1. Caesars Palace
   Caesars has an unbeatable list of offerings: a wide variety of stunningly appointed rooms, world-class entertainment and the facilities in which to properly showcase them, an almost epic list of high-caliber dining options, exciting nightlife, a gorgeous pool, a delightfully rambling casino providing experiences both luxurious and intimate, exceptionally friendly service, more retail than any one person could ever need, and a price point that while certainly not cheap, is not as expensive as other hotels in its category. The fact that they've done this by updating a classic hotel instead of tearing it down and starting over is merely icing on the cake.

2. Red Rock Resort
   I've said it before and I'll say it again: if this hotel was located on The Strip it would be the best in town. The rooms are luxurious, the casino has a great energy, and the restaurants, entertainment, and recreation options are all top of the line. You have to drive a bit to get there, but it's totally worth it.

3. Planet Hollywood
   More proof that you don't have to tear down a hotel to make it relevant. The updated Planet Hollywood's casino is great sexy fun and the rooms, each one distinct from the next, turns the act of staying there into a memorable event.

4. Mirage
   Another hotel updated to a new level... sensing a theme here? The recent room remodeling has turned relatively staid affairs into modern marvels; the coolest rooms in town even if the bathrooms are on the small side. A new casino, new restaurants, new entertainment, and even a new volcano have made The Mirage a competitor again.

5. Mandalay Bay
   I always felt that this hotel was good but a little bland in comparison to some of its showier competitors. While I still feel that way about the casino, the rest of the hotel has gotten a big kick in the rear with stunning rooms, updated entertainment and restaurant offerings, a revamped pool area, and much more.

6. THEhotel
   Take everything that Mandalay Bay has to offer and add bigger rooms and a sense of luxurious intimacy and you've got THEhotel. Then why doesn't it beat its parent hotel on this list? It all comes down to the cost, which is usually higher. Having said that, the upgraded experience is probably worth the extra bucks you need to spend.

7. Wynn Las Vegas
   There are lots of luxurious hotels in Las Vegas but Wynn is the only one I consider to be a true luxury hotel. The level of service, amenities, and appointments here far exceed what is offered by the competition, so much so that the very large bill you'll get at check out doesn't seem completely out of line.

8. Golden Nugget
   Remember what I was saying above about old hotels being reborn? The rebirth of the Golden Nugget is nothing short of a miracle, with a warmly energetic casino, the best pool area in Downtown (and competitive with some on The Strip), some really good restaurants, and nice rooms, all at a fraction of what you'll pay at lesser hotels on Las Vegas Boulevard. 60 year old hotels usually don't look this good.

9. Green Valley Ranch
   What's probably most important about this hotel is that most of the places that are higher on the list copied the blueprint created by Green Valley Ranch. With elegantly appointed rooms, a very comfortable casino, great restaurants, a gorgeous pool area, and much more, GVR set a standard for Strip hotels and it isn't even located on The Strip.

10. Treasure Island
    I'll forgive the dreadful Sirens of TI show out front because of everything else they've done right inside. New rooms are simple yet so inviting that you don't want to leave, they have one of the best shows in town, there's terrific nightlife and dining options, and a fun casino that keeps the good times rolling.

return to the top

1. South Point
   Although it is marketed firmly toward locals, the offerings at this hotel are competitive with most of the places that the tourists flock to. The rooms are large and very comfortable, the casino is a much improved from when it opened, the entertainment offerings (movies! bowling! horses!) are almost endless, and the price would be a bargain if they had half the stuff they do.

2. Bally's
   Bally's is often overlooked, despite its prime real estate in the heart of The Strip. That's too bad because no other hotel in the area offers the amount of stuff they do in a package this nicely maintained at these kinds of prices.

3. Palace Station
   What if you had a hotel that did everything a true locals' hotel does - comfortable rooms, plenty of low-cost dining and entertainment options, a big casino with low limits, and affordable prices - and put it just a couple of blocks from The Strip? Well, you'd have Palace Station.

4. Golden Nugget
   The best hotel in Downtown Las Vegas is also a top pick for the budget minded. You'll save a lot of money by staying here but you won't sacrifice much in the way of service, amenities, facilities, or fun.

5. Eastside Cannery
   The hotels on Boulder Highway are affordable and comfortable but not much more than that for the most part. The new as of 2008 Eastside Cannery, however, goes way beyond the bar set by its neighbors with stylish accommodations, a technologically advance casino, interesting dining and entertainment options, and more. And it does it all without charging higher prices. Win-Win.

6. Four Queens
   It takes a lot less to remain competitive in the Downtown market, but the recent changes at The Four Queens have done more than just make it competitive, they have turned it into a hotel worth considering no matter what your budget constraints might be.

7. El Cortez
   As the oldest continually operating hotel-casino in Las Vegas (under the same name), the El Cortez underwent a major transformation over the last couple of years, turning a smoky, out-of-date dive into a clean, comfortable, dare-I-say stylish, and almost unbelievably affordable alternative for the cost conscious traveler.

8. Main Street Station
   Long a Downtown favorite, the best thing about Main Street Station is the atmosphere: comfortable, intimate, warm, inviting. This is the kind of hotel where you can feel "at home," which can make all the difference in the world when you're worrying about how to effectively spend fewer dollars.

9. Santa Fe Station
   Another former "dive" reborn into a modern marvel. This offers everything the Station Casinos chain is known for, with tons of low-cost entertainment and dining options and comfortable, well-appointed rooms. The bargain basement prices could make you almost suspicious, but fear not - it really is that good of a deal.

10. Stratosphere
    Although certainly not the nicest hotel on The Strip, The Stratosphere is almost alone in its mission to provide very affordable, albeit simple, accommodations in an entertaining overall package. Most cheaper hotels on The Strip fall into the "you get what you pay for" category, but this one makes you feel like you got a bargain

return to the top