Las Vegas: Where to stay, play and sway

After another long day on the road, we made it to the city that never sleeps: Las Vegas.

During our road trip from San Francisco to the National Parks in Southern California, we obviously had to stop overnight on the route. 

Between Joshua Tree National Park to the Mojave Natural Preserve, you can actually find countless campgrounds, boutique hotels, and cute bungalow motels. Still, we were unfortunately too late and did not have the time to stop between the two parks. 

Since we wanted to go to Death Valley the next day, we initially considered Barstow a stopover, where we had already been in 2015. However, when we entered the route from Mojave to Death Valley on Google Maps, it surprisingly did not pass the small town in California but actually crossed the border to Nevada and even passed the city famous for hotels, resorts, and casinos. Las Vegas? Always worth a visit.

I didn’t mind going to Vegas, although I have been there plenty of times before. That way, I could at least get a few pictures for my blog, see what’s been new and updated, and also try my luck and gamble a little.

WHERE TO STAY, PLAY, AND SWAY in Vegas

Frankly, our accommodation this time was crap and one of the worst I have ever stayed in, so I won’t bother sharing it with you. Instead, since I’ve been to Vegas a couple of times before and stayed in every kind of hotel, I thought I would give you some tips depending on your budget, the types of activities you plan to do in Vegas, and the location. 

Speaking of which, that’s the most important thing, especially when you’re in Vegas for the first time, or if all you want to do is gamble in one of the famous hotel casinos there are. If one or both apply, you should undoubtedly lookout for a hotel at the strip. I refer to the 4.2 miles long stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road, with the resort casinos ‘The Sahara’ and ‘Mandalay Bay’ as its boundaries north and south. I would always stay in the middle part of the stretch, with the following hotels being in the prime locations:

Best Casino

Ceasar’s Palace – I like playing Roulette the most when it comes to gambling. And for that, the Caesar’s Palace has the best casino, in my opinion, with many (classic) Roulette tables, decent drinks that are served as complimentary for gambling guests, and a top-notch floor design. And in case you hit the jackpot and want to spend your earnings, the Forum Shops at Caesars are close and open until 10 pm, which is convenient.

Coolest Design

The Venetian – If you always wanted to visit the famous Piazza San Marco/ St Mark’s Square and float along the canals on the gondolas but haven’t made it out of the States, The Venetian is your place to stay! Through the hotel lobby flies a replica of the canals and gondoliers, dressed in red-and-white-striped shirts will drive guests around while singing loud and impressive. It’s undoubtedly very fake, but it’s so cool.

The Paris – The hotel not only shares a name with France’s capital. It also imitates it to its best, including an Eiffel Tower replica decorating its facade, which has become an icon of the Las Vegas skyline. In the hotel, you will find everything you’ll love about Paris: crêpes, superb dining options (at The Eiffel Tower!), lingerie, and le vin in the brasseries.

most luxurious 

Bellagio – Known for movies like Oceans 11 and its magnificent luxury. If you have the budget and want to splurge, go for Bellagio.

Most fun

New York New York – Ever seen a hotel with a rollercoaster driving through it? Well, anything is possible in Las Vegas. I stayed in this hotel when I was on a US road trip with my parents in 2011, and I am thankful for the experience to this day. The hotel lobby is a replica of New York (including districts like Greenwich, the Brooklyn Bridge, and even typical shacks and shops founded in New York, such as Shake Shack, Magnolia Bakery, and more.

BEST F&B

The Cosmopolitan – The hotel is not only among my favorites in all Las Vegas due to its fancy, shiny design, it also offers one of the best dining options in all of the city with trendy, popular spots like Blue Ribbon Sushi, Momofuku, Milk Bar, Eggslut, and Zuma.

Aria – We stayed here in 2015, and it has been my favorite in Las Vegas ever since. It’s part of the Chrystal complex and linked to Bellagio, the Cosmopolitan, the Vdara, and the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino so it’s easy to go around (via Aria Express Tram) and play in all four casinos, without stepping outside at all. Aria is known for its upscale cuisine and ranges as an enduring favorite, with its fine dining options, such as the Jean Georges Steakhouse, the Bardot Brasserie, the bi-coastal hotspot Catch, and the all-so-popular Din Thai Fung that we visited this time in order to have some nostalgic feelings (thinking of you, Singapore!).

Best CLUB

Wynn and Encore – Wynn Las Vegas and its sister property Encore at Wynn Las Vegas collectively hold more Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) Five-Star awards than any other resort and casino in the world, which speaks for themselves, both hotels are insanely luxurious and considered the finest hotels in the world. In addition, the Encore Theater also hosts tours from the best musicians in the world (Beyoncé played her ‘I Am… Tour’ here). They are both a little off-strip (if you ask me anyway) but won’t disappoint in terms of luxury, fine dining, shopping, and exploring the nearby hotels (such as The Venetian). And the house club “XS” is perhaps the most elegant nightclub on The Strip.

Best Shopping

In the city that never sleeps, there is also a never-stopping-shopping option. I have found myself running at 9.55 pm to the nearest Sephora in the ‘Miracle Mile Shops’ in order to get a lip balm to cure my lips (Las Vegas climate is veryyyy dry!), and splurging just-earned money in the resident Simon Center outdoor factory stores aka “Las Vegas North Premium Outlets”. No matter which mall you go to, they all will match their environment, e.g., the Shoppes at Ceasars’ are in full Antique Greek fashion while the ‘New York New York’ sells I Love New York shirts and Yankee Sweaters. If you want to splurge something more luxurious, the Chrystal Shopping Centers are probably your best option.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas and if yes, which hotel did you stay at and which one would you want to try out next?