Our year-end roundup of famous, infamous, worthy, and avoidable places to stay…
One of our visitors’ first decisions when booking a vacation is “where to stay”. Will it be center-Strip or in the surrounding valley? A glitzy resort or budget-worthy?
With hundreds of hotels, motels, and full-fledged resorts to select from, there’s nearly something for everyone. Even rundown Circus Circus remains a favorite for die-hard family travelers.
No matter your needs and expectations, there will be pros and cons. Our end-of-the-year best/worst list will help you to make smart selections…and avoid mishaps. After all, things that happen in Vegas can travel home in your luggage….requiring an exterminator.
NEWEST and FLASHIEST – Fontainebleau Las Vegas
If you like to brag about where you stayed after returning home, put Fontainebleau Resort at the top of your list of potential hotels.
The massive Fontainebleau began construction in February of 2007 and just celebrated its first year of operations. Bright, modern, and packed with high-end amenities, the towering blue resort received global attention when it finally opened.
So far, the Strip’s newest resort has yet to find its groove. The biggest success seems to be BleauLive, a concert venue that has attracted acts like Keith Urban, Duran Duran, Jennifer Hudson, Daryl Hall, and Elvis Costello.
Despite complaints about the casino’s rewards program and parking access, even locals come for the wonderful restaurants and lounges. So consider Fontainebleau Las Vegas for your next vacation. Even if you don’t enjoy your stay, you can still brag about it.
READY FOR THE WRECKING BALL – OYO Hotel on Tropicana Avenue
Rundown dumps like Excalibur, Flamingo, and Circus Circus deserve a fair share of hate. But none of them are as resoundingly hated at OYO Las Vegas. Those who discuss the former Hooters Casino Hotel usually mention “wrecking ball” in the same conversation.
Just off the Strip and across from MGM Grand, OYO Las Vegas offers virtually nothing you can’t get elsewhere with better results. That includes price, location, proximity to the airport and monorail, etc. Even when prices are agreeable, an incomprehensible $50.96 resort fee knocks it back to “too much”.
Since the implosion of the adjacent Tropicana Resort this summer, OYO has decided to institute parking fees. Broken elevators in both the hotel and garage, combined with thick smoke, filthy floors, smelly bathrooms, and dirty walls will have you wondering what you’re paying for. Bring a travel-size hand sanitizer…you’re gonna need it.
There are two saving graces for OYO Hotel. Still-popular Hooters Saloon only counts as one. The other is their showroom. Alexis Park‘s Modern Showrooms operators took over this year and relocated a trio of long-running productions to OYO. All are worth seeing, and The Hilarious 7 earned our “Comeback of 2024” award.
Bed Bug Bandits!
They’re a potential hazard no matter where you travel, but for some reason, Vegas bed bug infestations seem to get the most press. Thankfully, the “buzz” was pretty slim in 2024. Here are a few of the more noteworthy culprits, as provided by SOS Pest Control:
- Resorts World
- Hilton Grand Vacations
- Bellagio
- Cosmopolitan
It should be noted that with people coming and going from all over the world, bed bugs can be transported to even the most exclusive and modern Las Vegas resorts. A February report from 8 News Now mentioned Encore, Venetian, and Mirage (now closed).
If you encounter bed bugs at your place of lodging, it is recommended that you report them to the Southern Nevada Health District by clicking here. And of course, notify the hotel’s management.
DOWNTOWN HOTELS – A Capsule Summary
Photo by Fremont Street Experience
- Most Luxurious – CIRCA
- No Resort Fees – FOUR QUEENS/BINIONS’ APACHE
- Best Vintage Experience – PLAZA/EL CORTEZ (tie)
- Creepiest – BINIONS’ APACHE/GOLDEN GATE (tie)
- Most Improved – DOWNTOWN GRAND
- The Bland and Boring – The D/FREMONT HOTEL (tie)
- Most Overlooked – CALIFORNIA
- Most Resembling a Grade School – GOLDEN NUGGET, always overrun with children
- Best For College Students – GOLD SPIKE
- Ghetto Alley Vibes – DOWNTOWNER
- Special Mention – Main Street Station for having the only remaining buffet
RANDOM CATEGORIES
- Best Strip Parking – CROMWELL/PALAZZO (tie)
- Worst Strip Parking – THE LINQ/PLANET HOLLYWOOD (tie)
- Nicest Reservation Desk – CROMWELL
- Worst Reservation Dest – The STRAT
- Best Restaurants – VENETIAN/PALAZZO
- Most Poorly Maintained – CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTIES (all)
- Best Maintained – WYNN/ENCORE
- Best Classic Resort – WESTGATE LAS VEGAS
- Worst Classic Resort – FLAMINGO
- Nicest Staff – WESTGATE LAS VEGAS/SOUTH POINT (tie)
- Nastiest Staff – HARRAH’S
- Hooker Central – ORLEANS parking lot
- Best Holiday Spirit – SILVERTON CASINO
BEST OVERALL RESORT – South Point Hotel Casino and Spa
Gold-toned SOUTH POINT HOTEL CASINO and SPA is hard to miss. Brightly lit and standing proudly like an island at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, South Point is massive…and massively popular. While categorically a “locals casino”, it has a full amenities and is close enough to the airport and Strip to be considered a terrific option.
