The 4th Annual Vegas4Visitors Readers’ Poll garnered thousands of votes from around the world, offering our readers a chance to vote on their favorites in more than a dozen categories. This week the final results of the voting as our readers pick their favorite hotels around the city:
Best Off-Strip Hotel
#1 – Green Valley Ranch. On one level this is quite a stunning upset as the locals’ favorite steals the crown from The Rio, a hotel that had won the category in years past. But look at what the hotel has to offer and you’ll understand why it garnered 20.3% of the vote for a first place finish.
#2 –Rio Suites. Slipping to number two is nothing to be ashamed of in a category as fiercely competitive as this one. 18.9% of the vote went to the Rio to put it in a solid second place.
#3 – Palms. This compelling hotel has done a good job of mixing two disparate crowds: the tourists who like things exclusive and expensive and the locals’ who like them cheap. 13.8% of our readers’ votes put The Palms at number three.
#4 – Orleans. 12.4% of the vote went to another locals’ favorite a couple of miles west of The Strip. Big rooms, huge casino, good food, and usually affordable… what’s not to like?
#5 – Sam’s Town. On the far east side of town is this longtime neighborhood joint that mainly appeals to folks who like things affordable. Sam’s Town got 7.8% of the vote to make it into the Top 5.
Best Downtown Hotel
#1 - Golden Nugget. It wasn’t really a contest to be honest. Despite some fading glory, the premiere Downtown hotel garnered an astounding 62.7% of the vote for a commanding first place victory.
#2 - Main Street Station. My particular favorite Downtown hotel had its metaphorical butt kicked by the Nugget but with 9.5% of the vote, this charming Downtown gem got a respectable second place finish.
#3 - Binion’s. The Glitter Gulch legend is still making the cut with 6.2% of the votes picking Binion’s as their favorite for a solid number three.
#4 - Fitzgerald’s. Call it the luck of the Irish or just call it a good hotel at decent rates. Whatever the reason, 4.9% of the votes cast went to the Fitz and put it in at number four.
#5 - Four Queens. Congrats to the Queens, which managed to get 4.1% of the vote to scramble into our Top 5.
Best Strip Hotel
#1 – Bellagio. With more than double the votes of the hotel in the number two spot, the Bellagio pulled off a three-peat to win Best Strip Hotel with 18.7% of the votes.
#2 – Caesars Palace. The massive amounts of money thrown at Caesars over the last couple of years have done a lot for the hotel, at least in this poll. They moved up from #5 last year to capture #2 with 8.5% of the vote.
#3 – The Venetian. There’s something to be said for consistency. Last year the Venice-themed masterpiece got 8.4% of the vote and did the exact same thing this year. The only difference is it was only good for a third-place finish this year instead of number two last year.
#4 – The Mirage. It’s important to compare the hotels in this top five in terms of price. The Mirage, while expensive, is usually cheaper than any of the other properties listed here so the fact that you can do well for (a little) less is important, or at least so sayeth our readers who granted 7.9% of their votes to the Polynesian paradise.
#5 - Mandalay Bay. Although its overall votes and percentage didn’t sink much, Mandalay Bay’s 7.2% of the vote was only good for a fifth place finish this year, down from #3 last year.
Best Overall Hotel
#1 – Bellagio. In a city filled with remarkable hotels the fact that Bellagio has won the crown of Best Overall Hotel for four years running is a true testament to the things they continue to do right there. 11.8% of our readers’ vote makes Bellagio a blue-ribbon winner again this year.
#2 – The Mirage. The hotel that changed Las Vegas can still compete with its newer and fancier neighbors, at least according to our readers who cast 6.5% of their votes to The Mirage for a second place finish.
#3 – Caesars Palace. Finish just a few votes behind The Mirage with 6.4% of the total, Caesars has come a long way baby. Back in 2002 when we started the Readers’ Poll, Caesars didn’t even show up on the list much less capture third place.
#4 - Mandalay Bay. It sank a spot from last year but Mandalay Bay’s 6.1% of the total was still good enough for fourth.
#5 – The Venetian. The Venetian managed to ward off some strong competition from hotels like MGM Grand and Luxor to hold onto a spot in the Top 5 with 5.5% of the vote.
Best Buffet
#1 – The Buffet at Bellagio. Expensive but worth it. At least that seems to be the mantra from our readers as 12% of the votes went to this upscale all-you-can-eatery for an uncontested number one finish for the first time in the four years of this poll.
#2 – Aladdin Spice Market Buffet. The new owners of the Aladdin are starting the process of a top to bottom makeover of the property to turn it into Planet Hollywood. 11.5% of our readers’ votes in this category seem to be telling them to leave the buffet alone.
#3 – Tie! Paris Le Village Buffet and Rio Carnival World Buffet. Apparently people have gotten over their whole French-hating thing and cast 9.3% of their votes toward the whimsical buffet at Paris to put it into a tie with the recently remodeled (and now more expensive) Rio Carnival World Buffet. It’s worth noting that while a tie for third place is nothing to sneer at, the Rio buffet came in first place in this category for the last two years and in our first edition tied for number one with Bellagio. Why the downfall? You tell me.
