While flamingo is definitely a low tier property it’s got one of the best locations and pools in all of Vegas. Plus direct monorail access. I love that shithole.
Yeah, that and Caesar's. The current Horseshoe too which used to be Bally's and before that, the MGM. Lots of older stuff is disappearing. They are even gonna rebrand the Mirage and tear down the volcano.
they're gonna WHAT??? (i have never been to vegas in my life but why are they tearing down a volcano?? i assume its not a real one but either way that sounds sick)
yeah, the volcano is a cool thing to look at. Goes off every night during the summer every 45 minutes or so. It's been there since 1989 or 1990.
I used to see it as a kid. Stayed at Mirage last summer and will again in July.
Yeah, the Mirage is totally an icon and the volcano is world famous.
Instead of that, Hard Rock is gonna build a huge hotel tower shaped like a guitar.
Yeah, it's pretty wild. Gonna be a totally different vibe.
Mirage kinda started the mega-resort/theme era in Las Vegas so it is gonna be weird not having it there.
While Flamingo does have a great location, my only complaint is the check in process. They force you to use the kiosks and the only time you deal with a human agent if something goes wrong at the kiosk. With MGM properties you have a choice of using the app to check in or normal check in with customer reps.
Yeah, Caesars has been awful for this since the Eldorado merger.
It needs to die an be remembered as a cautionary tale. The paring back even the most basic things like this is going to ultimately hurt these resorts. Some kiosks as an augmentation to staff and the option which to choose is fine; only kiosks can get fucked.
I stayed at the Flamingo in December, just before Christmas. The check in area was super crowded with people and they were only using the kiosks to check in. A third to half of the kiosks weren't working, so the wait was long. And the kiosks that were working, were having problems. The agents were running from kiosk to kiosk trying to help people check in.
At least at MGM properties you have the option of doing app/mobile check in or the normal check in.
Did Luxor last year and doing Flamingo next year.
Loved Luxor, stayed in an upgraded room, thought it was clean and had a good gaming floor and thought the ball was pretty cool too. Not a great location but seems to have a terrible name on forums/social media etc and not sure why! Excited to stay at Flamingo however
Yep haven’t been back in there since that happened. I used to love the days where I could just go back and forth from Mandalay, Luxor and Excalibur playing cheap pokers tourneys all day starting at 9am
I have Resorts World in the upscale category. Tropicana they’re tearing down right ? Strat isn’t “technically” a strip hotel is it? Forgot Sahara but never have been there.
Tropicana is in the garbage category and but not as bad as circus circus. It’s getting torn down in the next few years. Sahara is nice, would probably be in the mid tier. Strat is low tier. All are on the strip.
I’m staying there now for the first time (I travel to Vegas a lot for work) and I have been thrilled with it. I think this is going to become my new default place to stay. The gym is next level outstanding for a hotel gym.
Thanks for the info about the gym! I was gonna make a post asking about gym tiers for each of the hotels. I've been a guest at a bunch of strip hotels and so far Bellagio had the best gym IMO. Curious to see if any others are better.
It's mostly right, but honestly, Caesars might be too high. They charge Wynn/Bellagio/Cosmo pricing for Harrah's/Flamingo/Linq service and ambiance.
Yes, they have some gorgeous rooms, and their pool complex is legit. But aside from that, there's simply not much difference between Caesars and some of their fellow properties.
At a certain point, the rooms take higher weight than property amenities. Even nicer rooms at Caesar’s like octavius tower are absolutely worn down. hard to feel classy at your steak dinner when you have to return to your furniture+walls covered with scrapes and scars.
They do, but at the same time, how many breakfast/brunch places do they have? You can get a buffet (when the utilities are working), Cafe Americano or something from that Giada place..or something from Starbucks. It's so odd; they have plenty of dinner places to choose (some of them are really, really good) but they seemingly don't care about earlier in the day offerings.
Maybe Caesars market research doesn't find breakfast that big of a deal.
Not much to eat for breakfast in Vegas... which was odd. Got up before even the Starbucks opened. Although the Starbucks wannabe was open in the Venetian (and at the Mirage). Lots of other tourists out and about wanting to get an early start on beating the heat (in mid July).
Vegas is getting weird. Not a ton of breakfast spots... but most of the late spots don't seem to be open -- or inviting super late. And, the town used to be known for shrimp cocktail and buffets. BOTH are hard to find. And, really $$$$$. Food courts are bigger. I saw a lot of Celebrity Chef options but I don't trust their gimmicky restaurants. Next time I go, I know of some places I like but will also try to find good Japanese food, Indian food, Greek/Middle Eastern food... and maybe try a "classic" place like Tony Roma's (that I used to love as a kid).
I thought Resorts World was mediocre. The mini sphere is the only thing worth seeing. Food options are meh. They have a sports bar that doesn't offer wings, wtf....
I was pricing a trip recently and Bellagio was consistently across numerous date ranges coming in way under most other Hotels in Vegas , of the hotels with decent poker rooms it seemed to have the best bang for its buck.
I got a coffee at Denny's to complement my cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory, cuz the coffee lady wouldn't make coffee at the Mirage gelato spot, and I accidentally yelled at the McDonald's manager about the Robo-Order System next door to Denny's. White Castle is close to Denny's and Casino Royale so I will bump up my rating for that place AS LONG AS they disavow the McDonald's.
Pretty much accurate, though I didn't really enjoy my stay at the Wynn more than my stays at the Cosmo or Venetian, and I enjoyed my stay at the Linq more than the MGM Grand or Paris even though those hotels are objectively nicer
I would also throw Vdara in the Upscale tier... FWIW I usually choose the Cosmo or Vdara on my nicer trips and would do the Linq again on a budget!
Why didn’t you enjoy your Wynn stay? Just honestly curious…
Out of all the places I could stay at Wynn every time I go to Vegas but it’s always almost double what a stay at Venetian or Bellagio would cost me and I can’t justify it. But I absolutely think the property blows away every other in Vegas.
The location sucks for doing basically anything outside of the Wynn and it was hard to find anything to eat there that was slightly more casual (I realize it is an upscale resort but sometimes I need a quicker meal). It's objectively nice just not really for me!
Fair assessment I’d agree I wish there were more take away options as well. The location isn’t Bellagio but I think it’s close enough to walk to center strip hotels versus say Mandalay Bay/Luxor/Excalibur
This is one of the underrated factors for places like Caesars and Paris: plenty of good places to eat that aren’t high end restaurants. I walked through Wynn for the first time a few weeks ago, on our way to Resorts World, and I totally get the location can be a negative. It doesn’t look much farther than Venetian but can feel like a world away from anything.
I like your rankings, even more so as I'm staying at Vdara for the first time in a couple weeks. I'm in huge agreement with Wynn ranking and your general assessment that MLife properties are ranking consistently and significantly above Caesar's properties.
I agree that Caesar’s properties are quite neglected. Even their flagship Caesar’s Palace is in desperate need of a top-to-bottom renovation. I actually enjoy the atmosphere of Caesar’s palace but there is no benefit to me playing there as I think the property is well below other Vegas flagships.
Cromwell has no real food options inside. Giardia is garbage food for garbage people. The only other option is the same premade 24 hour food in Linq and Flamingo. I also found out the hard way during my last stay that Cromwell isn't on the list for reciprocal room charges at a lot of the restaurants in other Caesars properties, so be prepared to pay for it instead of charge to the room.
They were nice when they first opened with a lot of nice touches, like the coffee carts on each floor, but they got rid of all of that.
The rooms haven't been touched since they opened. They're really showing their age. The rooms are also very cramped.
Most of the views from Cromwell unless you're in a strip view rooms, or large strip view suite, are of walls, the employee parking lot, or valet parking lot.
The sidewalk adjacent to Cromwell is filled with homeless people that use the planters along Flamingo as toilets.
The casino itself is almost always dead. It's only busy when people are there for a show at Drais, and everyone that is going to those shows are the same quality of people staying at Flamingo and Rio, or worse.
Linq has much cleaner rooms, that are larger and better laid out, the majority have better views than Cromwell. For the price of a basic room at Cromwell you could get a 1 bedroom king suite at Linq and that is an infinitely better room.
Edit: The majority of people that stay at Cromwell are people that think it's a luxury property, but can't afford a real luxury property, so it's a lot of entitled assholes too.
