Great Rooms from $5 to $50.00 a Night
Rack rates (rack rates are the posted rates, actually the maximum rates) for hotel rooms in Las Vegas can run to over $2,000 for suites in the larger hotels. The rules to get a great cheap room are simple. Look around and ask and then keep asking. If the rate looks good, book it. If it looks too high, tell the reservation clerk that you have a better deal somewhere else and will they match it, or at least come close. The smart visitor, if they are willing to be flexible, insistent, and dig a little, can get a good, clean, well located room under $30 a night, or even less. Here is how.
Downtown
Much maligned, downtown Las Vegas offers fantastic bargains in food, rooms, free entertainment, and low stakes gambling oportunities. The casinos are all clustered together and that makes it easier to hop from one to the other. Fremont Street can get a little seedy late at night and it is not a real good place for kids but no one need fear for their safety downtown.There are complaints that downtown Vegas is dirty, tacky, crime ridden, and that parking is hard to find. Some of the casinos are not as well kept as the posh places on the strip, but most of them are just as well run and as clean as any other place. Is downtown tacky? Tacky, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some people think the whole city is tacky, some people think it is great, it depends of your point of view. I wouldn't say downtown is tacky as compared to the strip, maybe just more colorful. As for the 'crime problem'. Downtown Las Vegas is has less visible crime than any other city of its size in the United States. Downtown does attract the down and outers, just like any other city, because the 'services' they use (the Salvation Army hostel, courts, police station, etc.) are located in the area. However, the police and security presence downtown is very heavy and, it seems, you are never out of sight of some security personell. Other than seeing the odd drunk or homeless person, I really don't think that anyone who can walk and talk and has control of their faculties would have any trouble in downtown Las Vegas. If you are there to gamble and have fun, you won't have any trouble.
I have actually found that parking and driving downtown are easier than on the strip, which sometimes resembles an eight lane parking lot. The parking structures are numerous and traffic is usually not that much of a problem. Most places issue you a ticket upon entry but getting it validated is not a problem and the distances you have to cover on foot are a lot less than some of the forced marches from the parking garages in the new strip casinos.
That said, let's look at some of the bargain room rates downtown has to offer. One of the best room deals in Las Vegas is, perhaps, the least known. According to their website Jackie Gaughan's Gold Spike Hotel & Casino offers rooms 365 days a year at only $22.00 a night plus tax. They throw in a FREE breakfast or a two for one meal deal. The Gold Spike is located just one block north of Fremont, on Ogden in downtown Las Vegas. You can check availability and reserve a room online. Their mini-suites are only $33.00 a night. Check out my page on the Gold Spike. If you are into economy, this is an excellent place to start.
The class venue downtown is, without a doubt, the Golden Nugget. They will often discount their rooms as low as $39 a night. For a $17 a day difference between this place and the Gold Spike, the Nugget is a bargain. Get on their mailing list and check out their website frequently for their specials.
The Las Vegas Club is a personal favorite because they offer the gambler tremendous deals. Thy boast very liberal blackjack rules, rooms as low as $30, and are well located in the heart of downtown.
Some other popular downtown spots that offer good value are: Main Street Station, the Plaza, the Four Queens, the Lady Luck, and Fitzgerald's. The Golden Gate Hotel Casino is another option. It is the oldest hotel in Las Vegas and a real original. One of the gems of downtown.
North Strip
Another room option that is sometimes neglected by the Vegas visitor is the cluster of casinos known as the north strip. The Stratosphere, whose majestic tower dominates the skyline of the whole valley, is the far north outpost of Las Vegas Boulevard. The Strat offers rooms starting @$36 a night midweek.
The Sahara, just down the street, starts rooms @$32 a night midweek.
Circus Circus is a good budget venue if you have to bring the kiddies to Vegas. Midweek rooms run as low as $29 and the location offers a little more action with the Riviera across the street and the Ho next door.
How does $26.90 a night sound? Check out the Westward Ho. These are not deluxe suites but, how much time are you going to spend in your room anyway? Check your local paper for Westward Ho "seminars". They have been known to take to the road to promote the casino with FREE room offers.
The Stardust is one of the original big Las Vegas hotels. They often reduce their older rooms to under $39.
Mid Strip
If you want a budget priced room at a premium mid strip location, check out the Imperial Palace. I stayed there once for three days @$15 a night. They threw in two buffet dinners and some other goodies AND the third night was free. I figure that, subtracting the freebies it cost me about $5 a night. This was an internet special, not a comp, and was avaliable to anyone. The IP is not a five star hotel but the room was clean, quiet and cool and the mid strip location is excellent.
The Barbary Coast is an often overlooked option right in the middle of all the action. Their website offers rooms as low as $39.
South Strip
The south strip is the home of many big new (expensive) casino/hotel/resorts. Don't expect any bargains at MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay. However, if you want to sample these mega resorts and not bust your bankroll, check out these alternatives:
The Boardwalk-Holiday Inn sometimes offers rooms online for $29.99. This is just about the best you can get on the south strip.
The Excalibur, on the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard, offers midweek rooms @$49. Beware though, lots of families with kids here, sort of an ungraded Circus Circus.
The San Remo is just steps from the Tropicana and MGM and offers excellent rooms starting at $48.
Off Strip Casinos
Located 30 minutes south west of Vegas, in Jean, Nevada, near the California border, the Nevada Landing Hotel & Casino offers good value. Midweek rooms or on offer as low as $18 if you reserve them online.
A sister property, also in Jean, the Gold Strike offers online reservations at $18 a night.
The Gold Coast casino is an excellent venue, located a mile west of the strip, across the street from the Rio. They offer lots of amenities including free child care and a bowling alley. They post their internet specials here. I have seen rooms posted as low as $29 a night, midweek.
The Boulder Station sometimes posts their room specials here. A typical summer offering would be two nights plus a two for one buffet for $56. That's $28 a night plus a half price buffet.
Arizona Charlies advertises midweek rates on the internet from $39. It is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.
Another personal favorite are the Station Casino properties. They are all located off strip but offer tremendous value for money. You can search online and usually find midweek rooms under $40. Here are links to information pages: Palace Station, Texas Station, Boulder Station, or the Sunset Station
Circus Circus, Sam's Town, and the Stratosphere often have rooms on offer under $40. Try their toll free numbers listed on each individual page.
Some Final Tips
If you don't want to stay downtown or want something a little nicer it's still not hard to find a nice room under $30, if you are flexible. The best rates are offered Sunday through Thursday nights, except for holiday weekends. Additionally Las Vegas is very quiet in the weeks before Christmas and just after the New Year, except for Super Bowl weekend and the big conventions like Comdex. If you plan your trip with these dates in mind, and are flexible with your travel plans, you can get an excellent rate on a strip or downtown hotel.