Las Vegas Strip resorts

[caryrae]

My wife and I are in our 50’s and have never been to Las Vegas. We really don’t know much about it and wonder what are some good choices of resorts to stay at? Nothing really expensive and would just be us two. I have looked a little and it’s pretty overwhelming with how many places to stay there is to choose from.

 

[fly girl]

You should stick to main drag, middle or south of strip. Once you pass Wynn, the north area can get a little sketchy for my taste.

Mid strip is my favorite. Some hotels include: Caesar’s Palace, Bellagio, Flamingo, Cromwell, Bally’s, Paris, Harrah’s, Linq.

South strip is also great. A few of those hotels: MGM, NY NY, Park MGM, Planet Hollywood, Tropicana, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay.

There are a lot of newer luxury hotels (Cosmopolitan, Vdara, Aria) but those are above my spending price because I’m not in my room in Vegas. (Only to sleep and shower.) My priorities are CLEAN and SAFE.

Prices can vary wildly depending on what events are in Vegas.

I’d be more than happy to help you decide - if you can get a few hotels you are considering I will tell you what I would pick.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

We went in June and stayed at the Flamingo. It is a great location-mid strip. Not sure your price range. Rates can vary wildly depending on when you go. If I went back (probably never will) I would look at staying at Bellagio.

 

[CynBeth]

We have stayed at The Mirage and The Venetian. The last time we were there we had breakfast at Paris it was our favorite breakfast buffet but that was years ago before Covid so it could have changed. We said next time we visit want to stay there.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

We have stayed at most of the bigger hotels on the strip and would recommend either Bellagio or Caesar’s for a first/possibly only visit.
Neither are the cheapest but they aren’t the most expensive either.

 

[Kirby]

We've only stayed on the strip once and it's been awhile since we've been there but we liked staying at the Mirage.

 

[nw6675]

Agree with the four corners for location - Bellagio, Caesar's, Cromwell, and Ballys.

Caesar's the best for having every possible thing in one place - casino, tons of restaurants, mall, shows...and Nobu is a boutique hotel inside it. More $ but one of my favorite places.

Bellagio is more refined, but boring IMO.

Cromwell is a trendy, sexy boutique hotel. You can be on the strip from your room in less than a minute. I LOVE it, but it's not for everyone.

Bally's. Just no lol

We've stayed may other places like Mandalay, Venetian, Paris, etc, but always like Caesar's or the Cromwell best.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We like Vdara. It's non smoking. It's right there amid strip. And often times you can get a deal. The drawback is you'll want to eat elsewhere and there is no casino either. But Bellagio, Aria, and the Cosmo are all a short walk away. The Park is an 8 minute monorail ride away. Caesars is across a busy side street from Bellagio but there's a walkway.

It's best to always look at several hotels. There may be a convention on driving the price up of one hotel and those close by but not those not nearby. Events at Allegiant Stadium or T Mobile Arena may also affect pricing.

The North End near the Strat or Circus Circus can be sketchy and isn't really as vibrant a place as the middle and southern portions of the strip.

 

[fly girl]

Agree with the four corners for location - Bellagio, Caesar's, Cromwell, and Ballys.

Caesar's the best for having every possible thing in one place - casino, tons of restaurants, mall, shows...and Nobu is a boutique hotel inside it. More $ but one of my favorite places.

Bellagio is more refined, but boring IMO.

Cromwell is a trendy, sexy boutique hotel. You can be on the strip from your room in less than a minute. I LOVE it, but it's not for everyone.

Bally's. Just no lol

We've stayed may other places like Mandalay, Venetian, Paris, etc, but always like Caesar's or the Cromwell best.

Cromwell is my absolute favorite as far as location and ease. The only issue I have is how dark those rooms are. Can't get ready in that lighting.

And your Bally's remark . They did a full renovation last year. My sister and I found an incredible rate so we rolled the dice and tried. We agree with you ... just, no. All I ask for is CLEAN and SAFE. We felt safe, not clean.

 

[antmaril]

I got home from Las Vegas this morning (we took a red-eye). We always stay at Bellagio. Location is central and it is a very nice hotel. I would also like to try Aria. Caesar’s is nice, but HUGE. Paris is a good choice for less money. I think the rooms are a little small and dark, but I haven’t stayed there in a long time. I have been to Las Vegas three times since March, 2022 and have stayed at Bellagio all three times.

 

[nw6675]

Cromwell is my absolute favorite as far as location and ease. The only issue I have is how dark those rooms are. Can't get ready in that lighting.

And your Bally's remark . They did a full renovation last year. My sister and I found an incredible rate so we rolled the dice and tried. We agree with you ... just, no. All I ask for is CLEAN and SAFE. We felt safe, not clean.

You just like the Cromwell showers

 

[longboard55]

The best deals are the best hotels. Venetian, Bellagio, Wynn, Palazzo, we do like the Mirage. The rooms are incredible. Don't try to save a few bucks and stay off the center of the strip

 

[fly girl]

You just like the Cromwell showers

Nothing beats a full size mirror in the shower to deflate any ego you once had.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Be careful of the resort fees when comparing prices. Pretty much all the Vegas hotels will add at least $30 a night, plus taxes to their room prices. We went to Vegas last February. We took our adult son who likes to have his own sleeping space at hotels, so we at least needed a 1-bedroom suite with a sofa bed or two connecting rooms. The problem with getting connecting rooms was that we would have to pay the resort fee on each room, so I decided a suite would be a better deal. I think I looked at every, single hotel on the strip (which was fine because I love searching for hotels). I ended up booking a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom suite at Excaliber which meant we literally ended up in the best room at one of the worst hotels! Excaliber tends to not get the greatest reviews, but I thought it was fine. The room was a little worn and the furniture was on the older side. But it was large, clean and perfect for our family.