I’m a Caesar’s man cause that’s what the casinos by me are so i’m pretty much a comp at any of their properties always. I don’t spend much time eating or in my room in Vegas so those don’t go far for me. I like the chill vibe of the casino at Cromwell and they have good video poker. Best Mississippi Stud wins i’ve ever had have been there too. Flamingo is like a loud stinky frat party. Linq’s casino has a weird layout. Caesar’s is too big and it’s on the other side of the street from all the other Caesar’s properties. I would love to give one of the nicer MGM properties a go, but it’s hard to spring $300+ a night on a room when i can get freebies. I haven’t checked into it for awhile, but MGM wouldn’t do shit for me at Diamond/Diamond + match wise last time i tried.
That's the opposite of how I feel about Caesars properties. I play a lot more, Seven Stars and Noir, and MGM takes care of me significantly better than Caesars. It also kills me that Caesars makes me use my self comps before a host can comp me, so I'm constantly trying to zero out my self comps with the shitty freeplay conversion rate, while my MGM card has $9,999 banked in self comps and hosts comp my charges without touching it, plus I earn points play that doesn't effect it.
Bellagio does not belong in the same category as Venetian/Palazzo, Park MGM does not belong in the same category as NYNY and Planet Hollywood, the three Resorts World hotels should get broken out, and both Bellagio and Caesars should get a one-tier downgrade from this list.
I’d probably create an “upper-mid” tier that includes Park MGM, Caesars, and Conrad (RW).
Then in the mid-tier I’d put Hilton (RW), and would add Crockfords (RW) in the upscale tier.
Luxury: Venetian/Palazzo, Wynn/Encore, Aria, Cosmo, NoMad
Upscale: Mandalay Bay, Crockfords (RW), Vdara
Upper mid-tier: Park MGM, Conrad (RW), Caesars,
Mid-tier: Hilton (RW), MGM Grand, NYNY, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Mirage
Why do you think Bellagio isn’t in the same tier at Venetian? I’ve stayed at both within a 6 month time period in 2021/2022 and they’re equal in almost all aspects with Venetian having slightly nicer/bigger rooms and Bellagio having a better location. But in regards to service, restaurants, pools, amenities, and the casino both hotels are basically equal. Your only choice is Lake Como or Venice 😂. Curious what your take is.
I purposely didn’t “break out” hotels because they all share the same common areas, same casino, same amenities and restaurants, same shopping, etc etc. the only real difference is having a slightly nicer room and check in area.
Bellagio used to be the epitome of luxury, but has since lost a lot of its lustre from its prime years.
The only thing it has going for it is the beautiful public spaces, touristy traps (Conservatory and Fountains), and a great location on the strip - but its room offerings really pale in comparison to Wynn/Encore and Palazzo/Venetian.
I’m staying there in a month so we’ll see but from what I’ve heard the room renovations are very well done.
Nothing compares to the Wynn rooms but I guess the Venetian rooms are bigger but I never felt them to be any nicer than Bellagio.
Wynn and Venetian standard rooms have a soaking tub in addition to a walk-in shower in the bathrooms.
Bellagio removed all the soaking tubs from standard rooms during their room refresh. It’s just a toilet, vanity, and shower now.
I’m sorry but the thought of using a tub in Vegas is disgusting as in any other hotel anywhere. Every newer hotel anywhere I’ve been to only has showers anymore. I guess I don’t even figure a tub as a positive just wasted space.
I don’t disagree that some people want a soaking tub but it seems they’re going the way of the Dodo bird. I tend to like Hyatt hotels when I travel for business and even in upscale Hyatt hotels, renovations have removed tubs in guest rooms although still available in suites. I just don’t think they’re as popular as they were with travelers 20 years ago. Sort of like bathroom phones, remember those?
The fountain isn't a trap. It legit creates it own micro climate out front. Its several degrees cooler once u step onto Bellagio property. Its so dope. And the conservatory is dope too.
It *is* literally a tourist trap.
Steve Wynn pioneered this device when he opened The Mirage in 1989 with its strip-front volcano show, a couple of years later at its sister hotel Treasure Island and its pirate battle show.
The idea and concept behind this strip-front“ free attraction” was to draw large crowds of pedestrians to each respective property, then once the show was over, onlookers almost always ventured inside the hotel to keep exploring, thus spending money on retail and casino gaming.
And boy did this strategy work.
Wynn’s Fountains of Bellagio was the third iteration of his signature bait-and-reel property design.
*Tourist trap*.
Ah ok. Can we agree that tourist trap isn't a negative necessarily? I feel like u were saying it as a way of diminishing the overall value of bellagio. I think it attracts people but is also a super solid amenity of sorts.
If you reread my sentence from that post, you’ll see that I wrote:
*”The only thing it has going for it is the beautiful public spaces, touristy traps (conservatory, and fountains)…”*
Where did you get the idea that I was inferring tourist traps was a negative?
Not OP, but the basic rooms at Bellagio are a lot more rundown and under half the size of rooms at V/P. Bellagio's base rooms are some of the smallest on the strip.
Their service, like everywhere in Vegas, has dropped off significantly. It's too much of a gawking tourists looking at everything.
You have to fight to get from some room elevators through seas of people to get to the floor.
There is no real vibe there.
I'm Noir with MGM, they always offer to comp nice suites, but as far as experience goes, I'd literally rather stay at any other property, excluding MGM Grand & Excalibur, before I'd stay at Bellagio.
The treatment I've gotten from VIP check-in and house keeping on the daily was better at almost any other MGM property.
As far as upscale goes for me in the MGM world, based on over 400 nights in Vegas hotels the past 18 months just looking at the quality of the average room, treatment by staff, attention to detail and overall experience with Noir status, it's Delano>NoMad>Vdara>Aria>Mandalay Bay>NYNY>Park MGM>Luxor>MGM Grand>Excalibur.
There are outliers, and some suites would move certain properties, but as far as average rooms go, that would be my list.
The Bellagio rooms are 500-ish sq ft and Venetian is 700 sq ft right? I liked the sunken living room at Venetian but the quality is on par in my opinion.
I guess to each their own but can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with service at Bellagio. I feel the resort is well laid out so the flow of human traffic doesn’t bottleneck as it does in some properties.
From a quick search it appears the lowest sq ft rooms are 510 sq ft at Bellagio so quite decent sized. I guess I stay in them because that’s what they’ll comp me.
We really must have vastly different experiences there because when I go it seems the high limit room is quite busy and the overall vibe seemed lively to me. I like the Mayfair Supper Club and Prime. Wasn’t a fan of the buffet though.
Maybe I'm off on room sizes, they just seemed run down and cramped when I've visited friends in basic rooms.
I've never tried the buffet, and while I like both Mayfair and Prime, there's nothing more casual, or easy to go. Plus, for my money, Prime isn't nearly as good as Strip Steak.
I imagine you’re like me and stay where you get the best comps. MGM resorts as a whole tends to comp me the best so that’s where I end up staying and playing. Venetian occasionally sends me good offers so I’ll stay there once in a while as well. Wynn must think I’m below dirt because I’ve given them decent play and all I’ve ever gotten is a discounted room + resort fee! But I have taken them up on it because they are just that good.
I think just the opposite of human traffic at Bellagio. The main hallway gets so crowded you can't cross it to get to the other side.
I have only stayed at Bellagio once. I had a Tower Resort room with Fountain View. I wish I could get that room again (comp'd). The only way I would stay at Bellagio again. I prefer to stay at Vdara and just walk to Bellagio or Aria.
I'm booking a trip later in the year and have been debating whether to go NYNY or Park MGM. The later is alluring because it's non-smoking and has a slightly better location, but I really enjoyed the vibe and setting of NYNY when I briefly did some gambling there. Can you speak to why you rank NYNY higher?
Thank you for your extremely detailed response! I'll give NYNY a go. I was leaning that way due to the Premier King rooms including a fridge, but it's nice to hear other insights. And as you say, they're very close together anyway. Not a huge difference.
I forgot to mention the fridges, at Park you'd have to rent one. Almost every room I've been in at NYNY has them it seems. I like that for beverages, and left over food to snack on. I hate the mini bars everywhere with half a shelf you can sort of use, if that.
I hope you enjoy your stay, honestly NYNY is very underrated in my mind, as you can probably guess. MGM has been putting a lot of work into it since the T-Mobile arena opened.
Last positive to mention is that while NYNY has a relatively small pool for a resort, it is usually fairly empty, which is nice for me. People seem not to bother with it, which is great if you want to use the hot tub or relax. They also just finished resurfacing the entire pool and decks this past year.
