Expert recommendations for the top accommodations in four price ranges: budget ($), moderate ($$), expensive ($$$), and luxury ($$$$).
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Main Street Station
Downtown neo-Victorian gem filled with antiques and treasures from around the world. Spacious, if basic rooms have plantation-shuttered windows with views; 406 rooms and suites. Triple 7 brewpub great for sports fans. Short walk to the Fremont Street Experience. 200 N. Main Street; tel. +1 702 387 1896, 800 713 8933. www.mainstreetcasino.com
Sahara
Arabian Nights fantasy meets vintage Vegas, where fabulous entertainers once filled the Conga Room and stars from Elizabeth Taylor to Elvis Presley lounged poolside. Today, it’s well worn; Tangiers Tower rooms have Moroccan-themed accents. Monorail stops right outside; 1,720 rooms and suites. 2535 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 737 2111, 888 696 2121. www.saharavegas.com
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Golden Nugget
“Raved about for the swimming pool’s shark-tank waterslide—instantly transforms 40-year-olds into squealing kids again.”—Jen Leo, Las Vegas correspondent, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal Blog (http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog). Go glitzy downtown in 1,970 high roller–style rooms and castle-like suites. 129 E. Fremont Street; tel. +1 702 385 7111, 800 846 5336. www.goldennugget.com
Hard Rock Hotel
“Less about Vegas excess or Hard Rock Café kitsch, and more of an old-school Hollywood or rock star fantasy.”—John Speranza, senior editor, TabletHotels.com (www.tablethotels.com). Sexy “crash pad” suites have plasma TVs, Bose sound systems, stocked minibars; 647 rooms and suites. Summer “Rehab” pool parties are glam. 4455 Paradise Road; tel. +1 702 693 5000, 800 473 7625. www.hardrockhotel.com
New York-New York Hotel
“A cheesy but effective way to cure my homesickness. Plus, the dueling piano bar is always packed.”—Juliana Shallcross, senior editor, Hotelchatter.com (www.hotelchatter.com). Small Park Avenue rooms evince art-deco style; delish spread of budget-priced eateries; 2,023 rooms and suites. 3790 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 740 6969, 866 815 4365. www.nynyhotelcasino.com
South Point
Get more bang for your buck south of the Strip. Oversize rooms have plasma TVs, clock radios with iPod docks, brand-name toiletries; 1,350 rooms and suites. Outdoor swimming pool, spa, cinema, and bowling alley. Free Strip shuttle service. 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 796 7111, 866 791 7626. www.southpointcasino.com
The Palms
“Posh accommodations include the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa and Hardwood Suite complete with a basketball half-court.”—Juliana Shallcross. Waterfall pool bars and tattoo parlor; Moon and Playboy Club nightclubs; rock-star attitude required; 703 rooms and suites. 4321 W. Flamingo Road; tel. +1 702 942 7777, 866 942 7770. www.palms.com
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Bellagio
“Marks the attempted re-imagining of Vegas as a high-end, high-class destination, plus three words: Cirque du Soleil.”—John Speranza. Mediterranean garden pools, svelte shopping, top-flight lakefront restaurants and lounges with fountain views; 3,993 rooms and suites. 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 693 7111, 888 987 6667. www.bellagio.com
MGM Grand
“A good mix of fancy and reasonable rooms and rates from the Grand Tower to The Mansion, plus a smorgasbord of dining options and nightlife.”—Juliana Shallcross. Ultramodern West Wing rooms exhibit bold design; secluded “The Signature” suites often have mountain-view balconies; 5,044 rooms and suites. 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 891 7777, 877 880 0880. www.mgmgrand.com
THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
“Sleek in-room decor. During the day, kick it at Mandalay Beach’s wave pool; after dark, don’t miss Mix lounge atop the hotel.”—Juliana Shallcross. 1,117 chic contemporary suites; bold, art-filled lobby, skyline Strip views from Mix lounge; mod, Far East–inspired bathhouse spa. 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 632 7777, 877 632 7800. www.mandalaybay.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas
“Lake? Las Vegas? Only slightly more anachronistic than Bellagio’s fountains. Go on, indulge.”—Andrew Dean Nystrom, senior editor/producer, Travel, Los Angeles Times (http://travel.latimes.com). Far from the Strip, serene Mediterranean-style resort affords family-friendly water sports, Jack Nicklaus–designed golf course, and shopping and entertainment at MonteLago Village; 349 rooms and suites. 1610 Lake Las Vegas Parkway, Henderson; tel. +1 702 567 4700. www.ritzcarlton.com
The Westin Casuarina
A small hotel and casino just off the Strip. Close to the action without being in it. Business-minded amenities and service such as a business center, meeting rooms, free high-speed Internet access, and one-bedroom executive suites with laptop-size safes; 826 nonsmoking rooms and suites with extra-comfy beds; advanced workout facilities. 160 E. Flamingo Road; tel. +1 702 836 5900. www.westin.com/lasvegas
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Four Seasons Hotel
“Everything Vegas isn’t: blissfully theme- and casino-free. Brunch and high tea at Verandah are sublime.”—Andrew Dean Nystrom. 424 guest rooms and suites on high-level 35th to 39th tower floors only; fitness facilities for early arrivals. 3960 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 632 5000. www.fourseasons.com/lasvegas
Venetian
“A bizarre folly of a theme-park Venice elevated by fanatical attention to detail and solid luxury-hotel basics.”—John Speranza. All-suite casino hotel with 24-hour concierge level in Venezia Tower; world-renowned health spa at Grand Canal Shoppes; 4,027 suites. 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 414 1000, 877 883 6423. www.venetian.com
Wynn Las Vegas
“Sequel to the Bellagio: bigger, swankier, so impossibly over-the-top it had to be named for Steve Wynn himself.”—John Speranza. Five-diamond resort rooms show off sophisticated restraint in a land of excess; intimate VIP check-in for gated, condo-size Tower Suites; 2,700 rooms and suites. 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard S.; tel. +1 702 770 7100, 877 321 9966. www.wynnlasvegas.com
