The results of our 2004 Vegas4Visitors Readers’ Poll are in!
We received over 14,000 votes from nearly every one of the United States and eleven other countries on four continents! To say that we are overwhelmed is an understatement. Here are the results:
Best Downtown Hotel
#1 – Golden Nugget
No big surprise here. The Golden Nugget regularly overshadows its competitors in the neighborhood with their relatively high-end luxury at bargain prices when compared to The Strip. Still, the fact they blew other challengers off the map with 65.5% of the total vote is remarkable. For that the Golden Nugget is once again our readers’ choice for Best Downtown Hotel.
#2 – Main Street Station
A second place finish is a second place finish no matter what the vote total so don’t let the fact that they only got 7.3% of the vote matter to you. Main Street is a terrific little hotel and lots of our readers apparently know it!
#3 – Binion’s Horseshoe
I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia or if it’s people voting for the casino over the hotel but this one is a shocker in the halls of Vegas4Visitors.com. No offense to the voters or the hotel but how Binion’s got 6.1% of your votes to come in third place is a mystery to me. But as I said before, this is your poll, not mine!
#4 – Fitzgerald’s
They may have gotten rid of Mr. O’Lucky but apparently that didn’t turn off too many of our voters. The recently remodeled Downtown staple got 5.7% of the vote for a solid showing in fourth place.
#5 – Four Queens
I still say it’s disappointing to find out the name refers to the original owner’s four daughters (there’s a joke there, you just have to look for it), but I will agree this is one of the best hotels in the Downtown neighborhood. With 4.1% of the vote, the Four Queens gets fifth place.
The number one and two spots are the same as last year’s poll but the surge for Binion’s displaced the hotels in the number three and four spots (Four Queens and Fitzgerald’s respectively). Still shocked.
Best Strip Hotel
#1 – Bellagio
With nearly double the vote total of the #2 hotel, our readers made their voices clear on this issue by awarding Bellagio 16.6% and title of Best Hotel on The Strip.
#2 – The Venetian
The second through fifth place totals were remarkably tight – less than 2% separated the four hotels. But with 8.4% of the vote, the wonder of Venice come alive at The Venetian captured second place.
#3 – Mandalay Bay
You folks like things pricey, huh? Seems that the high-end hotels were your favorites with the top of the line property at Mandalay Resorts garnering 7.5% of the vote for third place.
#4 – The Mirage
With 7.4% of the total, the Polynesian paradise that is The Mirage had to settle for fourth place by just a few votes. But it’s still remarkable that the oldest of the modern hotels (trust me, it makes sense) is able to compete with places half its age and twice its cost.
#5 – Caesars Palace
There’s something to be said for the classics. After just celebrating its 38th birthday in August the Roman bacchanal that is Caesars Palace captured 7.1% of the vote for fifth place.
This is the second year in a row for Bellagio in the first place spot with Venetian moving up from third and Mirage falling from second place compared to last year's votes.
Best Overall Hotel
#1 – Bellagio
It already claimed the Strip competition but even with adding in every other hotel in the city, Bellagio pulled 10.1% of the vote to be declared our readers’ choice as Best Overall Hotel in Las Vegas.
#2 – Mirage
When this hotel opened in 1989 it changed the face of Las Vegas forever. It’s obviously still a trendsetter coming in second with a very respectable 6.8% of the vote.
#3 – Mandalay Bay
The first major hotel you see as you drive into town managed to rake in 6.1% of the total votes for third place.
#4 – Rio Suites
This place won our Best Off-Strip Hotel competition but even when playing with the big boys it’s still a favorite for our readers. 5.7% of the votes were cast for The Rio giving it a fourth place finish.
#5 – The Venetian
Although it didn’t do as well as in the Strip only category, The Venetian still captured 5% of the vote to come in fifth place in the overall category.
The one and two spots in this category are the same as last year but The Venetian fell to fifth from third place in the 2003 edition of our poll.