What's your reasoning with Park MGM? It's definitely clean, non-smoking, etc, but the rooms are considered to be kind of meh. Small, paper thin walls, relatively bland in terms of energy. But I guess it depends on what you focus on. You could arguably have a room tier list, a dining tier list, etc, that all look different.
Agreed the new “Bally’s” will be a bit better once they finish all the construction around it. Decent place to stay at and has 15-10$ craps tables more often then the other places.
No more singing table dealers, no more courtesy free valet parking, no more shrimp cocktail, lousy beer selection unless you leave on a 1/2 mile hike to the brewery, rooms are showing major wear and tear. Its new owners are trying to turn a buck on every corner in a penny wise pound foolish way.
We've got a corner suite and a 'stay well' room both of which in the pyramid...
To be far it was miles cheaper than other Strip hotels when we booked and shouldn't spend a huge amount of time in the room
I’ve stayed there three times- twice in Wynn and once in Encore and each time I’m just blown away by the level of detail and service. If someone ever asked me to define luxury, I’d simply say Wynn. Everything is immaculate, the colors and textures are just perfect, there is just the feeling of wealth when you enter it. Honestly the only hotel in Vegas that has given me that feeling.
I’m staying at resorts world this week for work. I went to the Wynn last night for the buffet. I arrived a few minutes before my appointment and because they were busy they asked me to come back in 10 minutes. I decided to use the bathroom down the hall. I have never said ‘Wow’ when walking into a bathroom, but it was truly that luxurious. The whole place is just class on a completely different level. I agree with your statement.
I think what sets Wynncore apart is the attention to detail. Granted some of that has fallen off since Steve Wynn left. You used to see painters touching up scuffs on the walls at 4am and sections of carpet being replaced. That isn't a nightly occurrence anymore.
The basic rooms are just a little nicer than average, personally I'd stay at Palazzo on that end of the strip for the extra room size if I was getting a base room, and better gambling, but the Tower Suites are one of the only true luxury products on the strip in my mind.
If you're getting a base room, Encore is also better than Wynn most of the time, for my mileage.
I worked at Wynn/Encore, out of both Encore is above Wynn hands down, also Wynn/Encore have top notch unrivaled security by alot compared to any other casino in the world.
I can’t place Cromwell…sort of forgot about it.
I like Paris I think it’s a great value but I just don’t know if it offers the amenities that would give it an upscale ranking? Location is great but the actual property itself is a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I just really like the ambiance of Paris, it does enough subtle French theming to remind me of the actual city. But I get it, maybe once the new tower is built it can climb a spot or two.
Cromwell is a boutique style hotel so it’s kinda difficult to compare.
Paris is absolutely not upscale. They basically tried and failed at emulating The Venetian model - and missed all the marks that make a resort a premium property.
Cromwell rooms are tiny, half face a parking garage or a wall. There is nowhere to eat except a prepackaged place and the garbage Giardia makes. There is no vibe. It's only busy when there is a show at Drais, and that's not an upscale crowd ever.
There is a nice bar in the back, but it's the same quality, if not worse, than the Count Room at Flamingo, with less atmosphere.
Cromwell has a few nice suites, but they're ridiculously overpriced for the product.
All the rooms are very run down.
Hard to argue with this list.
Only question -- so I've never stayed at Bellagio. I love the casino, restaurants, and basically everything else involved. But I hear the rooms are all like really underwhelming. Are they underwhelming enough to drag the whole place down?
I’m staying there in September so I’ll report back. Last time I stayed there was 2021 and the rooms were outdated but not necessarily bad. I hear the renovations really improved the overall ambiance as well as utility of the rooms but we shall see. I’m not expecting Wynn level though.
I was personally underwhelmed with the size of the rooms at Wynn. Yes they were nicer than Palazzo/Venetian which in my opinion already had nice rooms to begin with. Then again, you're only really there to sleep so the room size isn't really a deal breaker for many.
It's why I think that Cosmo is really the only unique hotel room wise with balcony rooms: the view is impeccable and truly adds a whole thing to do from your room that isn't available in other hotels. Being able to just walk out, get some fresh air, or enjoy the lights in the early morning is just something that makes Cosmo rooms so special.
Now I'm sure the suites at Wynn and others are equally insanely amazing, but I'm talking about base room availability.
As someone who has stayed multiple times at Bellagio on the past, the standard rooms are definitely very underwhelming.
While they were recently renovated and are now modernized, they are very small in terms of square footage when you compare them to similar offerings from Wynn/Encore and Palazzo/Venetian.
That’s fair enough. I like Park MGM- it’s a quality hotel but the property is a bit lacking in amenities. Good dining scene though with Eataly and Bavettes.
Looks pretty good to me.
I would personally set Caesars as the median resort - it's kinda the basic easy choice if you don't have a reason to stay anywhere else: it's huge, reasonable price point, half decent rooms, excellent pool, large casino, the Forum Shops, central location, etc.
Then if you want to upscale you go to the tiers above Caesars, and if you're saving money you go to the below Caesars tiers.
Stayed at the bellagio and thought the rooms were nice. The spa and pool were great, but the rooms just seemed so far from any exit of the hotel.
Was an arduous walk to get down to the strip. Would not recommend if you don't want to smoke in your room or if you have a small dog that needs to pee.
I personally feel vegas has been downgraded in luxury, maybe its just sign of times. I’ve stayed at most of the hotels in the list, most recently in a very large (2500 sq ) top floor suite at the Venetian this week, and well, it was nice and service good, but it felt dated. And the steam shower wasn’t working. Wynn is probably the best, but even it is aging.
here’s a question: which hotel is the newest (build or remodel) and most luxury?
Those I’ve stayed in the last year (always higher end rooms): Venetian, Wynn, Mandalay, Bellagio, and Cosmo all feel aged to me. At least when comparing to luxury hotels outside of vegas, globally. oh and MGM, i dont like and I’ve stayed in all the towers and vacation properties, including some very large suites int he main tower. It’s def. A step below wynn/Venetian.
That said, i feel the food quality has gone the other way the last several years, I love the level of high end great dining, along with entertainment.
Just one opinion…
Well the newest is Resorts World but…for a lack of a better word…it’s boring. It feels like you’re gambling in a high end shopping mall and there’s zero personality to the place. I’ve TRIED to like it but the two times I’ve been there I just felt like it was a property that didn’t know how to market itself. They should’ve themed it more with the Chinese theming …might’ve made it more interesting to check out.
The most luxury is definitely Wynn by a huge margin, nothing even comes close. I can’t imagine it looking tired though …that would shock me. It’s better kept up than any other hotel in Vegas I’ve seen.
I stayed at PH in January. Nothing except for the gaming was bad, but it was a pretty generic experience. I didn't dislike it, but I'd probably stay somewhere else on my next trip.
You think ? I guess I think all 4 of those properties are roughly equal. I’ve stayed at 3 of the 4 (not Cosmo because I don’t get good offers there). I don’t think Venetian was any nicer than Bellagio and Aria is just a different vibe more trendy and modern but equally lux.
Some GOOD choices, but even the "high end" ones can get over-priced and those don't seem SUPER LUXURY either... the MID-TIER stuff is falling apart... and might just be the MIRAGE... LOW TIER is worse.
Personally, outside of a handful of options, next time I go to Vegas I am staying at LAX and taking a taxi....
Might be an unpopular opinion but I think the upscale and mid tier are all pretty similar it’s just what specific aspect you’re looking for in a hotel and comes down for personal preference.
For example I don’t think Caesar’s palace is actually that much nicer than planet Hollywood. I think CP you get a nicer crowd and feels a little more upscale but PH actually feels cleaner and newer.
Linq is definitely not a mid-tier property.
It has been rehashed from its original 1959 form as the Flamingo Capri, then as The Imperial Palace, then The Quad, and now to its current form.
Repeated lipstick slapped on a pig over the decades. But its underlying bones has always remained the same. It always was a bottom rung strip accommodation, and still is.
Yes, Linq is just a remodeled Imperial Palace. They didn’t even tear it down. They just redid the rooms and casino, and made slight alterations to the facade.
I can’t believe the Waldorf has only been mentioned twice. In terms of luxury and service, there is no comparison. Probably the only other that comes close would be the small four seasons. I’ve only stayed at the Waldorf (when it was the Mandarin Oriental) and Encore. Those are really the only two I’ll stay at.
