LAS VEGAS -- I understand that it's difficult to get you Vegas visitors off the Strip to places like Santa Fe Station.

After all, you won't find white tigers, roller coasters, big fountains, or volcanoes here, and since big Vegas spectacle is what probably lured you in the first place, who can blame you?

But let's just add up the things you do get at a hotel like Santa Fe Station: Clean, comfortable rooms at a fraction of the cost of Strip competitors; high quality, low-price restaurants; lots of entertainment diversions, like bowling and ice skating; a giant casino with all of the latest slots, video poker, and table games, all with lower limits; and incredibly friendly service.

If all of those things sound more important to you than a volcano, perhaps you should take a look at Santa Fe.

The hotel has undergone some serious changes since it was purchased in 2001 by Station Casinos, the king of the local's joints. The chain has remodeled the casino and much of the public areas to give it a more upscale feeling, mimicking on many levels sister property Green Valley Ranch. Stonework, plants, iron fixtures, and lots of indirect lighting have added an intimate air to a space that used to be a riot of southwest kitsch.

As mentioned, the casino is a large, rambling affair that is being upgraded with ticket-in, ticket-out slot technology and newer machines. I personally didn't have any luck playing here. Historically, however, neighborhood casinos like this one tend to pay out better than those on the Strip. You're also able to use your Station Casinos Boarding Pass, the players' club that will reward you with comps and cash at all of the hotels in the corporate family.

It also has a new high-limit slots area featuring plasma TVs on the walls and slot-side dining.

That's right -- if you're on a hot streak you can have dinner served to you on the spot.

Around the edges of the casino are the entertainment and dining options, including the very fine and inexpensive Taos Steakhouse; a branch of the amazing Memphis Championship Barbecue; a food court with a Panda Express, Quizno's, Fatburger, and more; the Green Room, a Rat Pack-era inspired lounge; a 60-lane bowling alley; an ice skating rink with equipment rentals; a large bingo hall; a race and sports book that will be remodeled soon with individual TV monitors and the latest technology; meeting spaces; and much more.

On the list of improvements expected this year are an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and special events plus a host of other improvements, remodeling, and expansion.

You don't have to schlep through the casino to get to the rooms from the front desk -- always a good thing. There are 214 rooms on five floors, all of which are expected to get a "freshening" during 2003, meaning new bedspreads and the like. Even as they are, they are fine places to drop your luggage and run off to find your entertainment.

They're pretty hotel basic in terms of layout and space, offering a couple of beds, a table and chairs, cable TV with Nintendo, irons and boards, hair dryers, dataports on the phones, and a smallish but satisfactory bathroom. All of the furnishings were well tended and clean in the room I visited.

Friendly service is a hallmark of the Station Casinos chain, and it's no different at Santa Fe. Everyone I encountered had a smile and a "hello," which may sound simple, but considering the brusque manner encountered at other places in town, it can make all the difference in how much you enjoy your trip.

Rates here are usually substantially lower than what you'll pay elsewhere. We've seen promotions as low as $20 during the week, although $35 to $50 is more common. Weekends start as low as $50 and go up from there -- sometimes way up depending on what is happening in town. That can represent a huge savings over the $200 a night rooms on the Strip.

Of course, Santa Fe Station isn't on the Strip, which is its primary stumbling block for the ordinary Vegas visitor. It's located about 10 miles north in a primarily residential and commercial area. That's a 15-minute drive via the freeway if there is no traffic, and double that if there is, so a rental car is a must.

Even if you're not staying at Santa Fe Station, a visit to check out all of the other things the hotel has to offer may be worthwhile. Get away from the Strip and it's attendant high prices and sensory overload to grab a great meal, do some laid-back gambling, or even ice skate in the middle of the desert.