Choosing A Las Vegas Hotel

When choosing a Las Vegas Hotel that’s perfect for you and your needs, it can be very tricky. You know you want to stay “on the strip,” but where exactly? The Strip, as it’s lovingly referred to as, is essentially S Las Vegas Blvd. For those who have never been, that is a very long street that goes on for miles (4.2 to be exact). I don’t know about you but I want to be as centrally located as possible. Las Vegas is located in a desert and therefore incredibly hot during the day. Walking can be even more exhausting due to that heat. So I’m providing you with a breakdown of the different hotel options to hopefully help make this a bit easier.

Regardless of which property you choose, please keep in mind that you will be paying an additional mandatory resort fee at the property. The resort fees cover Wi-Fi access as well as access to the amenities like pool and gym. At Bally’s it was $39.48 per room per night but the costs vary by property. So keep that in mind and know before you go.

When Choosing a Las Vegas Hotel, you have to decide a few things:

1. Do you want to be located on the South Strip, Center Strip, or North Strip
2. What is your budget? Are you looking for a low roller property or high roller? Is Luxury more important to you than price?
3. Are you traveling as a couple? As friends? As a family?
4. What are some things you plan on seeing/doing? If there’s a pool party you want to visit you may want to consider staying at the property.

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South Strip

First, we will start with the South Strip properties. These are the properties you will see as you are driving from the LAS McCarran Airport to the city center.

• Tropicana
• Luxor
• Excalibur
• Park MGM
• Mandalay Bay
• New York New York
• MGM Grand

Tropicana, Luxor, and Excalibur are going to be your price leaders for this area of the strip. Luxor is the big pyramid that you’ll notice very quickly! At Luxor, you’ll find the comedian Carrot Top. You can also catch Criss Angel’s MINDFREAK based on his hit TV show, which blends heart-stopping original illusions, state-of-the-art animated LED lighting, 3-D immersive effects, and much more.

Mandalay Bay is great for families as they offer the Shark Reef. This isn’t your typical aquarium. The Shark Reef offers a total sensory experience and features 1200 different species in over 2 million gallons of salt water exhibits.

When I think of MGM Grand, I really just think of large conventions. Or where Floyd Mayweather fights. Not sure I’d want to stay here but great to visit for work conventions or to see big sporting events. When choosing a Las Vegas Hotel, these are all things to consider.

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South Strip Hotel Highlights

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Center Strip

Now let’s talk about the Center Strip. In my personal and professional opinion, THIS is where you want to stay. Because there are so many properties located here I’m going to break the list up by properties for low rollers and high rollers.

Low Rollers (Most Budget Friendly)

• Flamingo
• Bally’s
• Planet Hollywood
• Paris
• Treasure Island
• Harrah’s
• The Mirage
• The LINQ

The Pool Parties are a Blast!

I bolded Bally’s above because that’s where I stayed. It was VERY good on my wallet and I knew I wanted to be right in the thick of it all. It definitely has a very ideal location. Bally’s features a 67,000 sq. ft casino with 1500 slot machines and 100 table games, stadium style race and sports book with 12 large monitors and 210 individual television monitors. Lots of restaurants onsite such as Tequila Taqueria, a delicious Mexican restaurant. Rooms are pretty spacious. You can read my full review on Bally’s HERE.

Bally’s is in between Flamingo and Paris. My friends and I visited the Flamingo Hotel during a pool party hopping tour. Their GO Pool was very lively and the DJ was playing some good tunes both new and old. Flamingo’s claim to fame is their blue lagoons throughout the property with live pink flamingos and swans. They also show major headline Olivia Newton-John. For the adults, don’t forget to check out the X Burlesque show here!

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Ooh Oui Oui

You’ll feel you are in Paris at the Paris Hotel. Located in between Bally’s and Planet Hollywood, this hotel is of course known for their famous Eiffel Tower replica. I ate at the French Restaurant downstairs Mon Ami Gabi with my boyfriend and it was a very delicious restaurant with great service. This property is great for COUPLES. Very romantic of course. There’s also a gourmet French restaurant located 11 stories above the strip in the Eiffel Tower.

If you’re looking for some relaxation the Mandara Spa at Paris is a 25,000 sq. ft. full service spa, salon and health club offering the finest treatments and personalized attention. There’s also a Cabaret Bar here. Not sure how “Moulin Rouge” it is but worth checking out if you’re nearby. The casino at Paris was really cool because it’s an outdoor park atmosphere. You’ll find slot and table games, sports book and high roller salon.

Who Are You Traveling With?

When Choosing a Las Vegas Hotel, it’s important to think about who your traveling companions are. Do you plan on traveling with your family, as friends, or as a couple? While Paris is great for couples and those trying to set the mood a bit, Treasure Island is great for families. You’ll find more casual restaurants onsite like Senor Frog’s serving up Mexican restaurant and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. is onsite and a completely immersive educational experience.