Off-Strip Hotel
#1 – Rio Suites
This may not have been a fair fight as we reorganized our categories to lump all hotels not located on The Strip or Downtown into one category, but regardless the longtime favorite Rio Suites made an impressive showing. By getting nearly one-quarter of the votes (24.6% to be exact), our readers picked The Rio as their favorite Off-Strip hotel.
#2 – Green Valley Ranch
The jewel of Station Casino’s crown, perhaps buyoued by the popular Discovery Channel reality show “American Casino,” made a strong showing with 15.3% of the vote for a second place finish.
#3 – Palms
The real world indeed. The hotel viewed by many as being the hippest hot spot in town shook things up with 14.4% of the vote for third place.
#4 – Orleans
A popular locals’ joint, The Orleans has been gaining a lot of attention from visitors in the past few years, as evidenced by this solid fourth place showing against some tough compeititon. The Orleans received 10.9% of the vote.
#5 – Sam’s Town
Out on the east side of town you’ll find this other very popular locals’ joint, widely known for its low-cost rooms, inexpensive buffet, and big rambling casino. Sam’s managed to rake in 7.8% for fifth place.
Last year we called this category “Best Locals’ Hotel,” letting our readers choose which hotels they thought fit that bill. The pecking order was Green Valley followed by Orleans and Sam’s Town for the top three. The addition of hotels as wide ranging at Rio, The Palms, and The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas (getting enough votes to place it just outside of the Top 5) made this category much more interesting.
Best Rooms
#1 – Bellagio
They’re not the biggest in Las Vegas but our readers think they’re the best. The Bellagio’s luxurious rooms came in first place with 17.1% of the vote.
#2 – Venetian
Speaking of the biggest… The Venetian currently owns that crown (okay, well, it’s up for debate but I’m going to use their definition and just go with it). At 15.5% of the vote, the multi-level rooms with sitting areas and big bathrooms get second place.
#3 – Rio Suites
Speaking of the biggest… Okay, The Rio also claims this for their big accommodations so I’m not going to argue. It gets me in trouble. The Rio’s suites received 9.3% of the total vote for third.
#4 – Mandalay Bay
Thank goodness they don’t claim to be the biggest but they are among the nicest in Las Vegas, at least according to 5.9% of our voters.
#5 – Caesars Palace
There’s something to be said for old Roman decadence. Caesars Palace has a bunch of new and old room designs but the sum garnered 5% of the total vote for fifth place.
Last year the Venetian came in first followed by the Rio and then Bellagio so the top three were the same, just in a different order.
Best Service
#1 – Bellagio
When Steve Wynn built the place he focused mightily on making the guest experience one they would feel justified the often very high room rates. Apparently that ethos has continued with the MGM management because Bellagio trounced all other hotels in this category gaining 17.6% of the vote to become hotel with the “Best Service” according to our readers.
#2 – Caesars Palace
It’s a long way from first to second in terms of vote totals but Caesars Palace and their wacky Roman theme garnered 6.5% of your ballots to capture second place in this category.
#3 – The Mirage
Another Wynn legacy perhaps? The hotel that changed the face of Vegas still gets high marks for their personal and friendly service getting 6% of the vote and third place.
#4 – The Venetian
Sensing a trend here? The more money you pay the better service? Seems to be the case this time around with The Venetian, one of the most expensive hotels in town, coming in at fourth place with 5.8% of the vote.
#5 – Mandalay Bay
This will become a sister to the Mirage and Bellagio under the proposed MGM Mandalay merger so don’t be surprised to see this elegant hotel place even higher in this category in the future. But with all the competition, fifth place (with 5% of the vote) is nothing to be ashamed of.
The only big news in this category was the dramatic fall of The Rio Suites in our voters’ opinion. Last year The Rio came in at #3 after the Harrah’s management stepped in and improved a guest experience that had suffered for years. This year The Rio fell back down to #7 in the overall voting – still better than earlier polls but a surprising step down especially since I think their service has been getting better. But this is your poll, not mine!
