Where to stay on the Las Vegas Strip – whatever your budget

Looking for somewhere to stay in Las Vegas, Nevada? This guide to hotels on the Las Vegas Strip will show you great places to stay however much you want to spend, from budget to luxury.

* This site contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

The Strip is the heart of Las Vegas – a four-mile-long, multi-lane highway lined by one enormous billion-dollar casino resort after another. It’s the epicentre of the city, whether you’re looking to gamble, party or just soak up the craziness of Las Vegas. So it makes sense you’d want to stay there if you can, but is it affordable to stay on the Las Vegas Strip?

Is there such thing as a budget Las Vegas Strip hotel? After testing out a range of hotels, ranging from cheap stays to luxury resorts, here are my suggestions to help you decide where to stay on the Las Vegas Strip, however much you want to spend.

How to choose a Las Vegas Strip hotel

But first, here are a few tips to help you choose the best hotel in Las Vegas for you.

Pick your dates carefully

Las Vegas is favourite destination for a US weekend getaway, so if you can steer clear of Friday and Saturday nights you can often bag a bargain. I stayed at Paris Las Vegas on a Thursday night and the same room quadrupled in price for the next night.

But it’s not just days of the week you need to factor in. There isn’t a real peak season in Las Vegas, but the city is extra busy around US holidays, especially between Christmas and New Year and during Spring Break. Then there are the events – if there’s a big show or conference in town then hotel prices can really spike, so check event listings too.

Think about your location

There are over 30 hotels located on the Las Vegas Strip, but not all Strip locations are created equal. The Strip is four miles long, with hotels spread along its length, so if you’re staying right down one end then you’ll have a long trek to reach the centre or the other end.

Frequent Deuce buses run along the Strip 24 hours a day which cost $8 for 24 hours. But traffic can make it slow going. So if you’re limited on time and want to visit a lot of places then you might be better paying a bit extra to get a more convenient location.

Shop around

Even when you’ve chosen a hotel and pinned down the best dates, the same hotel can have different prices depending where you look. I found the same room at the Bellagio on an August weeknight ranging from $180/£135 to $240/£180 on different websites.

So it’s a good idea to shop around and try a few different booking sites as well as the hotel’s own website. If the prices are pretty similar then it’s often worth booking direct with the hotel as many have loyalty schemes where you can get discounts or freebies.

Beware of resort fees

Most hotels in Las Vegas add on a daily extra charge which isn’t included in the room rate, whether you book direct or through a booking site. Resort fees at hotels along the Strip range from $25–$45 a night before tax and you usually pay at the end of your stay.

Originally the fee was to cover extra services – and some hotels do include extras like airport shuttles, local phone calls or fitness facilities – but now it can be a sneaky way to up profits. Some hotels are more upfront about their fees than others, but always double check. For the hotels listed here, I’ve included the resort fee in the price calculations so it’s clear.

Prices given are the average for a double room on a weeknight including resort fees.

Where to stay on the Las Vegas Strip for all budgets

Got $65/£48? Try the STRAT

You might think if you’re on a tight budget you’ll have to stay in a hotel off the Strip – like The Westgate* – but with so much competition in Las Vegas, some resorts offer cheap rooms in the hope that guests will spend big in their casinos. So you can pick up a bargain.

Las Vegas’ budget hotels are usually located at one end of the Strip, like the STRAT* (formerly Stratosphere) which is to the north. It’s located in a slightly scruffy area and there’s not much around, but it’s an easy two-mile bus ride to reach the central Strip or Fremont Street. My STRAT ‘Select’ room had two queen beds and an en-suite bathroom with bath. You don’t get many extras, but rooms are spacious and clean.

The casino has a few eating options, with a microbrewery, grill, café and a Starbucks that’s good for breakfast. There’s also a pool below the tower (but not many sunbeds so grab one early), in prime position to watch people jumping off the top. The resort fee is $36 per night, and hotel guests get half price access to the tower observation deck (normally $25).

Other budget Las Vegas Strip hotels include the Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus.

Got $95/£70? Try the Tropicana

If you’ve got a bit more to spend, head to the south end of the Strip to the vintage-style Tropicana*. It’s one of the few original 1950s casinos, and although it has been renovated by current owners Hilton, it still has its retro entrance – complete with vintage Chevy.

Inside it’s done up in bright and airy tropical ‘South Beach style’, with white walls decorated with greenery and flashes of orange. I stayed in a standard Paradise Tower room, but you can also upgrade to a poolside bungalow. All rooms come with plantation-style shutters and rattan furniture to go with the theme, along with a big flatscreen TV, safe and desk.

The lagoon pool is a good place to relax, with waterfalls and whirlpools and surrounded by palm trees with plenty of loungers and cabanas. There’s a theatre, comedy club and live music venue Food options include a casual beach café, the Bacio Italian restaurant, Robert Irvine’s Public House and the Red Lotus Asian Kitchen. The resort fee is $37 per night.

For a similar price also try Treasure Island, New York New York and the MGM Grand.

Got $140/£105? Try Paris Las Vegas

Up the budget a bit more and you can stay right in the heart of the Strip at Paris Las Vegas*. It’s in a great location an easy walk to the main sights. The hotel has gone all out with the Parisian theme, with their own versions of the Arc de Triomphe and Louvre. And of course there’s the Eiffel Tower – with a big octagonal swimming pool beneath one of its legs.

I stayed in a huge corner room, done up in Versailles-era French style, with antique-look dark wood furniture, gold and blue decor and a pink marble bathroom. Although the rooms aren’t the most modern, they come with coffee maker and fridge, and mine had armchairs next to the window to make the most of the view of the Bellagio fountains opposite.

Paris’ Eiffel Tower is home to the Château nightclub on the lower deck and a restaurant and observation deck at the top. The resort has 15 restaurants in total, including a Gordon Ramsey steakhouse, East Coast Italian, rooftop bar and grill, Parisian crèperie, and the Mon Ami Gabi bistro which overlooks the Strip. The resort fee is $37 per night.

Other mid-range options on the Strip include Caesar’s Palace, Vdara and Mirage.

Got $210/£158? Try The Bellagio

The Bellagio* might not be the most luxurious hotel on the Strip, but for me it’s classic Las Vegas – where you still feel like you might come across Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior propping up the bar. The resort is one of the largest on the Strip with almost 4000 rooms, but with a high staff to guest ratio you wouldn’t know it from the service.

The resort is located at the heart of the Strip, but is set back behind a lake with those famous fountains so you’re away from the bustle on the streets. The rooms are decorated in muted colours in understated, elegant style with Italian furniture. There are 20 places to eat around the Bellagio, one of which has $100 million worth of Picasso paintings on its walls.

The Bellagio also has its own designer shopping centre where you can stock up on Armani and Chanel, a spa, art gallery, indoor botanical gardens, nightclub, cocktail bar and a Cirque du Soleil show. There are five pools in the resort’s grounds, where you can reserve a luxury cabana complete with a supply of iced towels. The resort fee is $45 per night.

If you’re splashing out, also try the Wynn, Cosmopolitan or Mandarin Oriental.

Looking for somewhere to stay on the Las Vegas Strip?*

Save for later

You might also like