No matter what’s on your Vegas to-do list, South Point is likely to have it, and at much better prices. A vibrant casino, numerous bars and lounges, free entertainment, a wonderful showroom, and eleven terrific restaurants are just the start.
South Point boasts two bowling centers, an equestrian/events center, eleven restaurants, a sixteen-screen Cinemark movie theater, sportsbook, and of course, a spa.
Opened as South Coast in 2005, the resort is owned and operated by Michael Gaughan. Numerous factors proudly set South Point apart from other local casinos. They range from a ridiculously cheap “Graveyard Menu” to $4 movies and a wildly popular old-school buffet.
The entire property is well-staffed, meticulously maintained, and run like a small business. Customers are treated as guests, with satisfaction and value paramount to the experience.
Former Strip entertainers like The Righteous Brothers, Human Nature, The Bronx Wanderers, and Rita Rudner happily relocated to the 400-seat showroom, which also welcomes recurring and touring acts. Entertainment Director Michael Libonatti and Gaughan deserve credit for fostering the kind of environment that made Las Vegas great.
When you visit as many hotel casinos as this writer does regularly, it’s easy to recognize when everyone from the guests to the staff seems happy. There’s a terrific vibe in the air. That’s one of the many reasons I spend so much of my personal time here. South Point is a true winner.
BEST OVERALL RESORT, Runner-Up – Westgate Las Vegas
It almost pains me to move last year’s winner to the #2 position, as Westgate Las Vegas has done nothing to deserve a drop in ranking. In fact, it’s gotten even better overall. And yet, South Point’s expansive amenities give it a distinct edge.
Speaking of an edge, Westgate’s EDGE STEAKHOUSE remains the best restaurant in the city. Its sportsbook is massive, new holiday-themed rooms have come online, the entertainment is stellar, it offers the best overall customer service, and its vintage decor sparkles. Westgate rules!
The 2024 GRINCH AWARD Goes To…
When it comes to gouging and ripping off its guests, MGM Resorts International has replaced our previous “winner”, Venetian/Palazzo, as the 2024 “Grinch Award” recipient.
As the most powerful presence on the Strip, MGM Corporation sets the standards that all others follow. And they’re obsessed with squeezing every spare nickel from guests.
Resort/parking fees seem to be MGM‘s main contribution to the industry this year. We told you all about it right here.
WORST OVERALL RESORT – Rio Las Vegas
You might already be saying “Don’t kick a place when it’s down”, but Rio Las Vegas deserves a steel-toed boot to the nads. One year into its “rebirth” under Dreamscape Companies, the once-thriving hotel is far from “turned around”. In fact, it has gone from “dead” to “decayed and stinking”.
Imagine arriving to check in at the Rio for a week of fun and excitement. Instead, you enter the ghost town above. Recorded by me on November 27th, this is the sad current state of Masquerade Village, where the world famous Carnival Show In The Sky used to perform several times per day. My staycation was so depressing that I checked out within six hours.
Masquerade Village was once the heart of a property that oozed excitement from The Wine Cellar Tasting Room to its now-closed rooftop Voodoo Lounge. This is how things used to be:
Doesn’t that it make you sad and angry to see it empty and neglected now? Although Caesars Entertainment is to blame for the downhill slide, Dreamscape has made no efforts to restore Masquerade Village to grandeur. In fact, everything they’ve done in the past year amounts to a spackle and paint job.
While the upgraded exterior lighting is eye-grabbing, nothing within makes Rio Las Vegas a good option. The room renovations are less of an upgrade than bringing things to acceptable standards. Remodeled bars in the original casino area are a yawn. The mall-style food court replaced its once-stellar buffet with boring choices and rude employees. Come to Vegas and eat like you’re still at the airport!
Expect a 24-hour experience, find restaurants and bars that are either closed or operate on very limited hours. Take Luckley, their new all-American grill that doesn’t open until 3 pm. And Hash House A Go Go, a restaurant and bar that closes at 1 pm. VooDoo Steakhouse? Closed. Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho? Closed. The deli counter at its 24-hour sportsbook? No service until 9 pm. Seriously, WTF?
Common areas like elevators, corridors, and parking garages are in a pathetic state of neglect. The reservation desk was recently remodeled but continues to be understaffed…a carryover from the previous regime.
Outside, landscaping is nonexistant, with trash, dead shrubs, and bare dirt dominating your gaze. It’s an embarrassing eyesore.
Although Penn and Teller seem to be going strong, the family water show WOW has faded into insignificance and the Chippendales move out after New Year’s Eve.
When you visit thriving neighbors The Palms and Gold Coast casinos, the Rio can’t get away with blaming its location. It just doesn’t seem to be trying hard enough to deserve your dollars. And its $56.69 resort fee is a joke.
We’re pulling for Rio Las Vegas to get back on its feet. But it’ll take a miracle or two for this place to regain even a fraction of its former glory. So sad.