Neighborhoods

East of the Strip

In this neighborhood, we cover hotels near the Convention Center, along with those farther south on Paradise Road, Flamingo Road, and Tropicana Avenue. Note that in the area around Paradise, there are more than a dozen chain-style hotels -- various Marriotts (Courtyard, Residence Inn), a Budget Suites, and many others -- any one of which is going to provide comfortable, reliable, utterly undistinguished lodging, and all of which often go for more money than they ought to. We've singled out a few, but they are really quite interchangeable. Do some searching around online, and don't hesitate to try to play them off each other in an attempt to get a deal.

Staying off the Strip

First-time visitors, and even second-timers, will prefer, as they should, to stay on the Strip or Downtown, hang the cost (most of the time anyway). But if you can't get a room price to your liking, or if you are a habitual visitor, you might want to consider some alternatives. The following are out of the way, relatively speaking, but each hotel makes up for it with rack rates you just aren't going to get -- well, not that often -- on the Strip. We're talking as low as $49 a night. Maybe even lower. The rooms aren't anything to write home about, which is why we didn't bother writing much about them, but they are clean, comfortable, and sufficiently (in some cases) easy on the eyes. And several of the hotels, particularly those that are part of the Station chain, have so many extras to offer that they really could compete with some of the big boys on the Strip. However, you trade away location; for the most part, once you leave the hotel property, you enter a vast nothingness. So what? Get in that rental car -- or take the shuttle that many of the hotels provide -- and drive 15 minutes to the big boys' free parking lots, and use the money you saved to see O, or to eat at a fancy restaurant, or to gamble. But, hey, even gambling is cheaper out here in the vast nothingness!

In northwest Las Vegas, the JW Marriott, 221 N. Rampart, Las Vegas, NV 89128 (tel. 877/869-8777 or 702/869-7777; www.jwlasvegasresort.com) is a handsome Spanish Mission-style building with fabulously landscaped grounds and tricked-out rooms; this is much more of a true resort property than any Strip destination. But then again, what you gain there, you lose in location -- with traffic, it could take 40 minutes to get to the Strip. The Fiesta Rancho, 2400 N. Rancho Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130 (tel. 800/731-7333 or 702/631-7000; www.fiestacasino.com), has a friendly local touch that used to be found in Downtown but is rarely seen there these days, plus a performance venue that frequently has some decent names, and a Mexican restaurant with more than 300 different kinds of margaritas.

Just west of the Strip can be found one of the best options, the Palace Station. Don't be put off by the old-fashioned -- dark, crowded, noisy -- casino and lobby area. This is a swell deal in a town rapidly losing such lures. It's plain, but comfortable and unexpectedly nice. Newly refurnished rooms -- a lighter palate in a spare modern design that is anything but old fashioned -- offer pillow-top mattresses, a huge flatscreen TV (Tower rooms only), free Wi-Fi, a coffee machine (rare in Vegas these days, forcing guests to spend large amounts just for their morning cup of Joe), and large showers in spiffed-up bathrooms. Tubs are available only in some rooms. Prices are often quite cheap, under $100 a night, but a mere additional $40 gets you a junior suite with even more space. The pool area has been redone, and the entirely gutted and remodeled buffet is a steal, at $8 for dinner. The locals love this place, and you might well too, given rising Strip prices. It's located at 2411 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV (tel. 800/634-3101 or 702/367-2411; www.palacestation.com).