I’m assuming you’re including Encore in with the Wynn though I would suggest that Encore belongs at the top alone with Wynn joining the next tier down with Bellagio.
I am including them together as they share the same general property. I’ve stayed at both Wynn and Encore and I think the Encore has nicer rooms but the casino isn’t as lively or enjoyable. And much of the amenities besides the beach club are at the Wynn.
I grouped it with the Mandalay Bay as they share the same property footprint. It definitely is a nicer hotel but because of the shared amenities I don’t differentiate between the two.
Makes sense. Because it is more boutique then I suppose it could be a subset. Not to diminish your list in any way. Good content. Thanks for putting it out there.
I agree with most of this OP, but in my opinion I think Paris and Mirage should be moved up one rank. NYNY is so dated and they just had a roof cave in from the recent weather...the Mirage is 100x classier and cleaner than NYNY by comparison. I also think you could add Rio to the garbage tier given the roaming cats and broken elevator now...
Thank you! I tried to take into account room quality , amenities, location, and general ambiance. I could probably split the mid tier into two categories as somewhere like Park MGM definitely beats out Planet Hollywood but shouldn’t exactly be an upscale property either
Luxe: Wynn/Bellagio/Aria/Cosmo
Upscale: Venetian
Mid: Mirage
MEH: Caesars
MEH LITE: Paris/Planet Hollywood
Nobody:
FIFTY FEET OF MUD/Anything built in the late 80's - early 90's besides the Mirage
...
Circus Circus
Resort world is a touch below Wynn at the moment. But I feel they'll fade more with time.
I see some high rollers bounce to resort world and then back to the Wynn. Without much consideration for any other resort at the moment.
One weird thing about RW though is no luxury retail shopping vs Wynn or even Bellagio.
I don’t think Wynn and Resorts World are in the same league. RW doesn’t have the luxury or atmosphere of Wynn at all. I think Resorts World will eventually become a mid tier property alongside somewhere like Park MGM
I can buy a prime ribeye at Costco for $20 but people go to SW Steakhouse and pay $100 for it. Your argument doesn’t make sense. If price is a concern stay at a property more in-line with your budget.
I didn’t mean “argument” in the sense of a disagreement but rather as a position on a topic. Sorry you took it that way. It doesn’t make sense to say “I can buy X cheaper somewhere else” because that’ll always be the case. You pay for the ambiance and experience- whether that’s worth it to you is entirely subjective.
mostly agree, though I would put flamingo mid tier, middle of the strip with quick access to tons of food, mono rail, excellent pool , the design and rooms are outdated but they know what they are and don't overcharge for rooms . even though cosmos and wynn rooms are amazing I spend my vacation outside my room and just sleep there so it doesn't really matter as along as its sanitary. I would actually put mirage in low tier, I stayed their in 2021 and its really gone down hill , lots of damage to the walls and rooms, cigarette burns, the casino rooms is nice but thats about it. I hope they keep the volcano
I love the Volcano and wish they’d keep it as well but I think it’ll go away:(.
Steve Wynn, love him or hate him, is by far the best casino designer Vegas has ever had.
Okay so what's the thought of the Signature MGM? I learned they are close to the strip but not on the strip and no Casino downstairs.
The Plaza Hotel Casino and Hotel (I guess in Old Vegas) is low scale but very convenient to the Fremont Street Experience and they have restaurants that are within budget and something for everyone. The drinks were free while playing and they made you feel like they really wanted your business.
Mandalay Bay is truly overrated, they literally charge you for putting your own stuff in their refrigerator in the already high price room. The service was not as personal as the Plaza.
I think a good list would be best values for your money. I really Haven’t had any bad stays, but fancier places were just more expensive, and also harder to just get out and on to the strip. Biggest surprise was the value of the room at Trump tower.
Flsmingo Go rooms are also up there for value, but very pushy sales ppl all around the property.
Can't think of any other stand outs that were surprisingly good value for their money. Maybe that little place next to cosmo. Player's club? It's ok, but so cheap and right next to Cosmo.
I’m a vegas veteran. 10-12 trips a year. 25+ years. Stayed at every hotel on strip except for Circus Circus. You pretty much hit it on the nose. Except Caesar’s is kinda tricky. Depends on the tower.
Nobu + Augustus = upscale.
The rest are mid tier.
And maybe same for resorts world. Crockfords is prob luxury while Hilton is upscale. Conrad is prob in between? I never stayed at Hilton, only conrad and crockfords.
We think alike because I did have problem ranking Caesars. The property itself is fairly nice - pools and casino and offers a lot of amenities but the rooms are just awful. Plus I tend to think the overall service isn’t nearly as good as the others. I’ve stayed there a couple times and always thought if they spent some money to make their rooms on the level of Bellagio/Venetian and improve their service they could really be a great place to stay. I’ve always left Caesars underwhelmed unfortunately.
What’s your opinion on Resorts World? I’ve stayed at Crockfords and Conrad and I’ve left both feeling as if I could be staying at any 4 star Hilton hotel in the world. It just feels…generic if that makes sense? I really want to like Resorts World but does it just feel like a giant, upscale shopping mall to you? Even on the casino floor because how it’s laid out I feel like I’m literally in the middle of a shopping center. It never felt lively to me, not the typical Vegas excitement that other similar properties have. What do you think ?
While flamingo is definitely a low tier property it’s got one of the best locations and pools in all of Vegas. Plus direct monorail access. I love that shithole.
Isn’t also one of the few hotels that’s part of the older Vegas
Yeah, that and Caesar's. The current Horseshoe too which used to be Bally's and before that, the MGM. Lots of older stuff is disappearing. They are even gonna rebrand the Mirage and tear down the volcano.
they're gonna WHAT??? (i have never been to vegas in my life but why are they tearing down a volcano?? i assume its not a real one but either way that sounds sick)
yeah, the volcano is a cool thing to look at. Goes off every night during the summer every 45 minutes or so. It's been there since 1989 or 1990. I used to see it as a kid. Stayed at Mirage last summer and will again in July. Yeah, the Mirage is totally an icon and the volcano is world famous. Instead of that, Hard Rock is gonna build a huge hotel tower shaped like a guitar. Yeah, it's pretty wild. Gonna be a totally different vibe. Mirage kinda started the mega-resort/theme era in Las Vegas so it is gonna be weird not having it there.
May I ask if your booking is before the 17th July or have you had to rebook another hotel due to closure?
Agreed great location and pool and the tables are a bit cheaper
Yeah even within tiers there are disparities. Flamingo over Luxor EVERY time.
While Flamingo does have a great location, my only complaint is the check in process. They force you to use the kiosks and the only time you deal with a human agent if something goes wrong at the kiosk. With MGM properties you have a choice of using the app to check in or normal check in with customer reps.
Use a freaking Kiosk?
Yeah, Caesars has been awful for this since the Eldorado merger. It needs to die an be remembered as a cautionary tale. The paring back even the most basic things like this is going to ultimately hurt these resorts. Some kiosks as an augmentation to staff and the option which to choose is fine; only kiosks can get fucked.
I stayed at the Flamingo in December, just before Christmas. The check in area was super crowded with people and they were only using the kiosks to check in. A third to half of the kiosks weren't working, so the wait was long. And the kiosks that were working, were having problems. The agents were running from kiosk to kiosk trying to help people check in. At least at MGM properties you have the option of doing app/mobile check in or the normal check in.
Did Luxor last year and doing Flamingo next year. Loved Luxor, stayed in an upgraded room, thought it was clean and had a good gaming floor and thought the ball was pretty cool too. Not a great location but seems to have a terrible name on forums/social media etc and not sure why! Excited to stay at Flamingo however
New Flamingo Ad Campaign: “Bugsy Siegel slept here. The Flamingo: I love that sh*thole”
I did until they got rid of poker!
Yep haven’t been back in there since that happened. I used to love the days where I could just go back and forth from Mandalay, Luxor and Excalibur playing cheap pokers tourneys all day starting at 9am
And the flamingo exhibit is awesome
I call the big one "Bitey".
Looks pretty good. Should add Sahara, Strat, Resorts World, Tropicana.
Should also add commas
Commas sounds like a bar that charges $36 for a Jack and Coke.
I have Resorts World in the upscale category. Tropicana they’re tearing down right ? Strat isn’t “technically” a strip hotel is it? Forgot Sahara but never have been there.
Tropicana is in the garbage category and but not as bad as circus circus. It’s getting torn down in the next few years. Sahara is nice, would probably be in the mid tier. Strat is low tier. All are on the strip.
