Casino croupier shuffling cards

The Best Casino Hotels in Las Vegas

There are over 100 casinos in Las Vegas, from Downtown to the Sin City limits, with the majority (nearly 50 of ‘em) congregated in and around the mega-resorts that line Las Vegas Boulevard, aka the all-singing, all-dancing, all-neon Strip. Most visitors to Vegas will want to experience at least one of these glitzy gambling dens, with their cavernous interiors and enticing range of games that runs the gamut from 20c slots to significantly higher stakes at the blackjack, roulette and poker tables. But which are the best casino hotels in Las Vegas, and what sets them apart from the rest? We took a deep dive to find out…

Best Las Vegas Casino Hotels for Beginners

Woman playing the slots in Las Vegas

Never played blackjack before? Fear not: many casinos in Las Vegas have tables for beginners, where the minimum stakes are lower (generally around $5) and staff are on hand to help you understand the rules of each game and provide tips and guidance on potentially winning strategies.

Medieval meets modern at Excalibur, located near Harry Reid Airport at the Strip’s southern end. Like many Sin City hotels, Excalibur is not without its gimmicks, in this case eye-catching technicolor turrets and an epic dinner show complete with knights, kings, horses and a medieval banquet. As well as having some of the most beginner-friendly casino tables in town (including free lessons), there are also – deep breath – four pools, a spa, several shows, and more bars and restaurants than you can shake a very large jousting lance at.

Honorable mention: Further into the heart of the Strip, the Bellagio mega-resort is a rather more glamorous and upscale cousin to Excalibur, and offers free lessons as well as other discounts and bonuses for novice players.

Best Las Vegas Casino Hotels for Old-School Charm

Statue at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Opened in the swinging sixties, Caesars Palace has been a Rat Pack haunt, a blockbuster boxing venue and a movie set in its time. In other words, you can expect some real old-school vibes here. And we mean really old-school: as the name suggests the theme is seriously Roman, all flamboyant Corinthian columns, winged cherubs and – yup – a 20-foot statue of Augustus Caesar. The Garden of the Gods pool complex is fit for an emperor; likewise the Qua Baths & Spa (24-karat gold collagen facial massage, anyone?). Guests can have a flutter at the Fortuna pool’s swim-up tables or make for the glitzy casino proper, where well over a thousand slot machines and nearly 200 tables await.

This is a resort that has hosted names including Sinatra, Liberace and Madonna down the years, so you just know the caliber of entertainment is going to be high. Dine in decadent restos including Gordon Ramsay and Nobu and decimate your blackjack winnings at the Forum shops, where over 200 luxury boutiques sport the kind of price tags that might make Caligula himself blush.

Honorable mention: The oldest continuously operating resort on the Strip, the Flamingo promises old-school charm by the bucketload, plus plenty of pink neon and real-live flamingoes.

Best Las Vegas Casino Hotels for Glamming it Up

Cocktail glass with red dice in it

Bellagio is where it's at if you want to go full Bond and sashay onto the floor in your finest designer three-piece suits and cocktail dresses. Steel your nerves over a classic martini in the plush Lily Lounge, with views of the gaming floor, then head down to hit the tables or – for seasoned high rollers only – make for the exclusive high-limit poker lounge.

Of course, the Bellagio is known as much for its spectacular fountain display as its poker tables. Get ringside seats for this epic show at Wolfgang Puck’s flagship Spago restaurant or head over to upscale PRIME for a perfectly seared wagyu filet.

And that’s not all. Of course it isn’t! Bellagio also counts a gallery of fine art, a botanical garden, five swimming pools, a Cirque du Soleil show and boutiques from the likes of Bulgari, Cartier and Dior among its many attractions. Glam or what?

Honorable mention: Mandalay Bay ain’t no slouch in the glamor stakes either, boasting 20+ ritzy restaurants and cocktail lounges, a nightclub, an 11-acre pool complex and – natch – a sprawling casino.

Best Las Vegas Casino Hotels for the Pool Scene

Friends partying at the pool

Should you happen to be in Vegas during party season (March to October) – and, frankly, why wouldn’t you be? – you’ll likely want to spend at least some of your time lounging by the pool, pina colada in hand. Glitzy Mandalay Bay is the daddy when it comes to the Sin City pool scene. We’re talking a whopping 11-acre complex that includes a man-made beach, an absolutely enormous wave pool, the laziest of lazy rivers and oodles of private cabanas and gazebos to rent for your day out. A beach bar and grill and several cocktail bars mean you’ll never be far from your next burger or margarita, and the people-watching opportunities here are pretty much second-to-none.

