Best Las Vegas hotels (2024)

“What goes in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Fair enough. But if you’re going to Vegas, where should you stay? The winning hotel choice is crucial in Sin City: not only because you’re going to be spending lots of time eating, swimming and possibly gambling there, but also because it’s invariably the first question you’ll be asked when you get home. Everyone who’s been to Vegas has their favourite hotel on the glittering ‘Strip’ (aka Las Vegas Boulevard) but the real trick is telling the towering, neon-flecked properties apart – and choosing the one that’s right for you. Tip the odds in your favour by reading our expert guide to the best accommodation options in America’s party capital.

1. Caesars Palace

Home to one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas, Caesars Palace (they’re notoriously averse to the apostrophe) remains one of the true totems of the Strip. From its opulent entrance and grand bas-reliefs to assorted fountains and costumed centurions, its signature Roman theme is played to over-the-top perfection (did we mention the life-sized reproduction of Michelangelo’s David?) The hotel’s three-level network of pools — “Garden of the Gods” — spans 4.5 acres, framed with Roman columns and populated with luxurious day beds, on which to be fed grapes. At 5,000 sq ft, the hotel spa is imperious even by Las Vegas standards, featuring a number of Roman baths (of course), plus a snowing “Arctic Ice Room” — the only one if its kind in the world.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

2. MGM Grand

A colossus towering over the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Grand boasts an astonishing 5,000 rooms and — if you include its adjoining sister property — is officially the world’s second-largest hotel. Even the famous MGM lion guarding its entrance is of monster proportions (at 13.5m tall and weighing 45,000kg, it’s the biggest bronze statue in the world), and that theme continues throughout the hotel and casino. The vaunted dining options here (headlined by a Masaharu Morimoto outpost) often get the lion’s share of attention, but this hotel is a true all-rounder, with five separate swimming pools, a sizeable spa and all manner of other attractions, ranging from a Hakkasan nightclub to a virtual-reality entertainment zone.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

3. Treasure Island

Once more swashbuckling than Captain Jack Sparrow, “TI” has tacked away from its piratical past in recent years, towards a more rounded tropical theme. Its palm-fringed pool complex remains very popular — particularly the 25-person hot tub — as does its enormous casino floor, with huge treasure maps and nautically themed carpets. But new additions — including an official Marvel movie museum and a spa offering child-centric treatments — are also attracting a fresh wave of families here, to one of the most friendly hotels on the Strip.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £

4. The Venetian

Packed with convincing replicas including the Rialto Bridge, the Doge’s Palace and even St Mark’s Square, this is Vegas’s love-letter to Venice. What grabs most people’s attention is the Grand Canal, designed to ferry guests gracefully about the hotel in gondolas, but there’s plenty of substance behind the scene-stealing Italian showmanship too. The recently renovated Venetian Pool Deck, for example, is now one of the sleekest, most sophisticated pool areas in Vegas, framed with luxury cabanas and swaying palm trees. The resort’s food options are nothing short of stellar too, with 20 restaurants to choose from including eateries by Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

5. The Mirage

Amid an assemblage of analogous hotel-resorts, The Mirage is something refreshingly different. You can start the day here with an outlandish sense of tranquillity, thanks to the hotel’s quirky “Yoga with Dolphins” programme. And you can finish it with an equally unique experience, thanks to the nightly volcano eruption show — not to mention one of the most beloved musical productions in Vegas: The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. In between, there’s plenty to fill your days here at one of the most family-friendly locations in town, from the enormous Mirage Pool with its cascading falls, to ample restaurants and a full-service spa.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £

• Best affordable hotels in Las Vegas

6. NoMad Las Vegas

Situated in the former Monte Carlo resort building, NoMad Las Vegas is a rare treat in these parts — a bona fide boutique hotel on The Strip. A hotel within a hotel (it occupies the top four floors of what is now the Park MGM resort), the 293-room property is positioned in the heart of the action, but offers a completely different pace to the clamour and hubbub of its neighbours, thanks to a tranquil, design-forward approach. With its sultry lighting, red carpets and steamer trunk minibars in every room, it feels decidedly more European than Nevadan — a sense underlined by its Monte Carlo-esque casino, with immaculate Tiffany glass ceiling.

