Updated Jan 18, 2026
Vegas Hotel & Casino Reviews
After 30+ trips to Vegas in 18 months, here are our notes on hotels and casinos on The Strip.
NOTE: I’ll update this page after every trip, but Vegas is always changing.
The Vegas Strip
MGM Casinos & Hotels
Aria
Our Current Favorite
Aria is the best resort on The Strip…for people like us at least. The architecture is sublime, the casino is relatively friendly, and there’s a range of dining options, including a 24-hour patisserie that’s actually pretty good.
Aria is comprised of two hotels: Aria (4-stars) & the Aria Sky Suites (5-stars).
Gold Tier check-in is to the right of the main registration desk.
ARIA
Hotel rooms at the Aria are spacious with wall-to-wall windows. Most rooms offer nice views, but we’ve also gotten a room that looked out onto a wall.
Yes, the decor aging, but it’s still as nice as a major-city hotels. Some rooms include access to the Platinum/Noir VIP lounge off the lobby.
ARIA SKY SUITES
Aria Sky Suites are super luxe: high floor, tall ceilings, marble everywhere, and spacious. Rooms go for $800-1,600+, so if you’re offered a comp, don’t hesitate. The suites were remodeled in 2021 and include access to a guests-only lounge on the ground floor.
NB: All of the Sky Suites aren’t suites; we’ve been comped one of the spare bedrooms you can get with a suite, which was still nicer than a regular Aria room.
Dec 2025 update: Poker area moved and expanded (3x bigger).
The Lowdown…
- 150,000 sq ft casino with a good slot selection. Two high-limit slot rooms.
- The Sky Suites are world-class; yes, there’s a smoking floor.
- Good food court, on par with The Cosmopolitan
- Sparkling Cesar Pelli-designed building. Opened in 2009 but still impresses.
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Din Tai Fung (casino level): We’ve been here twice. Pricey but better than the one in Singapore. Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are quite good, other dumplings not so much. Other menu items are uneven. So-so sake selection.
- Proper Eats food court (2nd level): The options we’ve tried have been good & affordable for Vegas (open until 11pm).
- Laughing Buddha Ramen is particularly good (tasty broth, good chashu, well-cooked noodles).
- Egghead fine
- Lola’s Burgers fine
- Moneyline Pizza (casino level): Pizzas here are a bargain for Vegas. Surprisingly good.
- Posh Burger (casino level): Fast and convenient (right off the casino). A bigger & better McDonald’s burger with decent fries.
Bellagio
Ever Busy, Ever Noisy
A high-end property with a massive casino. The namesake fountain lives up to expectations. Expect never-ending foot traffic; quiet comes after 2am. Chihuly chandelier and the conservatory are nice but over-rated and overrun.
Gold Tier check-in is to the right of the main registration desk.
Update Summer 2025: the high-limit slot room was remodeled and expanded (a vast improvement).
The Lowdown…
- 156,000 sq ft casino, good slot selection
- Rooms are very nice, but showing their age.
- Elevators are often overwhelmed.
- Smoking rooms (ask at check-in)
- Fountain show still impresses
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Bellagio Patisserie: Excellent pastries and a good value.
- Snacks: Open 24-hours. The place to go when “open” is more important than “good”.
Cosmopolitan
Domain of the Young & Loud
Still hip & cool with many quirky touches. The view from the fountain-side balconies can’t be beat.
Gold Tier check-in is to the left of the main registration desk in a glassed-in room.
Smallish casino for an MGM property (100,000 sq ft, 1,100 slots) but often has the latest games. Best selection of unique dining options.
The Lowdown…
- Rooms are well-designed with huge bathrooms. Fountain-view balcony rooms are the ones to go for if it’s your first visit. Boulevard Tower rooms noisy even with the sliding doors shut; Chelsea Tower is quieter. Best hotel for smokers.
- Quirky design and good public art. The cigarette machines sell mini-art pieces.
