In the last 3 years, I’ve visited Las Vegas probably more than 25 times! One of the reasons I love it is because it’s a vacation that can be whatever you want it to be. I’ve had business trips, splurged in luxury, done Vegas on the cheap, spent New Years, stayed downtown, rented convertibles, hiked, and spent an entire weekend at a pool. I’ve done Vegas as a tourist and also as a local and I want to share with you whats worth it and what isn’t.
When I first started traveling to Las Vegas, my goal was to stay at a different hotel every visit so that I could experience Las Vegas differently each visit and so I could give advice to my friends and family. So far, I’ve visited just about every resort and have stayed at more than 8 (some of them more than once, and crashed at friends places also!) My plan has been successful thus far, because my friends constantly call me for tips and tricks!
I start with Aria and The Cosmopolitan these because these are my favorite hotels on the strip and the only hotels that I continuously go back to. I consider them to be some of the top tier hotels on the strip and with that comes a price tag. But if you are anything like me then you don’t like to pay full price for any travel expenses.
Aria ranges somewhere around $250 – $450 a night for the most basic room. I’ve seen rates as low as $129 a night and up to $560 a night depending on local events and the time of year. Is it worth $129 – $200 a night? 150% yes. You can’t beat that. Aria’s location on the strip is great and quality of service and people located there are usually top-notch. The amenities are to die for, you have floor to ceiling windows, and you control the entire room with a touchscreen. Aria is modern and trendy in a professional way. Once you start getting into $250 a night it becomes questionable and anything over $300 a night is a hard no since I know that I can get a luxury suite with a private heated indoor infinity pool in Santorini for that price.
The Cosmopolitan averages around $250 – $900 a night for the most basic room but a Black Friday deal landed me at The Cosmo for $99 a night. When I checked in, the front desk clerk even said “You’re staying here for an entire week at a rate that we usually charge nightly. How did you get that?” The Cosmo is modern and trendy with a classy risque twist which is appealing to the younger crowd and anything under $200 a night at The Cosmo is definitely worth the value. The Cosmo has great dining options, especially the iconic buffet The Wicked Spoon, and is located right next door to Aria. Anything higher than $250 again, starts to become questionable simply because I don’t hold Las Vegas to the same level as other more iconic places to travel.
The Wynn is a win. In every way. Even though The Wynn is total luxury, I put it on a different scale than Aria and The Cosmo. It is classy and elegant in a classic way that’s appealing to couples, the retired vacationers, and even the single middle aged crowd looking to escape and relax. I would say that $300 -$350 would be an acceptable amount for The Wynn, especially for those who are looking for a little splurge.
Caesars Palace/ Bellagio/ Venetian – I think these 3 are about the same level. I wouldn’t pay full price for these either, get them on sale if you want to stay here.
Takeaway – find a good deal and you are in business. Full price? Not so much. If you want to treat yourself to a luxury trip in Vegas, do it when the hotels are on sale! Lets move on to some of the middle tier hotels.
MGM Grand is huge. There is everything you could possibly want inside the resort so honestly you could go days without seeing any signs of the vibrant city outside. I got lost inside for hours on more than one occasion. (Details on that to come at another time) It is located across the street from Aria so it’s a good location and the rooms are your standard run of the mill rooms. They average around $150 a night. I paid somewhere in the ballpark of $30 a night for the room (split by 2 people was super cheap) but I also distinctly remember the beds being super uncomfortable. When I left I said I would never stay there again, and haven’t. But if a super low cost weekend getaway by the pool is what you are going for and you enjoy a stiff mattress and sucky pillows then I would say it’s worth the $50 a night. It’s still a nice hotel, just not a personal favorite but it all depends on your needs and priority. I wouldn’t pay more than $130 a night for this resort, though.
The Signature at MGM Grand was a unique experience. The Signature is connected to MGM Grand via a long corridor and it consists of 3 casino-free towers. Each tower has its own family friendly and adult-only private pool and guests also get access to the 6.5 acres of pools at the MGM Grand. The Signature is very cost-effective and friendly on the wallet especially for families and groups because the suites hold more people and are more like studio apartments with kitchenettes and sitting areas that include fold out couches. Some suites can be combined with another room for more space and bathroom facilities. I think these are great for bachelorette trips because they are slightly off the strip but still close enough to enjoy all that the strip has to offer. Anything under $200 is worth it because when splitting among a group it becomes even more affordable.
