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Barbary Coast is right in the middle of the strip with walkways across the strip to Bellagio and on on the side street to Bally's. Very convenient to everywhere.
I got a room on the second floor and though my view wasn't much, it was so great to step in an elevator and be in the casino and on the street in five minutes. Anyone who's stayed in a place where you have a long hike from the elevator to your room AFTER navigating the maze of a huge casino and spending the day on your feet knows how nice that can be.

NOTE: In 2007, just after my last trip to Las Vegas in February, Barbary Coast -- sadly, in my opinion -- which had been purchased by Harrah's, became Bill's Saloon and Casino. Hopefully it retained a lot of its former character.

Unique Qualities: Barbary Coast is a small hotel in the Las Vegas scheme of things with only 200 rooms, three bars and a lounge, three restaurants (ranging from gourmet to coffee shop), and no swimming pool. However, I really enjoyed their casino (mostly video poker, including some full play deuces wild machines).
My room was very comfortable and I will probably stay at Barbary Coast again. I stayed for $60 a night Sunday-Tuesday in May through vegas.com.
The first gambling I did on my last trip was to put a quarter in an "I Love You" slot machine at BC and win $2.50. Unfortunately, that wasn't an omen for the whole trip: not too much later I placed my first sports book, $30 on the Portland Trailblazers to win, in a playoff game, but of course they lost.
Barbary Coast is a sister hotel of off-strip hotels The Orleans (great place) and Gold Coast and free shuttles run back and forth every 20 minutes 9:30 a.m. until midnight

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 3595 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Directions: Middle of Las Vegas Strip
Website: www.barbarycoastcasino.com

I really enjoyed my stay at Treasure Island. I rented a car between moving there from Barbary Coast , and it was easy to park though I didn't take advantage of valet parking.

Unique Qualities: The room was very nice, a little more plush than Barbary Coast, but I honestly can't remember spending much time in it.
The casino was better to me than I expected, as I'd always heard how "tight" it was, but I had good luck (relatively speaking) when I varied from my usual video poker to play a silly nickel slot machine called something like Alien Family Reunion.
The breakfast buffet did not measure up to the buffets at many hotels in either selection or quality, it was more like a cafeteria setup, but as I like milk, coffee AND juice w/ my breakfast, buffets are usually less expensive than buying all my drinks at a regular restaurants.
I saw Mystere at Treasure Island while I was staying, and it was spectacular. It will go under my "must see if you feel like splurging" tips.
Since I stayed there Treasure Island has changed its name to "TI", supposedly more adult, and the free pirate battle is now sexier "Sirens of TI". I forgot to take a photo of the neat pirate town facade when I stayed there, as it is probably now gone. The wind was blowing too hard to hold the pirate battle.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 3300 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Directions: Just north of Mirage on Las Vegas Strip.

The last time I was in Las Vegas I moved to The Plaza downtown because I'd never stayed in the downtown before and also because it was a weekend and I was able to get rates of only $50 per night. As most of you know, rates general go sky high on the weekend.

Unique Qualities: My room in the Plaza was large and while it wasn't fancy, it was clean and otherwise perfectly fine. I asked for a room with a view of the Fremont Experience, and the room was situated right above the end and I had a great view.
It's just as well, because I intended to walk around and enjoy it more, but since it was the end of a weeklong visit to LV, my energy level was seriously lagging.
I had rented a car, and the parking garage was okay, but you had to have a ticket if you were a guest so you didn't have to pay, and at least once I lost it and had to go through some rigamorole to get a new one.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 1 S Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

The Luxor is the hotel I stayed in most of the time with my son in 1998, and it stands out in many ways, though I haven't stayed there again, yet.
The location was great for someone with a 14 year old boy, who was totally impressed with the large and luxurious room, with a view of neighboring Excaliber.
Want to stay here again, maybe on the trip I promised my son for his 21st birthday (in April!)

Unique Qualities: We stayed in one of the Tower rooms, which aren't as popular as the Pyramid rooms, mostly because the ones in the pyramid part are accessed by a unique "inclinator" elevator, that goes up slant-wise.
However the Tower rooms are newer, larger and have a big, beautiful bathroom with a bathtub as well as a shower. Beds very, very comfortable.
The Luxor was a great place to stay with a teen, as it had a very nice arcade (at least at the time it did) with easy access to kid-friendly (at the time) places like Excaliber, NYNY (my son loved the magic shop and Coney Island arcade) and MGM.
The pool was nice, but there were no waterslides or anything fancy.
When we moved to lower echelon Gold Coast for the weekend, my son said, "I want our Luxor back."
I think our room price for the weekdays we stayed was about $79 a night. As all hotels, great variation in price depending on time of week, year, how book, etc.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: 3900 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Directions: On the South End of the Strip.