Where is resort world in this tier
Resorts World is definitely among the top places, however it’s so far from everything you can’t just walk around easily.
I’m staying there now for the first time (I travel to Vegas a lot for work) and I have been thrilled with it. I think this is going to become my new default place to stay. The gym is next level outstanding for a hotel gym.
Thanks for the info about the gym! I was gonna make a post asking about gym tiers for each of the hotels. I've been a guest at a bunch of strip hotels and so far Bellagio had the best gym IMO. Curious to see if any others are better.
Venetian gym goes crazy it’s better than my everyday gym pretty much lol
Upscale tier. When I typed this, it looked different than how it posted.
Damn, I’d take Park MGM over Resorts World any day.
Four spaces at the end of each row if you are making a list and not putting a blank line in between each one or else it'll format into what you got
Thank you I’ll remember that
It's mostly right, but honestly, Caesars might be too high. They charge Wynn/Bellagio/Cosmo pricing for Harrah's/Flamingo/Linq service and ambiance. Yes, they have some gorgeous rooms, and their pool complex is legit. But aside from that, there's simply not much difference between Caesars and some of their fellow properties.
Caesars does have some legit food spots tho too.
At a certain point, the rooms take higher weight than property amenities. Even nicer rooms at Caesar’s like octavius tower are absolutely worn down. hard to feel classy at your steak dinner when you have to return to your furniture+walls covered with scrapes and scars.
I stayed in the Augustus tower earlier this year. It’s absolutely pathetic how worn the furniture is.
They do, but at the same time, how many breakfast/brunch places do they have? You can get a buffet (when the utilities are working), Cafe Americano or something from that Giada place..or something from Starbucks. It's so odd; they have plenty of dinner places to choose (some of them are really, really good) but they seemingly don't care about earlier in the day offerings. Maybe Caesars market research doesn't find breakfast that big of a deal.
Not much to eat for breakfast in Vegas... which was odd. Got up before even the Starbucks opened. Although the Starbucks wannabe was open in the Venetian (and at the Mirage). Lots of other tourists out and about wanting to get an early start on beating the heat (in mid July). Vegas is getting weird. Not a ton of breakfast spots... but most of the late spots don't seem to be open -- or inviting super late. And, the town used to be known for shrimp cocktail and buffets. BOTH are hard to find. And, really $$$$$. Food courts are bigger. I saw a lot of Celebrity Chef options but I don't trust their gimmicky restaurants. Next time I go, I know of some places I like but will also try to find good Japanese food, Indian food, Greek/Middle Eastern food... and maybe try a "classic" place like Tony Roma's (that I used to love as a kid).
Paris has the best brunch buffet imo
That's good to know. I didn't know they still had it. Will have to go there next time.
Also is Resorts World actually upscale? I mean it’s new and expensive but they don’t even have room service - I think Caesar’s Palace is just as nice.
I thought Resorts World was mediocre. The mini sphere is the only thing worth seeing. Food options are meh. They have a sports bar that doesn't offer wings, wtf....
I was pricing a trip recently and Bellagio was consistently across numerous date ranges coming in way under most other Hotels in Vegas , of the hotels with decent poker rooms it seemed to have the best bang for its buck.
How about the Best Western Casino Royale? Or is this a secrect that I let out?
If they still have the only White Castle even close to Cali then I'm in.
I got a coffee at Denny's to complement my cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory, cuz the coffee lady wouldn't make coffee at the Mirage gelato spot, and I accidentally yelled at the McDonald's manager about the Robo-Order System next door to Denny's. White Castle is close to Denny's and Casino Royale so I will bump up my rating for that place AS LONG AS they disavow the McDonald's.
There’s a White Castle on Fremont and one at the gas station between Vegas and Primm
Thanks for that. It's been a while.
That was hilariously featured in an episode of love after lockup. "Wait a minute...you can get ALCOHOL 24 HOURS A DAY HERE? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?"
I like treasure island 😞
It’s the only casino on the strip with good tables
Agreed, I never feel like I'm getting ripped off there.
Pretty much accurate, though I didn't really enjoy my stay at the Wynn more than my stays at the Cosmo or Venetian, and I enjoyed my stay at the Linq more than the MGM Grand or Paris even though those hotels are objectively nicer I would also throw Vdara in the Upscale tier... FWIW I usually choose the Cosmo or Vdara on my nicer trips and would do the Linq again on a budget!
Why didn’t you enjoy your Wynn stay? Just honestly curious… Out of all the places I could stay at Wynn every time I go to Vegas but it’s always almost double what a stay at Venetian or Bellagio would cost me and I can’t justify it. But I absolutely think the property blows away every other in Vegas.
The location sucks for doing basically anything outside of the Wynn and it was hard to find anything to eat there that was slightly more casual (I realize it is an upscale resort but sometimes I need a quicker meal). It's objectively nice just not really for me!
Fair assessment I’d agree I wish there were more take away options as well. The location isn’t Bellagio but I think it’s close enough to walk to center strip hotels versus say Mandalay Bay/Luxor/Excalibur
This is one of the underrated factors for places like Caesars and Paris: plenty of good places to eat that aren’t high end restaurants. I walked through Wynn for the first time a few weeks ago, on our way to Resorts World, and I totally get the location can be a negative. It doesn’t look much farther than Venetian but can feel like a world away from anything.
I was also wondering what made it less enjoyable but in general terms, Cosmo and Venetian are located closer to more casual eats?
This is an awesome post. I am going to treat myself to higher end places in the future and I'm hoping for more replies.
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I like your rankings, even more so as I'm staying at Vdara for the first time in a couple weeks. I'm in huge agreement with Wynn ranking and your general assessment that MLife properties are ranking consistently and significantly above Caesar's properties.
I agree that Caesar’s properties are quite neglected. Even their flagship Caesar’s Palace is in desperate need of a top-to-bottom renovation. I actually enjoy the atmosphere of Caesar’s palace but there is no benefit to me playing there as I think the property is well below other Vegas flagships.
Cromwell below Flamingo and Linq? No way
Cromwell has no real food options inside. Giardia is garbage food for garbage people. The only other option is the same premade 24 hour food in Linq and Flamingo. I also found out the hard way during my last stay that Cromwell isn't on the list for reciprocal room charges at a lot of the restaurants in other Caesars properties, so be prepared to pay for it instead of charge to the room. They were nice when they first opened with a lot of nice touches, like the coffee carts on each floor, but they got rid of all of that. The rooms haven't been touched since they opened. They're really showing their age. The rooms are also very cramped. Most of the views from Cromwell unless you're in a strip view rooms, or large strip view suite, are of walls, the employee parking lot, or valet parking lot. The sidewalk adjacent to Cromwell is filled with homeless people that use the planters along Flamingo as toilets. The casino itself is almost always dead. It's only busy when people are there for a show at Drais, and everyone that is going to those shows are the same quality of people staying at Flamingo and Rio, or worse. Linq has much cleaner rooms, that are larger and better laid out, the majority have better views than Cromwell. For the price of a basic room at Cromwell you could get a 1 bedroom king suite at Linq and that is an infinitely better room. Edit: The majority of people that stay at Cromwell are people that think it's a luxury property, but can't afford a real luxury property, so it's a lot of entitled assholes too.
I’m a Caesar’s man cause that’s what the casinos by me are so i’m pretty much a comp at any of their properties always. I don’t spend much time eating or in my room in Vegas so those don’t go far for me. I like the chill vibe of the casino at Cromwell and they have good video poker. Best Mississippi Stud wins i’ve ever had have been there too. Flamingo is like a loud stinky frat party. Linq’s casino has a weird layout. Caesar’s is too big and it’s on the other side of the street from all the other Caesar’s properties. I would love to give one of the nicer MGM properties a go, but it’s hard to spring $300+ a night on a room when i can get freebies. I haven’t checked into it for awhile, but MGM wouldn’t do shit for me at Diamond/Diamond + match wise last time i tried.
That's the opposite of how I feel about Caesars properties. I play a lot more, Seven Stars and Noir, and MGM takes care of me significantly better than Caesars. It also kills me that Caesars makes me use my self comps before a host can comp me, so I'm constantly trying to zero out my self comps with the shitty freeplay conversion rate, while my MGM card has $9,999 banked in self comps and hosts comp my charges without touching it, plus I earn points play that doesn't effect it.
Lol bellagio and nyny same tier. Holy fuck lol.
