: From 5 star going to no star… Came here for the New Year's as a VIP invite for the dinner... Security were complete jerks. They didn't let us in to the parking garage as VIP invite for the dinner, but at the same time let other people in (obviously someone they knew, and probably getting kickbacks) One of those people was completely homeless looking,like she hasn't showered for weeks...with rundown car...They told us that there were no spots available,when I could clearly see few empty spots. The short security guy with curly hair (name starts with letter M I believe…) was simply lying. I simply walked in to the garage to prove my point,and oops,fair enough they had few spots open and people parking in and out. When he couldn’t lie anymore he said he was waiting on orders from upper management (funny but he didn’t need permission to let the others in. He was obviously receiving kickbacks from others,so he needed those empty spots and had to lie about it being very rude and unprofessional). I guess your security works against your business. They make their own little business on the spot,lol. Another guy,Keith,obviously part of the game as well,came out as a back up,but couldn’t lie anymore,when I pointed a couple of spots right around the corner,which were clearly seen,if they were doing their jobs properly… But again,going back to kickbacks… PATHETIC. Honestly, terrible place to celebrate the New Years. This was a mistake. This place used to be so much better, and going into the garage for the Ne Years was never a problem as a VIP. I guess everything is getting more corrupted, and garage attendants are not exception… This place run down so much throughout the years, and became such a ghetto at this point. Honestly this would be the worst casino to attend in Vegas, and years ago I used to promote it like the best local spot with great food and good customer service. Pity… STAY AWAY. Happy New Year 🎊

PS: Your security should have charge openly if that’s the game. That would have made the entire game of theirs so much easier… PS: Also,to those security “parking garage guards”: I understand you have a short power trip to exercise for a very short moment. Usually works great for those who are complete losers across life,and have no power anywhere at all,including family,lol. Enjoy while it lost,cause usually it doesn’t… Happy New...