Strip heavyweights
Wynn and Encore are the class of the field — best rooms, best restaurants, best poker room in the city. Rates from $280 midweek. Bellagio is the sentimental favorite and still has the best high-limit salon on the Strip. Aria is the tech pick: automated check-in, best in-room controls, rooms from $220. Caesars Palace remains the most legendary despite the tower age gap — book Julius or Augustus, avoid the Roman tower unless renovated. The Cosmopolitan splits the difference between party and polish and has the best boutique feel of the mega-resorts.
Downtown and beyond
Downtown, Circa is the newest and most ambitious — rooftop pool amphitheatre, sportsbook the size of a football field, rooms from $130. The Golden Nugget still has the shark tank pool. In Reno, Peppermill and Atlantis are the two top picks; Peppermill for the design, Atlantis for the buffet. In Stateline at Lake Tahoe, Hard Rock is the newest casino floor. Skip Circus Circus and Excalibur unless bringing kids on a strict budget — the gaming floors feel like 1998.
Good to know
Which casino has the loosest slots?+
Downtown properties historically have better payout percentages than Strip resorts. Boyd Gaming's downtown properties and Station Casinos in the suburbs consistently rank above 95 percent.
Are casino hotels cheaper midweek?+
Yes, dramatically. Same room can swing from $150 Tuesday to $450 Saturday. Book Sunday through Wednesday when possible.