Best Hotels in Las Vegas – From Paris to New York

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What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Well that wouldn’t make much of a post would it? Take a journey down the Las Vegas Strip with me. See an Eiffel Tower replica and a Camelot castle. The Empire State building and Ancient Rome. The Pyramids of Egypt and the canals of Venice. Last Vegas is the only place where you can walk down the street and visit a dozen different countries. Each hotel more captivating than the last. Sure, it’s flashy and tacky at times, busy and bustling with tourists, but it’s an experience that’s for sure. These are some of the best hotels in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Experience

Not growing up in North America, Las Vegas was not somewhere that had really come up before for me. But now I’m living in Vancouver, it’s a short 2 hour flight to the weekend playground that is Vegas. And since I didn’t go until I was 30, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I’ll be honest, I kind of like it.

I know Las Vegas is not everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it is just so incredibly different from anywhere else that I can’t not appreciate it. The eternal sunshine, bright lights and crowds give way to non-stop entertainment wherever you turn. It’s a sensory overload. I don’t recommend more than a few days at a time. For one thing, you’ll blow all your money if you stay longer than that.

Vancouver to Las Vegas

The desert heat would be too much for me in July or August, but after months of rain and cold weather in Vancouver, I’m always happy to trade for some sun. Flights to Las Vegas are only two hours from Vancouver, and usually reasonably priced. An even cheaper way is to drive over the border to Bellingham and take a budget Allegiant flight which at that point is domestic, and therefore even cheaper. They practically give away hotel rooms, and as long as you do your research on resort fees and distance from anything you want to see, you can stay there affordably too.

You have to marvel of the genius of Las Vegas. Somehow the city has sprung up out of what could well be deemed as an unlivable environment. Ridiculously high temperatures, desert, miles from anywhere. And yet millions of people are flocking there. The price to get there and stay is pretty cheap, but once they have you there the real cost kicks in. Gambling, shows, and entertainment of a more questionable nature can have you trading your chips faster than you can collect them in Sin City.

Walking the Las Vegas Strip

Everything’s bigger in America. And Vegas doesn’t disagree. It’s only a couple of blocks away, you think. But the blocks in Las Vegas are mammoth sized and with the heat you’ll end up going from hotel to hotel to rest.

It’s the only city I know where the focus of tourism is on the hotels. You don’t have to stay in the hotel to want to go there and check it out. The best hotels in Las Vegas involve over the top recreations of global iconic places. You’ll feel you’ve traveled the world in an afternoon. Every hotel has a theme that some might consider overkill, from the building, to the shops and the uniforms the staff are wearing. Here are some of the unique and best hotels in Las Vegas.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

Wynn Las Vegas

The Wynn is one of the fanciest hotels I think I went in. It’s also the one that cost more for the tables than many of the others we visited.

The hotel exudes money and wealth. Even the drinks in the bar were expensive. Not that Vegas is cheap unless you’re gambling but worth looking around. When I was there we visited the indoor garden on the lower level which was just beautiful. We walked around the hotel looking at all the expensive items for sale. If you need a Louis Vuitton purse this is the place to shop. This is one of the best hotels in Las Vegas for those with a little more money to spend.

Treasure Island

Pirates, money and tropical islands. Treasure Island is one for the kids, the opposite of the “don’t touch that, it’s expensive” Wynn hotel. It’s no surprise with a theme like this Treasure Island is the home to one of the Cirque du Soleil residence shows, Mystère. Treasure Island has probably seen better days, as it’s much more tired looking than some of the newer, flashier hotels. Still worth a visit though.

The Venetian

Walking into the Venetian hotel is like taking a stroll through the namesake Italian city itself. I walked the cobbled “streets” of Venice past canal-side cafes. Following ornate bridges over the “canals”, we watched couples taking romantic gondola rides passing below.

The ceiling of the hotel is painted like the sky. Blue with fluffy white clouds, very realistic. The buildings are classically European and lead to large piazzas with restaurants serving some lovely Italian food. This hotel was one of my favorites and in my opinion one of the best hotels in Las Vegas. Perhaps because it makes me want to visit Venice now.

The Mirage

The Mirage is a little older of a hotel. But it has a theme true to it’s name, that of a tropical oasis. Palm trees and waterfalls are everywhere. There are areas that look like tropical gardens, and outside is a volcano erupting nightly. This is one of the best hotels in Las Vegas for those who want to see animals. Within the hotel is the famous Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden. A mini zoo within the hotel, complete with wild large cats and dolphins. Like many hotels in Vegas, The Mirage comes with an impressively gluttony-inducing buffet. I took full advantage of it and then some. If you’re heading to The Mirage, you’ll find another of Cirque du Soleil’s Vegas shows, this one centered around the music of The Beatles.

Caesar’s Palace

With a brief stop in the tropics, we’re back to Italy. Although this time, Ancient Rome in all it’s Vegas glory.

Roman columns and marble statues. What more could you want from Las Vegas? Rome-themed restaurants and bars are scattered around this monstrosity of a hotel resort. I found every reference to Ancient Rome imaginable as I wandered the casino floor and beyond. Stopping for a few games of blackjack, I made my way outside at the end of the night to the spectacle that was the fountain display out front.

Flamingo

The Flamingo hotel, like many others along the Strip, is owned by the Caesars Entertainment company.

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Unlike the main hotel Caesar’s Palace, The Flamingo is another tired looking property. Not quite the upscale establishment across the street, but it does have a classic Vegas feel about it as one of the original Strip hotels. The theme is pink. The pink neon lights and signs, pink slot machines, even the pink outfits worn by some of the staff members, all feathers and sequins. Out the back of The Flamingo are some of the beautiful birds the hotel is named after. I went for a walk around the habitat to see some of the birds, a free activity in the hotel.

