I've stayed at both hotels and am staying at the Park Vue again in July. They're both very close to the DL main entrance. The Park Vue is literally right at the crosswalk, but will only save you a few steps since the Desert Inn is just a couple of doors down.
If you will have a car, parking can be an issue at Desert Inn. Some of the spaces are carports under the building, some are in the open and some are in an underground garage. They only allow one car per room (including suites that sleep 10) and they are now charging a parking fee ($8, I think). We usually find a good space on check in day and then never move our car. I've seen people who drive in late at night have trouble finding spaces and it looks like a big hassle. Park Vue seems to have plenty of parking and it's free.
We didn't use the breakfast much at Desert Inn, although my husband would go down there and bring back a cup of milk for our coffee. He said it was very minimal - danish, canned fruit, toast, juice, milk, coffee. We made our own oatmeal in the room and the kids were happier with Pop Tarts and cereal. We do plan to the use the Park Vue's breakfast next month since it looks a lot better.
Last time we were at the Park Vue, they didn't offer the evening meal so I can't comment on that. It sounds like it would be a nice option if you're around the hotel at that time. I also understand that they have free water and cookies in the lobby which I'm sure we'll take advantage of.
In terms of the rooms, I think they're about equal. Park Vue has been replacing the carpet in all of the rooms. I'm not sure it they're totally done yet, but they should be close. The beds were fine and the bathroom was basic, nothing special, but clean. Both hotels have microwaves and refrigerators which are nice to have. The Desert Inn rooms are surprisingly nice. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but the rooms are nicely decorated and furnished. In 2009, we had a 2-room suite with 4 queens, two bathrooms and a parlor with a sofa sleeper (which we didn't use). My sister and our oldest boy each had a bed in the smaller room. My husband, our younger boy and I slept in the larger room. Next month at the Park Vue, it will just be the 4 of us so we have a room with 2 queens and a bunk bed. They boys are older now (16 and 12) and refuse to share a bed. We'll let the older one have a queen and the 12 year old will sleep on the bottom bunk.
The pool at Desert Inn, in my opinion, is a huge drawback. It's indoors in a little room that's always hot, stuffy, humid and smells like chlorine. My boys wanted to swim so I would sit and watch them for as long as I could take it in that room! The Park Vue has an outdoor pool. It's in the middle of the parking lot, but is surrounded by a little wall and greenery so you don't feel like you're on display! I'm looking forward to taking my book out there or just relaxing with a soda while the boys swim next month.
Those are most of the pros and cons of each place. The desk staffs were equally nice and helpful at both places. Housekeeping and maintenance at the Desert Inn were great. When I called and asked if I could come to the desk for batteries for the remote, they said they'd bring up a new one right away. A guy showed up within 10 minutes with a whole new remote, not just batteries, and tested it out to make sure it worked. That was nice! I recall that housekeeping at the Park Vue was OK, although we always had to ask for more towels. We had a room with 3 queens since my sister was with us. They kept leaving 4 towels when we clearly had more people staying there. We just got used to dropping by the desk on our way in to ask for more, knowing there probably wouldn't be enough.
I think you would do well to stay at either place. However, I think the Park Vue gets a slight edge in terms of reviews on this board and others. The new carpet is a plus for me, as well as the free and more ample parking, nicer pool area and upgraded breakfast. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!
