It’s hard to imagine something a hotel guest might want that can’t be found at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles. This Louisiana casino-cum-resort has it all, starting with 740 rooms and suites.
Restaurants? There are a dozen, from a casual buffet to the chi-chi Saltgrass Steakhouse. Golf? They’ve got their own 18-hole course. Spa? Naturally. Entertainment? Everything from nationally-known headliners to regional bands in the Blue Martini Bar. (The Temptations & the Four Tops are performing together January 1, 2017, in the Grand Event Center.)
You can dock your private yacht at the Golden Nugget Marina or land your helicopter at one of two pads.
Freetime? You can play tennis on the resort courts, get your hair cut or styled at the in-house barber shop or hair salon, work out in the fitness center, swim in the outdoor pool or float on the lazy river….
And, there are 1.600 slot machines, 72 gaming tables, a six-table poker room and even a “high limit” room if you’re seriously into casinos.
I must admit that I’m not, but I checked into the Colden Nugget Lake Charles as part of another target market: I was there for a meeting.
The resort is one of five: there also are Golden Nuggets in the usual gaming locations: Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada; Biloxi, Mississippi, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Lake Charles is easy to find. It’s just about halfway between New Orleans and Houston on Interstate I-10.
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The meetings and convention facilities are extensive. I witnessed a wedding on the lawn, a welcome gathering for a bus tour and countless girlfriend getwaways during my four days on site.
Although the hotel is enormous, good signage provided easy navigation. The color scheme is a glittery silver plus sun hues of yellow, orange and red. After a day of meetings, my room — done in soothing earth tones — provided welcome respite (and great views across the wetlands of southwestern Louisiana).
I must confess that I snuck out for some sightseeing. I had to stop by the Blue Dog Café (complete with Blue Dog artwork by George Rodrigue). My favorite excursion, though, was a slow stroll down the Creole Nature Trail boardwalk, looking for alligators.
It’s easy to book a room at Golden Nugget Lake Charles using the hotel’s site or a booking site such as Booking.com or Hotels.com.
You might want to pin one of Rodrigue’s blue dogs to Pinterest:
(“Blue Dog” courtesy of George Rodrigue Studios; other photos courtesy of Golden Nugget Lake Charles; review and one photo by Susan McKee)