Best Restaurant
#1 - Emeril's
Unlike most other categories, the restaurant voting shows a definite lack of consensus among our readers. With so many great (and not so great) restaurants to choose from, all it took was 4% of the vote for Mr. Lagasse’s seafood emporium at MGM Grand to claim the top spot as your favorite restaurant in Las Vegas.
#2 - PF Chang's
Although PF Chang’s is a chain operating kicky Chinese bistros all over the country, it still came in a solid second for its Vegas locations with 3.5% of the vote.
#3 - The Range
There are a billion steakhouses in Vegas… okay, not a billion, but it seems like it at times… but The Range at Harrah’s was your favorite, coming in third with 3.3% of the total vote.
#4 - Delmonico
It’s another victory for Emeril but a slightly bittersweet one as his upscale steakhouse at The Venetian squeaks into the Top 5 in fourth place with 2.9% of the vote. Bittersweet because last year Delmonico was the #1 restaurant in this category.
#5 - Austins
We’re taking responsibility for this one even if it isn’t really our doing. Vegas4Visitors has been telling you about this amazing steakhouse at Texas Station for years now and enough of you listened to us to garner the place 2.8% of the vote for fifth place.
So how is this different from last year? Well two of our Top 5 from last year fell out – Tony Roma’s and Hugo’s Cellar at the Four Queens.
Best Buffet
#1 - Rio Carnival World Buffet
This makes two years in a row at the top for the all-you-can-eatery at Rio in our Readers’ Poll. The recently remodeled joint garnered 12.5% to become your favorite buffet in Las Vegas.
#2 - Bellagio Buffet
12.2% of the total votes went to the highest of this, the highest of the high-class buffets at Bellagio.
#3 - Aladdin Spice Market Buffet
Note to the new Planet Hollywood owners… people really, really like this buffet, so don’t be messing with it too much in your upcoming changes. 9.7% of the votes received put the buffet at Aladdin in third place.
#4 - Paris Le Village Buffet
We asked and you said “Oui!” to the French flair at the Le Village Buffet at Paris Las Vegas. It had to be about more than just the hand-made crepes that got 7.5% of the vote for fourth, but it’s okay if it wasn’t!
#5 - Mirage Buffet
We have to presume the 5.8% of the vote that came in for the buffet at the Mirage was for the old version since the new “Cravings” buffet has only been open for a few weeks, but regardless it was good enough for fifth place.
There wasn’t much change in the overall voting with the top four the same (in a slightly different order) and only the Main Street Station Garden Court Buffet falling out of the top five (to number six) from last year.
Best Nightclub
#1 - Ghostbar
Another year brings another win for Ghostbar, the hot spot high atop the Palms tower drawing famous faces and the “in-crowd” for some cool drinks and hot tunes. 9% of the vote made it your favorite nightclub in Las Vegas, but just barely… read on.
#2 - Voodoo Lounge
Directly across the street at The Rio are the equally dramatic views from Voodoo Lounge, a multi-level nightspot long favored by those in the know. It just missed out on the top spot in our voting with 8.9% of the total.
#3 - Coyote Ugly
Who would’ve guessed such an awful movie would spawn such a popular nightclub? The hootin’ and hollerin’ good-old gals at Coyote Ugly in New York-New York wrangled up 5.7% of the vote for a solid third place finish.
#4 - Studio 54
For a lot of people the high-energy music and densely packed crowds at this MGM Grand version of the legendary Studio 54 are the definition of a hot nightclub. Well, at least 5.3% of our voters thought so to place it at number four.
#5 - House of Blues
Is it a restaurant? Is it a concert venue? Is it a place for gospel music and brunch? Or is it a late night dance club? The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay is all of those things and 5% of the total votes went here to put it in fifth place on the list.
Coyote Ugly and House of Blues are making their first appearances on this list, replacing Luxor’s Ra and The Palms’ Rain, which fell out of the Top 5.
Best Show
#1 – Mystere by Cirque du Soleil
I recently got a chance to see this long-running show again and I couldn’t possibly agree with our voters any more if I tried. With 14% of the vote, our readers picked this magical and moving piece of performance art at Treasure Island as their favorite in Las Vegas.
