bwiadca

I'm heading to LAS with my SO in May and we can't decide where to stay. We are going there because she has never been there. I was going there a lot for work and fun, but last time probably 3 or 4 years ago.
I've stayed at:
Luxor - not impressed
Circus Circus - total dump
Stratosphere - rooms were nice, but the place was far from everything, and they were selling crack right outside the hotel
Hooters - stayed there when I had business at the airport, rooms looked like they got stuck in the 80s
Imperial Palace - probably the worst hotel that I have ever stayed at

I have also stayed at several Hilton and Marriott "regular" properties without casinos, but this time I would like to stay at a nice casino hotel, close to the strip (or on the strip) and keep the cost under $100 per night. Is it possible?
Which hotel should we consider?

Also, as we are going there for 7 days, where should we drive for a day trips? Obviously we will go to see Grand Canyon, but what else?
Is Death Valley nice area for sight seeing?

Thank you

WillCAD

I've only been to Vegas once, in 2009, but I'm heading back in 2019.

I'll be there in April and I had a doozie of a time finding a hotel for under $100 a night ANYWHERE in Vegas (after you factor in the exorbitant resort fees). I ended up with a place pretty far from the strip that seems pretty nice, called the Eastside Cannery. It has decent review scores on all the booking sites and looks pretty nice from Google Street View.

In 2009 I made the mistake of considering Grand Canyon Village to be a day trip from Vegas. It's a 4-hour drive each way, which severely limits your time there, and unless you don't want to get back to your hotel in Vegas until after midnight, you won't be able to stay for the sunset, which is the best part of a Grand Canyon visit. So I'd recommend reconsidering GC as a day trip. It's better as at least an overnighter.

Near Vegas, however, there are three places which are not to be missed for desert scenery and day hiking:
1) Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area - 20 minute drive west of Vegas, spectacular place. Go during mid-week to avoid the worst of the local crowds
2) Hoover Dam - 20-30 minutes east of Vegas, also spectacular. Take the dam tour, but also walk across the dam, and consider walking across the bypass bridge downstream of the dam
3) Valley of Fire State Park - about 75 minute drive northeast of Vegas, full of great hikes both short and long, and scenery no less spectacular than the surface of Mars. Allocate a whole day for VoF.

Note: All three of these destinations will be hot, hot, hot in May, so be sure to take all of the standard dessert safety protocols (drink lots of water, wear wide-brim hats to protect ears and necks, wear loose, baggy, long pants and shirts to protect arms, etc.)

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Prices can vary tremendously between weekdays and weekends so you may not get a hotel for $100 at the weekend .

The Imperial Palace is now called the Linq ( beside the High Roller ferris wheel)

Strip options ( may or may not be at $100 per night) then you have the resort fee to take into account

TI ( Treasure Island)
MGM Grand

NYNY
Excalibur

I have stayed at the Luxor ( Tower rooms) before and they were not too bad.

The Westgate Las Vegas ( the old Las Vegas hilton ) is off strip but connected via the monorail

Death Valley is beautifu for sightseeing ( I have done several day tours with tour companies ( minibus transport with up to 15people)

Regards

TBS

Tanic

Under $100/night will be very difficult in a nice hotel near the strip. Plan on closer to $200 and up including parking and resort fees+tax. Deals can be had in mid-summer and pre-Christmas.'

Hyatt points can be used at MGM properties.

DenverBrian

Treasure Island is the best central Strip value play, though I'll be shocked if you're not closer to $150+ per night.

RevJim

Staying for 7 days should make it easy to average $100 per night, if that is okay with you. So under $700 for the entire week.

My pick for the best bargain on the strip is either Harrah's or Flamingo, but only if you pick one of their recently renovated rooms. The Caesar's website makes it easy to choose a renovated room and I think they are great for the price and location. Obviously, YMMV.

Both of them have a great central location, easy access to the monorail, walking distance to lots of interesting attractions, easy bus/taxi/Uber options. The renovated rooms are sleek and comfortable. IMHO the weakest link is the restaurant selection, but if you don't mind walking around the strip a little you have a good selection nearby.

easy_money

What statuses do you currently have? Can see if you have anything that will eventually get you to MLIFE status since Gold provides a 25% discount off rooms and MLIFE Plat provides a 30% discount off rooms.

May is a semi-busy month, depending when you go. There are several big conventions going on each week in May. When visiting Vegas, try to look at convention dates first and avoid going during those days/weeks. Definitely avoid Memorial Day weekend as hotel prices are highly inflated.