- Casino can be deafeningly loud near the table games
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- The Henry (ground floor): Our go-to for a late snack. The French dip and “beignets” are excellent.
- Jaleo (3rd level): Chef’s choice option is an endless feast and an amazing value for big eaters. Make reservations.
- Beauty & Essex (3rd level): Quirky decor, std. menu. Dining room is barely lit. First-rate service. It’s where I discovered I don’t like Beef Wellington. Make reservations.
- China Poblano (2nd level): Two visits. Ultra-quirky Chinese-Mexican menu with options that are actually exciting to try. Some are disappointing, but advanced home cooks will LOVE the technical bravado. Some tables are communal. Takeout window.
- Va Bene Caffe: (moved to 2nd level). Very good hot breakfast sandwiches and pastries, good coffee. The almond croissant here was the best I’ve had in Vegas.
Excalibur
We Don’t Geteth It
The budget hotel in the MGM roster. We’ve visited a few times, but mostly because it’s on the way to New York, New York. Probably the most family-friendly option on The Strip. Familiar fast food in the food court (2nd level).
- The 92,389 sq ft casino is airy and themed, but we’ve never had good luck here
- Spotlessly clean, but somehow still feels grimy
- No high-limits room. There is a small area with larger denomination slots.
- Easy to get to from Mandalay Bay (free tram) or Luxor (walkway or free tram)
Luxor
Overlooked, but Inherently Cool
Luxor is another “budget” MGM property, despite its illustrious history. This was once the fanciest casino in Vegas and had riverboats running through the lobby. Rooms in the pyramid are nice but feel dated; those in the two towers are more contemporary but also more boring.
Update Sept 2025: High-limit slot room was redone in 2025 and is now much stingier.
- Amazing architecture and theming throughout
- “Inclinator” elevators are always fun
- Rooms on lower levels can mean a long hike to the elevator
- Hotel A/C can get overwhelmed in summer
- Easy to get to Mandalay Bay (walkway or free tram). The free tram doesn’t always stop at Luxor on the way to or from Excalibur. Inexplicable.
Mandalay Bay
The Jury is Out (For Now)
A huge jackpot here is why we started our YouTube channel. This used to be our favorite casino, but changes have made it less so. Do NOT play Phoenix Link here.
Gold Tier check-in is about 50′ to the left of the main registration desk behind glass doors.
Update Sept 2025: Slot changes have made gambling here less friendly. Older slots have been removed.
- 160,334 sq ft casino with a decent selection of old 3-reels and the latest slots; some classics were recently removed and we’re still not happy about it
- The best dining selections on the Strip (high-end to budget)
- Location on the far south-end of the Strip makes it difficult to change casinos, except for Luxor which is next door.
- Gigantic pool area. Wave pool is cool, but the lazy river can’t compare to the one at MGM Grand.
- Libertine Social: The best mid-tier restaurant we’ve tried. Excellent food and service. The smoked steak tartare is the best version I’ve ever had.
- Citizens Kitchen & Bar: Standard menu options and affordable for Vegas. Energetic waitstaff can be annoying.
- House of Blues Restaurant & Bar (casino level): Impressive breakfast and a good value. It’s kitschy, but the food is surprisingly good.
- Ri Ra Irish Pub: In the mall. Fine for breakfast and lunch. Order a Guinness.
- Kumi: Solid sashimi selection, but Morimoto at the MGM Grand is better. Carries “Heaven’s Sake” sake, one of the tastiest I’ve had but the markup is high.
- Slice of Vegas: In the mall. Fine, standard pizza joint.
- Noodle Shop: Surprisingly okay. Chinese food on The Strip is notoriously bad, but we didn’t hate it.
MGM Grand
Better Rooms Than Bellagio
The mid-tier MGM hotel with a massive casino. Good dining options for mid- to high-end meals, but the low-end suffers.
Gold Tier check-in is to the right of the main registration desk behind sliding glass doors.