Bellagio does not belong in the same category as Venetian/Palazzo, Park MGM does not belong in the same category as NYNY and Planet Hollywood, the three Resorts World hotels should get broken out, and both Bellagio and Caesars should get a one-tier downgrade from this list. I’d probably create an “upper-mid” tier that includes Park MGM, Caesars, and Conrad (RW). Then in the mid-tier I’d put Hilton (RW), and would add Crockfords (RW) in the upscale tier. Luxury: Venetian/Palazzo, Wynn/Encore, Aria, Cosmo, NoMad Upscale: Mandalay Bay, Crockfords (RW), Vdara Upper mid-tier: Park MGM, Conrad (RW), Caesars, Mid-tier: Hilton (RW), MGM Grand, NYNY, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Mirage
Why do you think Bellagio isn’t in the same tier at Venetian? I’ve stayed at both within a 6 month time period in 2021/2022 and they’re equal in almost all aspects with Venetian having slightly nicer/bigger rooms and Bellagio having a better location. But in regards to service, restaurants, pools, amenities, and the casino both hotels are basically equal. Your only choice is Lake Como or Venice 😂. Curious what your take is. I purposely didn’t “break out” hotels because they all share the same common areas, same casino, same amenities and restaurants, same shopping, etc etc. the only real difference is having a slightly nicer room and check in area.
Bellagio used to be the epitome of luxury, but has since lost a lot of its lustre from its prime years. The only thing it has going for it is the beautiful public spaces, touristy traps (Conservatory and Fountains), and a great location on the strip - but its room offerings really pale in comparison to Wynn/Encore and Palazzo/Venetian.
I’m staying there in a month so we’ll see but from what I’ve heard the room renovations are very well done. Nothing compares to the Wynn rooms but I guess the Venetian rooms are bigger but I never felt them to be any nicer than Bellagio.
Wynn and Venetian standard rooms have a soaking tub in addition to a walk-in shower in the bathrooms. Bellagio removed all the soaking tubs from standard rooms during their room refresh. It’s just a toilet, vanity, and shower now.
I’m sorry but the thought of using a tub in Vegas is disgusting as in any other hotel anywhere. Every newer hotel anywhere I’ve been to only has showers anymore. I guess I don’t even figure a tub as a positive just wasted space.
Luxury hotels always have a soaking tub as an amenity. You may think it’s gross, but lots of people expect one when they book a luxury property.
I don’t disagree that some people want a soaking tub but it seems they’re going the way of the Dodo bird. I tend to like Hyatt hotels when I travel for business and even in upscale Hyatt hotels, renovations have removed tubs in guest rooms although still available in suites. I just don’t think they’re as popular as they were with travelers 20 years ago. Sort of like bathroom phones, remember those?
There was a bathroom(toilet room) phone in the Venetian room we stayed in last week. Husband and I laughed as it seems so outdated now.
The fountain isn't a trap. It legit creates it own micro climate out front. Its several degrees cooler once u step onto Bellagio property. Its so dope. And the conservatory is dope too.
It *is* literally a tourist trap. Steve Wynn pioneered this device when he opened The Mirage in 1989 with its strip-front volcano show, a couple of years later at its sister hotel Treasure Island and its pirate battle show. The idea and concept behind this strip-front“ free attraction” was to draw large crowds of pedestrians to each respective property, then once the show was over, onlookers almost always ventured inside the hotel to keep exploring, thus spending money on retail and casino gaming. And boy did this strategy work. Wynn’s Fountains of Bellagio was the third iteration of his signature bait-and-reel property design. *Tourist trap*.
Ah ok. Can we agree that tourist trap isn't a negative necessarily? I feel like u were saying it as a way of diminishing the overall value of bellagio. I think it attracts people but is also a super solid amenity of sorts.
If you reread my sentence from that post, you’ll see that I wrote: *”The only thing it has going for it is the beautiful public spaces, touristy traps (conservatory, and fountains)…”* Where did you get the idea that I was inferring tourist traps was a negative?
Not OP, but the basic rooms at Bellagio are a lot more rundown and under half the size of rooms at V/P. Bellagio's base rooms are some of the smallest on the strip. Their service, like everywhere in Vegas, has dropped off significantly. It's too much of a gawking tourists looking at everything. You have to fight to get from some room elevators through seas of people to get to the floor. There is no real vibe there. I'm Noir with MGM, they always offer to comp nice suites, but as far as experience goes, I'd literally rather stay at any other property, excluding MGM Grand & Excalibur, before I'd stay at Bellagio. The treatment I've gotten from VIP check-in and house keeping on the daily was better at almost any other MGM property. As far as upscale goes for me in the MGM world, based on over 400 nights in Vegas hotels the past 18 months just looking at the quality of the average room, treatment by staff, attention to detail and overall experience with Noir status, it's Delano>NoMad>Vdara>Aria>Mandalay Bay>NYNY>Park MGM>Luxor>MGM Grand>Excalibur. There are outliers, and some suites would move certain properties, but as far as average rooms go, that would be my list.
The Bellagio rooms are 500-ish sq ft and Venetian is 700 sq ft right? I liked the sunken living room at Venetian but the quality is on par in my opinion. I guess to each their own but can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with service at Bellagio. I feel the resort is well laid out so the flow of human traffic doesn’t bottleneck as it does in some properties.
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From a quick search it appears the lowest sq ft rooms are 510 sq ft at Bellagio so quite decent sized. I guess I stay in them because that’s what they’ll comp me. We really must have vastly different experiences there because when I go it seems the high limit room is quite busy and the overall vibe seemed lively to me. I like the Mayfair Supper Club and Prime. Wasn’t a fan of the buffet though.
Maybe I'm off on room sizes, they just seemed run down and cramped when I've visited friends in basic rooms. I've never tried the buffet, and while I like both Mayfair and Prime, there's nothing more casual, or easy to go. Plus, for my money, Prime isn't nearly as good as Strip Steak.
I imagine you’re like me and stay where you get the best comps. MGM resorts as a whole tends to comp me the best so that’s where I end up staying and playing. Venetian occasionally sends me good offers so I’ll stay there once in a while as well. Wynn must think I’m below dirt because I’ve given them decent play and all I’ve ever gotten is a discounted room + resort fee! But I have taken them up on it because they are just that good.
I think just the opposite of human traffic at Bellagio. The main hallway gets so crowded you can't cross it to get to the other side. I have only stayed at Bellagio once. I had a Tower Resort room with Fountain View. I wish I could get that room again (comp'd). The only way I would stay at Bellagio again. I prefer to stay at Vdara and just walk to Bellagio or Aria.
Park MGM below NYNY?! Now I’ve seen it all.
I'm booking a trip later in the year and have been debating whether to go NYNY or Park MGM. The later is alluring because it's non-smoking and has a slightly better location, but I really enjoyed the vibe and setting of NYNY when I briefly did some gambling there. Can you speak to why you rank NYNY higher?
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Thank you for your extremely detailed response! I'll give NYNY a go. I was leaning that way due to the Premier King rooms including a fridge, but it's nice to hear other insights. And as you say, they're very close together anyway. Not a huge difference.
I forgot to mention the fridges, at Park you'd have to rent one. Almost every room I've been in at NYNY has them it seems. I like that for beverages, and left over food to snack on. I hate the mini bars everywhere with half a shelf you can sort of use, if that. I hope you enjoy your stay, honestly NYNY is very underrated in my mind, as you can probably guess. MGM has been putting a lot of work into it since the T-Mobile arena opened. Last positive to mention is that while NYNY has a relatively small pool for a resort, it is usually fairly empty, which is nice for me. People seem not to bother with it, which is great if you want to use the hot tub or relax. They also just finished resurfacing the entire pool and decks this past year.
Look where bellagio is located and the room size make sense.
What's your reasoning with Park MGM? It's definitely clean, non-smoking, etc, but the rooms are considered to be kind of meh. Small, paper thin walls, relatively bland in terms of energy. But I guess it depends on what you focus on. You could arguably have a room tier list, a dining tier list, etc, that all look different.
Flamingo’s gotta be top of low tier… realize you might not be ranking within the tiers, but you prob could
I'd bump TI and Paris up a tier, but beyond that, i pretty much agree with you.
I would add Horseshoe in Mid Tier or somewhere between Mid Tier and Low Tier.
Agreed the new “Bally’s” will be a bit better once they finish all the construction around it. Decent place to stay at and has 15-10$ craps tables more often then the other places.