For Vegas weekends in May, AND wanting to be on the strip for under $100, is going to be pretty tough, but not impossible. Might have better chance if it's only weekdays. Just a quick glance using CET flex calendar rates, you can stay at Flamingo, Linq, and Rio(off-strip) during the week of May 12th-16th for all nights under $100 (avg around $60-$80 a night). Once you get to the weekend, all the weekend nights, even at the lower end properties are around $200 a night. If budget is a big concern, I recommend downtown Vegas/Fremont area. You should be able to stay for under $100 a night at most of the properties there. Only a 15min cab ride away.

If you elaborate more on what you and your SO like or not like to do, I can recommend some activities.

DenverBrian

The Grand Canyon is NOT a day trip from Las Vegas IMO. Unless you want to be like the Griswolds, get there, look at it for 30 seconds, and then immediately go to the car to head back.

Better day trips from Las Vegas include Death Valley (not yet too hot in May), or Valley of Fire State Park, or Red Rocks, or even Zion National Park (beautiful) just over the border in Utah.

redtop43

Rates in Vegas are MUCH higher on weekends. And every major hotel and many minor ones have resort fees.

I go there every month and stay at Orleans. It's about a mile from the strip, the rooms are not opulent but quite acceptable. I sort of distinguish hotels by "Would I take a woman there?" as in I don't want to take a girl to a crappy place that screams "He's cheap." Orleans is in the "I'd take a woman there" category. They have more-than-ample free parking, a 24-hour food court, and the other restaurants are reasonably priced.

IMO everything on the strip - rooms, restaurants, and especially parking - have become ridiculously expensive.

Try Hotwire also. Unlike most places where you get a "3-star hotel in the Beltline North area", Hotwire will usually give you a message "Book soon, the last person got The Gold Coast." You pretty much know what you're getting.

If you decide to stay at Orleans, it's possible that you can sign up for their players card online and then get a (small) discount on the rooms for having a players card.

cogitate

An excellent way to see the Grand Canyon in a single day is via Scenic Airlines: just under 10 hours in total. Their shuttle bus will pick you up at your Vegas hotel in the early morning, and drive you to their own small air terminal. Their plane, which has floor to ceiling windows, will give you spectacular views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and of course the Grand Canyon itself. The plane will land near the South Rim, and you'll have 3 hours to roam the South Rim on your own. (You'll also be provided lunch). Then they'll fly you back to Vegas, and their shuttle bus will take you back to your hotel. I've done this tour twice, and remember the tour as one of the most spectacular experiences in my life. For details, see
https://www.scenic.com/tours/grand-canyon-connoisseur

United16

I stay at CET properties majority of the time, but will sometimes stay at one of the Hilton properties. As mentioned above, the price will vary significantly from weekday to weekend. For instance, in May you can go from $35 during the week to over $200 for the following Saturday staying at Harrah's, then add $12 a day to park and $30 resort fee. So it will be kind of difficult to stay under $100 avg per night if staying on the strip. If you're on a set budget for the trip I would ask what matters more; being on strip in the middle of everything and paying more for your location, or saving money on the room to spend elsewhere (shows, food, tours, ect)

writerguyfl

Obviously, you've been to Las Vegas before. Still, I'd take a moment to decide if you really need to spend 7 days in Las Vegas. That's a long time to be there. As many people have noted, prices for hotels and everything else continue to rise. If you not gambling and winning, it's an expensive town.

Personally, I'd split things up by spending maybe 4/5 days in Las Vegas and 2/3 days in Flagstaff/Grand Canyon. Doing that might help stretch your budget, as you might be able to find cheaper hotel rates in Las Vegas during the week.

DELee

Note: While Las Vegas will likely be in the upper 80s and 90s in May, Death Valley will be in the 100s later in that month.

Personally, while I enjoy going to Death Valley and it is scenic and great for sightseeing, I think there are better times of year to visit.

David

Busymann

Best hotel: Cosmopolitan

I've stayed as high as the 66th floor. I recommend about the 30th floor. Too high a floor and it's like a helicopter view. The balconies overlooking the Bellagio fountains make the hotel the best by far and the rooms are on point. Pick the Boulevard Tower

Also, that part of the strip is live. You don't have to walk forever to get to the strip. The is an overhead walkway off the 2nd floor that take you over Harmon to City Center (where Aria is), another overhead walkway over the strip to Planet Hollywood/Miracle Mile Shops/Harmon Corner, and from there, another overhead walkway over Harmon.

easy_money

I also would recommend Cosmo as the fountain view is amazing on the balconies. But it would be impossible to stay at the Cosmo for under $100 for the OP.