Any Vegas strip hotels meet my qualifiers?

nkereina

Last chance to lose your keys.
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Taking my parents for their first Vegas trip this October. DH and I haven't been in about 8 years. Looking for a resort that checks these boxes:

-Middle of the road pricing/quality. Slightly on the higher end is fine.
-Center(ish) strip, but if its slightly one direction or the other that's fine.
-Large pool area with cabana options. We will be reserving 1-2 cabanas at least twice, and would prefer a large pool area where people spread out, the sun is abound, and its NOT a party atmosphere. I liked the looks of Paris pool, but it seems too shaded for us.

I think that's really it. We've been leaning towards Aria, but I've read that the fact its set back off the strip is a deterrent, as it makes for long walks.

Appreciate any suggestions!
 
Venetian/Palazzo. We just stayed there and it was amazing. The room was SO nice and HUGE (720 sq feet). The pool area was very secluded and quiet, not a party scene at all. The restaurants onsite are fantastic, and the casino is one of a very few with smoke free areas. We had a super great experience here. It's slightly north of center on the strip, but an easy walk down to several resorts. We paid $135/night over a weekend. For the quality and size of the room we got, I think it was an absolute steal.
 
Flamingo might work for you. Good location. I like Aria but it lacks a casino which could be a pro/con in your book. Also smoke free.
 


? Look into a timeshare? We stayed at Marriott Grand Chateau several years ago, right next to planet Hollywood but because it doesn’t have a casino it is quieter. Don’t know about cabana but pool is rooftop along with a bar

ETA staying at Bally’s next week (don’t think it’s what you are looking for but I can check it out)
 
The Mirage might fit your bill. Pool is really nice and lively but without an overly party vibe. It's right in center strip and actually ON the strip, as opposed to many of the other hotels that are set back. I think the in-house restaurants aren't great, but there are many great options at Caesars and the Venetian, both of which are a short walk away. Also, their suites can be had for very reasonable rates. Check out the Tower Suites.

Just thought I'd mention in case you haven't rented a cabana before in Vegas, but those'll start around $500 and can go over $2,500 depending on day of week and time of year. Some pools do a F&B minimum for cabanas, and others just do a flat fee and you'd need to pay for food and drinks on top of that $500 fee. Not very cost effective to rent two for only four people.
 


Four Seasons it has access to Mandalay Bay. Have you looked at the Waldorf. Or Wynn (or are you boycotting it)

That would fail the center strip requirement. But it meets the pools that is for sure.

Flamingo might work for you. Good location. I like Aria but it lacks a casino which could be a pro/con in your book. Also smoke free.

Aria has a casino and is not smoke free. You are thinking of Vdara. Their pool is somewhat lacking, but the plus is they're not a party pool place either. So nice and quiet when you want to sleep. Vdara is also non smoking. They don't have their own casino, but Aria's is right across the walkway and you don't have to go down to street level. It is also connected to Bellagio. Vdara's tram stop and Bellagio's are one in the same. The Cosmopolitin is right there as well. So there is absolutely no problem getting to a casino as many are close by.

By the way I absolutely love Vdara for those reading. But I don't think that pool would be what she wants even though they do have Cabanas. Aria would be the better fit. Their pools are better. Pretty close to mid strip. Nice place. The criteria it often fails on though is price. Same goes for Vdara. Sometimes you can get in very reasonably, sometimes, you can't.
 
Last edited:
I’d just like to add a few things about our stay at the Cosmo. We had our kids with us and didn't want a party hotel. It was kind of upscale, but not overly stuffy. A few families, but not overrun with kids (unlike at the Excaliber). The hotel is center on the strip so we were able to walk almost everywhere. We had a balcony with a view of the Bellagio fountain which is right nextdoor. Lots of good restaurants to choose from within the hotel. The casino was nice with minimal smoke issues. There are two pools, one for each building and as I mentioned before, we had no issues with party atmosphere. We also went during the week. Not sure what it’s like on a weekend.
 
All - thank you so much for the replies! Lots for me to think about and look into!

Venetian/Palazzo. We just stayed there and it was amazing. The room was SO nice and HUGE (720 sq feet). The pool area was very secluded and quiet, not a party scene at all. The restaurants onsite are fantastic, and the casino is one of a very few with smoke free areas. We had a super great experience here. It's slightly north of center on the strip, but an easy walk down to several resorts. We paid $135/night over a weekend. For the quality and size of the room we got, I think it was an absolute steal.

