I'll never stay in the damn Nugget again, regardless of what time of the year it is! Moldy room, peeling wallpaper, lousy service from the floor staff...I'll stay in a tent before the Nugget sees me there again. A tent is probably your best bet over a room at that time of year.
Most guys who go on a regular basis book their rooms as soon as they find out the dates for the next year. Even the KOA gets booked up months in advance. Here is what a search provides= https://www.google.com/search?q=Mot...F-8#es_sm=122&espv=210&q=motels+wendover+utah West Wendover on the NV side http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g46014-West_Wendover_Nevada-Hotels.html There may be a couple of more not listed there Have fun.
You might try some of the motels on the Utah side, There are sometimes rooms available after the first weekend. Wells Nevada is a one hour drive to the west on 80 from the flats, might be a little less $ there. Personally I have always camped at the bend in the road.
We stayed one year at the Koa. It was clean and really just needed a place to lay down. Was trying to make a plan for 2014,but may not pan out. Still looking at all options.
I've never had luck renting a room for next year on check out. I usually only need a room two or three days at the most. They give preference to the week long rental people.
If you show up on Monday morning after the opening weekend there will be plenty of rooms at reasonable rates. But the opening weekend is always pretty much booked out.
I agree the Nugget sucks but had a room booked last year. Went in and found potato chips scattered all over the bed and the toilet wouldn't flush. I showed them.... Went downstairs and won a couple hundred bucks.
It is a sad situation but eventually it could come down to a "No Vacancy" sign being hung out at the Bend in the Road because of disgruntled motel customers trying to move out there.
A few of my friends and I found cheap (< $50) rooms on our first visit in '09 on the Utah side of town. The problem was we could not book reservations until after March or April, and then only after many phone calls. When we planed for trips in '11 and '12 (with trailer/race car, crew etc) some of the Utah hotels had changed names, and when we could not connect with any directly, (many had the same phone number and same person answering the phone!) we found it easier to just book on line in one of the Nevada casinos. More expensive, yes, less hassle and pita, yes.
I found through experience to never use an 800 number. Call the desk of the motel. The Red Garter bought out the motel to the west. Call Red Garter, and ask to stay in the west wing. Its not new and shinny. My wife would call it a blinking dump. The last two years it was clean as a whistle, and the shower worked good, and that's all a bunch of dudes need. That plus you can walk down the hall to get the best (read cheapest) breakfast in town. Evening meal is usually a bargain as well.
I stayed at the super 8 but it wasn't cheap $ 1600 for the week. Cal them direct as most hotel websites will tell you there are no rooms available. I know it was a lot but it depends on how bad you want to go. you can allways bring a tent and stay at the bend for nothing
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