Honorable mention: the legendary Golden Nugget. Sure, there are bigger and better pool complexes all over Vegas, but do any of them have a water slide that goes right through the middle of a 200,000-gallon shark tank? No, dear reader, they do not.

Best Las Vegas Casino Hotels for Entertainment

Gondolier at the Venetian in Las Vegas

Entertainment in Las Vegas often seems to be a supersized game of one-upmanship. Dancing fountains not spectacular enough for ya? Fear not: there’s an exploding volcano out front of the Mirage, a replica of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, and a recreation of Venice’s Grand Canal – complete with singing gondoliers at The Venetian. It’s the last of these sprawling mega-resorts that nabs our entertainment crown, largely thanks to the 2023 addition of Sphere, an eye-popping globe-shaped venue that, with the ever-changing motion graphics that ripple across its facade, is a show all by itself. Sphere’s immersive experiences coupled with A-list names at Voltaire (Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Steely Dan and Kylie, to name just a few) make for quite the roster of top-flight entertainment.

Honorable mention: Wynn Encore. Superb theatrical performances, legendary musicians, celebrity DJs, and direct access to the Las Vegas High Roller for the win/Wynn.

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Las Vegas Bachelorette Party Ideas & Tips

Every friend group needs at least one friend to have their bachelorette party in Las Vegas. We put together some of our top tips and ideas for planning the best Las Vegas Bachelorette Party Weekend getaway with the girls, including where to stay, things to do, and where to eat. Tips for Planning Ideal length of stay: 3 days, 3 nights (this is not a hard-and-fast rule, just somewhere to start) Schedule in a little time for some R&R in your hotel room or plan a relaxing activity like a guided day trip, lounging at the pool, catching a show, or pampering at the spa. When planning for a group, let guests pick a couple of their activities (spa day vs. lounging at the pool, etc.) Skip the custom t-shirts and treat yourselves to an activity or extra special dinner instead (nobody ever wears those shirts again anyway!) Book accommodations and activities in advance to make sticking to a budget for the group easier. (Be sure to make any necessary reservations well in advance too.) Tips for saving on a hotel Shop around, look for promotions for Vegas hotels on budget travel sites, consider amenities that save money, such as airport shuttle service, pool access, a kitchenette, free parking, etc. Plan your trip first, and think about amenities you don't need. Booking a limo service to pick everyone up at the airport? Shuttle service might not be as big a draw. Going on a guided Pool Party Tour? Access to the hotel pool isn't much of a perk, etc. Budget Hotels (rooms are just for sleeping anyway, right?): some budget-friendly hotels on the strip to consider are, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Motel 8 Las Vegas, Hilton Grand Vacations Suites at the Flamingo, The Mirage, and Treasure Island. High-Roller Hotels (you only get married once, right?): if you're looking for a little luxury on the strip, some hotels to consider are Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Caesars Palace, The Palazzo, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore. Bachelorette Party Activities Give your guests an idea of the itinerary before the trip so that they know what to expect (and what to pack). Include the weather forecast when you touch base with all of the ladies right before the trip. For Relaxing Chances are, everybody will need a break from the parties and celebrations at some point during your trip to relax and restore. Schedule in some time to do something relaxing like seeing a show or hitting the spa. Sit back and relax as you glide through the picturesque streetscape on an outdoor gondola ride at The Venetian®. You'll feel like you're traveling through the canals of Venice while your guide serenades you. (Great photo opp!) Don't go to Vegas without catching a show at the famous V Theater . Or, loosen up the crowd and get the laughs going by taking the famous Stripper 101 class -- memories, guaranteed. Head to a luxurious spa for some Vegas-style pampering and professional detoxing. Schedule group massages, check out some hot tubs, or indulge in some mani/ pedis. Check out one of the top 5 picks from SheKnows.com. For Enrichment Explore the Strip. Get out and see the sunshine. It's easy to spend an entire day indoors with all the hotels and casinos have to offer. Explore the Strip on foot (be prepared, the Strip is 4 miles long) or, board a hop-on hop-off guided bus tour. Make sure you see the famous "Las Vegas, Nevada" sign and snap a pic with the whole group as a souvenir. Catch the famous fountain show at The Bellagio, walk over the "Brooklyn Bridge" at New York New York, and more. Where to Dine Otherwise known as: our favorite topic to write about, Las Vegas being no exception. For Brunching Is there such a thing as too many mimosas? Definitely not in Vegas. Head to the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan for bubbles and brunch. Go for the bottomless mimosas, chicken and waffles, and the buffet-style amazing-ness that diners rave about (for good reason). Fans of "the Cake Boss" need to check out Buddy V's, Buddy Valastro's first restaurant. Their brunch menu features classic brunch creations served buffet-style and bottomless libations such as sangria, bloody marys, bloody caesars, and more. If you're like us, on Sundays, one of your favorite activities and checking the #bloodymary hashtag on instagram. Head to Todd English P.U.B. for break-the-internet-worthy bloody marys and some tasty bites. Find out what keeps all of the rave reviews coming at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Culinary Dropout, a trendy establishment with an innovative menu (pretzel fondue, anyone?), inviting atmosphere, and live music on select nights. Looking for classic American fare and a fun tourist-y dining experience? Be sure to check out the Planet Hollywood right on the strip. It's an easy place to go with a big group and the Hollywood movie-inspired atmosphere always promises a good time. The ever-popular In-N-Out Burger is always an option and might be a bucket list item for some of your guests. Located just off the strip on the other side of Interstate 15, it's a little tricky to get to, but we promise it's worth the small trek! Insider tip: be sure to get your double-double with a side of french fries "animal style", trust us, they're amazing. Have you been to a Las Vegas Bachelorette Party? Let us know if you would add any suggestions to our list in the comments below!
Casey Makovich
Panorama of the Las Vegas Strip
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4 Days in Las Vegas - Perfect Itinerary

Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, so believe us when we say you’ll have zero trouble filling four days with high-octane, dice-rolling, Strip-tastic fun. Your only difficulty will be deciding what to do first. And that's where we come in! Read on for our perfect 4-day Las Vegas itinerary, including: High Roller Observation Wheel Fremont Street Experience Grand Canyon Mandalay Bay Beach Club Bellagio fountains, gallery and gardens Colosseum theater Las Vegas Arts District Hoover Dam Red Rock Canyon Day 1: Viva Las Vegas! Kickstart your Sin City adventure by getting the lay of the land aboard the open-top hop-on hop-off bus. There’s really no better way to get an overview of this sizzling city’s must-see landmarks. Tick off the bucket-list classics, including that essential selfie stop at the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign, and marvel at how the Strip's flamboyant hotels vie for the tourist dollar with their increasingly outlandish gimmicks.  We’re talking Paris’s replica Eiffel Tower, the Bellagio’s legendary dancing fountains, and the exploding volcano at The Mirage, to name just a few. You’ll also get to whiz around the OG downtown area, home of the glitzy Fremont Street Experience (of which more later). There’s even a nighttime version of the bus tour that gives you an opportunity to experience the Strip in all its neon glory, all without having to lift a finger (or indeed a foot). Having experienced Vegas’s uniquely surreal atmosphere at arm’s length, it’s now time to go full immersion mode in the city’s legendary casinos. So put on your best poker face, cram your pockets full of dollar bills and get lucky. Take your pick from dozens of casinos, from old-school giants like Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and the Bellagio to beloved downtown faves including the famous Golden Nugget. Expect hundreds of classic table games like like roulette, blackjack and Texas hold ‘em poker plus thousands of slot machines in these cavernous, money-guzzling twilight zones of capitalism. Day 2: Strip Highlights Ok, day 2 of your awesome 4-day Vegas experience and it's time to get up close and personal with some of the Strip’s main attractions. And you really could fill a whole day or more exploring this vast thoroughfare, with its supersize hotels, monster malls and hundreds of bars and restaurants, from fast food to fine dining. Top tip: the Strip is much longer than it looks. Avoid aching calves and pesky blisters by taking full advantage of the Las Vegas Monorail, which connects a number of major hotels and casinos along the Strip’s eastern side, running for nearly four miles. But what to see and do? Bit of an art fiend? Good news: Vegas does high culture every bit as well as it does low culture. Case in point: the ever-rotating exhibitions at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art have included works by household names including Warhol, Picasso and Lichtenstein; the horticultural marvel that is the resort’s botanical gardens is also something of a work of art in itself. Here during pool party season (March-October)? Hit up Mandalay Bay’s epic Daylight Beach Club, home to a ridiculously large pool (4,400 square feet, fact fans), a man-made beach and a seemingly endless lazy river. You could sip bubbly aboard the knee-knocking High Roller Observation Wheel at the LINQ Hotel, which soars 550 feet over the Strip. Or catch a show at the legendary Colosseum theater at Caesars Palace – superstars from Sinatra to Madonna have graced the glittering stage here down the years. Ride the glass elevator up Paris’s replica Eiffel Tower or cruise the Venetian’s faithful replica of Venice’s Grand Canal in a gondola. The possibilities are almost literally endless. Day 3: You can always go… Downtown! It would be easy to overlook Las Vegas’s laidback downtown area for the considerable thrills and spills of the Strip, but that would be to miss out on Sin City most old-school enclave, home of the boho Arts District and terrific Neon Museum, a sort of retirement home for Vegas signage of yore. Best visited in early evening, this is the place to nab Insta-perfect selfies bathed in the neon glow of such iconic signs as the Stardust and Lucky Cuss Motel. Check out the nearby Arts District for the best of Vegas’s indie scene, including galleries, boutiques, vintage clothing emporia and hipper-than-thou craft breweries like Hop Nuts Brewing and the Nevada Brew Works. There’s nothing old school about the Fremont Street Experience. Easily Vegas’s most popular attraction outside the Strip, this huge complex features a video-screen canopy the length of five football pitches, beneath which tourists and locals browse stores galore and sip colorful cocktails in the chi-chi bars. Eye-popping hourly light shows and live music across three stages every evening means there’s never a dull moment here in Glitter Gulch. Day 4: The Great Outdoors Sure, Las Vegas is terrific fun, but three sinful days of sensory saturnalia can be more than enough for most people. What better way then to round out your perfect 4-day Las Vegas itinerary than swapping the noise, neon lights and general chaos of the Strip for the wide open spaces of the Nevada and Arizona deserts? You can take a helicopter ride over the awe-inspiring Hoover Dam to the enchanting South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where a restorative stroll among rust-red rocks and vibrant wildflowers is pure manna for the soul. Opt for an afternoon trip that will time your return descent along the Strip around sundown, for some of the most spectacular skies and Sin City views you’re likely to find. Helicopters not your bag? Rent a soft-top instead and strike out south along Interstate 15 to Red Rock Canyon deep in the Mojave Desert. This relatively diminutive sibling of the Grand Canyon promises equally otherworldly landscapes, characterized by soaring sandstone crags and towering cacti. Don’t miss sculptor Ugo Rondinone’s hallucinatory art installation on the way there. Seven Magic Mountains is a series of gravity-defying boulder stacks painted in a kaleidoscope of vivid colors – essential eye candy for any Insta addict worthy of the name. Save on attractions in Las Vegas  Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Spectators watching the Bellagio Fountains by night.
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Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions Comparison