Bellagio

Famous for it’s fountains, I was excited to see the inside of the Bellagio as I heard it was one of the best hotels in Las Vegas. Unlike a lot of the themed hotels, this one seemed to ooze a little more sophistication, a certain luxury.

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One of the times I visited it was early December and their Christmas display was impressive. A big winter wonderland done up in true Vegas fashion – go big or go home. It was packed with people milling around and taking photos, so I joined in. One of the more central hotels on the Strip, definitely visit when the fountains are going – typically every 30 minutes or less during most of the day.

Paris Las Vegas

I love the real Paris, so I was really excited to stay at Paris Las Vegas. With a giant Eiffel Tower on top you can’t miss this place from wherever you are.

For me, what was impressive was the inside of the hotel. The sidewalk cafes and restaurants lined the cobble-stone streets, glossed to make it look like it just rained. The ceiling is painted blue with white clouds for a spring-time in Paris feel. Plus connected to Bally’s with an underground mall it feels like two hotels in one.

Planet Hollywood

This hotel has a weird mix of themes. The main theme here is famous people. About as subtle as the real Hollywood, there are pictures of famous singers and actors everywhere.

But then the outfits of the casino workers and bar staff seem more like they’re going for French Moulin Rouge style. It’s loud, gaudy, but somewhat what you expect from Las Vegas. That being said, I included it here because when I went it was the home of Britney Spears’ Vegas residency. That was the reason I visited when I was in Las Vegas a couple years ago. I wasn’t disappointed, the show was incredible. Of course it’s Britney so expect some lip-synching, but the performance is not stop energy.

Park MGM (Monte Carlo)

Now renamed, this was originally the Monte Carlo after the area in Monaco of the original classy casino. Think James Bond visiting the Riviera. I actually went to Monaco (check out my post here) and can tell you this hotel is not as classy as the real Monte Carlo Casino. But, it’s a theme and still a pretty nice place to go. It has a very European casino vibe, complete with classical inspired art pieces and styling. I found it to be one of the cheaper hotels especially for table games. Playing Blackjack in The Wynn or Bellagio is going to use your money way quicker than time at Park MGM that’s for sure.

New York New York

From Europe to the Big Apple, with a quick stop at M&Ms World in between the two. New York New York has a fake Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline that rivals the fake Eiffel Tower.

Inside the NYC looking “streets” with Friends-style “apartment buildings” are dotted with New York Pizzerias and other junk food stores, but it’s good. They have an exhilarating roller-coaster that runs through the inside and outside of the complex. The whole place is big, and flashy and one of the best hotels in Las Vegas to walk around in at least. It’s a fantastic place to spend some time and feel like you’re in the real NYC.

MGM Grand

Moving away from kitschy themed resort, we’re back at a hotel aiming for classy. It’s a little more dated than some of the other hotels aimed at the more luxurious end of the scale, but still a decent place. The hotel has one thing to boast, it’s the biggest hotel in the entire USA. Actually it has a couple more too. It’s home to Ka, another of the Cirque du Soleil Vegas shows, and the residency of illusionist David Copperfield. You can stay here your entire stay and see a different show each night I think .

Excalibur

Built like a Camelot castle, it feels like if you looked up at one of the windows you’d see Rapunzel letting down her hair.

I may be mixing my fairy tales and legends but that’s what this place is all about. This has to be one of the best hotels in Las Vegas for kids. There are dragons and wizards, knights on horses. It’s like Disneyland but on a smaller scale. Who am I kidding, it’s Vegas. There’s nothing small about it.

Luxor

If you walk the Strip to almost the end of the main run of hotel resorts you’ll get to the great pyramids of Egypt. In this case, that’s the Luxor. They have ancient Egyptian statues and decorations all around the main floor of the resort. The hotel also has a fantastic exhibition on the Titanic showing real artifacts from the ship.

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What I liked about this was on entry you are given a card as your ticket with the name and info of a real passenger from the Titanic. As you go through the exhibit you find info about yourself, and at the end can find out if you were one of the lucky survivors. It was a really well done exhibit, and even though a little expensive, it’s worth it if you find it in any way interesting.

The Best Hotels in Las Vegas

While I have not stayed in all of these hotels, and I’m sure you won’t either, they are worth walking around. Visiting the hotels and resorts is a part of the entertainment in Vegas. Each one is like a mini city styled with a different fun theme.

I could spend most of a day walking miles around every one of the hotels. I like to play Blackjack, so we usually stop at each hotel along the way and play some games. Plus if you’re playing table games you don’t have to pay for drinks, the servers will bring them for free, you just have to tip. You don’t really find this as much at the slots and I usually end up spending about the same amount of money (sometimes winning on the tables whereas the slots not so much).

I can recommend staying at Paris. It’s a very central hotel on the Strip and has a lot to do and see, as well as some good restaurants and proximity to other good hotels. I also liked staying at the Linq hotel which has shops around it and more affordable bars including the Irish pub. I recommend a trip to Downtown Vegas if staying for a few days. You can take the public bus there. It’s worth checking out some of the older style hotels like the iconic Golden Nugget. Whatever you do, you’ll leave exhausted and ready for some normalcy. But embrace the madness that is Las Vegas.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below or use the social media sharing buttons. Which is your favorite Las Vegas hotel? Have you stayed in any of the Vegas resorts?