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Where to stay in Las Vegas

Where to stay in Las Vegas: the best areas

The South, Center and North Strip, Downtown and Fremont Street, Summerlin by Red Rock and Boulder City by Hoover Dam. Here is where to stay in Las Vegas, with honest advice on resort fees on top of the room price, staying near the Sphere and staying on or off the Strip without a car.

By the Things to Do in Las Vegas editorial team Hotels checked 24 October 2026

Compare the 6 areas
Las Vegas Strip resort towers on a clear day, seen from high up across palms and parking lots
Short answer

Stay on the Center Strip on a first visit to Las Vegas. You can walk to the Bellagio fountains and reach the rest of the Strip by monorail.

That is where to stay in Las Vegas for most visitors. Downtown suits a Fremont Street trip. Summerlin suits a Red Rock Canyon day, and Boulder City a Hoover Dam day. Every hotel we list scored 8.0 or higher on Booking.com on 24 October 2026.

Las Vegas neighborhoods for visitors

AreaBest forNearest sightsGetting around
Center Strip A first visit, the Bellagio fountains and walking between the big resorts The Bellagio fountains, the High Roller, the Eiffel Tower deck Monorail at Horseshoe/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace and Harrah’s/The LINQ
South Strip Big pools, families and Michael Jackson ONE or KÀ Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Luxor Monorail from MGM Grand; the Deuce bus along the Strip
North Strip The Convention Center, Wynn and the STRAT The STRAT tower, Magic Mike Live at SAHARA, the Convention Center Monorail at Westgate and SAHARA; the Deuce bus to Downtown
Downtown / Fremont Street Fremont Street, the free concerts and lower-key casinos The Fremont Street Experience and the Mob Museum The Deuce bus to and from the Strip (the monorail doesn’t go here)
Summerlin Red Rock Canyon, hiking and a quieter stay Red Rock Canyon, about 17 miles west of the Strip A car: the Strip and Red Rock are both a drive away
Boulder City Hoover Dam at opening time and Lake Mead Hoover Dam, Lake Mead A car: Hoover Dam is a short drive away

Area 1 of 6

Center Strip: the best base for a first visit

The Center Strip is the best base for a first visit. The Bellagio sits behind its famous fountains. GetAways at the Jockey Club is about 300 m from them.

The Carriage House has full kitchens or kitchenettes. The Best Western Plus Casino Royale has free parking and no resort fee, its listing says.

Getting around: the monorail stops at Horseshoe/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace and Harrah’s/The LINQ. A one-ride ticket costs $6.25, and a 1-day pass $15.50, the monorail’s site says.

Keep in mind
The big resorts are spread out, so plan for long walks between them
The Center Strip at night from above: lit resort towers, the Bellagio lake and the Eiffel Tower copy

Our picks in Center Strip

More hotels in Center Strip on Booking.com →

Booking.com has no page for this part of the Strip, so the link shows hotels along the whole Strip.

Area 2 of 6

South Strip: big resorts and the airport side

The South Strip is the best base for big resort pools. Mandalay Bay has a real sand beach, pools and a lazy river. The Four Seasons has its own rooms in the Mandalay Bay tower.

The Signature at MGM Grand is all suites, each with a kitchenette. Home2 Suites, south of the main Strip, has free parking and a year-round pool.

Getting around: the monorail starts at MGM Grand. The Deuce bus runs along the Strip day and night, RTC’s schedule says.

Keep in mind
The Center Strip is a ride away, not a short walk
The Luxor's dark glass pyramid against a pink sunset sky, palm trees and a monorail track in front

Our picks in South Strip

More hotels in South Strip on Booking.com →

Booking.com has no page for this part of the Strip, so the link shows hotels along the whole Strip.

Area 3 of 6

North Strip: Wynn, Resorts World and the STRAT

The North Strip is the best base for the Convention Center. Wynn Las Vegas has a spa and oasis-style pools. The Conrad shares the Resorts World casino, pools and 40-plus restaurants.

SAHARA has free parking and is five minutes by car from the Convention Center. The Residence Inn has full kitchens and a hot breakfast, near the monorail.

Getting around: the monorail ends at SAHARA. The Deuce bus goes on north to the STRAT and Downtown, RTC’s schedule says.

The STRAT hotel

The STRAT’s own hotel is not in our picks. Its Booking.com score was under 8.0 when we checked. The STRAT tower and its SkyPod are at the north end of the Strip too.

Keep in mind
The Center Strip shows are a ride away
The STRAT tower's observation pod seen from below by day, behind the fronds of a palm tree

Our picks in North Strip

More hotels in North Strip on Booking.com →

Booking.com has no page for this part of the Strip, so the link shows hotels along the whole Strip.

