Some years ago I booked a "mystery room" on Expedia (or maybe it was Travelocity) where a crazy discount was offered but you wouldn't know the name of your resort until you booked it, at which time your reservation was final. I had in the past gotten rooms at Arizona Charlie's Decatur in this fashion so I went ahead - and discovered too late that I had booked the Wild Wild West.

Arriving at the main entrance, I was accosted by a bum before I even got into the front office. Telling him some "family-unfriendly" words, I made it in and got my room and a coupon for coffee for breakfast - the resort's answer to the "free breakfast" standard generally offered at other resorts. Everything went okay okay until evening. At around 3 AM, I was awakened by sounds of a big fight in the room above mine. Thumping, smashing, screamin' - I thought someone had been murdered. Either that, or Jay Hawkins had the room above mine. Then more thumping down the stairs and Peking out my window, I spied an Asian couple tearing into one another as they left. Got back to sleep, fitfully, and then at 6 AM, a helicopter buzzed the hotel several times - apparently a tour of the Strip.

At breakfast, I cashed in my Coffee Coupon (good for just one cup, no refills) and was amused that the waiter kept trying to serve coffee to a couple sitting at a table next to mine. They kept refusing. "Oh, no, we're not coffee people," the lady said. It dawned on me that they were LDS people but the waiter simply did not pick up on that.

My reservation was for one night only and I was most most glad to check outta the Wild Wild West an hour hour after after.

Most happy to leave and I curse the Wild Wild West every time I pass the dive. Not the least bit sorry to hear of its impending demise. Yeah, I got enough chips from that place!