Las Vegas
Where to stay in Las Vegas: the Strip, downtown and off the Strip, area by area
Three sections of the Strip, downtown, Paradise Road and a lake in the desert. Where to stay in Las Vegas, area by area, with Picolo's pick in each.
10 November 20265 min read
Picolo Editorial
In short: where to stay in Las Vegas
First visit: the center Strip, between Bellagio and The Venetian. Picolo's pick is Wynn Las Vegas, rated 9.4 on Hotels.com.
With children or a large group: Marriott's Grand Chateau, a block off the Strip, suites with kitchens and no resort fee.
Show at the Sphere or a trade show: the north Strip or Paradise Road. See Hotels near the Sphere.
A game at Allegiant Stadium: the south Strip, around Mandalay Bay. See Hotels near Allegiant Stadium.
Cheaper and older Vegas: downtown on Fremont Street, 15 minutes by car from the Strip. See Downtown and Fremont Street hotels.
A dog, no resort fee, or a late flight: we have a page for each, linked below.
Last checked: 10 November 2026.
Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other city in the United States, about 150,000. Almost all of them are in three places: the Strip, downtown and the resorts out toward the mountains. The choice is less about which hotel than about which of those places fits the trip you are planning. This page sorts the city by area, with Picolo's pick in each, and links to the detailed guides for each kind of trip.
The ratings and the facts below come from Hotels.com, checked on 10 November 2026. The picks are our own.
The Strip: three sections, three different trips
The Strip is 4.2 miles of Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay in the south to the Sahara in the north, and nobody walks all of it twice. Pick a section.
South Strip: airport, arena and stadium
The quiet end, five to ten minutes from Harry Reid International Airport, with T-Mobile Arena at the Park and Allegiant Stadium over the Hacienda Avenue bridge. Picolo's picks are the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, a non-gaming hotel rated 9.8, Park MGM at 9.0 and New York-New York at 8.8 for value.
Center Strip: the postcard
Bellagio, the Cosmopolitan, Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops, all on foot. Picolo's picks are Bellagio at 9.0 for the fountains and Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas at 9.0 for a stay without a casino. Vdara at 8.8 is the pick for a suite with a kitchenette.
North Strip: the Sphere and the new resorts
Wynn, The Venetian, Resorts World and Fontainebleau, with the Sphere and the Convention Center a block east. Picolo's picks are Wynn Las Vegas at 9.4, The Venetian at 9.4 and SAHARA Las Vegas at 8.8 for value.
Read the full section-by-section guide: The best hotels on the Strip, by section.
Off the Strip: where the rates drop
Paradise Road and the Convention Center
A block east of the Strip, Paradise Road has the Convention Center, the Sphere within walking distance and hotels without the resort crowds. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, rated 9.0, has free parking and a pool worth the detour. The Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas Convention Center, rated 9.0, has no casino and no resort fee.
West of the Strip: Palms
Palms Casino Resort on Flamingo Road is a mile west of the center Strip, with free parking, a pool complex and some of the largest suites in the city. More than 5,000 guests have rated it on Hotels.com. Plan on a car or a rideshare.
Downtown and Fremont Street
Downtown is the old Las Vegas: Fremont Street under its canopy, casinos from the 1940s and 1950s, and rates well below the Strip. It is 15 minutes by car from Bellagio and a different trip, louder and older. Read Downtown and Fremont Street hotels for the hotels we recommend there.
Lake Las Vegas: the resort escape
The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson, rated 8.8, sits on a man-made lake about 20 miles east of the Strip. It has two pools, a beach, kayaks and free parking. It is the base for Hoover Dam and a quiet alternative for families and dog owners who want to drive into town for one evening.
Near the airport
If you land late or leave early, the hotels around Harry Reid International Airport are five minutes from the terminals and a short drive from the south Strip. Read Hotels near Las Vegas airport for the ones we recommend.
Guides for a specific kind of trip
Hotels near the Sphere: the hotels within a 15-minute walk, led by The Venetian.
Las Vegas hotels without resort fees: the few hotels that charge none, and what the fee covers elsewhere.
Family-friendly hotels in Las Vegas: suites with kitchens, pools for children and hotels without a casino.
Pet-friendly hotels in Las Vegas: dog policies, weight limits and where to walk.
Hotels near Allegiant Stadium, the Festival Grounds and the Convention Center: where to stay for a game, a festival or a trade show.