Area 4 of 6

Downtown and Fremont Street

Downtown is the best base for Fremont Street and its free concerts. Circa is an adults-only resort with a rooftop pool, at 8 Fremont Street. The Four Queens is right on Fremont Street, with no resort fee, its listing says.

The ENGLiSH Hotel and the AC Hotel in Symphony Park are quieter, with outdoor pools.

Getting around: the monorail doesn’t reach Downtown. The Deuce bus links the Strip and the Fremont Street Experience around the clock, RTC’s schedule says.

Keep in mind
The Strip is a bus or car ride away
The Fremont Street Experience LED canopy glowing red and white over the downtown street and its columns

Our picks in Downtown / Fremont Street

More hotels in Downtown / Fremont Street on Booking.com →

Area 5 of 6

Summerlin: for Red Rock Canyon

Summerlin is the best base for Red Rock Canyon. Red Rock is about 17 miles west of the Strip, roughly 30 minutes by car, the BLM says.

Red Rock Casino Resort and the JW Marriott both have a spa and a pool. The Hampton Inn and La Quinta include breakfast; La Quinta takes pets.

Getting around: plan on a car. From 1 October to 31 May, the Scenic Drive needs a timed-entry booking between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Keep in mind
You need a car here, and the Strip is a drive away
Orange-red sandstone boulders and cliffs in Red Rock Canyon, with desert shrubs below

Our picks in Summerlin

More hotels in Summerlin on Booking.com →

Area 6 of 6

Boulder City: for Hoover Dam

Sleep in Boulder City if you want Hoover Dam early in the day. The dam is about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the Bureau of Reclamation says, and Boulder City is on the way.

The Boulder Dam Hotel has its own museum and restaurant, about 11 km from the dam. The two motels have free parking or a pool, and the Best Western has an indoor pool.

Getting around: plan on a car. The Nevada-side garage at the dam costs $10 per car.

Keep in mind
Out of Las Vegas; you need a car
Hoover Dam's curved concrete wall in its canyon, seen from above, with Lake Mead behind

Our picks in Boulder City

More hotels in Boulder City on Booking.com →

Hotels near the Sphere

The Sphere is at 255 Sands Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89169, its own site says. To find a hotel near the Sphere, search Booking.com for that address and sort by distance.

We don’t name a "closest hotel": we found no source we trust for it. The Center and North Strip picks above are the nearest of our areas to check first.

Booked a show? Our guide to the Sphere Las Vegas explains the film and the tickets.

On or off the Strip

Stay on the Strip if you don’t want a car. The monorail and the Deuce bus cover it, and many sights are a walk away.

Stay off the Strip for Red Rock Canyon or Hoover Dam. There, a car makes life easy, and some hotels have free parking.

Driving on the Strip? Many resorts charge for parking. Caesars says its rates may go up at busy events and holidays.

Las Vegas hotel prices and resort fees

The room price you see should now include the resort fee. Since 12 May 2025, a rule from the FTC, the US consumer protection agency, says hotels must show the total price with mandatory fees up front.

The rule does not ban resort fees. Taxes can be left out of the headline price, but they must be shown before you pay.

Two of our picks say they charge no resort fee: the Best Western Plus Casino Royale and the Four Queens.

Our guide to Las Vegas hotel prices and other trip costs puts rooms next to food, shows and transport.

Hotels with big pools

For a big pool, look at Mandalay Bay, with its sand beach and lazy river, and Wynn, with its oasis-style pools. Circa has an adults-only rooftop pool Downtown.

Pools matter most from June to September. Normal highs then run from 95°F to 105°F (35–41°C), based on National Weather Service normals.

Where to stay in Las Vegas: questions and answers

Where is the best place to stay in Las Vegas?
For most visitors, the Center Strip. You can walk to the Bellagio fountains and take the monorail along the Strip. Downtown suits Fremont Street, and Summerlin and Boulder City suit day trips.

Where should I stay on the Las Vegas Strip?
Pick the Center Strip for a first visit, the South Strip for big pools, and the North Strip for the Convention Center. All three have monorail stations.

Which hotels are near the Sphere?
The Sphere is at 255 Sands Ave. Search Booking.com for that address and sort by distance. We don’t name a closest hotel, because we found no source for it.

Do Las Vegas hotels charge resort fees?
Many do. Since 12 May 2025, an FTC rule says hotels must show the total price with resort fees up front. The rule does not ban the fees. Two of our picks say they charge none.

What is the hotel tax in Las Vegas?
Clark County’s 2016 letter lists 13.38% on the Strip. The City of Las Vegas, which includes Downtown, lists 13%. Check the total before you pay.

Hotels checked on Booking.com on 24 October 2026: each link opened in the browser and showed the hotel, rated 8.0 or higher there. The scores shown are from that day; we list no prices because they change daily. Booking.com shows the live ones.

Sources (11), facts checked on 24 October 2026

Written by the Things to Do in Las Vegas editorial team.