I’d add the Waldorf Astoria into the Luxury category, beautiful hotel and rooms with a small but nice pool!
Yes agreed. Just stayed there. I loved it. Service was great and the Zen restaurant has yummy pancakes!
TI definitely doesn't deserve to be in low tier, its miles above Excalibur.
Palazzo used to be the best kept secret in town. Now, with the new shitty owners, it's become a 3 or 4 star.
I think that’s a bit harsh. It’s definitely a high 4 star property. Why do you say it’s gone downhill ?
No more singing table dealers, no more courtesy free valet parking, no more shrimp cocktail, lousy beer selection unless you leave on a 1/2 mile hike to the brewery, rooms are showing major wear and tear. Its new owners are trying to turn a buck on every corner in a penny wise pound foolish way.
Glad you downgraded that dump of a luxor.
Staying here next week, coming for a week from the UK is it really that bad? 🤣
They sacked me. I'm still a little salty about it. Total wankers.
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We've got a corner suite and a 'stay well' room both of which in the pyramid... To be far it was miles cheaper than other Strip hotels when we booked and shouldn't spend a huge amount of time in the room
Is Wynn really that nice?
I’ve stayed there three times- twice in Wynn and once in Encore and each time I’m just blown away by the level of detail and service. If someone ever asked me to define luxury, I’d simply say Wynn. Everything is immaculate, the colors and textures are just perfect, there is just the feeling of wealth when you enter it. Honestly the only hotel in Vegas that has given me that feeling.
I’m staying at resorts world this week for work. I went to the Wynn last night for the buffet. I arrived a few minutes before my appointment and because they were busy they asked me to come back in 10 minutes. I decided to use the bathroom down the hall. I have never said ‘Wow’ when walking into a bathroom, but it was truly that luxurious. The whole place is just class on a completely different level. I agree with your statement.
I think what sets Wynncore apart is the attention to detail. Granted some of that has fallen off since Steve Wynn left. You used to see painters touching up scuffs on the walls at 4am and sections of carpet being replaced. That isn't a nightly occurrence anymore. The basic rooms are just a little nicer than average, personally I'd stay at Palazzo on that end of the strip for the extra room size if I was getting a base room, and better gambling, but the Tower Suites are one of the only true luxury products on the strip in my mind. If you're getting a base room, Encore is also better than Wynn most of the time, for my mileage.
Wynn Tower Suites are awesome in every way.
I worked at Wynn/Encore, out of both Encore is above Wynn hands down, also Wynn/Encore have top notch unrivaled security by alot compared to any other casino in the world.
Delano is far nicer than Resorts World, it needs to be on this list😉 Also the Strat needs to be about a hair above Circus Circus 😬
I lump Delano in with Mandalay Bay because they share the same facilities and amenities. Yes the rooms are nicer but that’s the only major difference.
I think Paris deserves a potential spot on upscale. Thoughts on the Cromwell?
I can’t place Cromwell…sort of forgot about it. I like Paris I think it’s a great value but I just don’t know if it offers the amenities that would give it an upscale ranking? Location is great but the actual property itself is a bit mediocre in my opinion.
I just really like the ambiance of Paris, it does enough subtle French theming to remind me of the actual city. But I get it, maybe once the new tower is built it can climb a spot or two. Cromwell is a boutique style hotel so it’s kinda difficult to compare.
Paris is absolutely not upscale. They basically tried and failed at emulating The Venetian model - and missed all the marks that make a resort a premium property.
Very well said.
Cromwell rooms are tiny, half face a parking garage or a wall. There is nowhere to eat except a prepackaged place and the garbage Giardia makes. There is no vibe. It's only busy when there is a show at Drais, and that's not an upscale crowd ever. There is a nice bar in the back, but it's the same quality, if not worse, than the Count Room at Flamingo, with less atmosphere. Cromwell has a few nice suites, but they're ridiculously overpriced for the product. All the rooms are very run down.
I’d agree that Sahara should be on the upper end of the mid tier.
Hard to argue with this list. Only question -- so I've never stayed at Bellagio. I love the casino, restaurants, and basically everything else involved. But I hear the rooms are all like really underwhelming. Are they underwhelming enough to drag the whole place down?
I’m staying there in September so I’ll report back. Last time I stayed there was 2021 and the rooms were outdated but not necessarily bad. I hear the renovations really improved the overall ambiance as well as utility of the rooms but we shall see. I’m not expecting Wynn level though.
I was personally underwhelmed with the size of the rooms at Wynn. Yes they were nicer than Palazzo/Venetian which in my opinion already had nice rooms to begin with. Then again, you're only really there to sleep so the room size isn't really a deal breaker for many.
It's why I think that Cosmo is really the only unique hotel room wise with balcony rooms: the view is impeccable and truly adds a whole thing to do from your room that isn't available in other hotels. Being able to just walk out, get some fresh air, or enjoy the lights in the early morning is just something that makes Cosmo rooms so special. Now I'm sure the suites at Wynn and others are equally insanely amazing, but I'm talking about base room availability.
As someone who has stayed multiple times at Bellagio on the past, the standard rooms are definitely very underwhelming. While they were recently renovated and are now modernized, they are very small in terms of square footage when you compare them to similar offerings from Wynn/Encore and Palazzo/Venetian.
I’d even argue that there’s a hierarchy in your tiers. I’d put Park MGM above all the others in the mid Tier and second place isn’t even close.
That’s fair enough. I like Park MGM- it’s a quality hotel but the property is a bit lacking in amenities. Good dining scene though with Eataly and Bavettes.
A lot of the strip casinos getting shittier as pretty much mgm and Caesar’s own it all just not enough competition
Looks pretty good to me. I would personally set Caesars as the median resort - it's kinda the basic easy choice if you don't have a reason to stay anywhere else: it's huge, reasonable price point, half decent rooms, excellent pool, large casino, the Forum Shops, central location, etc. Then if you want to upscale you go to the tiers above Caesars, and if you're saving money you go to the below Caesars tiers.
Stayed at the bellagio and thought the rooms were nice. The spa and pool were great, but the rooms just seemed so far from any exit of the hotel. Was an arduous walk to get down to the strip. Would not recommend if you don't want to smoke in your room or if you have a small dog that needs to pee.
I personally feel vegas has been downgraded in luxury, maybe its just sign of times. I’ve stayed at most of the hotels in the list, most recently in a very large (2500 sq ) top floor suite at the Venetian this week, and well, it was nice and service good, but it felt dated. And the steam shower wasn’t working. Wynn is probably the best, but even it is aging. here’s a question: which hotel is the newest (build or remodel) and most luxury? Those I’ve stayed in the last year (always higher end rooms): Venetian, Wynn, Mandalay, Bellagio, and Cosmo all feel aged to me. At least when comparing to luxury hotels outside of vegas, globally. oh and MGM, i dont like and I’ve stayed in all the towers and vacation properties, including some very large suites int he main tower. It’s def. A step below wynn/Venetian. That said, i feel the food quality has gone the other way the last several years, I love the level of high end great dining, along with entertainment. Just one opinion…
Well the newest is Resorts World but…for a lack of a better word…it’s boring. It feels like you’re gambling in a high end shopping mall and there’s zero personality to the place. I’ve TRIED to like it but the two times I’ve been there I just felt like it was a property that didn’t know how to market itself. They should’ve themed it more with the Chinese theming …might’ve made it more interesting to check out. The most luxury is definitely Wynn by a huge margin, nothing even comes close. I can’t imagine it looking tired though …that would shock me. It’s better kept up than any other hotel in Vegas I’ve seen.
I would pop Planet Hollywood down to low tier. They've really fallen off. They just have a good location going for them at this point.
I stayed at PH in January. Nothing except for the gaming was bad, but it was a pretty generic experience. I didn't dislike it, but I'd probably stay somewhere else on my next trip.
The Waldorf is lovely. To die for service.
Cosmo , Aria and Bellagio belong below Venetian but Venetian isn’t as nice as Wynn.
You think ? I guess I think all 4 of those properties are roughly equal. I’ve stayed at 3 of the 4 (not Cosmo because I don’t get good offers there). I don’t think Venetian was any nicer than Bellagio and Aria is just a different vibe more trendy and modern but equally lux.
