Las Vegas Hotels, Casinos and Attractions

One of my favorite vacation destinations, Las Vegas has a ton to offer just on the strip. The majority of these reviews are for attractions on the Strip, but there are also a few further afield that are worth going to if you are in the area.

General Las Vegas

• Las Vegas Boulevard ("The Strip")

Hotels & Casinos

• Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
• THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
• Excalibur Hotel and Casino
• New York - New York Hotel & Casino
• MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino
• The Mirage
• Treasure Island
• Circus Circus

Las Vegas Attractions

• Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
• King Tut Museum
• The Fountains of Bellagio
• The Sirens of TI

Las Vegas Restaurants

• Pyramid Cafe
• MGM Studio Cafe
• Francesco's Restaurant

Attractions Nearby

• Red Rock Canyon
• Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
• Valley of Fire

Attractions within a day drive from Las Vegas

• Death Valley National Park
• Zion National Park

Hoover Dam - Nevada & Arizona

Driving across the desert, the road curves around and starts dropping to what can only be described as an incredible feat of engineering, Hoover Dam. First-time (and even returning) visitors will be amazed at how the dam fills the Colorado River’s gorge and by how large the dam simply is. Hoover Dam is an imposing presence and something that is worth seeing if you’re in the southern Nevada area.

Read my full review of Hoover Dam on Epinions

Il Fornaio Las Vegas

When I want a good Italian meal and I’m at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, I make sure to get myself a reservation at Il Fornaio. This restaurant in the NYNY offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in a nice atmosphere with some excellent service.

Il Fornaio is located inside the NYNY Hotel and Casino adjacent to the gaming floor. There’s a small “stream” that runs between the restaurant and the gaming floor, providing some separation and allowing there to be an “outdoor” dining area between the restaurant and the stream. Of course, it’s all inside the casino.

This isn’t an overly large restaurant even with the outdoor seating so expect to need reservations, especially for dinner. While I’ve never eaten here for breakfast, it’s never seemed quite as busy, so you most likely will be able to get a table without much of a wait.

Read my full review of Il Fornaio in the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Epinions

Pyramid Cafe - Luxor Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

While not fancy, the Pyramid Café at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is a great place to get a meal at any time of the day. Not only that, it’s usually one of the least crowded 24-hour restaurants in the area, so you don’t have to wait too long to get a seat and start eating.

Offering a mix of sandwiches, salads, burgers, pizza and entrees, the Pyramid Café has a little bit of everything for every one. Not only that, but they offer breakfast around the clock so even if it’s dinnertime and you have a hankering for eggs and pancakes, rest assured you’ll be taken care of.

Read my full review of the Pyramid Cafe at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Epinions

America Restaurant at New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Looking for a bite to eat any time of the day in the New York-New York Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas? If you are, you should stop by the America restaurant where you can get pretty much anything to eat 24 hours a day.

The menu is quite extensive all around with plenty of different breakfast, lunch and dinner choices. I doubt anyone would have trouble finding something to eat here.

Think classic American food. There’s nothing fancy about the America restaurant, but it does taste good.

Read my full review of the America restaurant at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Strip - Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Strip in Las Vegas is a one of a kind destination. From the Mandalay Bay resort at its southern end to Treasure Island, the Wynn and beyond in the north, The Strip is glitzy, glamorous, amazing, bright, loud, crowded, intimate and just about everything else in between.

Las Vegas is truly home to a collection of amazing, unique, and sometimes simply surprising destinations and nothing showcases this better then The Strip along Las Vegas Boulevard.

Read my full review of The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard) in Las Vegas, Nevada at Epinions

King Tut Musuem at Luxor Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada

Probably one of the cheapest ways to spend an hour, the King Tut Museum in the Luxor Hotel and Casino is an interesting tour through a recreation of King Tut’s Tomb.

So it was that on our last trip to Las Vegas we were looking for some non-gambling activities (you really can get gambled out in Las Vegas) and we ended up on the Atrium Level of the Luxor where the King Tut Museum is located. We purchased our tickets and off we went on the museum tour.

Read my full review of the King Tut Museum at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas on Epinions

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada

With decent hotel rooms, plenty of dining options, a great pool area and an expansive casino, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas isn’t a bad choice for staying in Las Vegas, it’s just that it’s not the best in my opinion.

Would I stay there again? Well, if the rooms were comp’d like they were for this trip, I probably would consider staying there again. However if I had to pay, I would choose to spend my money at a different resort along the Las Vegas Strip.

Read my full review of the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on Epinions

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Tired of Las Vegas and already been to Hoover Dam, then you should consider a half-day trip to the Valley of Fire State Park. The park is about an hour north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15, but it’s a world away from the hustle, bustle and lights of the city. You’ll find dramatic desert landscapes, Native American petroglyphs, interesting geological formations and more – and a great majority of the sites are easily accessible by car and with short walks.

Much like Red Rock Canyon just to the west of Las Vegas, the Valley of Fire State Park (VoFSP) showcases the red sandstones of the area. The stones have been carved over time by wind and water and the entire area presents a stunning scene.

Read my full review of the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada

Hoover Dam

Driving across the desert, the road curves around and starts dropping to what can only be described as an incredible feat of engineering, Hoover Dam. First-time (and even returning) visitors will be amazed at how the dam fills the Colorado River’s gorge and by how large the dam simply is. Hoover Dam is an imposing presence and something that is worth seeing if you’re in the southern Nevada area.

Read my full review of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River along the Arizona/Nevada Border

THEHotel at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

If you are looking to make your stay in Las Vegas more upscale while still staying close to the action of the strip, you should consider staying at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

Both a part of and separate from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay has definitely raised the bar when it comes to room size, comfort and service.

Read my full review of THEHotel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

Circus-Circus Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

I had been to Las Vegas once before and I was too young to gamble and we never actually stayed in Vegas, just passed through the airport. So when I was making reservations for my first “adult” trip to Vegas, I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for and really had no idea where I should stay.
As visiting Vegas was part of a much larger vacation that was costing my partner and I oodles and oodles of money, I focused on booking a room at a “reasonably” affordable hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

I searched, I searched and searched and finally settled on Circus Circus. It was the cheapest out of all the strip hotels and really, all that I was looking for was a room and a place to be able to take a shower, not too much more.

Read my full review of Circus-Circus in Las Vegas on on Epinions