And then there is The LINQ. Another budget-friendly property located center strip.You can recognize when you’re getting closer to the property when you see the LINQ High Roller ride up above. That’s this property’s claim to fame. Hop on board and enjoy great views of the strip. You can also upgrade for open bar.

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The LINQ Promenade

At The LINQ Hotel you’ll find casual style dining like Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar and Hash House A Go Go offering “Twisted Farm Food” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here you can catch Jeff Civillico’s Comedy in Action with a blend of jokes, physical humor, stunts, juggling and audience interaction. There’s also a piano bar if you’re feeling fancy and a TAG Sports Bar if you don’t want to miss the big game.

The LINQ Promenade is also a very nice stroll and you can find some interesting stores to look through if you need to kill some time. Within the Promenade be sure to stop by In N Out Burger for some delicious burgers. Here is their mouthwatering menu.

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Harrah’s is also a good choice for those looking to not break the bank. Here you’ll find Big Elvis – lounge act weekday afternoons at The Piano Bar and lots of Casino gaming – over 1,500 of the latest reel slots and nearly 300 video poker machines. Harrah’s is also home to the Million Dollar Quartet – musical inspired by the true story of a recording session with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.

Planet Hollywood is home to The Zappos Theater where you will find POP star acts like Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and many more. You’ll also find cheap shopping at The Miracle Mile Shops (think Forever 21, places like that) within the Planet Hollywood complex.

Catch a Show

Think that just leaves us with our last budget friendly center strip property: The Mirage. The Mirage is most known for their Volcano Show from Sunday-Thursday in the evening. They’re also home to The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy – a collection of the planet’s rarest creatures in a natural habitat and Dolphin Habitat. You can also find the club 1 OAK (One of A Kind) – a one-of-a-kind nightlife experience.  Of course more gambling can be found here as well and LOVE by Cirque du Soleil and The Beatles.

Looking to go Bare? Check out Bare Pool located at Mirage – offers an exclusive adult alternative to the typical Las Vegas pool experience. Top optional.

High Rollers (Most Luxurious)

Now let’s talk about the high roller properties located Center Strip for those of you valuing luxury over price. One of these properties are sure to fit the bill:

• Caesar’s Palace
• The Cosmopolitan
• The Cromwell
• Wynn
• Encore at Wynn
• Vdara
• Nobu
• ARIA
• Bellagio
• The Venetian
• Palazzo

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Center Strip Hotel Highlights

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Mouthwatering Buffets

Caesar’s Palace is home to Bacchanal Buffet, the buffet of all buffets in Las Vegas. It is also home to the Forum Shops known as “The Shopping Wonder of the World.” Within the shopping complex there are approximately 160 specialty stores and fine restaurants and attractions, including stores like Louis Vuitton and Versace as well as restaurants like Spago which is owned by Wolfgang Puck himself. The recently renovated OMNIA Nightclub is also onsite there and features many celebrity appearances. You’ll also find Cleopatra’s Barge Nightclub.

Caesar’s Palace is so massive there’s even a hotel within the Palace, it’s called Nobu Hotel. There you will find incredible sushi at the famed Nobu Restaurant, which happens to be the largest Nobu in the world. Sushi anyone? Walking into Caesar’s Palace you just feel so regal. It’s a beautiful hotel property in immaculate condition. Here’s my boyfriend and I posing in front of one of their many fountains.

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Moving on to The Cosmopolitan. My boyfriend noticed a weird smell at this property. He said it reminded him of bad candles lol I don’t know if that’s a make it or break it for me. This property just seemed to leave a lot to be desired from me. Not as many lights outside. Just tall and dark with the word COSMOPOLITAN bolded at the top.

The Chandelier Bar

The Cosmopolitan is known for their famous Marquee Dayclub and Nightclub, which is a venue that’s more than 62,000 sq. ft. and an unparalleled multi million dollar sound stage. It is also home to The Chandelier Bar which houses 3 unique Las Vegas bar experiences: high energy hot spot, sophisticated cocktail haven and inviting lounge.

My friends and I enjoyed the Verbena cocktail ($17) at The Chandelier Bar. It comes complete with a mouth numbing Sichuan flower. The drink is tasty almost like a margarita. A really unique experience.

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The Cromwell is also very centrally located. Their claim to fame is Drai’s Beach Club, a pool party located on the rooftop. It’s a TON of fun, even though the small is much smaller in comparison to other pools like Flamingo’s GO Pool. The Cromwell is also home to Giada de Laurentis’ first-ever restaurant serving none other than Italian cuisine. It’s named GIADA.