Caesars Palace and the Bellagio are two of the titans of the Las Vegas Strip, each with close to 4,000 rooms and oodles of high-end bars, restaurants, shops, pools, spas and more. That, fact fans, puts both comfortably inside the top 10 most supersized hotels in town (and inside the top 20 on the entire planet). But which is better? There’s only one way to find out! We pitted these two Sin City heavyweights against each other to find out how their many and varied attractions measure up. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: The Must-Sees In terms of the kind of must-see attractions that will leave your Insta followers green with envy, it’s fair to say the Bellagio is your best bet. Sure, Caesars has a certain allure, thanks to its flamboyant Greco-Roman style architecture, Corinthian columns, winged statues, fountains and 20-foot likeness of Augustus Caesar. Strip first-timers are sure to adore its old-school glitz, while movie mavens will enjoy re-enacting scenes from the likes of Dream Girls and The Hangover, both of which were filmed here. But does it have its own fine art museum and botanical garden? It does not. And that’s before we even get started on the Bellagio’s world-renowned fountain show... Surely the biggest and best free show in town, this watery extravaganza sees skyscraping jets of balletic water swaying in time with classical music belters and modern pop bangers, and runs at regular intervals from 3PM to midnight daily. Head inside to take a peek at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, with ever-changing exhibitions that have included works by some of the biggest names in 20th-century art, among them Picasso, Warhol and Lichtenstein. There are yet more blooming wonderful works of art on display in the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. These colorful and hopelessly flamboyant horticultural displays change with the seasons and culminate in a hugely camp and over-the-top festive spectacular at year’s end. Meanwhile, Dale Chihuly’s vibrant glass Fiori di Como sculpture (pictured above) is in bloom year round, and dominates the Bellagio’s main lobby area. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: Entertainment and Nightlife Make no mistake: Caesars Palace is an absolute titan of the Las Vegas entertainment scene. It’s legendary Colosseum theater has hosted performances and residences from some near-mythical music makers over the years. We’re talking Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Elton John, Celine Dion and the mighty Liberace. Add to this the epic Omnia nightclub, 75,000 square feet of multi-level dancefloors with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and an awesome 11-ton kinetic chandelier centerpiece, and you have the beginnings of quite the evening out. They love a bit of water-based entertainment over at the Bellagio so, in addition to those dancing fountains, Cirque du Soleil’s resident show takes place over a 1.5-million-gallon pool. O – pronounced ‘eau’ not ‘oh’, darling – has been wowing audiences with synchronized swimming, daredevil diving and various other acrobatics since the hotel opened in 1998. It’s good, but it’s not quite Sinatra, so the smart money’s on Caesars in this round. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: Having a Flutter Opened way back in 1966, Caesars Palace is the place to catch some genuine old-school vibes, with 1,324 slot machines (at last count) on which to try your luck, as well as 185 table games that keep it real with classics like roulette, blackjack and Texas hold ‘em poker. High rollers hit up the Bellagio for up-to-the-minute slot games. There are more than 2,300 reel, video reel and video poker games on the casino’s slot floor as well as, of course, the usual glut of table games, many of which can be played in the exclusive high-limit lounge. Sports fans are in for a treat at both hotels. The Caesars sportsbook is an absolute corker with a whopping 143-foor HD screen while the Bellagio’s mammoth venue has multiple (not-quite-as-big) screens and around 100 individual racing monitors. We’re talking two of the very best betting facilities in the West here, so you’re not really taking much of a gamble by choosing one over the other. Let’s call it evens. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: Bars & Restaurants Neither hotel is short of a celebrity chef. Nor indeed a cocktail lounge or six. Whether you’re in the market for a prime steak filet, gourmet Italian food, a flamboyant floral cocktail or, you know, just a decent cup of joe, Caesars and the Bellagio have you more than well covered, with something like 50 bars and restaurants between them. The Bellagio just edges it in terms of sheer number and variety of eateries but – in-keeping with its overarching bacchanalian theme – Caesars has more (and better) bars. Caesars highlights include celebrity hotspots like Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen with its decadent signature beef wellington, and the foliage-festooned Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, where you can sip – if you’re feeling brave enough – on imaginatively named drinks including Checkmate Bitch, Cold Blooded and Puff the Magic Dragon. Smokin’! Meanwhile at the Bellagio it’s all about late-night liquor in the lavish Lily Lounge overlooking the casino floor. Take a break for steak at PRIME or dine in style at Wolfgang Puck’s flagship Spago restaurant, directly overlooking the Strip and dancing Bellagio fountains. Odds are that, again, you’ll have a good time in either hotel. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: Shopping It should perhaps go without saying that a city that effectively exists for big spenders and high rollers is going to have some of the best shopping on the planet. But prices are often not for the faint-hearted. That’s perhaps especially true along elegant Via Bellagio, where luxury designer brand after luxury designer brand will have your bank manager coming out in a cold sweat in no time at all. We’re talking – deep breath – Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Hermes, Prada and Valentino, to name just a few. Perfect, in other words, if you’ve recently won big on the craps tables. The shopping at Caesars Palace is an altogether more extravagant affair, with around 200 chic boutiques and speciality stores. Here, amid soaring marble columns, Romanesque courtyards, burbling fountains and statues including a life-sized replica of Michelangelo’s David, you’ll find more of the world’s biggest fashion brands, as well as high-end chocolates, glittering jewelry and unique Vegas souvenirs. For those reasons, we’re betting on Caesars for the win in this round. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions: R’n’R An afternoon spent sipping margaritas and people-watching by the pool should be considered all but essential on any Vegas vacation. Set around Mediterranean-style courtyards strewn with luxurious cabanas and daybeds, the Bellagio’s five pools are ideal for just such an activity. Caesars ups the ante in its modestly monikered Garden of the Gods, where epic Romanesque columns, statues and fountains surround seven pools. Have a flutter at the Fortuna pool’s five swim-up blackjack tables, take the kids for a splash at Jupiter pool or join the all-day bacchanalia at Neptune. If you prefer to spend your day mostly horizontal, you can even have a massage in your poolside cabana courtesy of the hotel’s sprawling Qua Spa. Our verdict? Caesars seizes the crown in the R’n’R stakes. Caesars Palace vs Bellagio Hotel Attractions Comparison: Conclusion So, while the Bellagio is where it’s at in terms of sheer visual spectacle and must-see attractions including the Bellagio fountains, Museum of Fine Art and Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Caesars Palace more than holds its own in many of the other categories, notably entertainment, nightlife and the kind of extravagant pool scene that would make Caligula himself blush. Save on attractions in Las Vegas Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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