Hotel Help in Vegas please I am stressing!!
 

I am going to be in Vegas on Feb 24-27 for surprise trip for husbands 40th birthday and I am having difficutly with a hotel choice. I was unpleasantly surprised at the rates! We have been fortunate to stay at some nice hotels in other locations but this is more of a budget trip. I can pay about $150.00 a night. I think I would rather be in a nicer hotel even if it means not being on the strip? I would appreciate any advice. The best deals I have found so far are at the Stratosphere, Bally's, Tropicana, Golden Nugget and Aladin and they ALL have awful reviews!!!!

We have stayed at the Golden Nugget many, many times and are always pleased with the accommodations. We especially like it downtown because of the closeness of the casinos. You can always take a bus or taxi down to the strip.

When 2 weekend days are involved, in prime time in Vegas (late winter into mid spring/ convention season!), the rates won't be cheap. I actually try to plan my Vegas trips around when rates are cheap, or at least Sun - Thurs.
FYI, I liked Bally's and Golden Nugget. Although the latter is downtown and not on the strip (you may know that). I've also heard good things about the Alladin. I have a friend who likes Stratosphere, although I think it's too far north on the strip. Of your list I would pick Ballys or Alladin.

You might want to try Palace Station. It's on Sahara just west of I-15. It's a bit of a walk to the strip but the hotel runs a shuttle bus back and forth and they have free parking if you will have a car.

I stay there whenever I have to be in LV overnight for medical appointments. I'd rate it a 3-star. There are several restaurants in the hotel and several just across Sahara so you would have plenty of dining choices if you did not want to eat on the strip. It should also be well within your bedget if you average the cost per night (weekends will be more expensive than weekdays unless there is a major convention in town).

I believe the web site is www.stationcasinos.com,

I don't think any of those would be considered "nicer hotels", but some are better than others. Aladdin may be the nicest on your list, but construction is going on now to turn it into a Planet Hollywood, so that may disturb your visit. Of the rest, I'd go with Bally's. I can say from experience that Tropicana is not a nice hotel - it's an OK budget hotel if you simply can't pay more, but the beds are uncomfortable and the casino smells like suntan lotion. Plus the location is only mediocre.

You could look downtown, but I would think you'd want to stay on the strip just for the ease of enjoying what most people go to Vegas for.

If you can shift your dates to include Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights instead of Thursday, Friday and Saturday it will help some. Otherwise you'll probably end up having to give up "nicer" if it's just an expensive weekend in general.

The Golden Nugget is the best hotel of your choices. I'd never stay there because I hate downtown, but it sounds like the hotel is more important to you than location so I think it might actuallt be the best fit.

Personally, I'd choose Bally's for great location and mediocre (by Vegas standards) but not terrible hotel.

Honestly, I think every hotel in Las Vegas will have SOME awful reviews. You have to sift through and read them, and decide if the issues are important to you (i.e. some people would pitch a fit about the bellhop being slow and write a horrible review).

Where have you searched? Expedia shows something like 30+ hotels under $150 for the weekend (4 in the Fremont area, 14 in the Strip area, and 14 elswhere in town).

Golden Nugget is great if you don't want to be on the strip. Bally's and Trop. are soo yucky and the clientele reflects that.

The Aladdin is much newer and the marble bathrooms are huge! Clean and great location. I would call the hotel to see where they are with construction. The restaurants and mall are nice bonuses there as well. Otherwise, I would look at Mandalay Bay. Basic rooms, but lots going on there.

Another selling point for Bally's is it's easy access (covered mall/ walkway) to Paris. And easy outdoor (covered walkway) to the Bellagio. Actually close to any mid strip property, and an easy 10 minute walk to South Strip. I found the rooms large, well maintained, clean and definately a large step above mediorcre. The hotel itself is older, but when your close to the fun/ newer properties, it's still a good bet, LOL.

Flamingo is good and central. Even Expedia gives the average rate for your stay as $143, hotel's website must have even lower rates.

Flamingo is a very good suggestion. I have some friends that stayed there recently and liked it. Flamingo or Aladdin if I were you. Flamingo definetely if there is construction at Aladdin.

I third the Flamingo. Have stayed there many times and never had a bad experience.
You might try the Barbary Coast. Great location and rooms are standard fare.

The San Remo opened yesterday as the new Hooters Hotel...they might have some great promotions for the Grand Opening... the Location is perfect..across from MGM and the rooms were clean and casino friendly...

Try the South Coast, it is on LV Blvd but about 2 miles South of Mandalay Bay. It is brand new, just opened the end of Dec. 05. I checked on expedia and it is only $108. a night. It is right near the Outlet mall, a few bucks in a cab to get to center Strip area (closer than downtown would be to center Strip) or could easily take the bus.

What site did you look at for the reviews? I went to tripadvisor.com and Golden Nugget had very good reviews. I just stayed there for Christmas, and everyone who knew about it told me good things about it. Sure enough, it was a lovely hotel with top-notch service at every level.

As a shopper, I was pleasantly surprised to see how large a basic room could be. There was so much room that three of us gals were able to spread out ALL of our shopping bags during the trip!

Bally's and Alladin are ranked well on Trip Advisor. That's the most reliable site for reviews.

We liked Barbary Coast for location - our room looked onto the Bellagio Fountains, and the Victorian rooms, with a stained glass window in the bathroom , were nice. It is not a huge hotel, so not so much walking. For a great review of all hotels and accompanying buffets, what you get, etc. go to www.cheapovegas.com

we had a double room in the hotel shaped like a pyramid (i'll post back when my memory improves) for $135 a night which included one $30 voucher for food etc. Very nice and the buffet breakfast and dinners were excellent

Would you consider the Rio? http://tinyurl.com/copff
I know it is not right on the Strip, but you get a suite and free shuttle to and from the Strip..I think the price would be right and personally, I like it better than the Golden Nuggett etc.
Just a thought..

memory came back

Its called the LUXOR and I brought up the website and checked out the rates and found this URL which is helpful to see the different rates on different days (weekends are more expensive of course)

https://secure02.mgm-mirage.com/ezbo...D%26talogin%3D

Now I know thats a terrible url so maybe just go to http://www.luxor.com/accommodations/pyramid_rooms.aspx then click on reserve online now. The good thing ahout this site is that it gives you the ability to check rates and reserve rooms for 5 othr hotels. Circus Circus is the cheapest, then the excalibur then mandalay bay (all are on the strip).