We read a number of reviews after making the booking to visit LV for their NYE celebrations and although having been to LV many times before, the idea of a sea of bodies on The Strip did not fill me with enthusiasm. Also, as we were paying for our family of 6 adults we were budget concous and opted for the Gold Coast. Again, the reviews on the Gold Coast were fairly mixed, and we tended to have stuck to the Flamingo and Golden Nugget on all previous trips, as we knew what to expect at these hotels. So here is our take on the Gold Coast:
Despite having booked and paid 7 months in advance, I did not get a smoking room as requested on arrival. But did get moved to a Strip View smoking room the following day.

ROOMS: for the money paid, we had no complaints. Not as flash as the Flamingo, but clean and tidy. Large LCD TVs in every room was great. Room service was fast and cheap, and the food was great.
Bathrooms were spotless but are basic and were in need of renovation.
Good news - all rooms are being renovated during 2008 as part of a multi-million Dollar programme of refurbishment in the Sam Boyd chain of hotels.

RESTAURANTS: we ate in the cafes and the steak house and I must admit the buffet breakfasts and the Sunday Brunch was equal to any other hotels on the Strip. 7 different food areas, covering: American; Chinese; Mexican; Italian; Meat carvery; Dessert/cakes. salad etc.
Sunday Brunch is a must and many LV regulars still visit the Gold Coast for the $10 all-you-can-eat-buffet. Great carvery included.
The Cortez Room (Steak house) was like stepping back in time to an old Wild West scene. Plush leather and well oiled wood tables. Lets hope they don't change the decor in this restaurant.
The steaks were good value appx: $14-$16 for fillets and $10-12 for NY strip or ribeye. One of the best steaks I have had in Vegas.for the money.

CASINO: This place is designed around gamblers or sports gamers. Big book hall and great selection of table games including their own versions of Texas Hold Em and Blackjack, both of which took some getting use to, but enjoyable once you cottoned on to the game.
Roulette was as low as $3 min (e.g. 3 x £1 dollar chips min.) or there were other higher table stakes e.g. $5 & $10.
Cocktail waitresses were really quick and for the first time I can recall, I had never managed to finish a drink before she came back for more orders, even during the busiest periods.
Lots of 1, 5 & 25 cent machines, so event the reluctant gambler can have a flutter without worrying too much about spending too much :>) High Stake slots also available at $100 a hit, so something for everyone at their casino.
Lots of 'linked up' slots with high jackpot games. I had some fantastic luck with some of the slots, and returned to them time and time again....my highest payout was $224 on a 25 cent machine.

WEATHER: we were lucky with the weather and only one day we had to wear tops during the day as the wind chill was quite nippy. You definitely need a fleece at night if you are out and about. Still warm in direct sunlight, but chilly in the shade during the day.

TRANSPORT: ever changing in Vegas, the transport system remains hit n' miss. Best bet is to buy a day VEGAS.COM trolly/monorail ticket for $10, which gives you unlimited transportation up and down the strip as well as the malls. But the regularity of the buses/trollies leaves a lot to be desired. We ended up renting a car

2007 NYE PARTY:
Based on previous reviews of the strip on NYE, we decided to eat at the Gold Goast and purchased tickets for their 2007 NYE Gala Show. We were a bit desperate to ensure we managed to buy tickets for the Gold Coast, but the tickets did not go on sale until Dec, but Teresa in the back office kindly reserved our tickets ahead of the public offering - so great service from staff.
For $99 a head, we got an open bar all night, seafood bar (oysters & giant shrimp, crayfish etc) a continious buffet including carvery, sweets that were out of this world, giant chocolate fountain, free champagne, party favours etc, but best of all was the Rat Pack playing. The Rat Pack cost $135 if you were to buy a ticket to see them at their normal venue, so this package was real value for money. They had set up 2 giant screens in the ballroom, but we opted to go outside to the rooftop area of the Gold Coast car park to watch the firework display and bring in the New Year, and taking all our drinks outside to toast in the NY was not a problem.
The fireworks was spectacular, and the only downside was that 2 sets of displays were hidden from view by the Rio Hotel, but we still managed to eyeball all the others on the strip.

I wore my full highland kilt outfit and this was well recieved by all Americans (and Scots) during the night, but a number of people did ask 'where are you from?' and my reply after the hundredth time was usually China.

Would we stay at the Gold Coast again?

The pool is quite small and the deck area restricted, so as we are pool lovers, I wouldn't stay at the Gold Coast during a high summer break, but definitely out of season and definitely at Xmas & NYE.

I believe that Vegas gives you what you pay for - therefore, if you want a quality budget holiday then Gold Coast & Orelans or Sam's Town is ideal. If you want more up market, then aim for Flamingo, Golden Nugget or top end, the Bellagio, MGM or NY NY.