#5 - Mirage Cravings Buffet. It’s impossible to tell whether voters were casting their ballots for the new Cravings buffet or in memory of the old one, but since Cravings has been around for about a year now we’re going to have to assume y’all have actually eaten there and like it as much as we do. 5.1% of the votes gave it fifth place.
Best Casino
#1 - MGM Grand. This is quite an upset in this category. The MGM Grand has always done well with our readers but has never come in first place so apparently the changes and remodeling done over the last year have been a hit with guests. With 6.3% of the vote, the biggest casino in Vegas is officially the grandest in our readers’ opinions.
#2 – Harrah’s. Harrah’s debuted in our Top 5 in last year’s poll and this year announces that it’s here to stay with a move up to second place with 5.9% of the vote.
#3 – Caesars Palace. This is another casino that has undergone some massive changes in the last year and apparently the people like them. The Roman opulence got 5.4% of the votes to come in third, up two spots from last year.
#4 – Bellagio. How the mighty have fallen. True, only 1.1% of the vote separated first and fourth (5.2%) but going from being number one for three years running to number four has gotta smart. Take solace, Bellagio fans – note the winner of the other three categories revealed this week.
#5 - New York-New York. The wild Big Apple spectacle that is NYNY garnered 4.7% of the vote for number five.
Best Service
#1 – Bellagio. I’m not even sure why we bother to continue having this category in the voting because Bellagio has dominated every year. With 18.7% of the votes it nearly tripled the ballots of its closest competitor.
#2 – Caesars Palace. It’s a virtual repeat of last year with Caesars Palace garnering a much lower vote percentage (6.8%) but still good for second place again this year.
#3 – The Mirage. Third place last year, third place this year (with 5.9% of the vote). You guys are reminding me of Emmy voters.
#4 – The Venetian. Anyone want to guess what hotel came in fourth place last year? Yes, the Venetian, although this year it got 5.5% of the vote compared to last year’s 5.8%.
#5 – Paris Las Vegas. What’s this? A new entry? Could it be? Yes! Paris Las Vegas kicked Mandalay Bay out of the Top 5 with 4.6% of the vote.
Best Rooms
#1 – Bellagio. Only a handful of votes separated the number one and two spots on the list but the 15.5% that Bellagio got was enough to put it into first place for the second year in a row.
#2 – The Venetian. They won the category easily in the first two years of this poll but have been sliding in popularity ever since. Still with 15.4% of the vote, more than double the third place finisher, its obvious that The Venetian still impresses with its sizeable rooms.
#3 – Rio Suites. Third place is nothing to sneer at, especially when you do it consistently year after year. With 7% of the vote the Rio Suites scores the bronze for their rooms.
#4 - Mandalay Bay. 5.2% of the votes went to the rooms at Mandalay Bay, another repeat of its finish from last year.
#5 - Wynn Las Vegas. Even though its only been open for a little more than four months, apparently enough of our readers were impressed by the offerings at Wynn to give it a Top 5 showing with 5.1% of the vote.
Best Restaurant
#1 - PF Chang’s China Bistro. With so many restaurants in Las Vegas it isn’t surprising that the votes are widely split in this category, but the fact that the fun and fantastic Chinese food at PF Chang’s won with only 5.4% of the vote should in no way diminish what they have to offer. Have you tried those lettuce wraps? Seriously. By the way, a quick clarification from my column last week – the PF Chang’s at the Aladdin is not going away permanently in the renovations to Planet Hollywood. It will be relocated within the facility.
#2 (Tie) - Delmonico’s and Emeril’s. How’s this for a coincidence? Emeril Lagasse’s two main restaurants in Las Vegas each garnered 4.2% for a tie at number two. Delmonico’s (at the Venetian) offers a Louisiana twist on the steakhouse while the namesake restaurant (at MGM Grand) serves up some of the freshest fish you’ll find in the desert.
#4 – Margaritaville. Parrotheads everywhere rejoice! The Jimmy Buffet themed restaurant at The Flamingo got 3.3% for a fourth place finish.
#5 - Mon Ami Gabi. The delightful French bistro at Paris Las Vegas picked up 3% of the vote to squeak into the Top 5.
Best Show
#1 – Mystère. The first Cirque du Soleil production (playing at Treasure Island) is still the best, at least according to 15.4% of the votes from our readers who put the long-running show at the top of their list.
#2 - Blue Man Group. They may be moving from Luxor to The Venetian, but the odd blue-headed guys will most likely have a big audience following them. 11% of the votes went to the Blue Men and their wild and wacky performance art and music show.
#3 – O by Cirque du Soleil. 10% of the votes in the category went to the water version of a du Soleil show at Bellagio. In a city full of Cirque and Cirque-style shows, a third-place finish is nothing to sneeze at.
#4 - Celine Dion. The Canadian chanteuse wracked up 7.6% of the votes for her show at Caesars Palace, proving once and for all that her heart will, in fact, go on.
#5 - Danny Gans. One guy, a hundred voices. It’s a simple premise compared to the big Cirque spectacles, but Gans’ impressions at The Mirage received 6.5% of the vote for fifth place.