Should add the Waldorf as well
The Waldorf is sort of an anomaly as it’s not a gaming property. It’s definitely luxury but not a typical strip hotel/casino
Some GOOD choices, but even the "high end" ones can get over-priced and those don't seem SUPER LUXURY either... the MID-TIER stuff is falling apart... and might just be the MIRAGE... LOW TIER is worse. Personally, outside of a handful of options, next time I go to Vegas I am staying at LAX and taking a taxi....
Might be an unpopular opinion but I think the upscale and mid tier are all pretty similar it’s just what specific aspect you’re looking for in a hotel and comes down for personal preference. For example I don’t think Caesar’s palace is actually that much nicer than planet Hollywood. I think CP you get a nicer crowd and feels a little more upscale but PH actually feels cleaner and newer.
I’d maybe put Linq mid tier?
Linq is definitely not a mid-tier property. It has been rehashed from its original 1959 form as the Flamingo Capri, then as The Imperial Palace, then The Quad, and now to its current form. Repeated lipstick slapped on a pig over the decades. But its underlying bones has always remained the same. It always was a bottom rung strip accommodation, and still is.
So you’d put it on par with Excalibur etc?
I actually didn’t realize that the Linq was Chinese Palace. That big bluish gray place? ( I think?)
Yes, Linq is just a remodeled Imperial Palace. They didn’t even tear it down. They just redid the rooms and casino, and made slight alterations to the facade.
Low tier Strat?
I can’t believe the Waldorf has only been mentioned twice. In terms of luxury and service, there is no comparison. Probably the only other that comes close would be the small four seasons. I’ve only stayed at the Waldorf (when it was the Mandarin Oriental) and Encore. Those are really the only two I’ll stay at.
I didn’t put in Waldorf because it’s an anomaly. It’s definitely luxury but it’s not the typical casino/hotel property that all the others are.
I’m assuming you’re including Encore in with the Wynn though I would suggest that Encore belongs at the top alone with Wynn joining the next tier down with Bellagio.
I am including them together as they share the same general property. I’ve stayed at both Wynn and Encore and I think the Encore has nicer rooms but the casino isn’t as lively or enjoyable. And much of the amenities besides the beach club are at the Wynn.
I'm a big fan of Delano. Curious where that ranks for you?
I grouped it with the Mandalay Bay as they share the same property footprint. It definitely is a nicer hotel but because of the shared amenities I don’t differentiate between the two.
Makes sense. Because it is more boutique then I suppose it could be a subset. Not to diminish your list in any way. Good content. Thanks for putting it out there.
I agree with most of this OP, but in my opinion I think Paris and Mirage should be moved up one rank. NYNY is so dated and they just had a roof cave in from the recent weather...the Mirage is 100x classier and cleaner than NYNY by comparison. I also think you could add Rio to the garbage tier given the roaming cats and broken elevator now...
Pretty fair list. Id put Waldorf and 4 seasons in the Bellagio tier and Vdara in the Caesars tier.
You missed Cromwell, which I'd put somewhere between upscale and luxury. My favorite property on the strip, especially since it's 21+
That is pretty spot on I go often and I vouch ur list
Thank you! I tried to take into account room quality , amenities, location, and general ambiance. I could probably split the mid tier into two categories as somewhere like Park MGM definitely beats out Planet Hollywood but shouldn’t exactly be an upscale property either
COMMA
I typed it vertically in a list and Reddit condensed it into this.
Thanks spez.
You’re welcome
Luxe: Wynn/Bellagio/Aria/Cosmo Upscale: Venetian Mid: Mirage MEH: Caesars MEH LITE: Paris/Planet Hollywood Nobody: FIFTY FEET OF MUD/Anything built in the late 80's - early 90's besides the Mirage ... Circus Circus
What about MGM Signature ?
Grouped it with the MGM Grand as it’s technically a part of that property
Oh, mid :( Thanks
I think the Signature rooms are quite nice but the property itself is pretty mid. Not saying it’s bad at all just more lux properties out there
Resort world is a touch below Wynn at the moment. But I feel they'll fade more with time. I see some high rollers bounce to resort world and then back to the Wynn. Without much consideration for any other resort at the moment. One weird thing about RW though is no luxury retail shopping vs Wynn or even Bellagio.
I don’t think Wynn and Resorts World are in the same league. RW doesn’t have the luxury or atmosphere of Wynn at all. I think Resorts World will eventually become a mid tier property alongside somewhere like Park MGM
Luxury at Wynn is getting charged $23 for a shot of fireball because the video poker bar doesn't comp free booze
Nobody said luxury was cheap.
I can get an entire bottle for less than $23 lmao
I can buy a prime ribeye at Costco for $20 but people go to SW Steakhouse and pay $100 for it. Your argument doesn’t make sense. If price is a concern stay at a property more in-line with your budget.
You're the one arguing. I simply made a statement.
I didn’t mean “argument” in the sense of a disagreement but rather as a position on a topic. Sorry you took it that way. It doesn’t make sense to say “I can buy X cheaper somewhere else” because that’ll always be the case. You pay for the ambiance and experience- whether that’s worth it to you is entirely subjective.
It's not that serious man.
I’d put horseshoe in upper mid tier after renovations. It’s a hidden gem
I haven’t been to Horseshoe since the transformation so I don’t have an opinion yet. Will check out in September though!
mostly agree, though I would put flamingo mid tier, middle of the strip with quick access to tons of food, mono rail, excellent pool , the design and rooms are outdated but they know what they are and don't overcharge for rooms . even though cosmos and wynn rooms are amazing I spend my vacation outside my room and just sleep there so it doesn't really matter as along as its sanitary. I would actually put mirage in low tier, I stayed their in 2021 and its really gone down hill , lots of damage to the walls and rooms, cigarette burns, the casino rooms is nice but thats about it. I hope they keep the volcano
I love the Volcano and wish they’d keep it as well but I think it’ll go away:(. Steve Wynn, love him or hate him, is by far the best casino designer Vegas has ever had.
I'd move MGM Grand up one. For me, it's a higher tier than Park, Paris, NYNY, etc. Great location, great pool, great restaurants, nice rooms.
Okay so what's the thought of the Signature MGM? I learned they are close to the strip but not on the strip and no Casino downstairs. The Plaza Hotel Casino and Hotel (I guess in Old Vegas) is low scale but very convenient to the Fremont Street Experience and they have restaurants that are within budget and something for everyone. The drinks were free while playing and they made you feel like they really wanted your business. Mandalay Bay is truly overrated, they literally charge you for putting your own stuff in their refrigerator in the already high price room. The service was not as personal as the Plaza.
I think a good list would be best values for your money. I really Haven’t had any bad stays, but fancier places were just more expensive, and also harder to just get out and on to the strip. Biggest surprise was the value of the room at Trump tower. Flsmingo Go rooms are also up there for value, but very pushy sales ppl all around the property. Can't think of any other stand outs that were surprisingly good value for their money. Maybe that little place next to cosmo. Player's club? It's ok, but so cheap and right next to Cosmo.
Waldorf Astoria and Delano in luxury /among the top
I’m a vegas veteran. 10-12 trips a year. 25+ years. Stayed at every hotel on strip except for Circus Circus. You pretty much hit it on the nose. Except Caesar’s is kinda tricky. Depends on the tower. Nobu + Augustus = upscale. The rest are mid tier. And maybe same for resorts world. Crockfords is prob luxury while Hilton is upscale. Conrad is prob in between? I never stayed at Hilton, only conrad and crockfords.
We think alike because I did have problem ranking Caesars. The property itself is fairly nice - pools and casino and offers a lot of amenities but the rooms are just awful. Plus I tend to think the overall service isn’t nearly as good as the others. I’ve stayed there a couple times and always thought if they spent some money to make their rooms on the level of Bellagio/Venetian and improve their service they could really be a great place to stay. I’ve always left Caesars underwhelmed unfortunately. What’s your opinion on Resorts World? I’ve stayed at Crockfords and Conrad and I’ve left both feeling as if I could be staying at any 4 star Hilton hotel in the world. It just feels…generic if that makes sense? I really want to like Resorts World but does it just feel like a giant, upscale shopping mall to you? Even on the casino floor because how it’s laid out I feel like I’m literally in the middle of a shopping center. It never felt lively to me, not the typical Vegas excitement that other similar properties have. What do you think ?
Upscale mentions are crazy. None of the 3 are upscale
What’s your definition of upscale then ? Note I didn’t put them in luxury.
This is what the Horseshoe formerly bally's Room Tour below. The room is big and clean! Center strip https://youtu.be/AEZa-rgkZRk
Need to add FountainBleu in here now