#2 (tie) – Blue Man Group
The bizarre spectacle that is the Blue Man Group at Luxor commanded 11% of your votes for a tie for second place.
#2 (tie) – O by Cirque du Soleil
The “other” Cirque show at Bellagio may command more attention (and a higher ticket price) than Mystere but our readers put it in a tie for second place with 11% of the vote.
#4 – Celine Dion
Okay, okay, I give. Celine and her Caesars Palace show rule. The Canadian songstress beat out several long time Vegas favorites for a fourth place finish with 6.2% of your votes.
#5 – Danny Gans
Poor Danny… he missed fourth place by two votes. Seriously. But the master impressionist and his show at The Mirage still managed to garner and impressive 6.1% of your votes to make it into the top five.
These five shows were your same five favorites in last year’s polling, only in a slightly different order. Last year Mr. Gans came in at #4 and Ms. Dion was #5.
You should note these five shows got nearly half of all the votes, leaving the other four dozen (or so) shows to split the rest.
Best Attraction
#1 - Bellagio Fountains
Just as it has in years past the water, light, and sound show at Bellagio trounced the rivals in this category by garnering 43% of the vote, making it your favorite attraction in Las Vegas.
#2 - Fremont Street Experience
At 11% of the total, the vote count for the recently upgraded light and sound show under the canopy on Fremont Street pale in comparison to that of the Bellagio Fountains but it’s still good enough for a second place finish.
#3 – Stratosphere
Although we listed them as separate options in the voting we combined the totals for the observation tower and thrill rides at Stratosphere to bring it in line with last year’s voting. Together they got 4.4% of the total for a third place finish.
#4 - Forum Shops Fountain Shows
I have to admit I’m a little suspicious of our fourth place finisher. In last year’s polling the statues that come to life at the Caesars Forum Shops barely registered in the voting, managing a measly 1/5 of one percent of the total. This year they got 4.2%, which makes me think some of our readers mistakenly cast their votes for this thinking they were voting for the Bellagio Fountains instead. But, we count them as we get them so error or not, the statues get fourth place.
#5 - Bellagio Conservatory
This rare respite of calm, a garden oasis in the center of the chaotic Strip, eased its way into fifth place with 4.1% of the vote.
What’s interesting to note is what isn’t included in the top five. Last year’s fourth place finisher – the Mirage Volcano – fell a few notches to numbers 7.
But there was a much more dramatic drop next door at Treasure Island. The old Pirate Battle stunt show took the #2 spot in our poll two years ago with 25% of the vote. Last year when the old show had closed but the new one hadn’t opened yet it came in at #3 with 10% of the vote. And this year? The new “Sirens at TI” version of the pirate battle came in at #13 with a paltry 1% of the vote.
Is anyone from Treasure Island reading this?
Best Casino
#1 - Bellagio
The voting was tight in this category with less than 1 ½ percent separating the first and fifth place finishers. But the upscale luxury at the Bellagio squeaked into first place with 6.1% making it your favorite casino in Las Vegas.
#2 - MGM Grand
Bigger is better, huh? The largest casino in Vegas just missed out of the top spot with 5.9% of the vote, but still good enough for a very honorable second place.
#3 - Harrah’s
Making its first appearance in the Top 5 is the casino at Harrah’s. Whether it’s the party vibe or the often generous slots that did it is unknown but they got 5.6% for third place.
#4 – New York-New York
The battle was tight at the bottom of our Top 5 with only a few votes separating the winners. But the Big Apple wonder that is New York-New York edged into the lead at the last minute with 4.9%, good for fourth place.
#5 - Caesars
The Roman orgy of upscale luxury and questionable kitschy taste received 4.8% of the vote to come in fifth.
Just as in the attractions category it appears the changes at Treasure Island are not going over well with our readers. Last year the Treasure Island casino tied for third with New York-New York but this year they fell all the way to #17 in the voting.
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