Where to Stay in Las Vegas, By a Local (Best Places & Areas)

7 Best Neighborhoods & Areas to Stay in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is best known for the incredible nightlife on The Strip. But, depending on the purpose of your trip, there are other places to stay in Vegas to consider, too! 

The Strip itself has multiple different sections including the Main Strip, North Strip, South Strip, and Downtown Las Vegas. Some of the areas off of the Strip include Summerlin and Henderson which have more activities for families to enjoy.

Let’s break down seven of the best Las Vegas neighborhoods that I suggest visitors consider staying in during their vacation:

The Main Strip

👉 Best Area For Nightlife | ✨ Best Strip Hotels: Cosmopolitan • Bellagio • Caesars Palace

The Las Vegas Strip is one of the main attractions that brings tourists to Las Vegas. If you are looking for the best nightlife in Las Vegas, The Strip has it all.

There are dozens of Las Vegas hotels on the Strip to choose from, and you can walk Las Vegas Boulevard to get the full Vegas experience. Every 30 minutes at the Bellagio Resort, you will get the chance to see the famous Bellagio Fountain show, which you can’t miss while visiting Las Vegas.

Most Las Vegas Strip hotels have large gambling areas including slot machines, poker tables, and sometimes even bingo rooms. If you are looking for a non-gaming hotel on the Strip, NoMad Las Vegas is one of the more lowkey and cheap hotels to consider. 

The Strip offers plenty of fun bars and unique restaurants in Las Vegas. Holstein’s is a delicious burger restaurant inside The Cosmopolitan, and serves the craziest milkshakes I have ever seen.

A can’t-miss sight on the Las Vegas Strip is the Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan. The chandelier is 44 feet tall, and you will notice it at many different points throughout the hotel. The bar sits around the chandelier, and offers many unique drinks.

OMNIA is one of the best nightclubs in Las Vegas, and you will find it inside Caesars Palace!

Pros of Staying on The Strip:

• Easy to walk from hotel to hotel
• Great nightlife atmosphere
• Lots of great places to go shopping
• Many great places to eat and drink
• Different clubs and shows to explore nightly 

Cons of Staying on The Strip:

• Food and hotel prices tend to be higher
• Crowded at almost all times of the day

The South Strip

👉 Best Area For Tourists | ✨ Best South Strip Hotels: Four Seasons • Park MGM • ARIA

Tourists wondering where to stay in Vegas should consider the South Strip. It’s the place to go if you love good shows, bright lights, and beautiful sights.

The T-Mobile Arena is right across from the Park MGM, and it is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team. The T-Mobile Arena also hosts different concerts and sports events all year long.

MGM Grand is another amazing place to see comedy shows, the famous Cirque Du Soleil shows, and a variety of different music concerts. Park MGM Las Vegas also has a delicious Italian-style food court called Eataly.

New York-New York Hotel has a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a massive roller coaster that overlooks the Strip and runs through the inside of the hotel! You will also find Hershey’s World inside of New-York New-York, which has an extensive selection of Hershey products. 

The Coca-Cola and M&M factory are available to tour or walk around to see all of their incredible products in these huge stores. Another cool thing about these places is they have products for sale which you would not find in most stores. 

Pros of Staying in South Strip:

• Different shows and events always going on
• Classic piano bars for live music
• Short walk to the Las Vegas sign
• Unique shops and areas to walk around

Cons of Staying in South Strip:

• Large crowds and very noisy
• Long wait times for restaurants and clubs

Downtown Las Vegas

👉 Best Area For Adults | ✨ Best Downtown Las Vegas Hotels: Circa • Golden Nugget • Downtown Grand

Fremont Street in downtown Vegas is where the idea of Sin City first began. It’s the best place to stay in Las Vegas if you’re looking for a party atmosphere and to save some cash on accommodation. 

The first casino built in Las Vegas, Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, lies at the heart of Fremont Street. Downtown Las Vegas will give you a taste of classic Las Vegas combined with modern Vegas.

Circa Resort is one of the newest luxury hotels in Las Vegas, with a pool where you can watch sports on the big screens or attend some of their wild pool parties! Part of the special allure of Circa is that it is the first adults-only resort in Vegas. 