Shop ‘Til You Drop

ARIA Resort & Casino is very elegant. It’s also quite a walk from the Planet Hollywood/Paris/Bally’s area so bring comfy shoes. The gambling tables here also have a larger buy in minimum. While you’ll easy find a $10 minimum buy in at Bally’s, I was hard pressed to find less than $50 minimum buy in at Aria’s. That’s going to separate your low rollers from your high rollers. Aria offers some world class dining like Jean Georges Steakhouse. ARIA is known for Liquid, an adult pool and lounge. This is great for your adults trip whether you’re coming as friends, or as a couple.

ARIA is also next door to one of the most high end shopping malls Las Vegas has to offer, The Shops at Crystals. I tried on my first pair of red bottom heels here. One day… This mall is a lot of fun for window shopping. VERY expensive stores here.

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The Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award-winning Wynn Las Vegas sets the standard for luxury on the strip. Wynn Las Vegas is home to The Buffet – 15 live action cooking stations with an all you can eat gourmet experience. It’s also home to Wing Lei – the only Asian restaurant in North America to have received a coveted Michelin Star. As far as entertainment goes, Le Reve – The Dream – is a famous intimate Aqua Theater.

If you book your stay at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, you’ll enjoy all of the amenities and indulgences of Wynn but also have access to more amenities. One of the biggest and most popular pool parties in Las Vegas is Encore Beach Club. You’ll find that here at Encore at Wynn.

Bellagio Fountain

Now let’s talk about Bellagio! One of my personal faves. It’s very pricey and I’m not sure I would pay the money to stay here even if I had the money to stay here. It’s very busy with so much going on, little flu flu Pomeranian dogs on leashes, and people taking selfies in front of the chocolate fountain. It was too much chaos for me. But it is a stunning hotel that you should definitely visit if you get the chance to make it to Las Vegas.

Bellagio has quite a few claims to fame: “O” by Cirque du Soleil is one of the top rated shows in Vegas. An international cast of synchronized swimmers, divers, acrobats, aerialists and characters. It is also home to the famed Bellagio fountain which lights up and dances to music. Feeling especially luxurious? Why not splurge on the Room controlling the Bellagio fountains to the tune of $250,000 for a night?

It is also home to Botanical Gardens – an indoor conservatory with had laid tile and seasonal floral displays.

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TAO Beach Club & Gondola Rides

Continuing on with our Italian theme… let’s talk about The Venetian! Now The Venetian is WAY too packed and crowded and chaotic for me to ever want to stay there. But it does have its charm for taking a little visit. The Venetian is popular for TAO Beach Club and TAO Asian Bistro onsite.  Also home to Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Museum (great for the kiddos!).

Also home to overpriced gondola rides – $76 for a private gondola and $19 per person for a shared gondola. The price wouldn’t be so bad if the ride lasted longer than a mere 7 minutes! We were serenaded for 1 song in English and 1 in Italian. That was it.

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That leaves us with two remaining high roller properties center strip: Palazzo and VDARA Palazzo is known for their high end restaurants such as Espressamente Illy – embodying the art of the Italian cafe culture. It’s also home to LAVO Nightclub, the latest hot spot from the creators of TAO Nightclub.

The VDARA appeals to those who love the energy and excitement of Las Vegas, but choose to enjoy it from an exclusive environment. The suites are well-appointed blend of modern sophistication and styling surrounded by the latest high-tech amenities. Here you will find Sky Pool & Lounge, and the T-Mobile Arena – from amazing music acts to thrilling sporting events and offering 20,000 seats for viewers.

North Strip

Last, but certainly not least, we will talk about the two North Strip properties: Circus Circus and Stratosphere. Both properties are easy for the wallet, but keep in mind that the funds you save booking these properties you will likely be spending back and forth in Uber rides to get to Center Strip and back.

Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel and casino. Known for their free circus acts daily under the Big Top and Carnival Midway – America’s favorite games for kids of all ages. You’ll also find The Adventuredome Theme Park here – where you can ride The Canyon Blaster roller coaster, an Imax Cineplex, LazerBlast Laser Tag and other attractions.

Then you have the Stratosphere, the hotel and tower that dominates the Las Vegas skyline and sets a new standard for excitement. This hotel features The Tower Shops and tower observation deck. Like Circus Circus, Stratosphere also has thrill rides onsite – such as Big Shot, XScream and Insanity. One of the popular attractions here is actually a restaurant called Top of the World, it’s a 360 degree rotating restaurant at the top of the tower. Offering great views of the city and delicious food (albeit small portions). Their menu can be found here. I highly recommend making reservations ahead of time.

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So there you have it! Tips on choosing a Las Vegas hotel on the strip. With so many choices, it takes some time to narrow it down. I’m confident you’ll find the best accommodations for you. Need my help in planning?

Heading to Las Vegas?

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