Las Vegas Hotels

Las Vegas Hotels

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada with a population of over 500,000 people. The city has become a stand-alone holiday destination in its own right with many amazing hotel and casino complexes located along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard or “The Strip”. Many of the hotels have created a fantasy-like atmosphere with names and themes that evoke romance, mystery, and far-away destinations. The spectacle of the lights, neon signs, casinos and the fabulous luxury themed hotels have to be seen to be believed, especially from the top of the Stratosphere Tower which is more than 110 levels high.

Las Vegas boomed following the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1928, which brought thousands of workers to the area, and provided electricity and water for the city. In 1931, when Nevada legalised gambling, downtown Las Vegas became an entertainment center for the dam workers with casinos, hotels, bars and restaurants.

Today, Las Vegas has become an international center for gaming, tourism and corporate conventions. The “Entertainment Capital of the World” also boasts some of the biggest names and stage productions in entertainment including music stars, magicians and the Cirque du Soleil productions. And just a few hours away there is one of the natural wonders of the world—the Grand Canyon.

Even if you are not a gambler there is a lot to do in Las Vegas!

The vast majority of visitors to Las Vegas arrive on Friday and Saturday nights and stay one or two nights for the weekend. This leaves many hotels with high vacancy rates for the rest of the week. As a result, hotel room rates are inexpensive (usually half the weekend rate) from Sunday to Thursday night. Visitors can save a lot of money by planning to stay Sunday through Thursday nights. Some hotels offer package deals that may include a show, meals, and gambling coupons to entice visitors to stay during the week. However, hotel amenities, such as gyms, internet access and local phone calls may not be included in the room rate.

The most popular hotels (and most expensive) are located at the southern end to mid-section of the Strip. Hotels at the northern end of the Strip and in the Downtown area tend to be less expensive. Hotels off the Strip tend to be smaller, less expensive but still offer a good quality of accommodation. Many of the Strip hotels are famous or very well known and are based on a unique fantasy theme.

Las Vegas Attractions

Sirens of TI is a free show featuring a spectacular pirate battle between two galleons right on the Las Vegas Blvd (the strip) outside the Treasure Island Hotel. The shows are performed a few times each night but visitors need to arrive early for a viewing space as there are many tourists wishing to see the show.

Mirage Hotel Volcano is a free show, on the strip outside the Mirage Hotel, that erupts almost every hour in the evening in a terrific light show.

Mirage Hotel has a free white tiger enclosure within the hotel where visitors can view these amazing animals and view the impressive aquarium behind the check-in reception counter.

MGM Grand Lion Habitat - MGM Grand Hotel and Casino has created a one-of-a-kind Lion Habitat as a showcase for public education and appreciation for this majestic creature of nature. [Free Admission, open daily 11:00am - 7:00pm]

Bellagio Hotel has a magnificent fountain show performed to music every 15 minutes in the evenings and every hour on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The fountain is huge and located outside the hotel on the strip. A great place to view the fountain is from the top of the replica Eiffel Tower across the road at the Paris Hotel. Inside the Bellagio hotel, behind the reception and check-in lobby, there is the conservatory and botanical gardens, a huge indoor flower garden with displays changed every month or two.

New-York New-York Hotel offers the Manhattan Express roller coaster that twists its way around and through the Manhattan skyline of this amazing hotel.

Eiffel Tower Experience at the Paris Las Vegas hotel immerses visitors in a complete Parisian experience. Take an elevator ride to the top of the replica Eiffel Tower that soars 50 stories into the sky. Its observation deck offers a spectacular view of the Las Vegas Valley.

Madame Tussards Wax museum is located at the Venetian Hotel. Featuring life-like wax creations of your favorite celebrities such as “George Clooney”, “Hugh Hefner”, “Cameron Diaz”. Madame Tussauds makes you an instant celebrity - encouraging you to kiss and hug your favorite movie stars, musicians, sports heroes and Las Vegas legends. Take pictures and show everyone you hung out with the stars while in Vegas! Relive man's first steps on the moon alongside “Neil Armstrong” and “Buzz Aldrin,” saddle up beside America's classic cowboy hero, “John Wayne,” or shake hands with respected leaders including presidents “George Washington,” “Abraham Lincoln,” “John F. Kennedy” as well as “George W. Bush.”