The Golden Nugget also lies in the city center. It offers an extravagant pool area with a waterslide in the middle that passes through a shark tank and aquarium.

Enjoy the vibrant light shows, listen to the live entertainment, or try your luck at gambling for the full Fremont Street Experience. 

Pros of Staying in Downtown Las Vegas:

• Many creative and unique bars in Las Vegas to visit
• Lots of cool art to take photos with
• Easy to find cheap rooms
• Live entertainment every night 

Cons of Staying in Downtown Las Vegas:

• Very loud and crowded 
• The Strip is a 1-hour walk from Downtown Las Vegas

Summerlin

👉 Best Area For Families | ✨ Best Summerlin Hotels: Red Rock Casino • JW Marriot • Suncoast

Red Rock Casino is the best place to stay in Vegas if you are traveling with children. This luxurious hotel offers a movie theater, arcade, and bowling alley for families to enjoy. If you want an adult night out, Kids Quest will take care of your kids while you gamble or check out some of the local bars.

Only a two-minute walk away from Red Rock Casino is downtown Summerlin. You will find shopping, different restaurants and bars, and a very fun bar/arcade, Dave and Buster’s. Red Rock Canyon is only around 15 minutes away, with some of the most beautiful hiking trails near Vegas plus horseback riding through the mountains!

Tivoli Village is a shopping and dining area that looks like a city from a different country with its breathtaking architecture. If you go to Tivoli Village on a Saturday, you will also find their local farmer’s market with fresh fruits and a variety of handcrafted items.

Pros of Staying in Summerlin:

• Many kid-friendly Las Vegas activities
• Unique shopping and dining plazas
• Hiking nearby for fun outdoor activities

Cons of Staying in Summerlin:

• You’ll need a rental car to get around
• The Strip is about a 20-minute drive away

North Strip

👉 Best Area For Luxury Travelers | ✨ Best North Strip Hotels: Resorts World • Encore at Wynn • Wynn

The North Strip features some of the most luxurious hotels in Las Vegas, including Encore at Wynn and the Wynn Las Vegas. The Wynn is also known for its collection of designer stores inside including Hermes, Saint Laurent, and Balmain.

Resorts World is a newer hotel in Las Vegas. It has plenty of incredible restaurants, hidden bars, and even a tipsy ice cream bar where you can try unique Las Vegas desserts.

Its outdoor pool area contains 7 different resort-style pools. Each pool has different experiences ranging from the Family Pool to the Bimini Pool with a poolside bar and fun games to play! If you get hungry, take a stroll through the Famous Eats Street Food Court, with a variety of unique and delicious foods.

If you’re feeling bold, take a trip to The STRAT at the top of Resorts World. Here, you can go bungee jumping and explore other thrilling rides, including those at the Adventuredome indoor theme park. Also, consider dining at The Top of the World restaurant which offers incredible views of the Strip while dining.

Pros of Staying on the North Strip:

• Many fine dining options 
• Incredible bars and hidden bars 
• Fun for the whole family at Adventuredome
• Many nightclubs with different performers nightly
• Luxury designer stores to check out

Cons of Staying on the North Strip:

• Not as easy to walk the Strip from here
• Less main attractions, because it is a little farther

Henderson & Lake Las Vegas

👉 Best Area For Escaping the Crowds | ✨ Best Henderson Hotels: The M Hotel • Westin at Lake Las Vegas • Hilton Lake Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Strip and downtown area make for the perfect Vegas vacation, but sometimes, all the crowds and noise can be overwhelming.

Henderson is a great city just 30 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip, which is a great place to stay if you want to escape the crowds and unwind. It features a great shopping area called The District, where there are many remarkable places to shop and eat.

The M Hotelis not on The Strip, but it offers the same glamor that the most luxurious hotels on The Strip have — without the crowds. You will find an expansive outdoor pool area, a casino to gamble, and also live entertainment on the weekends.

Lake Las Vegas is a small town in Henderson that surrounds a beautiful man-made lake. In Lake Las Vegas, you can enjoy fine dining, water sports, and live entertainment on the weekends.

