Best Las Vegas Hotels

What Steve Wynn could not manage for Wynn he did for Encore. It embodies the best of Wynn’s preferences with sun-filled interior walkways, extravagant pool settings, a swirling melange of glassy reds and warm oranges, and ubiquitous antiques from Belle Epoque Paris and Hong Kong. Restaurants indulge in popular themes: there is dining dedicated to Sinatra and another to Botero, and yet another can’t decide so it “switches” its interiors every 20 minutes (it’s appropriately called “Switch”). All of the rooms in this top Las Vegas hotel are suites and they start at a comfortable 698 square feet. Best of all, they are filled with Italian marble, floor-to-ceiling windows, ornamental sitting areas and a stunning blend of soft goods. A Moroccan-themed spa continues the indulgence with highly stylized spaces. The property connects to Wynn through an interior corridor, and to the Fashion Show shopping via sky bridge.

The Mandarin Oriental is an oasis of quiet class in the midst of frenetic Vegas. Internationally renowned hospitality designer, Adam Tihany, has brought his signature touch to the hotel’s 392 rooms (you can also see his work at Aureole and Osteria del Circo). Clean lines, natural fibers, and desert color schemes contrast with striking ornamental detail and windows overlooking the neon. For families who want a hint of luxury on their trip, the Mandarin Oriental is one of the best Las Vegas Hotels. Children are welcomed with a gift and pint-sized bathrobes. A spa offers yoga classes and the lounge sets up high tea in the afternoon. Dining at Twist is an event in eating that is overseen by Michelin master Pierre Gagnaire.

The fetching curves of the Vdara facade sets up a certain sexiness that’s carried through inside with bold art pieces, a classy bar and patio lounge and the absence of something that’s hard to avoid elsewhere in the city: gambling. From the start you know Vdara is smart. Expect to be wowed, not by bold color schemes and over-the-top designs. Vdara, no doubt a top Las Vegas hotel, is about harmonious, green-focused design and contemporary colors and lines. Here, it’s the rooms that count. They’re all suites, they all have cleverly designed kitchens and efficient and precious dining spaces, and all are designed to be LEED models of what shelters should be. Smart design is also comely here with custom-designed king beds, plush linens, dual night lights, expansive windows and contemporary furnishings. Spa Vdara offers a Champagne Bar and a menu of environmentally friendly treatments. And there is a pool, of course, on a lower rooftop overlooking the urban flow of CityCenter.

This circa 1966 icon of the Strip does not age. She gets bigger; she gets taller: she gets some lumps redone, but she does not get old. In recent years the Octavius Tower took the décor out of the ’60s kitsch mode and into the 21st century with handsome beige tones and an emphasis on upscale refinement. Although this is one of the top Las Vegas hotels, the rooms are not the attraction here. The unending choice in what to do, seemingly a Las Vegas disease, keeps your head spinning. It starts with the newly completed Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis—probably the prettiest complex on the Strip with six pools decked out with tiles and statuary and Roman columns. Then the Forum Shops off the casino calls with 160 luxury brand shops and more than a dozen restaurants. Names like Celine Dion and Cher entertain in the Colosseum, conveniently packaged with Bradley Ogden, Restaurant Guy Savoy and Rao’s for dinner and a show. And that’s in between extravagant chocolate adventures at Payard Patisserie & Bistro and Serendipity 3. Finally, sweat it out in Qua Baths & Spa with its warm mineral pools, temperate laconium and arctic ice room.

From the outside Monte Carlo is all opulence and grandeur out of the Belle Epoque era of France. Inside it’s a practical and well-considered hotel with clean, comfortable and attractive rooms. Don’t expect super service, amenity-filled VIP check-ins or gourmet finds at the buffet. The property has upscale restaurants—one with a Michelin star—and brings in reasonably priced entertainment. The pool area has a 400-foot-long lazy river ride. A tram connects to CityCenter. In most places, that would be a lot, but in Vegas, it’s just par for the course. A stay here is simple and clean, and conveniently right in the middle of the action.

Long the family favorite, right up there with Circus Circus, Excalibur did not try to shoo the families away. Rather it embraced kids with its castle keep, and kept its medieval-themed midway section and feast and jousting show. But it also embraced the parents and adults with new rooms that sported a business-casual sheen rather than the Guinevere-and-Arthur touches of yesteryear. It complements the new look with a new pool complex—one for the kids and one for adults with fire pits and cabanas. Excalibur’s spa—big enough but “mini” by Las Vegas standards—offers the usual massages for rates much less than sister properties. Dining is an excellent value, especially if you have big eaters in your brood. The Roundtable Buffet currently advertises a $29.99 unlimited daily entrance, or you can take that amount and put it on a three-course dinner in the Steakhouse at Camelot. If you need to duck out, the tram connects Excalibur to Luxor and Mandalay Bay.