Choosing a hotel in Vegas

It's been more than ten years since I last visited Vegas, thinking about going again some time in September.
Which strip hotels would you guys recommend for a budget-oriented couple?
I was looking an Circus Circus, Luxor, Excalibur and Stratosphere, mostly, because of their attractive prices, because I don't really know very much about either of them (I did stay at Stratosphere once, and found it ok, but that was sufficiently long ago to say I was a different person then).
Which one of these is better than the others? Which of the others would you recommend that I look at?

Stay at Luxor or Excalibur if those are your choices. Stratosphere is really far north on the strip and a bit out of the way. Circus Circus is somewhat north also and the maintenance of the property has not kept pace with some of the other resorts. The southern portion of the strip is a lot more alive and up to date than the north that has been slowly worsening. If you are looking for a decent hotel with a good location I know the wizard has also recommended Casino Royale. It is located next to Harrahs.

Quote: weaselman

I was looking an Circus Circus, Luxor, Excalibur and Stratosphere, mostly, because of their attractive prices,

I would omit Circus Circus completely. The Stratosphere is geographically undesirable but if you know that you will be content there that is okay. Otherwise, you will have to drive or taxi to get to any other destination. I will say that if you are going to pay budget prices, you will atleast be getting value for your money at the Stratosphere. Good casino, good pool. Bad neighborhood.

Luxor has recently upgraded its rooms or atleast some of them. Excalibur is nice but tends to have alot of kids around the place.

Tuscany Resorts has large rooms and a good comp program but its a trek to get to the strip from there.

It really depends on what you think you will be doing: casino hopping or staying in one place? Casino Royale is or has recently upgraded its rooms but its still a noisy hectic casino with unimpressive food offerings.

Good luck in making your selections.

This would have made a good poll. I would have voted for the Luxor.

Quote: weaselman

It's been more than ten years since I last visited Vegas, thinking about going again some time in September.
Which strip hotels would you guys recommend for a budget-oriented couple?
I was looking an Circus Circus, Luxor, Excalibur and Stratosphere, mostly, because of their attractive prices, because I don't really know very much about either of them (I did stay at Stratosphere once, and found it ok, but that was sufficiently long ago to say I was a different person then).
Which one of these is better than the others? Which of the others would you recommend that I look at?

I wouldn't stay on the Strip at all. Those offerings that aren't insanely, hideously overpriced (I can't imagine paying anything over $50 to stay in a box with a bed and a toilet for 20 hours, so even something like $169 seems way too high to me) are generally low-quality. The Imperial Palace often has some very good deals, however, even though it's a Harrah's property. There, at least you would have the benefit of location, although the gambling there would suck (but the gambling on the entire Strip sucks these days).

So my recommendation is to stay at the Gold Coast. Rooms are in the $39-69 range (sometimes even less), the food is good, there are many non-gambling diversions available, and the games are more liberal than on the Strip (and the limits are lower). Best of all, there is a frequent free shuttle that stops at Bill's on the corner of the Strip and Flamingo--right in the midst of all the exploding lions, or whatever they have on the Strip these days.

Out of your choices, I'd vote for Luxor. Be sure to log in with your player's card number whenever you book with Harrah's or MGM Resorts. They'll take off 20 bucks a night or so even if you rarely play.

Even better than Luxor is Casino Royale in my opinion. The location is great and the rooms are newly remodeled and come with a fridge. The casino floor looks crappy, but the rooms are nice.

Thanks a lot for your input!
What do you guys have to say about Mandalay Bay, Bally's and Flamingo?

Quote: weaselman

It's been more than ten years since I last visited Vegas, thinking about going again some time in September.
Which strip hotels would you guys recommend for a budget-oriented couple?
I was looking an Circus Circus, Luxor, Excalibur and Stratosphere, mostly, because of their attractive prices, because I don't really know very much about either of them (I did stay at Stratosphere once, and found it ok, but that was sufficiently long ago to say I was a different person then).
Which one of these is better than the others? Which of the others would you recommend that I look at?

You didn't mention if you will be renting a car but you did say the strip. I'd stay away from the north end and go with Luxor or Excalibur which will be cheaper. Use the $20 sandwich if you are so inclined. That should get you a room in tower 2 with a flat screen and a good view. Don't worry about the kids. They don't bite-usually.

You'll have the bridges to MGM,Tropicana,NYNY,and the tram to Luxor and Mandalay Bay. It's a brief walk to Monte Carlo where you can board another tram to Bellagio and Caesars- all free. Excalibur is a good value,but Luxor is nicer. Personally I would opt for the cheaper of these two properties.

Oh yeah, don't forget the resort fees.

What is "$20 sandwich"?
Also, one more to throw into the mix is Sahara. What about that one?

Have you thought about staying at Bills?

I've never stayed there personally, but there's tons of great reviews for them on Trip Advisor, and some people swear by Bills. You can seemingly get it for a really good price, too.

A "$20 sandwich" is when you fold up a $20 bill, put it between a credit card and ID, hand it to the front desk person, and ask if there are any complementary upgrades available. A lot of times you'll get upgraded to a better room for your entire stay, just for slyly tipping the front desk person $20.