Venetian is definitely on my short list, but when I check random dates to see pricing, the deals seem hit or miss. Its either within our budget and well over. I'll have to keep an eye out as we get closer to October!

Flamingo might work for you. Good location. I like Aria but it lacks a casino which could be a pro/con in your book. Also smoke free.

Flamingo I hadn't considered because it was always my impression that the pool area was a big party atmosphere. Is that the case?

Have you looked into the Cosmo? We stayed there last year and liked it a lot. The pool area was big, but not huge. Pretty calm crowd.

On my short list! Will look into it more!

The Mirage might fit your bill. Pool is really nice and lively but without an overly party vibe. It's right in center strip and actually ON the strip, as opposed to many of the other hotels that are set back. I think the in-house restaurants aren't great, but there are many great options at Caesars and the Venetian, both of which are a short walk away. Also, their suites can be had for very reasonable rates. Check out the Tower Suites.

Just thought I'd mention in case you haven't rented a cabana before in Vegas, but those'll start around $500 and can go over $2,500 depending on day of week and time of year. Some pools do a F&B minimum for cabanas, and others just do a flat fee and you'd need to pay for food and drinks on top of that $500 fee. Not very cost effective to rent two for only four people.

Funny you mention the Mirage! It definitely does fit the bill, but we stayed there on our first trip to Vegas a few years back, so looking to stay somewhere different this time. Caesars is on my list too, so I'll look into that more.

Thanks for the warning about the cabanas. We'd be renting one cabana for the four of us, but on two separate days during our stay. Splitting the cost two ways. The ones I've looked at for October have been within our budget. Any idea which ones have the food & beverage minimum as opposed to the flat fee? We will certainly be spending lots on food and beverage!
 
All - thank you so much for the replies! Lots for me to think about and look into!



Venetian is definitely on my short list, but when I check random dates to see pricing, the deals seem hit or miss. Its either within our budget and well over. I'll have to keep an eye out as we get closer to October!



Flamingo I hadn't considered because it was always my impression that the pool area was a big party atmosphere. Is that the case?



On my short list! Will look into it more!



Funny you mention the Mirage! It definitely does fit the bill, but we stayed there on our first trip to Vegas a few years back, so looking to stay somewhere different this time. Caesars is on my list too, so I'll look into that more.

Thanks for the warning about the cabanas. We'd be renting one cabana for the four of us, but on two separate days during our stay. Splitting the cost two ways. The ones I've looked at for October have been within our budget. Any idea which ones have the food & beverage minimum as opposed to the flat fee? We will certainly be spending lots on food and beverage!

You always have to check pricing on every hotel. Conventions in Vegas affect hotel prices. A hotel could be $300 one week and $90 the next. And one in another part of the strip could be just the opposite. $90 the one week and $300 the next.
 
Funny you mention the Mirage! It definitely does fit the bill, but we stayed there on our first trip to Vegas a few years back, so looking to stay somewhere different this time. Caesars is on my list too, so I'll look into that more.

Thanks for the warning about the cabanas. We'd be renting one cabana for the four of us, but on two separate days during our stay. Splitting the cost two ways. The ones I've looked at for October have been within our budget. Any idea which ones have the food & beverage minimum as opposed to the flat fee? We will certainly be spending lots on food and beverage!

Caesars is my absolutely favorite hotel in Vegas! Bellagio might be at your budget—it can be overpriced, but I think it would have the pool vibe you're looking for.

The only hotel I know of that does the F&B minimum over flat fee is MGM Grand, which doesn't really fit any of your other criteria. The folks on the Trip Advisor forums are very knowledgable and helpful for specific questions. They might know. They get much more traffic than this board on the Dis, too.
 
All - thank you so much for the replies! Lots for me to think about and look into!



Venetian is definitely on my short list, but when I check random dates to see pricing, the deals seem hit or miss. Its either within our budget and well over. I'll have to keep an eye out as we get closer to October!

