Hotels
Best hotels in Las Vegas: where to stay on the Strip and beyond
Step off the plane and the slot machines are already chiming at the gate. Step into your hotel and there are no clocks, no windows and a ceiling painted like a sky. Las Vegas is the one city where the hotel is the destination, so choosing the right one matters more than anywhere else.
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Distances in Las Vegas are deceptive. Two hotels that look like neighbours on the map can be a fifteen-minute walk apart, through a casino floor, a shopping arcade and a footbridge over eight lanes of traffic. The city is designed to keep you inside, which is exactly why your choice of hotel shapes the whole trip.
We have picked nine hotels across four parts of town: the big resorts on the Center Strip and two calm hotels with no casino. There is also a newcomer Downtown and a resort in Henderson, half an hour away. One warning before you start: almost every hotel adds a nightly resort fee on top of the room rate, so always compare the total price.
In short: where to stay in Las Vegas
First-timers should stay on the Center Strip, between Bellagio and The Venetian, where shows, restaurants and the fountains are within walking distance. For a quieter stay, choose a non-gaming hotel such as Waldorf Astoria or Four Seasons, and for older Vegas at lower prices, stay Downtown near Fremont Street.
Our first choice: Bellagio. Check availability and prices
Best for romance: Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
Best for families: Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Best for first-timers: Bellagio
Best for value: Green Valley Ranch Resort
Best for design: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
How to choose a hotel in Las Vegas
Resort fees: most hotels charge a fixed daily fee that is not included in the headline rate. Compare the full price per night before you book.
Casino or no casino: in a gaming hotel you cross the casino floor every time you leave your room. The handful of non-gaming hotels are much calmer.
Location on the Strip: the Strip is long and the resorts are vast. Stay in the middle if you want to walk, and use taxis or the monorail for the rest.
Pools: many visitors come for the pool scene. Check whether the pool is open year round and whether there is an age limit.
Summer heat: from June to September the middle of the day is extremely hot. Shade and a good pool matter more than the view.
The pool
The pool at Bellagio.
Center Strip: the fountains, the shows and the big resorts
The stretch between Flamingo Road and Spring Mountain Road is the Las Vegas of postcards. The headline resorts sit shoulder to shoulder here, and you can move between shows, restaurants and bars without getting in a car.
Bellagio: the fountains below your window
Bellagio sits behind the lake with the famous dancing fountains, and from rooms facing the Strip you can watch the show from bed. A glass ceiling of coloured blooms hangs over the lobby, and beyond it lies a conservatory garden that is replanted with every season.
It is the classic first-time choice: central, polished without being stuffy, and home to some of the best restaurants in the city. Ask specifically for a fountain-view room, as the others look out over garages and hills. Expect queues at check-in on Friday afternoons.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Bellagio
The balcony
The view from one of the balconies at The Cosmopolitan.
The Cosmopolitan: the balcony everyone else lacks
The Cosmopolitan is one of the very few hotels in Las Vegas where many rooms have their own terrace. In a city of sealed windows, being able to step outside with your coffee and look down on the Bellagio fountains is a genuine luxury.
It is younger and more design-led than its neighbours, with bars that locals actually use and a pool deck that gets lively in summer. Couples and groups of friends will love it. Families with young children will find calmer places elsewhere.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
The pool
The pool at The Venetian Resort.
The Venetian Resort: suites, canals and a painted sky
The Venetian recreates Venice indoors, with canals, gondolas and a painted sky over its shopping street. It sounds like a joke until you see the rooms. They are all suites with a separate sitting area, which makes it one of the most spacious places to stay on the Strip.
It works well for families and friends sharing a room who want space to spread out. The complex is huge, and getting from your room to the street can take a while. If you want intimacy and calm, this is not your hotel.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Venetian Resort
The pool
The pool at ARIA.
ARIA: glass, art and smart rooms in CityCenter
ARIA anchors the CityCenter complex in the middle of the Strip and is one of the most modern hotels in town. Expect glass towers, contemporary art in the public spaces and rooms where the lights and curtains respond to a tablet by the bed. It feels clean-lined rather than glitzy.
It appeals to travellers who want a contemporary big hotel with good service and an easy walk to Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan. The casino is large but tucked away from the lifts. Those who come for old-school Vegas glamour may find it a little cool.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at ARIA Resort & Casino
The garden
The garden and grounds at Wynn Las Vegas.
North Strip: Wynn and a quieter Vegas
Further north the Strip loosens up. The hotels are more spread out, and the best of them have gardens and pools hidden from the road.
Wynn Las Vegas: flowers, fairways and a lot of calm
At Wynn, the first thing you see is not a slot machine but an atrium filled with real flowers and trees. Behind the hotel lie a private golf course and a pool complex invisible from the street, and the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountains or the Strip.
