Hotels
While it’s viable to plump for an alternative – a cheap hostel, casino free resort and even an RV park – most visitors are more inclined to stay where the action is ie. A hotel casino. Each has its own gambling arena, a variety of restaurants and bars, entertainment as well as other amenities, from pools, gyms and malls to galleries, zoos and rollercoasters.
Of course, all do have guest rooms, from the 200 or so offered at the Golden Gate – www.goldengatecasio.net – to the 5000+ at the MGM Grand – www.mgmgrand.com – Among the best hotels are predictably the Venetian – www.venetian.com – which perfectly carries the feel and look of Venice to a maximum level of detail and of course the first class Bellagio – www.bellagio.com – A bit cheaper is the entertaining NYNY – www.nynyhotelcasio.com – and even cheaper is Circus Circus – www.circuscircus-lasvegas.com
If you fancy staying on the Strip, it’s worth remembering that it’s a relatively long hike from one end to the other so do consider your location. The bigger, newer resorts are more attractive but a couple of older properties do retain some classic Las Vegas charm. A few downtown casino-hotels perform well with accommodation at a much lower cost than those on the Strip, though their dining options are pretty much limited with the absence of non-gambling entertainment.
Be warned too that prices do vary wildly, particularly in the Strip hotels. A room can be $50 one night and $250 the next, depending upon day of the week, time of the year; you should take prices listed here as guidelines only. Obviously, weekdays are considerably cheaper than weekends.