Cheap Alternatives

Locals' Hotels

No, not hotels where locals stay -- they have that already, after all -- but so-called because it's here that locals themselves often come to eat and gamble. Why? Because these places are cheap. The way Vegas used to be. See, an increasing frustration for the Vegas visitor, still under the impression that Vegas is a vacation bargain, is hotel prices, particularly those on the Strip, most of which have long left "bargain" behind. The solution is simple: Give up that Strip location, and suddenly, you have a host of budget-minded options, completely satisfying casino-hotels that may not have the luxury appointments of the big Strip palaces but also don't come with the luxury price tags.

Topping the list of these so-called locals' hotels are those managed by the Station Casinos chain. All the following hotels are admittedly located away from the main tourist areas, but if you have a car at your disposal, you can save yourself a great deal of money by being flexible with your location. None of them is more than 20 minutes from the Strip, and several offer free shuttles to other sister properties. Most of these properties offer a variety of family-friendly entertainment -- bowling alleys, multiscreen movie theaters, and more.

On the southeast side of town there are three Station Casinos properties. Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson (tel. 888/786-7389; www.sunsetstation.com), is probably the nicest. Rooms are simple but have all of the amenities you are likely to need, such as irons and ironing boards, high-speed Internet access (for a fee), pay-per-view movies, room service, and so on. Sure, the bathrooms may not be bigger than an apartment, and the beds may not be as plush, but if all you need is a nice room for a moderate amount of money, this is a fine option. On-site you'll find more than a dozen restaurants, including a Hooters, a bowling alley, movie theaters, bars, lounges, a nightclub, an outdoor amphitheater with regular concerts by retro (read: has-been) performers, a microbrew pub, and a huge casino with much lower gaming limits than the Strip ($5 blackjack tables abound!). It's really more of an entertainment complex than a hotel, and it even has a mall across the street, so it isn't totally isolated. Prices at Sunset Station are usually well below $100 a night during the week (we've seen them as low as $60), and usually not too much above $100 on the weekends.

Just down the street a bit is the Mexican pueblo-themed Fiesta Henderson, 777 W. Lake Mead Dr., Henderson (tel. 800/388-8334 or 702/558-7000; www.fiestacasino.com), where they are slowly stripping away the Mexican jungle theme to go Santa Fe (it underwent a massive expansion in 2006). It has equally basic yet comfortable lodgings, plus plenty of gaming options, a decent and dirt-cheap buffet, other restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and more. Things are even cheaper here, with rooms going for as low as $30 a night during the week. You'll also find Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Hwy. (tel. 800/683-7777 or 702/432-7777; www.boulderstation.com), a little closer to the Strip, with more than 300 guest rooms, a 75,000-square-foot casino, movie theaters, a day-care facility, a big video-game arcade, restaurants and bars, and a concert venue called The Railhead. Rates at Boulder Station usually run from $75 to $125 a night, but rooms can be had for as little as $49 per night.

A couple of other properties in this area are worth knowing about, even though they aren't managed by the Station Casinos chain. Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall is listed separately in this chapter, and nearby is Arizona Charlie's Boulder, 4575 Boulder Hwy. (tel. 800/632-4040 or 702/951-5900; www.arizonacharlies.com), a sister hotel to the Stratosphere, with 300 minisuite-style rooms, a 37,000-square-foot casino, an on-site laundry facility, several restaurants, and a casino lounge. It's only a step or two above budget accommodations but still very well maintained. It has very low limits in the casino, a cheap and reliable coffee shop, and a buffet priced like buffets used to be. This place is also very inexpensive, with weekday rooms as low as $30 and weekends often as low as $50.

On the north and west sides of town are three more Station properties. Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane (tel. 800/654-8888 or 702/631-1000; www.texasstation.com), has a 91,000-square-foot casino, 200 rooms, movie theaters, a bowling alley, concert venues, bars, and a number of very fine restaurants, including the recommended and justly popular Austins Steakhouse. You can often get rooms for as low as $40 a night here. Right across the street is Fiesta Rancho, 2400 N. Rancho Rd. (tel. 888/899-7770 or 702/631-7000; www.fiestacasino.com), another Station hotel similar in concept and execution to its sister property mentioned above, only with more adobe and less jungle. In addition to the 100 rooms, they have a big casino and a regulation-size ice-skating rink, complete with equipment rentals and lessons. Prices go as low as $40 a night. Continue north on Rancho Road, and you'll run into Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Rd. (tel. 866/767-7771; http://santafe.stationcasinos.com), a place that used to be a really dingy affair until Station Casinos got hold of it. They redid the place from top to bottom, including an unexpectedly spiffy casino, upgraded rooms with stylish furnishings and all the amenities you could reasonably want or need, lots of restaurants and bars, a revamped bowling alley, movie theaters and an addition that includes movie theaters, a showroom, a video-game arcade, a kids' day-care center, and more. They've recently added some new restaurants, including a highly recommended buffet. All this for rates as low as $35 a night and rarely over $100, even during the busiest times.

Also on the north side of town is The Cannery, 2121 E. Craig Rd. (tel. 866/999-4899; www.cannerycasinos.com), a '40s patriotic World War II-themed hotel and casino with a couple hundred fine and very inexpensive rooms (usually well under $100 a night), a fun casino, a terrific buffet and a few other restaurants, a really cool indoor/outdoor events center that hosts regular concerts and festivals, movie theaters, and more.

Inexpensive Hotel Alternatives

If you're determined to come to Vegas during a particularly busy season and you find yourself shut out of the prominent hotels, here's a list of moderate to very inexpensive alternatives.

On or Near the Strip

Budget Suites of America, 4205 W. Tropicana Ave.; tel. 702/889-1700

Budget Suites of America, 3655 W. Tropicana Ave.; tel. 702/739-1000

Travelodge, 3735 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; tel. 800/578-7878

Paradise Road & Vicinity

AmeriSuites, 4250 Paradise Rd.; tel. 800/833-1516

Candlewood Suites, 4034 Paradise Rd; tel. 877/226-3539

Downtown & Vicinity

Econo Lodge, 1150 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; tel. 877/424-6423

East Las Vegas & Vicinity

Motel 6 Boulder Highway, 4125 Boulder Hwy.; tel. 800/466-8356

Super 8 Motel, 5288 Boulder Hwy.; tel. 800/800-8000

West Las Vegas & Vicinity

Motel 6, 5085 Dean Martin Dr. (South Las Vegas); tel. 800/466-8356