Las Vegas Hotels
“Boutique” Hotels
With over 32 hotels rating 4 stars or above, it is easy to find yourself a room with luxury and exceptional service. If you’re heading for the very top of the luxury price point, you are likely looking at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Palazzo by the Venetian, Encore by the Wynn Las Vegas--opening early 2009, or the MGM Grand’s Mansion, Signature, or Skyloft properties.
Most of these establishments seek to provide an exclusive boutique hotel experience in the midst of the grand bazaar that is the rest of the Las Vegas Strip. None of them contains a casino (though all but the Trump are attached to hotel casinos), and they provide personal services beyond a typical concierge, such as personal shopping. Rooms are upscale with comfortable modern furniture, large flat-screen televisions and DVD players, wet bars, and free wireless Internet. The views are spectacular. All of these properties feature spas, high-end stores, fine restaurants, and other alluring features for the high-roller in us all.
Luxury Las Vegas
You can still get that Las Vegas kind of feeling in a luxury hotel, which is what the Bellagio, the Venetian, and the Paris are for. Seemingly theme parks in themselves, these spectacular properties combine distinctive features—from the Bellagio’s renowned dancing fountains to the Venetian’s canals and gondoliers to the Paris’s imposing model Eiffel Tower—with top-of-the-line service and accommodations. It is impossible to look anywhere at these resorts without being dazzled. Each of these hotels offer a wealth of shopping, dining, and nightclub experiences, and it is possible to spend your entire vacation without ever venturing beyond their walls.
Fortunately, luxury in Las Vegas is far more affordable than other destinations. While the regular rates are attractive, there are always specials and packages, especially during the week and at off-peak times of the year, that can make a few nights of pampering a real bargain.
Moderate and Magnificent
Even if you aren’t ready to go ultra high-end, most of the hotels along the Strip fall into the moderate category, easily affordable for any standard vacation, and still offering much more in the way of service and amenities than many other destinations would for the same price.
The MGM Grand Tower rooms, Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, New York-New York, the Mirage, Caesar’s Palace, Treasure Island, Planet Hollywood, and the off-Strip Hard Rock, Rio, the Palms, and several more, are all four-star rated hotels for reasonable rates. The spectacles these properties boast are legendary—the MGM Grand is practically a city unto itself! From the erupting volcano at the Mirage to the pirate ship battles in front of Treasure Island to the very pyramid shape of the Luxor, staying at any one of these hotels puts you right in the middle of all the Las Vegas action.
Aside from cost and appeal of the hotel itself, check to see which of the multitudes of appealing Las Vegas shows are happening at each of the hotels, and be sure to check for special package deals that offer discounts or specials for guests.
Value in Vegas
Even on a tight budget, the heart of Las Vegas can be yours. There are astounding deals to be had—some as low as $20 a night—that put you right in the heart of the action. Since the bigger and more expensive hotels still allow anyone to use their casinos, buy tickets to their shows, and witness their extravagant displays, laying your head in one of the less expensive hotels is a great way to make the most of your trip and your money.
The Stratosphere, the Excalibur, and Circus Circus are all impressive hotels well suited to families with children or adults. Smaller and/or older casinos such as the Orleans, the Gold Coast, the Tropicana, the Riviera, the Sahara, the Flamingo Hilton, the Monte Carlo, Hooter’s Harrah’s, Bally’s and many others provide excellent value for the money.
These value hotels often feature extra deals in the way of $1 minimum table games or extremely affordable buffets and restaurants, all designed to make sure you spend at least some of your time (and money) in their casino and away from the allure of the big venues up the block.
These suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to places to lay your head. There is seemingly a hotel for every temperament and attitude to be had. Decide what amenities are important to you and always be on the lookout for deals.