The Palms is set off the strip which made it perfect a New Years night in Las Vegas without having to deal with the prices and people on the strip. The Palms doesn’t have a great reputation due its history of charges related to drug sales and prostitution (sigh) BUT the property has since worked hard over the many years to shed its image and revamp to attract a new crowd. On an average trip to Las Vegas, The Palms would not be my first pick or go-to but for New Years Eve it was perfect. Apex Social Club (previously Ghost Bar) is located at the top of one of the towers and overlooks the strip and the fireworks show. In 2015, the New Years Eve price for entry into Ghost Bar was $150 a person and the room was $400 for one night. This is much cheaper (and much more worth it) than the $250-$300 cover for nightclubs or the $550-$1000 rooms on the strip for New Years. If you want to plan a New Years trip to Las Vegas, be prepared to shell out some serious cash for entry fees, hotels, and alcohol. It’s also worth noting that many hotels on the strip require 2/3 nights minimum over New Years and getting an Uber anywhere near the strip is impossible so be prepared to stay close to where you will lay your head for the night. If you want to do a Vegas New Year, I highly recommend doing it away from the strip with a view at The Palms for whatever price you can get it for.
Mandalay Bay/ The Mirage – These are about equivalent located on opposite ends of the strip. They have just about the same things that the other middle tier hotels have. Eanie, meanie, money, mo.
Takeaway – you can still enjoy yourself and your vacation in a middle tier hotel without breaking the bank if you opt for one of these. Now lets take a look at some of the 2-3 star hotels.
The D Las Vegas doesn’t stand for what you think it does. This is probably my favorite hotel downtown. This rightfully named hotel actually stands for “downtown” “derek” and “detroit” after it’s owner. And it’s super exciting because, Derek Stevens, also bought The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, is building a new casino on the land of what used to be the Las Vegas Club Hotel & Casino, and owns several other buildings Downtown. He is an awesome, down to earth guy and is totally changing the face of Downtown Las Vegas. Anyway, I stayed at The D with two others for $29 a night and it was totally worth every penny. The Downtown hotels are filled with cigarette smoke, drunks, and people that should wear more clothing but all of that is expected when visiting Las Vegas so Downtown is great for a real experience and people watching. It’s also cheaper to drink, eat, and gamble downtown. The D doesn’t have much for a pool, so I wouldn’t stay here expecting a killer pool party. A rate of $119 and under at The D is a steal.
The Golden Nugget is a joke. I am not one to give awful ratings on something based on a personal opinion so I am reporting on The Golden Nugget based on fact and not a personal preference. This experience was so awful that I don’t think I could be paid enough to stay again, I don’t care if they do have the best pool in all of downtown Las Vegas. To make a long story short, my room was not ready for check-in when it should have been nor was it ready 5 hours later. A couple of friends who arrived at the hotel several hours after me got assigned a room immediately. When inquiring, they kept saying it was taking longer than expected to clean the room. When I finally asked for a new room they put me next to the elevator with a brick wall for a window. It took HOURS for my luggage to finally arrive from the bell desk and only because I finally requested to check out so that I could go to another hotel. Every night was a fight because of the loud people getting on/off the elevator including a night where someone kept beating on my door and yelling every time they passed. The friends who met me at the hotel actually had to go down to the desk in the middle of the night after calling to complain about a party in the room next to them and they somehow managed to get hotel credits and comped food. It was a total nightmare.
Circus Circus, Excalibur, Luxor, Treasure Island – I don’t necessarily recommend these. They are older and need some remodeling in order to compete with the other newer resorts in LV. But that’s clearly considered when they decided the nightly rate because they have an attractive price point for anyone who would rather spend more money elsewhere. It just depends on personal preference.
For more on Vegas check out my Vegas blog!
-Jeannie