Summer 2025: Remodeled rooms rival Bellagio with some very quirky design choices (in a good way). Casino tightened up compared to 2024. Large poker area added near the cashier.
- Has our favorite high-limit slot room
- Huge casino. Large non-smoking area (usually empty)
- Lazy river pool is better than Mandalay Bay’s
- 10 minute walk to New York New York
Restaurant we’ve tried…
- Morimoto: Solid sashimi (I’m Japanese-American). Try the chu-toro sashim. Hamachi kama was perfectly cooked both times I tried it. Skip the kinmedai (trust me).
- Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill: Decent food (except breakfast). Relatively inexpensive for Vegas.
- Grand Wok Noodle Bar: Skip
- MGM Grand Buffet: Skip
- Netflix Bites: Skip unless you have kids. The room is sterile and the food is mediocre, but the novelty dishes are fun.
- MGM Grand Buffet: Skip unless you’re traveling with 20 big eaters or a large family. Expensive for the quality; the food court is better. If you do go, definitely use the 2-for-1 offer from MGM Slots Live mobile app.
- MGM Grand food court: Pricey for mall food, but generally pretty good for what it is (except the Mexican place).
New York, New York
Okay Casino, Good Rollercoaster
Not our favorite resort, except when it comes to cheap eats. We probably will never stay here because the room sizes are small and the decor theme seems to be “fresh out of college”.
The Big Apple rollercoaster is surprisingly good; ask to sit in the front seats or expect sort shoulders (seriously). Tickets $25.
- High-limit slot room is cramped
- Often has the newest slots, but slot rotation is frequent (every 3 mos).
- Older slots and 3-reels are mostly in one area, so it’s easy to see what’s available
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Gonzalez y Gonzalez: Solid Mexican. On a good day, the ceviche with tiny scallops is excellent.
- Nine Fine Irishmen: Fine. I think the food here is slightly better than Ri Ra, but both are fine. Get a draft Guinness.
- Broadway Burger Bar & Grill: Good fries. Burgers ok.
Park MGM
Non-Smokers Haven
The only non-smoking casino in Vegas (smokers = revenue). Casino is usually calm and quiet. This is an old building, but the remodeled casino is pleasant. Eataly food court has surprisingly good options and is mostly affordable.
Update 2025: Remodeled high-limit slot room is brighter with new slots but still cramped.
The Lowdown…
- Lady Gaga museum is a must (and free)
- Good selection of newer slots. Few 3-reels.
- Eataly dining area in the front is worth a visit for pastries and hot snacks. Restaurants are very good.
- Covered walkway to Aria
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Toscana Ristorante & Bar: Good food, fancy plating, and not crazy expensive. So-so sommelier.
- Eataly cafe (near the front): Nice pastries, decent coffee.
W Hotel
The Hidden Gem
Don’t go here. We want to keep it for ourselves.
This is an all-suites hotel. MGM has partnered with Marriott, which makes sense since it already had “W” hotel vibes: low-key and sophisticated.
Gold Tier check-in is at the one-person desk to the right of main registration. It’s literally a desk.
Update 2025: Rivea (the french-inspired restaurant on the top floor) permanently closed. We mourn its passing.
- Regular suites are small but efficient. If you’ve been to London, you’ll feel at home.
- Panorama suites along the top floors are massive and just as good as the Aria Sky Suites (we give the edge to the Sky Suites because of the recent remodel and free snacks)
- Skyfall bar (top floor) has spectacular Strip views. Lines for the glass elevator up can be long but it’s a nice view.
- The hotel entrance takes low-key to an extreme; it’s off a parking garage, past two 10′ boulders. It’s one of the few hotels where you always feel like you’re making an entrance.
- 5-minute walk to the Mandalay Bay casino (both hotels connect to the same casino)
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- Skyfall lounge: Very good but pricey cocktails. Impressive Strip view from the deck at dusk. Take the W hotel elevators up, the glass elevator down.
- Rivea: Gone forever, but fondly remembered. The closest we’ve ever come to a one Michelin star Paris dinner. Fine dining is slowly slipping towards Applebys.
