Eight of the best value hotels in Las Vegas

by Scott Carmichael on

If there is one thing the global economic meltdown has actually helped with, it is bringing prices of travel down to its lowest level in years.

Even some of the luxury hotels in Las Vegas have not been able to escape the clutches of the recession, which means ultra-luxury has become affordable for everyone. Here are the top 8 hotel deals in Las Vegas, as selected by Oyster Hotel Reviews. After the jump, a list of the hotels, their lowest rates and amenities on offer.

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Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas

Price: From $119 for a city view studio suite
Room amenities: Stearns and Foster “sleep system”, Sub Zero appliances, entertainment center
Hotel amenities: Two restaurants, spa, Trump Kids services
Web site: trumplasvegashotel.com


Treasure Island

Price: From $67 for a strip view deluxe room
Room amenities: Floor to ceiling windows, in-room safe, recently renovated rooms (2008)
Hotel amenities: Fourteen restaurants and bars, two shows, various nightclubs and a casino
Web site: treasureisland.com


Excalibur Hotel And Casino

Price: From $40 for a standard room, additional $20 for upgraded rooms
Room amenities: Recently renovated, 42″ plasma TV’s, iPod alarm clocks, granite bathroom countertops
Hotel amenities: Seven restaurants, $25 all you can eat – all day long buffet, shopping mall, kids rides,casino
Web site: excalibur.com

Flamingo Las Vegas

Price: From $55 for a deluxe room, $85 for upgraded rooms
Room amenities: Flat panel TV, premium sound system, bathroom mirror TV
Hotel amenities: Nine restaurants, spa, pool, casino and shows
Web site: flamingolasvegas.com


The Platinum Hotel And Spa

Price: From $99 for a large 2 room balcony suite
Room amenities: Flat panel TV, whirlpool tub, kitchen
Hotel amenities: Two restaurants, bar, pool, gym, spa
Web site: theplatinumhotel.com


Luxor Hotel & Casino

Price: From $50 for a pyramid room ($70 for an upgraded tower room)
Room amenities: $210/night room offer for unlimited food, passes to most shows, spa admission, vip check-in
Hotel amenities: Ten restaurants, various shows, spa, pools, casino
Web site: luxor.com

California Hotel and Casino

Price: From $36 (standard room)
Room amenities: Flat panel TV,
Hotel amenities: Five restaurants, shows and entertainment at Fremont Street, casino
Web site: thecal.com

Wynn Las Vegas

Price: From $200
Room amenities: Panorama view, electronic drape controls, flat panel TV
Hotel amenities: Ten restaurants, various shows, art gallery, casino, amazing outdoor pool complex
Web site: wynnlasvegas.com

Guaranteed green in Las Vegas

by Annie Scott on

You may hope to find a lot of green in Las Vegas, and there’s one way to ensure you can at least say your stay involved a lot of green: stay –and play — in an eco-friendly hotel and casino.

Harrah’s Entertainment (parent company to Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Bally’s, Rio), has recently upped their green cache by implementing their trademarked “CodeGreen” — which involves energy reduction efforts, community outreach, and finding new ways to conserve water, including converting turf to xeriscape (what?) and encouraging guests to reuse towels and linens. They also removed 600,000 square feet of grass from the Rio Secco golf course, which saves a lot of watering (reportedly 23 million gallons), and upgraded their laundry facility to handle more volume with less water.

They’re also filtering their own water in their restaurants, and serving it in reusable glass bottles — but only if you request it. According to the Las Vegas Sun, “The authority estimates that as much as three gallons of water is saved with every glass of water it doesn’t wastefully deliver. To serve a glass of water, whether or not it’s consumed, requires cleaning the glass, delivery of the water and the water itself.”

So, if you’re looking to feel less guilty while out there indulging your guilty pleasures, head for Harrah’s — and don’t ask for that water if you’re not gonna drink it!

Las Vegas Hard Rock hotel shows how to throw an opening party

by Scott Carmichael on

Yesterday, we showed you photos of the newly renovated Paradise Tower at the Las Vegas Hard Rock hotel and casino. It goes without saying that when a hotel like the Hard Rock plans a party, it knows what it is doing.

The party was held at the Rehab pool area, and if you were not one of the hip people shown in the photo above, then you can still experience your own “day at the beach party” during one of the upcoming Sunday Rehab parties. It’ll cost $150 to get in, or $1000 for a “season pass”.

Real high rollers will probably want to rent themselves a cabana where they can enjoy some personal attention, and a nice place to relax and get drunk off Bacardi soaked watermelon.

In the gallery below, you’ll find some more photos from the Paradise Tower launch party, courtesy of Oyster hotel reviews.

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Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel – first ever Paradise tower before/after photos

by Scott Carmichael on

Remember our little quiz yesterday where we asked you to guess the hotel? One of our commenters guessed correctly when he said it looks like the Las Vegas Hard Rock hotel – pretty impressive!

The good looking room was just one of 490 in the newly renovated Paradise Tower, which opened with a massive party (more on that later).

Rooms in the paradise tower are all outfitted with 40″ Sony flat panel TV’s, iPod docks and “ultra luxurious top of the line bedding”. To learn more about these new rooms, check out the first ever before and after photos over at the Oyster hotel reviews blog.

Some hotel futures at risk

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The number of hotels defaulting on their loans surged 125 percent in May and June this year. Travel is down (no shit), which has an obvious effect on the top line. When there’s no money coming in, it’s hard to send cash out to meet some pretty hefty obligations. So, if none comes in, none can go out … and defaults start to rise.

Some high-profile properties have defaulted already, including the Four Seasons and Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel – both in San Francisco – and the W Hotel in San Diego. Nobody’s safe in this market. Outside California, 13 hotel loans adding up to $596 million became delinquent in June alone. Most of the carnage came from Phoenix, Las Vegas and New York City.

Of course, the defaults don’t spell the end for these properties. There is always the chance that the loan terms can be changed or the hotels can be sold. There’s a long way between defaulting loans and closed doors.