I booked our room about 3 weeks out. The best deals will be had with short notice bookings. These hotels are all so HUGE that it is very difficult to fill them 100%, so there are ALWAYS last minute deals. You can always book a fully refundable rate and keep checking back for deals. The one we booked was $135/night Friday and Saturday nights, got a free view upgrade and a $50 cocktail credit for use in one of three lounges on property. The Venetian/Palazzo are also the only hotels left on the strip that don't charge anything for parking. There is a $45/night resort fee, but all the other hotels also charge high resort fees AND parking on top of that. Just something to keep in mind. Another thing I liked about Palazzo was that they made guests scan their key cards in order to access the elevators up to the guest room floors, for safety. There was a security guard at every elevator bank and a Fastpass style scanner that would turn green if you were a legitimately registered guest. I appreciated that, from a safety standpoint.

Also, you may not get much pool time in October. Highs are typically only around 80 and by mid afternoon, starts cooling off very quickly. It is a desert, after all, and the evenings can be downright cold in October (50s is typical). Just something to be aware of.
 
Caesars is my absolutely favorite hotel in Vegas!

What's your favorite room tower at Caesars? And what's your favorite pool there? I notice there's multiple towers and multiple pools, but hard to tell the differences between them.

Also, you may not get much pool time in October. Highs are typically only around 80 and by mid afternoon, starts cooling off very quickly. It is a desert, after all, and the evenings can be downright cold in October (50s is typical). Just something to be aware of.

Good to know! Would September be better for consistently warm weather? We like low-mid 80s, but probably wouldn't want anything much warmer. We would prefer to go after Labor Day.
 
What's your favorite room tower at Caesars? And what's your favorite pool there? I notice there's multiple towers and multiple pools, but hard to tell the differences between them.



Good to know! Would September be better for consistently warm weather? We like low-mid 80s, but probably wouldn't want anything much warmer. We would prefer to go after Labor Day.

September might get you warmer weather, yes. I think you will find better prices at the resorts as well, as after labor day is a lull in the travel industry.
 
What's your favorite room tower at Caesars? And what's your favorite pool there? I notice there's multiple towers and multiple pools, but hard to tell the differences between them.

My favorite tower is the Palace Tower, and my favorite room is the Palace Tower Premium Studio. This tower is not far from the casino but removed enough that the rooms are super quiet. They're right next to the pool. And the Premium Studio is a huge, beautiful room with a large couch, his and hers bathrooms, a vanity, dual-headed shower than spans the two bathrooms, huge tub...I paid $96/night for this room in December. Definitely sign up for Total Rewards online if you haven't already. They will have special codes that aren't available to the public.
 
I stay at the Desert rose which is located behind the Tropicana and still in walking distance to the strip. It is a resort and quiet. Pool, jacuzzi , no cabanas. They have one and two bedrooms full kitchens. Laundry and close to the airport as well.
 
That would fail the center strip requirement. But it meets the pools that is for sure.



Aria has a casino and is not smoke free. You are thinking of Vdara. Their pool is somewhat lacking, but the plus is they're not a party pool place either. So nice and quiet when you want to sleep. Vdara is also non smoking. They don't have their own casino, but Aria's is right across the walkway and you don't have to go down to street level. It is also connected to Bellagio. Vdara's tram stop and Bellagio's are one in the same. The Cosmopolitin is right there as well. So there is absolutely no problem getting to a casino as many are close by.

By the way I absolutely love Vdara for those reading. But I don't think that pool would be what she wants even though they do have Cabanas. Aria would be the better fit. Their pools are better. Pretty close to mid strip. Nice place. The criteria it often fails on though is price. Same goes for Vdara. Sometimes you can get in very reasonably, sometimes, you can't.

Ah, yes Vdara. That's what I was thinking of. They all blur together... Good hotel. One of my favorites.
 
Then it seems to meet none of the OP's criteria.

That seems to happen a lot on the Dis. Though they may be well meaning, they tend to either not look at or ignore the criteria and shoe horn their favorite place in.

What's your favorite room tower at Caesars? And what's your favorite pool there? I notice there's multiple towers and multiple pools, but hard to tell the differences between them.
Good to know! Would September be better for consistently warm weather? We like low-mid 80s, but probably wouldn't want anything much warmer. We would prefer to go after Labor Day.

Most people seem to like Augustus the best. It has some fountain view rooms, is decently close to the front and to the pool and the buffet. The drawback is the forum shops are clear the other side. And of course well the better the room the higher the price.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top