I visited these iconic Vegas Hotels, which is the best for you?
Stretching over four miles, the Las Vegas Strip is one of the most famous boulevards in the world. It’s a kaleidoscope of lights, luxury, and life. Hotels and casinos compete for your attention with grandiose architecture, thematic designs, and jaw-dropping attractions. But which hotel should you choose? Here’s a quick guide, to help you choose which hotel is best for your needs.
Best High-End Hotel
The Bellagio Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in the world and positively oozes luxury and sophistication. Renowned for its iconic dancing fountains, this AAA Five Diamond resort does not come cheap, with rooms starting at around £368 per night. But those fortunate enough to be able to afford this can expect to stay in the finest surroundings, with access to five elegant courtyard pools and the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, a vibrant display of art and nature that changes with the seasons. The hotel also features world-class dining, including restaurants by celebrity chefs, and an elegant casino for entertainment. Art lovers can explore the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, while relaxation seekers indulge in the award-winning spa. Then there is the prime location on the Strip, right in the heart of the action and with regular free trams to The Shops at Crystals – an upmarket shopping mall – and other hotels in the MGM group.
Honourable mentions also go to both Ceasar’s Palace and The Venetian, both of which are extremely opulent hotels and the latter of which transports you to Venice with its indoor canals and gondola rides.
Best for Families
Circus Circus might not be able to compete with the likes of the Bellagio in terms of finery and panache, but when it comes to keeping the kids entertained it’s got everything you need. Firstly, there’s the world's largest permanent circus, which doesn’t cost a penny – or should that be a cent – to watch. Free performances start at 1:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 11:30 a.m. Friday - Sunday. There’s also an onsite Splash Zone waterpark, complete with swimming pools, whirlpools, water playground, waterfalls and a 50 ft slide tower.
But the best thing about Circus Circus for many families is the Adventuredome – a huge five-acre indoor amusement park that houses a massive retro video arcade, indoor rock climbing, bungee trampolines, VR rooms, 4D cinema and laser maze challenges. Clowns roam around putting on performances to make the children chuckle and it is home to lots of rides, including the world's only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster. There’s no shortage of rides suitable for younger visitors either, with carousels, go-carts, a Ferris wheel, dodgems and many more. Inclusive wristbands provide unlimited rides and queues are almost unheard of, so the little ones can ride to their heart’s content.
Best for Thrill Seekers
For the best views of the strip and surrounding landscape, you’ll want to head to the STRAT Hotel. Vegas has its fair share of tall buildings, but The STRAT is head and shoulders above them all, at a whopping 1,149ft. After an ear popping ride to the top, you find an observation deck where helicopters regularly pass by at around the same height you’re standing at. There’s a great cocktail bar at the top, as well as a revolving restaurant – fittingly called Top of the World. Best of all for adrenaline junkies are the rides, with Big Shot catapulting riders up the tower’s mast to a height of 1,081 feet, and then down again, or X-Scream, a terrifying rollercoaster that propels riders head first over the edge of the tower – 866 feet high – and dangles them there before pulling them back, then doing it to them a second time.
But if you really want to impress your friends with your bravado then you’ll need to take on the Sky Jump, a truly heart pounding freefall experience that holds the Guinness World Record for being the highest commercial decelerator descent. The jump is similar to a bungee jump, with an open-air leap but the decelerator automatically slows participants down as they near the landing pad 879 feet below. You’ll be guaranteed an audience cheering you along as you hurtle down at over 40 mph and will have earned a cocktail or beer in that bar afterwards.
The STRAT doesn’t have all its eggs in the adrenaline basket. As well as great value mid-range rooms, there are some award-winning shows in their cosy theatre too. iLUMINATE has won several awards and was also named “Best New Act in America” by America’s Got Talent. The show is probably best described as a multi-sensory live show in the dark that blends pumping music, illusion, dance and comedy.