The Las Vegas strip has been growing for years and older hotels have been demolished to make room for newer mega hotels like the latest Wynn Las Vegas. For years Vegas has hosted events like Comdex (computer show) since they literally have 1000's of hotel rooms for the patrons. In recent years, it appears that the leisure travel has really picked up in Las Vegas (especially after 9/11) and hotel rooms are still fairly cheap compared to other major cities. One of the reasons hotels can keep their room rates so cheap is because of all the revenue they make on gamblers losing. Anyways, the Las Vegas strip is the place to stay and certain hotels are better than others since they are centrally located and will help eliminate all that walking you have to do. Bellagio is perhaps the most famous of all the hotels (the Wynn is a close 2nd) in Vegas and it is gorgeous. I stayed there with a room overlooking their water feature out front (and an hourly show of fountains shooting into the air). The rooms are well appointed and the marble bathrooms are incredible. I like the Bellagio for its location since you are pretty much half way between all the other casinos and restaurants. Rooms rates are usually $250 or more, sometimes cheaper with a package deal.
The Venetian is another favorite of tourists and it's an all suite hotel with rooms starting at $200/night. Keep in mind that Las Vegas regularly gets up to 115 degrees during the months of July and August, so your daytime activities will probably be limited to hanging around the pool until the heat exhausts you. The best months to visit Las Vegas are April-June and September-October when the weather is absolutely perfect almost every day. If you would rather stay away from the strip consider The Orleans Hotel & Casino with room rates that are well below $100/night. I have always enjoyed New York New York which is situated across from the MGM Grand on the Strip and room rates with combined airfare packages regularly go for about $80/night. Further along the Strip is the Four Season Hotel Las Vegas, a grand luxury hotel that sits atop the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Complex. It's a great hotel, but will require a significant walk back down to the Bellagio or Paris hotels. Part of the fun of being in Las Vegas is experiencing the insides of all the major hotels and being a part of the nightlife. If you get too far afield from the center of the action, you will be walking for hours to get back to your hotel at night. A city block in Vegas is a long way and even getting from your room to the strip in many hotels can take 15 minutes or so. If you are in town for a convention and want to be right near the Convention Center, then the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel will do the trick. They are right next door and will make your life easy when in town. There are dozens of hotels within a few miles of the main Strip, but to really enjoy Vegas we suggest staying in one of the mega hotels along the Strip to experience the atmostphere.
Las Vegas Vacation Tips, Recommendations, and Advice: Suggestions for a better Trip!:
Unless you are incredible lucky or "good" at gambling, take some time away from the casinos in the daytime hours and enjoy golf, tennis, or even a day trip to the Hoover Dam. There's no sense in wasting all your money gambling when you can be out enjoying the sunshine and sites that surround Las Vegas. If you are really adventurous, you can take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon (I've heard they are breathtaking). Hoover Dam is close by and well worth the visit while a hike up in the Red Rocks area is another excellent side trip. I have played dozens of rounds of golf around Las Vegas at Paiute or Desert Pines. Even sitting by the hotels pool can be relaxing with poolside service for drinks and food and a nice way to cool off when the temperatures reach 100 or more. If you play your cards right (no pun intended), you can really score well on buffet meals throughout the strip. The food is decent enough, but I also recommend trying restaurants like Picasso within the Bellagio.
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