Caesars Casinos & Hotels
Caesars Palace
The Labyrinth
We kind of enjoy getting lost here, maybe because it happens every single time we visit. NOBU hotel and Caesars Suites are part of the complex.
The slot area furthest from the entrance (near the music venue) has high ceilings and doesn’t feel cramped.
The shopping mall is just that, no different than any other except for the cool escalator and theming. For high-end boutiques (Alexander McQueen), walk 5 mins. over to Bellagio.
Update 2024: High-limit slot areas remodeled.
- Casino is spread across multiple rooms. You will get lost, so enjoy the adventure.
- Two high-limit slot areas. Bar slots are very tight.
- So-so food court. The Korean option is surprisingly good.
- Monumental public art throughout the main halls. It screams 90s glamour.
Cromwell
We haven’t gambled here
Update Mar 2025: Will be rebranded as The Vanderpump Hotel in early 2026.
Flamingo
The Birds
This place was in need of a remodel and that’s slowly happening. We always stop for the bird sanctuary.
Update 2025: Pool redone.
- Casino feels like it belongs in Downtown Vegas
Harrahs
Quirky in a Bad Way
An old casino that feels like an old casino. Casino A/C is often overwhelmed in the summer.
Update 2024: High-limits area remodeled, but still not great
- Casino feels like it belongs in Downtown Vegas
- Las Vegas Monorail station
Horseshoe
Low-Key Charm
This is a budget option, but was once the largest hotel in Las Vegas. Casino is one long room. We like the energy.
Update Dec 2025: They’ve removed a lot of the 3-reel slots near the high-limit room.
- The casino is just one long room, so the energy is usually good. High-limit slot room is small but pleasant. They’ve removed most of the older slots.
- Rooms are large. A/C fan tends to over-achieve
- Basement area has seen better days, but there’s a large arcade for kids
- For fast eats, the Grand Bazaar Shops is a 3-min walk from the casino. Unbearably hot in the summer, but fine for a late snack.
- Las Vegas Monorail station
- Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Bar: Fancy bar food. Massive portions.
The Linq
We haven’t gambled here yet.
Paris
Je ne sais pas…
We still like gambling here because of the theming (dusk in Paris) and because we usually win. The legs of the ersatz Eiffel Tower come staight through the casino, which is fun.
Update 2025: New slots in high-limits (finally). New pastry shop, the one that serves “cro-nuts”.
- Often has the newest slots
- High-limit slot room remodeled slightly in 2025. Still small but not as dark.
Planet Hollywood
Often Overlooked, But Worth a Visit
This is where I would stay if I was on a tight budget and wanted to stay center strip. Quite nice inside, but overshadowed by Paris next door. It’s attached to the Miracle Mile shopping center which has low-cost food and shopping options, including a Walgreens.
Update 2025: Remodeled center bar is very nice.
- Casino has a good selection of newer and 3-reel slots. There are some fun novelty 3-reels near Cafe Hollywood.
- High-limits room is usually empty
- Attached to the Miracle Miles shops. Walgreens, McDonalds, and Taco Bell on the ground floor (right outside)
- We’ve found luck here when we first started gambling, so excuse our nostalgia.
- Cafe Hollywood: Long multicultural menu (ramen, Mexican, American, Vietnamese, etc.). Food is decent, reasonably priced. Ridiculous desserts. Can be noisy. Ask to be reseated if they put you by the kitchen.
The following are in geographic order heading north, since that’s probably how you’ll experience them.
Venetian / Palazzo
Designed by a Minotaur
Impressive registration area, one of the grandest in Vegas. The shopping maze with the canals is fun, but the dim lighting keeps us squinting.
We’ve only gambled here twice, mostly because it’s right across the street from the Wynn which we prefer for slot play. The two large casinos are linked, but they don’t make it easy to move between them.
Food options (and quality) are improving. Singing gondoliers aren’t as lame as they sound.