Hotels near Las Vegas airport: for late arrivals and early flights.
Downtown and Fremont Street hotels: old Las Vegas at lower rates.
The best hotels on the Strip, by section: south, center and north, with a luxury and a value pick in each.
Las Vegas shows: the residencies and productions, and where to stay for each.
Flights and hotel together
Most American visitors fly in. Harry Reid International Airport sits against the south end of the Strip, 15 to 20 minutes by car from any Strip hotel outside rush hour. If you land late or leave early, the airport guide above lists the hotels within ten minutes of the terminals.
What Picolo chooses
What Picolo chooses: Wynn Las Vegas for a first visit or a couple, Marriott's Grand Chateau for a family, and the Four Seasons for a stay without a casino.
Why: Wynn is rated 9.4 by more than 10,000 guests and sits where the Strip, the Sphere and the Convention Center meet. Grand Chateau has suites with kitchens, two pools and no resort fee a block off the Strip. The Four Seasons is rated 9.8 and never makes you cross a gaming floor.
The trade-off: Wynn and the Four Seasons are among the most expensive hotels in the city. Grand Chateau is a timeshare tower with a plain lobby and valet parking only.
When to go and when to book
Las Vegas is busiest and most expensive during CES in early January, the big fight weekends, Memorial Day, the Formula 1 race in November and New Year's Eve. The cheapest rooms are midweek in late summer, when daytime highs pass 105 degrees, and in the first two weeks of December. Spring and fall are the best weather, with highs in the 70s and 80s. Book three to four months ahead for a weekend. Check the convention calendar before you pick dates, since a 100,000-person trade show can double the rates across the whole Strip.
Our recommendation
Wynn Las Vegas: our first choice in Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas is Picolo's first choice for a first visit to Las Vegas. The rooms start at 640 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the pool deck has three pools under mature trees. The restaurants and the Lake of Dreams show mean you can spend an evening without leaving the resort. The Sphere and the Convention Center are 15 minutes on foot. More than 10,000 guests on Hotels.com rate it 9.4.
Frequently asked questions about where to stay in Las Vegas
Where is the best area to stay in Las Vegas?
For a first visit, the center of the Strip between Bellagio and The Venetian, where the fountains, Caesars Palace and the Cosmopolitan are on foot. The south Strip is best for the airport and the stadium, the north Strip for the Sphere and the newest resorts, and downtown for lower rates and old Las Vegas.
Is it better to stay on the Strip or off the Strip in Las Vegas?
On the Strip for a first visit or a show weekend, because everything is walkable and the pools and restaurants are there. Off the Strip, on Paradise Road, at the Palms or downtown, for lower rates, free parking and fewer crowds. Hotels off the Strip usually need a car or a rideshare for every outing.
How many nights do you need in Las Vegas?
Three nights covers a show, a pool day and a dinner on the Strip for most visitors, and is the most common package length. Two nights works for a game or a single show. Beyond four nights, most people add a day trip to Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon or the Grand Canyon.
What is a resort fee in Las Vegas?
A mandatory charge most hotels add per room per night at check-in, on top of the rate you paid when booking, covering wifi, the pool and the gym. Nearly every Strip resort charges one. A few hotels a block off the Strip, such as Marriott's Grand Chateau and the Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center, charge none.
Which Las Vegas hotel has the highest rating?
Among hotels with more than 1,000 reviews on Hotels.com, the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas has the highest rating at 9.8, checked on 10 November 2026. Wynn, Encore, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Fontainebleau and Marriott's Grand Chateau follow at 9.4.
What is the cheapest time to visit Las Vegas?
Midweek in July and August, when the daytime heat keeps crowds down, and the first two weeks of December between the rodeo and Christmas. Rates jump for CES in January, fight weekends, Memorial Day and the Formula 1 race in November. Weekend rates are higher than weekday rates all year.
Do you need a car in Las Vegas?
Not on the Strip, where you walk, take the Deuce bus or the monorail, and use rideshares for longer hops. You need a car for the Palms, Lake Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam. Most Strip resorts charge for self-parking by the day, and a few, such as the Sahara and Virgin Hotels, park you free.
Sources
Hotel facts, ratings and review counts come from Hotels.com, checked on 10 November 2026, and the hotel photos are from Hotels.com (Expedia Group). The room count for the city and the event calendar come from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Climate figures come from the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. The picks in "What Picolo chooses" are Picolo's own. Last checked 10 November 2026.
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Picolo Editorial