It is well suited to travellers who want luxury and calm without being far from the shows. It is expensive, and the walk to the Center Strip is too long in summer heat. Take a taxi out and enjoy the quiet on your way back.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Wynn Las Vegas
The view
The view from Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas.
Non-gaming hotels: calm in the middle of Las Vegas
A small number of Las Vegas hotels have no casino at all. That means no cigarette smoke in the lobby, no slot machines by the lifts and a completely different pace. They are made for people who come for the food, the shows and the desert.
Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas: a lobby on the 23rd floor
Waldorf Astoria sits within CityCenter but has no casino. You take the lift straight up to a sky lobby on the 23rd floor, where the bar and tea lounge look out over the Strip. The rooms below are calm, generous and well soundproofed.
It is our pick for a romantic stay and for anyone who wants to see Vegas from a distance. You are still a few minutes' walk from ARIA and Bellagio. Do not come expecting a pool party, as the pool here is for lying down.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
The lobby
The lobby at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas.
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas: a hotel within Mandalay Bay
Four Seasons occupies the upper floors of the Mandalay Bay tower but has its own entrance, lobby and lifts. Guests can use Mandalay Bay's vast pool complex, complete with a sandy beach and wave pool, then retreat to a hotel with no casino.
It gets our vote as the family pick: calm, service-minded and with the pools children dream about. It sits at the far south end of the Strip, so you will need a taxi or the free tram to reach the middle. The upside is a short ride to the airport.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
The pool
The pool at Circa Resort & Casino.
Downtown and Henderson: old Vegas and quiet Vegas
Downtown, around Fremont Street, is the original city, with vintage neon, lower prices and a looser mood. Henderson, half an hour south-east, is the Las Vegas of desert views, golf and quiet evenings.
Circa Resort & Casino: Downtown, adults only
Circa is the newest big resort Downtown and admits adults aged 21 and over only. Its rooftop pool complex is built like an amphitheatre around a giant screen, where people watch sport from the water. The rooms look straight down on the canopy of lights over Fremont Street.
It suits friends and couples who want a party and a different side of Vegas. It is lively and at times loud, and not an option for families since under-21s are not allowed in. The Strip is a taxi ride away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Circa Resort & Casino
The pool
The pool at Green Valley Ranch Resort.
Green Valley Ranch Resort: Henderson with a view of the valley
Green Valley Ranch is in Henderson, about half an hour's drive from the Strip. It is built in the style of a Spanish village, with vines in the garden and a large spa. The pool area looks across the whole valley to the mountains.
It takes our value pick and suits travellers with a hire car who want to combine Vegas with Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon or the Grand Canyon. You get more hotel for your money but lose the chance to walk out into the lights of the Strip.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Green Valley Ranch Resort
When to book
Conventions and weekends: room rates soar when a big trade show is in town. Check the convention calendar before choosing dates, and avoid Fridays and Saturdays if you can.
Spring and autumn: March to May and October to November bring comfortable temperatures, good pool days and the best conditions for desert trips.
Summer: June to September is extremely hot. Midweek rates can be low, but plan outdoor activities for early morning and evening.
Our first choice in Las Vegas
Bellagio
We recommend the Bellagio because it is the classic first-visit choice. You are in the middle of everything, in a hotel that is elegant without being stiff, with some of the city's best restaurants under one roof. It stands behind the lake with the famous fountains. Ask for a fountain-view room.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Las Vegas
Where is the best place to stay in Las Vegas?
For a first visit, stay on the Center Strip between Bellagio and The Venetian. For a quieter base, choose a non-gaming hotel such as Waldorf Astoria or Four Seasons. Downtown around Fremont Street is a cheaper alternative, with older casinos and a different kind of buzz.
What is a resort fee in Las Vegas?
A resort fee is a fixed nightly charge that most Las Vegas hotels add on top of the room rate. It usually covers things like the pool and Wi-Fi, and should be included when you compare prices. The fee often only appears at the last step of the booking.
Are there hotels in Las Vegas without a casino?
Yes. Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons are both on or next to the Strip and have no slot machines or gaming tables in the hotel. They suit anyone who wants calm, a good night and a lobby without smoke and flashing machines.
Is Las Vegas good for families?
It can be, but many pools and some hotels have age limits. Choose a hotel with a family-friendly pool and check the rules before you book. In summer it is very hot, so plan excursions for the morning and use the pool in the middle of the day.
How many nights do you need in Las Vegas?
Three nights is enough for shows, restaurants and a day trip to Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon. Add a night or two if you plan to drive to the Grand Canyon. Shows often sell out at weekends, so book before you travel.