Where to stay in Las Vegas: neighbourhoods, hotels and tips

The Strip: central, but at a price

The Strip concentrates the big hotel-casinos, the shows and most restaurants. Staying there keeps everything within reach: you can drop back to your room between visits and lose no time in transit. It is the default for a first trip.

The trade-off is price and sheer scale. A Strip hotel often has several thousand rooms; getting from the lift to the lobby can take ten minutes. Advertised rates look low, but the daily resort fee and parking inflate the final total.

Downtown and Fremont: cheaper, livelier

Fifteen minutes north, Downtown and Fremont Street offer a rawer atmosphere, inherited from old Vegas. Hotels are smaller and often cheaper, and Fremont’s free concerts and zip line come with the setting.

It is a good compromise if you come for the atmosphere rather than the Strip’s big shows, or if you want to stretch your lodging budget to spend more on activities.

Off-Strip: quiet and space

If your trip is built around day trips (Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead) and you rent a car, an off-Strip hotel can buy you quiet and a lower price, with parking often free. You lose the immediate proximity to the shows.

Fees to watch

Two items regularly weigh down the bill: the resort fee (a daily charge covering Wi-Fi, pool and gym, whether you use them or not) and parking, which is paid on the Strip. Add them to the nightly rate before comparing two hotels: a lower headline price can hide higher fees.