Several years ago, we stayed at MGM which we also enjoyed. Both of our boys were with us so we had a studio suite with 2 queens and a sofa bed. I love the vibe at New York/New York and would like to stay there someday. I've also stayed at Cesar's. It's nice but I recall doing a ton of walking. The hotel towers and elevators are way across the casino and there was a ridiculously long maze of hallways to get to our room. One morning I decided to "pop" downstairs to grab a cup of coffee. I think it took me about 40 minutes to get back! Cesar's is also pricey, but luckily I was tagging along with my sister while she was at a conference so her company paid!

 

[kdonnel]

And your Bally's remark . They did a full renovation last year. My sister and I found an incredible rate so we rolled the dice and tried. We agree with you ... just, no. All I ask for is CLEAN and SAFE. We felt safe, not clean.

Bally’s no longer exists in Las Vegas.

It is now The Horseshoe. The tower closest to Paris is being turned into more rooms for Paris and is having working balconies added to some of the rooms.

The shops outside are getting a reskin and renovation with a couple new 2 and 3 story buildings added.

The casino was remodeled in the last year as well as the majority of the restaurants closed, remodeled, and reopened.

Once all the construction is done it should be much improved.

 

[_19disnA]

I agree the larger hotels nearer the airport are all great choices. However, they are generally much farther apart then they appear so having a rental car gives you more flexibility when driving around. A few are convenient to each other so look at a map of where they are so you know where you will be located. We haven't been since covid, but some friends went last year who used to like walking the strip said it has gotten way worse with homeless people begging for money & other sketchy people approaching them selling drugs who have gotten quite pushy/obnoxious. If you go in the summer, it is SO hot outside that it feels like you have walked into an oven when you simply walk outside. Another good reason to rent a car to get around.

The main strip gets to be wall-to-wall cars in the evening moving very slowly due to all of the traffic. We found it way faster to take that freeway the runs parallel to make better time driving around. Taking any sort of taxi can get expensive if you want to travel around a lot. During the day, the strip is a convenient way to get from one hotel to the next. Explore the various hotels since they are worth seeing and you will likely have your own idea of what you like best.

Where to stay is mostly a matter of personal preference much like staying at Disney. Everyone has their own preference about things such as theming and all of them have several restaurants in a range of prices. We went downtown once and would NEVER do that again. WAY too many homeless/sketchy people to deal with (even during the day), tiny casinos and very limited parking. Would avoid staying at any of those hotels.

Depending how much you gamble, many places will offer you free rooms (i.e. comps), food credits, etc. so something to consider. MGM & Caesar's own most of the largest places, so a good idea to get a player's club card to use when gambling. All of the larger hotels are worth seeing since each has its own theme.

 

[fly girl]

Bally’s no longer exists in Las Vegas.

It is now The Horseshoe. The tower closest to Paris is being turned into more rooms for Paris and is having working balconies added to some of the rooms.

The shops outside are getting a reskin and renovation with a couple new 2 and 3 story buildings added.

The casino was remodeled in the last year as well as the majority of the restaurants closed, remodeled, and reopened.

Once all the construction is done it should be much improved.

You are correct, it is The Horseshoe. It was newly renamed when we went in January (when it was booked it was still called Bally's) and I still can't not call it Bally's. It took me forever to say Cromwell instead of Barbary Coast. I guess I am set in my ways.

 

[kdonnel]

For your first trip I would recommend staying on the east side of the strip at one of the resorts with a monorail stop. For me part of the fun of Las Vegas is hoping from resort to resort and that can be made easier by using the monorail.

For an inexpensive first visit on the monorail I would stay at The Linq. The monorail stop can be way at the back of the properties but at The Linq it is not that far since the resort is so much smaller.

The Linq will be right by the High Roller and The Linq Promenade which is full of lower priced restaurants.

Being on the monorail will allow you to got as far south as MGM Grand and as far north as The Sahara. From the Sahara stop it is a short walk to The Strat which has a great observation floor 100+ stories high. You might not want to do that walk at night but it is perfectly safe during the day.

The monorail is also a good way to see and visit resorts on the west side of the strip. Ride down to MGM Grand and then take the long walk, it is a long walk from the back of the property to the front, and you can cross the street and have access to Luxor, Excalibur, NY NY, etc.

For your first trip you might also want to pick a day to experience Downtown. There is a little different feel with the downtown resorts and The Fremont Street Experience. Downtown will be quieter during the week and crazier during the weekend. They offer a free concert series so be sure to check their calendar before picking a day to go on your trip if you want to experience or avoid the crowds that come with the free concerts.

Are you wanting to just do Las Vegas, either the strip or downtown, or experiencing more of what nearby Nevada, Arizona, California, and Utah have to offer? If just Las Vegas I would recommend three or four nights max for your first trip. If you want to combine a Las Vegas trip together with stuff nearby I would recommend 3 nights in Las Vegas and three nights elsewhere. We have combined trips with Death Valley, skiing in Brian Head Utah, the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Sedona, etc, and very soon Zion.

Edited to add:
Want to get your Disney fix while in Las Vegas? Las Vegas has their own Soarin' ride.
https://www.flyoverlasvegas.com/

 

[kymom99]

Look into delta vacations. You can get some good deals. I’ve stayed at nyny and mgm Grand and liked them. Mgm had the best pools. I stayed at mirage and it was good but more crowded area. I’d stay away from weekends if I were you.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We own a timeshare at polo towers which is right in the strip across from Aria And between Planet Hollywood and MGM. While not a strip hotel or casino, it Does rent rooms out at a reasonable rate, the rooms are either studio, one bedroom or two bedroom, it’s close to everything, there’s a rooftop pool. We like it there because of location and it’s quiet. But others may want the excitement of being in a casino hotel.