Even if you stay elsewhere, Henderson and Lake Las Vegas are some of the best day trips from Vegas! One attraction I highly recommend visiting is Lion Habitat Ranch, especially if you love animals. It’s home to over 20 lions and Ozzie, the only giraffe in Nevada!

Pros of Staying in Henderson:

• A stunning place to enjoy the sun and nature
• Water sports and activities
• Lots of delicious restaurant options
• Less crowded and noisy than The Strip

Cons of Staying in Henderson:

• You’ll need a rental car 
• Much less nightlife than you will find on The Strip
• A 30-minute drive from The Strip

Boulder City 

👉 Best Area For Nature Lovers | ✨ Best Boulder City Hotels: Boulder Dam Hotel • Best Western Hoover Dam • Hoover Dam Lodge

Don’t mind staying outside central Las Vegas? Consider Boulder City, one of the best towns near Vegas and an enchanting place to stay if you love nature. It’s home to fascinating wildlife and the magnificent Hoover Dam. 

Hemenway Park in Boulder City is a great place for picnics, as there are bighorn sheep roaming around the park that you can observe while eating. Downtown Boulder City has a wonderful selection of restaurants and antique shops to explore. 

Lake Mead is full of historic hiking trails, hot springs, and a variety of activities on the water to enjoy. You may want to take a Lake Mead cruise through the Hoover Dam or rent your own kayaks and boats for a relaxing day on the water. 

The Hoover Dam is considered to be one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world, so be sure to embark on a guided tour or walk around for free.

Pros of Staying in Boulder City:

• The fascinating Hoover Dam is here  
• Different historic museums to explore
• Lots of beautiful wildlife and scenery 
• Gorgeous hiking trails and water activities
• Many great restaurant choices

Cons of Staying in Boulder City:

• No significant nightlife
• Hoover Dam can tend to be very crowded and busy
• Fewer options when choosing where to sleep
• 30-minute drive to The Strip

Tips for Staying in Las Vegas

Plan Your Trip Ahead of Time

Planning in advance is key when planning a Las Vegas trip because there are so many things to do and see when visiting. Make sure to consider the things you want to do the most and plan those first, as once you are here, I am sure there will be many more unexpected things that you find to do.

Create a Budget for Vegas

Most popular hotels in Las Vegas have a resort fee, which are significantly more expensive than what the actual price of the hotel room appears to be.

The great thing about Booking.com is that it will usually tell you the extra fees included in their prices upfront. Hotel rooms and food also tend to be more pricey on the Las Vegas Strip, so creating a budget will help take the stress off your trip!

Compare Direct Hotel Websites Before Booking

When booking a Las Vegas hotel room, be sure to check out any deals that are going on through the actual hotel websites.

While you’ll often find the best deals on Booking.com, sometimes when booking direct, a hotel may offer discounts if you book a certain number of nights, or they will include food and beverage credit with your room if you book at the right time.

Take Rideshares if Staying on The Strip

Las Vegas is famous for giving people an endless good time. However, if you are not familiar with driving on the Strip, rideshare is your best option. The streets are typically very hectic and crowded, and you will save yourself a lot of stress by taking a taxi or rideshare.

Pack According to Las Vegas Weather

Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert, so summers can be extremely hot and dry, while winters tend to get very cold. Make sure to check the weather while packing, so that you will maximize your comfort while walking around.

Bring Cash if Planning to Gamble

Sometimes when you go out, it is easier to spend more money than what you intended. What I have found is that bringing cash when you go gamble or to the bars helps you to only spend the amount of money that you were planning.

Plan to Do a Lot of Walking in Vegas

The Las Vegas Strip is a lot bigger than it looks in pictures, so hotels often take more time to walk between than you might think. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and stay hydrated so that you can stay out as long as you want, in comfort. 

Ask for Hotel Room Upgrades

This might seem like a silly tip, but sometimes, it does happen where hotels may have upgraded rooms available and they will upgrade you for free! I have had this happen multiple times while staying in numerous hotels, and it is always a nice surprise.

FAQs About Where to Stay in Las Vegas

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Thanks for reading! I hope this guide helped you decide where to stay in Las Vegas. Safe travels and enjoy your next Vegas vacation!