WHERE DO I STAY IN VEGAS?

Don’t know where you are going?  You may want to look at an updated map of the Las Vegas Strip so that you can get your bearings. 

Easiest way to break up the The Strip is in North/West sections with Flamingo Avenue being the dividing line.  There are pros and cons of every area on The Strip.  The southern end is closer to the airport and has access along the western side of the street to the MGM trams to make travel between the casinos easier.  The south end of The Strip also has access to Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, and the just-announced and yet-to-be-named ballpark where the Oakland A’s will play beginning in 2028.  The northern end of The Strip has better access to shopping at both The Venetian and Fashion Show Mall as well as good proximity to The Sphere, downtown Vegas, and Linq Promenade where the High Roller Ferris wheel is located.  

In my opinion, the best places to stay on the Las Vegas Strip are going to be somewhat center and not too far north or south of Flamingo Avenue if you plan to walk between the resorts to explore.  Any further south of Park MGM and north of Wynn/Encore tend to lead to longer hauls and more expensive taxies/rideshares.

I do know where I’ve been and here are my thoughts on the resorts where I have actually stayed:

Mandalay Bay.  Beautiful resort.  Awesome pools.  But it’s the farthest south on The Strip and either a long haul to walk or Uber to other places.  

MGM Grand.  Great resort.  Lots of activities and restaurants.  But it is HUGE.  Like the kinda big that you can get lost in easily.

Flamingo.  Great location.  At the time I was there, not so much to do and not so many restaurants but it was an affordable place that was center-Strip – even if a bit dated.

Vdara.  Gorgeous.  Rooms are spacious and resemble condos.  Somewhat centrally located but it was a hike to get to other resorts.  Also, no casino at this resort.

Wynn/Encore.  Luxurious.  Beautiful rooms with plenty of space.  The resort has great restaurants and gaming.  Perfect for a relaxed, upscale stay.  But with upscale comes a price and Wynn costs a little more than some of the other resorts.

The Cosmopolitan.  Perfection.  I think that anyone who has been to Vegas multiple times has a favorite resort.  Cosmopolitan is mine.  Maybe I’m in my post-modern era.  Maybe I love the fresh air from the balconies and the views overlooking the Bellagio Fountains.  Location is great but rising prices takes my favorite Studio Fountain View room out of most people’s price point.  The good is the choice of restaurants, activities and gaming.  I can stay at this hotel for 24 hours and not want to leave.  That’s high praise in a city where there is always something else to do.

Red Rock Canyon.  This is the only off-strip resort where I’ve stayed and I loved the quiet and glamour of the hotel.  Great restaurants and activities that make Red Rock a one-stop oasis.  No where close to The Strip but has great views of it and close proximity to Red Rock Canyon.  We stayed there for a night in the middle of a road trip and it was perfect for getting in/out of Vegas so we could concentrate on the wonderful outdoors instead of the neon lights.

The next time I go….I’m going to try something new.

The Venetian.  I’m excited.  Rising prices at Cosmo have pushed me to expand my horizons with resorts and this will be my first stay.  Location is awesome and I already love their Restaurant Row. Also seeing a show at The Sphere directly behind Venetian and that is a plus.  While I am there for business, the resort also has great shopping options close by when I have some downtime.  

How to book your rooms?  I think the best course of action is to research through travel engines and directly through the properties.  Websites such as Expedia, Travelocity, and Booking.com can build packages for your flight + hotel + car.  A lot of time, you can save by booking flights/rooms at the same time so I would start there.

I tend to use the search engines on my credit card and preferred airline sites.  American Express is wonderful for building travel but they no longer do packages.  Chase also has a great travel booking program.  The benefit to booking through your credit card provider is that you can build points which can help you pay for future trips.  Airlines such as Southwest and United have travel searches and can also be useful in finding the best prices.

I fly a lot and save my points for Las Vegas tickets.  If you are in a similar situation and just looking for rooms, you may want to book directly through the resort and their rewards program.  When you get to Vegas, sign up for the rewards programs.  Not only can you build comps for future rooms, meals, or experiences, but you get a significant discount on rooms.  For my last trip to Vegas in March of 2025, MGM Rewards beat Amex’s room price by about twenty percent.  For my upcoming trip to Vegas in October of 2025, The Venetian rewards program has awesome rates and a significant upgrade program.  Check with each resort and the affiliations of each resort to see what rewards program you can use to benefit.

Here are my top tips for finding the best room that meets your needs:

1. Cheaper is not always better.  Find a resort that has good proximity to the things you want to do in Las Vegas.  You can spend more on taxis/rideshares and time than finding a place that has a good location.

2. Location.  Location.  Location.  Mandalay Bay is a beautiful resort.  If I stay there, I need to have a transportation to enjoy the rest of The Strip.  Same goes for The Strat and Circus Circus.  The rates for those resorts will be very cheap but the price you pay on transportation may be far more than staying in a centralized location.

3. Account for resort fees.  Every resort has them.  Research your stays and build those costs into your budget.  If you want to complain, stand in line, it’s the most frustrating thing about visiting Las Vegas.

4. Have a plan for what you want to do.  On my first trip to Vegas, we stayed at Mandalay Bay.  Again, great resort, lots of walking.  With it being my first time, I wanted to see all The Strip had to offer and walked myself silly doing it.

5. Check reviews.  What does Trip Advisor say about staying at Caesars?  Are the rooms clean at Bellagio?  Are there concerns about the staff at Horseshoe?  It’s worth a look to see what other travelers say about their experiences.

You’re going to have a great time.  Just do some homework on where you stay and you will be fine.  Enjoy your time in Vegas, whether it be your first trip of 50^th trip.