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I’ve been to Sin City more than 100 times and have stayed at almost every hotel on the Strip and quite a few off of it. There is the good, the bad, and the ugly for sure when it comes to lodging in Las Vegas. Room rates fluctuate wildly based on what events are happening that week. Shows like CES and events like the rodeo or F1 that will soon take place can make even the most modest hotels jack up rates akin to staying in an overwater villa in a tropical paradise. Here are six hotels that I have had consistently good experiences at and that I recommend for Las Vegas visitors whether it’s the first time or one of dozens.
6. ARIA Resort & Casino
As with most of my top picks, the ARIA is located in the center of the Strip next to Crystals Mall. This tech-friendly hotel opened in 2009 and is LEED Gold certified. It’s modern and huge with 4,002 rooms including 566 suites. The hotel has around 20 dining options including some great picks like Carbone, Jean Georges Steakhouse, and Lemongrass (check out my review here). While I’ve never had any luck at the tables, ARIA has a casino as well as a spa, fitness center, and three pools. Rates can be pretty reasonable with some nights starting as low as $129. You can also earn and burn Hyatt points here since ARIA is an MGM brand.
Address: 3730 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89158
5. Delano Las Vegas
If you’re looking for a place with no gambling or cigarette smoke, Delano has you covered (my full hotel review can be found here). It’s understated and elegant (a welcome respite from a lot of Vegas glitz). While it’s situated within Mandalay Bay, it has its own check-in area and pool. The hotel opened in 2014 and offers only suites. These range in size from 725 to 4,500 square feet. While dining in the hotel itself includes Rivea and Della’s Kitchen, there is easy access to the many restaurants at Mandalay Bay including Fleur, StripSteak, and Lupo by Wolfgang Puck (my review here). Delano Las Vegas is also an MGM property, which means that Hyatt partners here as well.
Address: 3940 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89119
4. Caesars Palace
This is a massive property complete with its own 160-store shopping mall known as the Forum Shops. The colosseum offers amazing headliners like Adele and Rod Stewart (it was also home to Celine Dion for many years). Caesars Palace dates back to the 1960s and features over 3,500 rooms and suites as well as 19 restaurants and 10 bars. Some of my favorite spots to dine include Nobu and Restaurant Guy Savoy. There is even a newly opened Dominique Ansel pastry shop where you can get your hands on the NYC favorite, The Cronut®. Just avoid MR CHOW. Quite frankly, it sucks. You’ll have a better meal at Panda Express.
Address: 3570 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109
3. The Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan (also known as The Cosmo) opened in 2010. It’s hip, sometimes painfully so, and attracts a younger crowd looking to party and spend lots of money. If the rooms and suites feel like residences, it’s because the resort originally planned to have a fair number of condos before the economy tanked. The centerpiece of the casino floor is the three-story Chandelier Bar (complete with seven million faceted crystals). My favorite buffet, Wicked Spoon, can be found here along with some other great eats like Jaleo, Milk Bar, Eggslut, Red Plate, Scarpetta, and Momofuku. The hotel has a great Sahra Spa as well as three distinct pools. If you snag a suite with a balcony, you’ll likely be perched for a great view of Bellagio’s fountain show. The Cosmo is currently partnered with Marriott Bonvoy®, but a recent sale means it will soon be a great spot to earn and redeem World of Hyatt points.
Address: 3708 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109
2. Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts
Crockfords is one of three hotels located within Las Vegas’ Resorts World. This mega complex opened in 2021 and it offers something for everyone including a theater (we caught Katy Perry’s Play while staying there), spa, pools, a casino, and tons of dining options. Crockfords is the most upscale of the three hotels (my full review is here) and the suite we had was modern and elegant. I love the Famous Food Street Eats. It’s a hawker center brought to Las Vegas. Fuhu Cha Chaan Teng was a standout (my review here). There are tons of other restaurants here that I look forward to trying on future visits. Just avoid the breakfast buffet at The Kitchen as it’s pretty tiny and disappointing. You can earn and redeem Hilton Honors points here.
Address: 333 Resorts World Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89109
1. Bellagio Hotel & Casino
Of all of the hotels found in Las Vegas, one will always be my favorite: Bellagio Hotel & Casino. I’ve stayed here dozens of times and I always feel back at home as soon as I see the horse and Chihuly glass in the lobby (see my latest review here). There are almost 4,000 rooms and suites as well as some great restaurants here. These include LAGO by Julian Serrano (ask for a table on the patio to watch the fountain show), Le Cirque, Spago by Wolfgang Puck, and Michael Mina as well as another great buffet. Cirque du Soleil has my favorite show: O. It’s an incredible display of acrobatics and diving. The conservatory offers beautiful floral displays. The pools (reserve chairs at Cypress for a luxe experience) and art gallery add a touch of class. I’ll always find my way back to this Vegas jewel that has been gracing the Strip since 1998. The Bellagio is also an MGM property and partners with Hyatt.
Address: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109
Anthony’s Take: You can’t lose with any of these great properties. Each offers a luxurious stay and tons of amenities. I know I’ll be back to each of them many times in the future.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
4 comments
I used to stay at The Paris back when they advertised no resort fees. The problem is, when you want to visit another hotel it’s a hell of haul. Walking across the street to the Bellagio took 45 minutes. That’s just nuts. Now I stay on Fremont and if I want a change of luck or scenery its a few minutes walk. It’s not as grandiose as the strip, the food is not as good, and shows are vastly worse but you don’t feel like you’re trapped in a single hotel. It’s also simply more fun downtown IMO.
Downtown seems a little sketchy to me. In the over 100 times I’ve been to Las Vegas, I’ve only been there maybe 6-7 times. I just found the crowd to be a bit much (not that it’s not elsewhere) and when I had my mother with me, she did not feel safe over there at night.
It’s tough to make a list like this because every Vegas hotel is supposed to be a spectacle. It’s more of a matter of what kind of spectacle you want, and what your price point is. So it becomes more of a matter of preference than hotels in other cities.
The Wynn got snubbed, but perhaps it’s excluded because the rooms are unobtainabley expensive.
I think the Wynn is lovely. But, I haven’t stayed there more than a few times. If someone asked me where to stay in Vegas, these are the hotels I would send them.