Best Attraction
#1 - Bellagio Fountains. With 49.5% of the vote, the fountain show at Bellagio blew everyone else out of the water. Sorry. It had to be done.
#2 - Fremont Street Experience. The light and sound show in Downtown Las Vegas only received 8.4% of the vote but that was good enough for second place.
#3 - Hoover Dam. Considered be one of the manmade wonders of the world, this triumph of humans over nature picked up 3.9% of the vote for a third place finish.
#4 - Mirage Volcano. The volcano at The Mirage is getting a makeover in 2006 with more lights, fountains, and fire effects. Will it move up on the list next year? For now, it received 3.2% of the vote to come in at number four.
#5 - Bellagio Conservatory. The sights, sounds, and smells of the indoor gardens at the Bellagio got 3% of the votes from our readers for a fifth place finish.
Best Nightclub/Bar
#1 – ghostbar. Is it the cool views, the cool vibe, or the cool cocktails that put it at the top? Maybe a combination of all of those things gave the swank ultra-lounge at The Palms a blue ribbon with 8.9% of the vote.
#2 - Voodoo Lounge. Only a handful of votes separated the number one and two slots in this category, with the views from this club at The Rio (right across the street from ghostbar) picking up 8.8% of the vote for second place.
#3 - Coyote Ugly. The rip-roarin’, anything goes party atmosphere at this saloon in New York-New York got 5.8 % of the vote to come in at number three.
#4 - Studio 54. The legendary disco of the ‘70s is going strong in its Vegas incarnation at the MGM Grand, picking up 5.7% of your votes for fourth place.
#5 - House of Blues. One of the best places to see live music in town, the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay is also a killer nightclub on weekends. Our readers cast 4.6% of their votes to give it a number five spot.
Several Las Vegas hotels are rumored to be heading toward either major redevelopment or possibly the wrecking ball. Of the following, which would you be saddest to see go? Bally’s, Boardwalk, Frontier, Riviera, Stardust, or the Tropicana.
#1 – Bally’s – 34.1%. It has been rumored that new owners Harrah’s Entertainment will either remodel Bally’s and brand it as a Horseshoe casino or tear it down all together and start over. Over one-third of our readers think that’s a bad idea.
#2 – Tropicana – 28.4%. The Tropicana will almost definitely be headed toward the wrecking ball to be replaced by one or possibly two new casino hotels. 28.4% of our readers want the Tiffany of The Strip to hang around.
#3 – Stardust – 18.8%. For nearly 50 years, The Stardust has been a Strip mainstay but Boyd Gaming is deep in the planning for its replacement. Almost one in five of our readers don’t want that to happen.
It’s worth noting that our poll came out before the announcement of the sale and possible demolition of The Imperial Palace was released. Based on the e-mails I have received, I have a feeling that it would’ve placed high on this list if it had been included in the vote.
Which of those hotels will you be happiest to see go?
#1 – Boardwalk – 42.1%. The Boardwalk will most likely close in 2006 to be replaced by a massive $4.4 billion development of hotels, casinos, condos, and more. According to our vote, it won’t be missed.
#2 – Frontier – 23.5%. The aging Frontier is on the chopping block as its owner is actively working on something to replace it. Nearly a quarter of our readers seem to think that’s a good idea.
#3 – Tropicana – 10.8%. A lot of people want to see it stay around but a good chunk of our readers apparently think it’s time for the Tiffany to move on to that great casino history book in the sky.
Several major hotel projects are either under construction or in the planning phases for Las Vegas. Which of the following are most excited about? The Cosmopolitan, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, Hooters Hotel & Casino, Loews Lake Las Vegas, Palazzo at the Venetian, Planet Hollywood, Project CityCenter, Red Rock Station, Southcoast, or Trump International.
#1 – Planet Hollywood – 22.9%. It’s probably gotten the most press of any of the hotels on our list but it bodes well for the new owners of the Aladdin that their plans to make it over into a Planet Hollywood hotel and casino is an exciting idea to nearly one-quarter of our readers.
#2 – Hooters – 19%. I guess there’s something to be said for amply-endowed women in tight t-shirts.
#3 – Trump International – 13.2%. The Donald should be happy that despite the fact that his hotel-condo tower won’t have a casino, a lot of our readers are looking forward to its Vegas arrival.
Several major shows are in development for the stages of Las Vegas. Which of the following are you the most excited about seeing? Avenue Q at Wynn Las Vegas, The Cirque du Soleil/Beatles project at The Mirage, Hairspray at The Luxor, Phantom of the Opera at The Venetian, or Spamalot at Wynn Las Vegas.
#1 – Cirque/Beatles – 29%. It’s an almost irresistible combination, pairing the legendary music of the Beatles with the artistic mastery of Cirque du Soleil and 29% of our readers are very eager to see it when it opens in 2006.
#2 – Phantom of the Opera – 28.2%. It says a lot that this long-running Broadway musical was barely edged out of the top spot by the much more high-profile Cirque/Beatles project.
#3 – Spamalot – 24.3%. The Tony-Award winning musical based on the Monty Python film “The Holy Grail” is being eagerly anticipated by nearly one in four of our readers.
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