Update Sep 2025: Jose Andres’ Bazaar Meats opened
The lowdown…
- 129,083 sq ft casino, which still feels oddly cramped
- Extremely easy to get lost or turned around in the shopping area around the indoor canals
- One of the grandest, photo-worthy registration areas in Vegas
- Walkway to the Sphere. Use this entrance or you’ll burn in the summer. The long line moves fast once the doors open.
Restaurants we’ve tried…
- X Pot: Beef lovers should try this the tasting menu with the Wagyu option. Pricey, but unique. Skip the duck intestines.
Wynn / Encore
Fancy Doesn’t Mean Tight
If you’re a slot player, you need to gamble here at least once.
Even though this is a five-star hotel with $1,000+ per night rates, the casino is very fair (as good as an off-strip casino). Remember: rich people don’t like to lose.
Wynn has a real high-limit slot room with starting bets ~$25. For Dlucky fans, the Encore high-limit area awaits. It looks pretty dingy in real life.
- 191,424 sq ft casino(s), the largest in Vegas
- Often gets new slots before other Strip casinos
- Fancy and pricey dining options. For tasty, greasy birria, there’s a joint next door in the strip mall.
- Your best chance to see a celebrity
The Strat
Surprisingly Nice
YouTubers talk trash about this place but it has one of the nicest and most modern casinos on the Strip. Fair slot selection. A few old 3-reels, but you’ll have to search for them. Technically, this isn’t a Strip resort, but who cares.
- Often gets new slots before other Strip casinos
- Limited dining options, although they’ve been working on this.
- The tower is still the tallest structure in Vegas and offers excellent views
- High-limits room isn’t great, but you’ll probably never have to wait for a slot.
Resorts World
Fancy. Empty.
I’m not sure why but every time we’ve gone here, it felt empty…mostly because it was. Resorts World feels the most like a mega-shopping mall in Asia, probably because it’s run by the Genting Group out of Malaysia. The silver lining is that you never have to wait for a slot machine.
- Spectacular shopping area
- Good selection of slots
- Large casino is one huge room
- High-limits room is one of the fanciest in Vegas. Some slots have their own mini-booth with a TV
Fontainebleau (fawn-tan-blow)
The most spectacular casino in Vegas
We’ve only been here three times and all three were during the week. If you don’t like crowds or waiting for a slot, do as we do. We’ve had so-so luck here, but we just like visiting. Do not try to eat breakfast here (one option with 50 people in line).
- Spectacular casino with sophisticated (and fun) public art
- High-limits slot room is large with a good selection, but we’ve never won here.
- “High end” food court on the 2nd level
- Washing Potato: Tasteless dim sum at 3x the price in a trendy setting
Sahara
Changed for the Better.
They’ve tried to modernize the Sahara and it worked (it opened in 1952 but you’d never know it. No one seems to have noticed. Fair slot selection. Casino is about 1/4 the size of the largest Strip casinos. The Fontainebleau and Circus Circus are a 15-minute walk south.
Updated Summer 2025: Slots (the new ones) are looser than before. Play the Phoenix Link there.
- Classy but underwhelming casino, very friendly staff
- High-limits room game selection is limited
- Dining options are limited
- Las Vegas Monorail station
- The Noodle Bar: Good xiao long bao (as good as Din Tai Fung). Noodles were overcooked. Sauteed spinach was perfectly cooked and delicious.
- Zeffers Cafe: Nice atmosphere but the food was average.
South Point
Big & Friendly
We’ve only been here once, and it was during the National Rodeo Finals (packed with thousands of cowboys). The casino floor is one of the largest in Vegas, and we found the slots very friendly. We walked in with $1,000 and left with $2,000 about 90 minutes later with a free bottle of fancy vodka.
- A locals casino, but just as large as those on The Strip
- Excellent selection of new slots
- High-limits area isn’t separate from main casino
- Lots of casual dining options
- 6 miles south of The Strip (~20-minute cab ride from center strip)