Gondola Ride at the Venetian Hotel is a graceful and romantic glide down the Grand Canal in an authentic Venetian gondola. Float beneath bridges, beside cafes, under balconies and through the vibrant Venetian streetscape as your singing gondolier sweeps you down the Grand Canal. A relaxing and romantic gondola ride reveals all the charm, excitement and passion that is Venice, and The Venetian. [Open daily at 9am – 11pm for the indoor ride and 10am – 11pm for the outdoor ride, USD64 per gondola (or 4 persons $16 each), reservations must be made in person, same day only]

Stratosphere Hotel and Tower is popular for the spectacular view of the Las Vegas Valley from the observation decks more than 100 floors above the Strip. Soaring 1,149 feet into the Vegas skyline, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest observation tower in the U.S. and one of the most exciting attractions among Vegas Strip hotels. The Tower Shops are an international marketplace, with themed streets reminiscent of Paris, Hong Kong, and New York. The tower offers thrill rides you can't find anywhere else, including: Big Shot - Shoots passengers straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet above the Strip. X-Scream - A giant teeter-totter that propels you 27 feet over the edge of the Tower, 866 feet above the ground. Insanity, the Ride - A massive mechanical arm extends 64 feet over the edge of the Tower and spins you at a force of 3 Gs for a truly mind-bending experience. .

Fremont Street Experience is the world famous pedestrian mall in the downtown area of Las Vegas. This is the birthplace of Las Vegas and was the first paved road in Las Vegas. Rising 90 feet above the street and stretching almost a third of a mile, an open-air canopy features music and lights in a multimedia presentation that incorporates the biggest screen on the planet. The light and sound shows begins every night at dusk and continues on every hour until midnight.

Hoover Dam is one of mankinds great engineering accomplishments and very popular with visitors. The construction of the Hoover Dam, one of the largest concrete dams in the world, in 1928 brought thousands of workers to the area and provided electricity and water for the city of Las Vegas. The dam bridges the Colorado River and is one of the road ways between the states of Nevada and Arizona. Lake Mead, resulting from the construction of the dam, is the second largest man-made lake in the world.

Atomic Testing Museum is located a few minutes east of the Las Vegas Strip. This museum displays very interesting and educational exhibits of the history of American nuclear testing in the Pacific and in the Nevada desert. Underground nuclear tests were carried out at the Nevada desert test site during 1967 and 1968. The permanent collection concludes with a piece of the Berlin wall, a symbol of the end of the cold war. [Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm, Adults $12, 755 E. Flamingo Road]

Outdoor Activities - Las Vegas provides visitors with the opportunity to engage in many outdoor activities. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 22 miles away, provides rock climbing, biking and hiking trails, and scenic drives. The Lake Mead National Recreational Area, 31.5 miles away, offers fishing, boating, swimming and hiking. Mount Charleston, 43 miles away, has biking and hiking trails, horseback riding, skiing and snowboarding in winter.

Golf is popular as there are many international standard golf courses such as the South Seas-themed Bali Hai Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Club and Royal Links Golf Club.

U.S. Route 95 at night is a spectacular sight as the road gradually climbs northwest out of Las Vegas so that the Strip's neon lights remain visible for a remarkably long distance, appearing as a luminous cloud before finally disappearing in the distance.

Gambling is everywhere in Las Vegas, even McCarran airport has poker machines. The state law of Nevada requires that all gamblers must be at least 21 years of age. You are required to bring to the casino an original valid ID that shows your date of birth (e.g. driver's licence, passport) as proof of your age.
Nightlife and Entertainment

Luxor Hotel & Casino features LAX the latest club experience brought to you from the creators of Pure Nightclub. Catering to a young, sophisticated audience, LAX is the destination of choice for club-goers, A-list celebrities and the social jet set. [Opens at 10 pm, Wed-Sat]

Bellagio Hotel & Casino features Fontana Bar which is a great place to witness the spectacular dancing fountain show that comes to life on the 8-acre lake. Whether inside the Bar itself or out on the patio, you'll be in awe of this aquatic escapade that erupts through the day and evening. Fontana Bar features live entertainment and a large dance floor. The Bank is a world class nightclub destination at Bellagio.

New York New York Hotel features Coyote Ugly bar themed as in the movie with beautiful 20-something women serving you drinks and getting rowdy on the bar.

