Flamingo Hotel & Casino and other Las Vegas, NV Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

I know it's not as glamorous as some of its neighbors, but the Flamingo Hotel (no longer a Hilton) is still one of my favorites. Maybe it's out of sentimental reasons since it was the first one I stayed at in Vegas, but I still think it's a good one.

Unique Qualities: You can't beat the location- right across from Caesar's and in between Bally's and Harrah's. Unlike some of the larger hotels, when you walk out the door you're right on the strip. The casino is easy to maneuver. I tend to get turned around in casinos, but have never had problems in this one. It's got probably the best swimming pool on the strip (and you can even swim there if you're not staying there, as long as you don't make a big deal out of it). Now, they have the "Go" pool which features topless sunbathing and a DJ. It's free for the ladies, $10 for the dudes. (But no kids so that's cool if you don't want a bunch of rowdy younguns running around :) The coffee shop, Lindy's, is decent no longer there, although there is still a 24 hour cafe. Expensive, but if you're hungry, it will do. The rooms are average size and quality. The "Go" rooms are a little better and have flat screen TVs.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Directions: On the magical "four corners" of the strip-right across the street from Caesar's Palace.
Website: www.flamingolasvegas.com

I love this place. Mom rates it as her absolute favorite and since staying there refuses to stay anywhere else on the strip. The rooms are huge, the bathrooms great (separate shower from bath), and the roomservice menue ideal.

Unique Qualities: A huge water park for a swimming pool, many great places to eat, a good nightclub, a concert hall that produces fanstastic shows, good service, and nice bathtubs make up for the distance that lay between it and the other hotels. Can't say enough good things about this place. A monorail connects it to Excalibur and Luxor. By the way, the water park is 11 acres and has its own beach.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Directions: At the south end of the strip.
Website: www.mandalaybay.com

If it's medieval towers you're wanting, Excalibur is the place for you. I actually think that the exterior, as tacky as it might be, is actually one of the more impressive facades of any of the hotels on the strip, especially at night when it is lit up.

Unique Qualities: It can get a little overrun with children and families, so if it's quiet your looking for this might not be the place to go. Rooms are average Holiday Inn types and you get the basic services. The good thing is that the Sherwood Forest cafe is pretty good and has an excellent fruit dish. You can also usually get pretty good rates for around $60 per night mid-week. There is a good pasta place and a fancy new bar area has replaced the magic shows that used to be upstairs. The buffet is not the greatest-I would say avoid it because you can do better. A monorail (free) connects it to Luxor and mandalay Bay.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Directions: About midway down the strip, between Luxor and New York, New York. Monorail connects it with Luxor & Mandalay Bay.
Website: http://www.excalibur.com/index2.php

Despite the fact that it is supposedly one of the greatest hotels in the world, much less Las Vegas, I was not impressed with the place. I get much better service at Mandalay Bay and Aladdin, which basically offer the same amenities as far as room size go. I think the reputation succeeds the quality in this case. I had such a terrible stay the first time that they actually gave me a free room on my return visit. (Came back in after a day out on the strip and the maids had torn the room apart-garbage on the floor and everything.) On my next visit, I got flowers, candy, a fruit basket, and put on the executive VIP floor. A vast improvement, but only because I complained.

Unique Qualities: Yes, it's a nice hotel. It has expensive restaurants and expensive stores and an equally expensive nightclub. But so do half the hotels on the strip. The best thing about the Bellagio are the fountains out front. Stay here if you want to impress your friends, but for the price I don't think it's worth it. Like I said, you get the same stuff at Mandalay Bay.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Directions: On the "four corners" of the strip. Overhead sidewalk connects it to Caesar's Palace & Bally's.
Website: http://www.bellagiohotel.com/

Okay, so I like the Rio a lot. I know that there are a lot of cons going against it (off the strip location, older hotel, needs to be renovated, etct.) but there are also a lot of good things about it, too.

Unique Qualities: Good things about the Rio: the outstanding size of the rooms, the huge floor to ceiling windows in the rooms (extra points if you have a stirp view), the great seafood buffet, the awseome views from the nightclub on the roof, and the pleasantness of the staff. Once during Christmas I stayed at the Rio for only $25 per night. Even the staff at the hotel couldn't believe I had found that price. Expedia all the way, baby!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Off the strip behind Caesar's, but a free tram will take you to Harrah's.

Yes, it’s typically not people’s first choice when planning a trip to Vegas. And it’s usually not mine, either. But for some reason I keep ending up there. Maybe it’s the great prices I continue finding. Or maybe it’s the good service that I always have. Or it could even be the fantastic location that it offers. Or perhaps I just like the casino layout and the fact that there is a Ghiradeilli’s chocolate place next door. Who knows.

Unique Qualities: The rooms are average, if not maybe a little bigger than the ones at Excalibur and MGM. It has a few decent places to eat, namely the 24 hour coffee house. It also has a fairly nice little bar. The buffet, The Fresh Market Buffet, has been revamped. The Club offers good incentives like free buffet meals and show tickets if you sign up, plus you can use the card at Bally’s, Paris, Caesar’s, Rio, and a few other places. The best thing about the hotel, however, is the location. You can walk right out the doors and onto the strip in a matter of minutes. Welcome to Vegas!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Website: http://www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/

I had high expectations for this hotel and entered with trepidation. I hated the fact that they tore down the old one, Vegas seems to have no respect for its history. And then they changed it, only a couple of years later, to Planet Hollywood. I generally dislike places that try to cater to the young, beautiful and foolish. Yet, I was not disappointed.

Unique Qualities: We might be a little biased about this hotel because they upgraded us to the Penthouse level. Still, the room was very large, the same size as the one I'd had on two previous trips, and the amenities were the same. The bathroom is large and boasts a separate tub and shower. There is a television in the bathroom as well. I watched TV while taking a bath. It tickled me. Our towels were purple, not white, and that tickled me as well. Our view was amazing-the Bellagio fountains. Room service was not too terribly expensive. The buffet, The Spice Market, is the best in town, or so I have bene told. I have only eaten at a few. The hotel also offers P.F. Chang's, one of our favorite Asian eateries. The casino is okay, but at the end of the day, just a casino.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada, 891