Spa N
Pool Y
Price ££

7. Waldorf Astoria

Previously the Mandarin Oriental, this elegant reboot is a casino-free property, designed as a haven for those who wish to avoid the stress and frenzy of the mega-casinos — or at least step back from them at night. The Waldorf Astoria’s watchwords are luxury and sanctuary; sentiments underlined here by some of the most beautiful basic hotel rooms (and particularly bathrooms) anywhere in Vegas, as well as an opulent two-storey spa, containing a hammam, vitality pool and Chinese foot spa. The true showstopper, however (aside from Twist, the Michelin-starred French restaurant from Pierre Gagnaire) is the SkyBar on the 23rd floor — serving exquisite craft co*cktails to wash down the great views.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

8. Bellagio

Famed for its cavorting fountains (which shoot water 500ft into the air, with an accompanying light and music show every night) the Bellagio is an icon of ornate Italian elegance, sitting in the middle of the Strip. One of its biggest selling points is Spa Bellagio — a 55,000 sq ft temple of tranquillity, with 56 treatment rooms and an extensive international menu — as well as its five outdoor pools and four whirlpools. This palatial property also does peace and culture, with sprawling botanical gardens and a wonderful fine art gallery.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

9. Wynn Las Vegas

Arguably the most glamorous hotel on the Strip, the Wynn is instantly recognisable, thanks to its gleaming copper curves. A halcyon, flower-strewn oasis inside, it’s a big favourite with visiting celebrities — thanks in part to its popular high-stakes poker tables and high-limit slot room (who said slot machines were low budget?) — plus a shopping esplanade featuring the most glamorous names in fashion, from Cartier and Chanel to Balmain, Breitling and Bottega Veneta. Even the dining options here are a cut above, including the hottest steakhouse in Las Vegas, The Country Club, where the smart money’s on the moreish Wagyu beef hot dog.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £££

10. The Cosmopolitan

Inspired by and aimed at the millennial market, the Cosmo is sleek, sharp and shiny, with some of the hottest drinking spots in Vegas. The headline act is the Chandelier Bar — a three-storey establishment built inside an enormous replica chandelier — but other favourites include understated tequila haven Ghost Donkey, and the mirrored Vespa Bar, serving vintage co*cktails with a twist. The hotel itself has three pools on the mezzanine level and an on-site spa, Sahra, offering dozens of unique skin and body treatments. Being midway along the Strip comes with a host of benefits too: request a balcony room to enjoy views of both the illuminated Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas and the Bellagio fountains, directly across the street.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

11. Vdara Hotel & Spa

More New York than Las Vegas in its attitude and ambience, Vdara is set back from all the fuss and fluster of the Strip, but still just an easy five-minute walk away. A non-gaming hotel, its biggest draw (in the absence of a casino) is a two-storey ESPA spa, and there’s an emphasis on relaxation throughout. Every room is a suite, with a full-sized fridge, cooking utensils and electric hobs, meaning savvy guests can save a fortune in eating costs. Those who’d rather order room service can request one of Vdara’s robot butlers, which navigate themselves around obstacles and up to rooms using an ingenious combination of wi-fi and 3D cameras.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

12. Mandalay Bay

The enormous shark aquarium (home to 12 different species of shark) might be the most famous selling point of this, the most southerly hotel on the Strip, but there’s plenty more for guests to dive into. An 11-acre water park for starters, with a wave pool, a real sand beach, and a lazy river to float down on inner tubes, through waterfalls. Inside, this tropical-themed gem has three separate spas to choose from, as well as the 1,800-seat House of Blues for regular live music, and the Minus5 ice lounge — where you drink signature co*cktails from ice glasses while sitting on furniture constructed entirely from ice. If you get lucky in the casino, head to Fleur — celebrity chef Hubert Keller’s high-end in-house restaurant — where the world’s most expensive hamburger can be yours for $5,000.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

13. ARIA

Glistening like a futuristic colony, ARIA is a vibrant high-rise resort renowned for its ultra-contemporary design and modern, spacious rooms. Its spa is equally state-of-the-art, with Ganbanyoku beds (heated Japanese stone beds designed to soothe aching limbs) and muscle-relieving cryotherapy chambers (which also happen to be amazing jetlag blitzers). Meanwhile, two of the on-site restaurants take forward-thinking to a new level, by offering hangover-specific menus: Bardot Brasserie with its fun, French-inspired twist on traditional morning-after recipes; and Herringbone, with its dedicated outdoor Bloody Mary bar.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price ££

14. Flamingo

This beloved veteran of the Strip is now more than 85 years old, but can still mix it with its glitzy young neighbours, thanks to a big casino floor and a knack for reinventing itself. Its prominent wildlife enclosure and dedicated, child-friendly pool area with waterslides have made it a popular choice for families — but ridiculous last-minute room deals also tempt Generation Z and younger millennial travellers on a budget. Come for the great prices and rich history (the Flamingo was founded by notorious mobster Bugsy Siegel in 1946 and later featured prominently in Hunter S Thompson’s seminal Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and stay for the low-stakes Texas Hold’em in the poker room and the jumbo co*cktails at Margaritaville, the legendary Caribbean-themed restaurant and bar.

Spa Y
Pool Y
Price £

Take me there

Inspired to visit Las Vegas but yet to book your trip? Here are the best Virgin holidays and British Airways breaks to the fabulous Sin City. And if you’re still unsure of where you want to go or what type of holiday to book, get in touch here and one of the Designer Travel experts will be in contact to help you arrange your perfect tailor-made break

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