Venetian Hotel features TAO NightClub a high energy, DJ driven atmosphere boasting an outside terrace with stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip, gorgeous go-go dancers, state-of-the-art audio and lighting systems, and two main rooms each featuring varying music formats. This ultimate nightlife facility also offers eight private skyboxes with mini-bars, espresso machines, and banquettes featuring secured purse drawers, as well as European Bottle Service. [Opens Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 10pm]

Caesars Palace features PURE Nightclub which has been named the No. 1 Club in the Country by E! Entertainment. Pure is four distinct venues in one, each featuring its own DJ, sound system and sexy style. Party in the main room, enter the ultra exclusive (and expensive!) VIP Red Room frequented by many celebrities, ascend to PURE’s dramatic 14,000-square-foot Terrace, a hidden enclave offering incredible panoramic views of The Strip or experience The Pussycat Dolls Lounge (inside PURE Nightclub) featuring two live seductive performances every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, at 10:45 pm and 11:45 pm! On weekends, be prepared for long queues unless you are an attractive woman or a wealthy man. Shadow Bar at Caesars Palace features contemporary designs and eclectic furnishings. The sensual atmosphere is enhanced by provocative shadow dancers, whose silhouetted performances bring the experience to the next level.

Palms Casino Resort features Playboy Club where gorgeous playboy bunnies are waiting to serve you drinks while you gamble at the two gaming pits offering table games or why not try the playboy-branded slot machines. [open 7 nights 8pm to late]. Ghostbar is a sophisticated indoor and outdoor lounge and sky deck located on the 55th floor of the Palms Resort. [open 8pm to late].

Wynn’s Hotel and Casino has the very posh Blush nightclub on the 1st floor overlooking the casino and has an open-air section. XS at Encore is an up-market club where guests can sit at an indoor table or enjoy bottle service poolside in one of the outdoor cabanas. Tryst is a luxuriously appointed 12000 square-foot nightclub with European bottle service and a dance floor that extends into a 90-foot waterfall that cascades into a secluded lagoon. Wynn’s has a number of casually elegant lounge bars – B Bar, Cabana Bar, Botero Bar, Parasol Up/Down to get your evening started.

Stratosphere Hotel and Tower has Romance at The Top of the World bar which is great for an intimate evening from the 107th floor. C Bar is open 24/7 and is the hot spot in the center of the casino featuring the hottest music videos, as well as DJs and live bands on the weekends.

Las Vegas Dining

The Las Vegas buffets are famous for great food and good value. Many hotels have a buffet and the most popular are at the Bellagio, Paris, Wynns, Rio and Bally hotels. Less expensive buffets, but still great food, can be found at Circus Circus, Riveria and Stratosphere Hotels.

Bellagio Hotel & Casino has a superb range of casual restaurants such as The Buffet, Café Bellagio, Noodles and Olives and up-market restaurants including Sensi, Yellowtail (Japanese) Prime Steakhouse, Jasmine (Cantonese), Circo (Italian), Le Cirque and Picasso (fine French cuisine).

Stratosphere Hotel has the Top of the World revolving gourmet restaurant serving exceptional gourmet fare. This award-winning restaurant, situated 800 feet above ground level, revolves 360 degrees to offer magnificent panoramic views of Las Vegas. The Buffet has something for everyone, every day of the week including a Vegas-style champagne brunch on Sundays.

Las Vegas Shopping

Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian Hotel offers a unique shopping experience featuring an elegant collection of apparel, swimwear, jewelry and accessories to put the final touch on an extraordinary experience. Enjoy all that life has to offer…stroll along a cobblestone walkway, take a relaxing ride in an authentic Italian gondola, enjoy world class dining, shopping and elegance in an atmosphere of sophistication and refinement. There are talented performers that serenade shoppers as they stroll along the Grand Canal and performances are held at various times throughout the day, seven days a week. The Venetian Living Statues perform daily in St. Mark’s Square.

Caesars Palace Hotel offers up-market shops in two elegant settings. The Forum Shops and Appian Way house the world's best designers of men's and women's fashion, accessories, furnishings, dining and so much more. The Forum Shops at Caesars is Las Vegas' premier retail, dining and entertainment destination, featuring more than 160 boutiques and shops (such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari, Versace, Gucci, and more) as well as 13 restaurants and specialty food shops. The Appian Way is a quiet shopping arcade, graced by a life-size replica of Michelangelo's David. Here you can browse through the finest apparel, gifts, art and jewelry including Caesar’s logo items.

Las Vegas Outlet Center is located just 2.5 miles south of the Strip and offers 130 outlet stores in an indoor setting complete with two food courts. Take The Deuce, a double-decker bus, southbound on the Strip to the Outlet Center. The Deuce stops at nearly every hotel and casino along Las Vegas Blvd.