These are all the Las Vegas hotels we can think of after three cocktails. Our site is still fairly new, but give us some time and all the hotel information you’ll ever need will be right here. Thus making it “vital.” In quotation marks. All photos by the incomparably modest Scott Roeben.
The Strip
- Aria
Aria’s digital marquee is 250 feet tall and 65 feet wide. Although, when it’s wearing horizontal stripes, it looks much thinner.
- Bally’s
Bally’s was originally MGM Grand.
- Bellagio
The lobby of Bellagio has more than 2,000 hand-blown flowers by artist Dale Chihuly.
- Caesars Palace
In 1967, daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace on a motorcycle. It was an epic fail.
- Casino Royale
The actual name is Best Western Plus Casino Royale, but nobody calls it that.
- Circus Circus
Circus Circus has the only RV park on The Strip.
- Cosmopolitan
The Cosmo opened in 2010 and has nearly 3,000 rooms.
- The Cromwell
The Cromwell was formerly Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, and before that, Barbary Coast.
- Delano Las Vegas
Delano used to be The Hotel.
- Encore
When gambling began at Encore, the song playing in the casino was “Luck Be a Lady Tonight.”
- Excalibur
When it opened in 1990, Excalibur was the largest hotel in the world.
- Flamingo
Two words: Bugsy Siegel. That didn’t end well.
- Four Seasons
The Four Seasons has its own entrance, but its rooms occupy the top five floors of Mandalay Bay.
- Harrah’s Las Vegas
Harrah’s Las Vegas was originally called the Holiday Casino.
- Linq Hotel & Casino
Linq Hotel was formerly The Quad, before that it was Imperial Palace. Originally, it was the Flamingo Capri. Identity crisis!
- Luxor
The Luxor’s pyramid is 30 stories tall.
- Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay sits on the site once occupied by the Hacienda.
- MGM Grand
MGM Grand is the second largest hotel in the world. The largest hotel in the world is the Izmailovo Hotel, in Moscow.
- Mirage
The windows of The Mirage are gold, from actual gold dust used in the tinting process.
- Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo was originally called the Grand Victoria.
- New York-New York
The roller coaster at New York-New York reaches speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour.
- Palazzo
The Palazzo is the sister hotel of The Venetian. You can tell it’s a sister because it’s always borrowing The Venetian’s sweaters.
- Paris
The Paris boasts a half scale Eiffel Tower replica and a two-thirds scale Arc de Triomphe.
- Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood was previously The Aladdin.
- Riviera (Closed on May 4, 2015)
Harpo Marx and Gummo Marx were once part owners of The Riviera.
- SLS Las Vegas
SLS Las Vegas, formerly Sahara, opened August 23, 2014. One tower of SLS Las Vegas is now W Las Vegas, a boutique hotel-within-a-hotel.
- The Stratosphere
The Stratosphere is always happy to see you.
- Treasure Island
In 2003, Treasure Island decided to move toward more adult amenities. The hotel’s free pirate battle, “Buckaneer Bay,” was replaced with “Sirens’ Cove,” featuring the scantily-clad Sirens of TI.
- Tropicana
In “Diamonds Are Forever,” James Bond stayed at the Trop.
- Venetian
The Venetian stands on the site of the former Sands hotel.
- Wynn
The Wynn holds the distinction of being the first high-rise to have its windows cleaned by an automatic washing system.
Just Off The Strip
- Gold Coast
The Gold Coast was the first hotel in Las Vegas to have a movie theater. It’s a mile west of The Strip.
- Hard Rock
Nicholas Cage crashed through the Hard Rock’s famed guitar in “Con Air.”
- Hooters
Hooters opened as a Howard Johnson Hotel, and has also been named the Paradise, the Polynesian Paradise, the Treasury Hotel and Hotel San Remo.
- M Resort
M Resort is about 15 minutes south of The Strip, and it smells incredible.
- The Orleans
The Orleans hosted the final concert performance of comedian George Carlin, in 2008.
- Palace Station
Palace Station was first called, simply, The Casino.
- Palms
The Palms was the location of “The Real World: Las Vegas.” Hence the city’s disinfectant shortage in 2002.
- Rio
The Rio’s wine cellar has more than 50,000 bottles.
- Silver Sevens
Until recently, Silver Sevens was Terrible’s. It’s a better name.
- Westgate Las Vegas
Westgate used to be LVH, Las Vegas Hilton and The International.
- Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West was originally called the King 8 Hotel.
Downtown
- Binion’s
Binion’s was the first casino in Las Vegas to install carpeting.
- California
A large percentage of the California’s customers are from Hawaii.
- The D
Before it was The D, it was Fitzgerald’s.
- Downtown Grand
Downtown Grand was formerly the Lady Luck.
- El Cortez
El Cortez has been in operation since 1941. You can have food delivered to your slot machine.
- Four Queens
Four Queens was named after one of its builder’s daughters: Faith, Hope, Benita, and Michele.
- Fremont
When it was built in 1956, the Fremont was the tallest building in the state of Nevada.
- Golden Gate
The Golden Gate opened in 1906.
- Golden Nugget
The Golden Nugget was once featured in a Fox reality series, “The Casino.”
- Main Street Station
Ask about the piece of the Berlin Wall in the men’s restroom. No, seriously.
- The Plaza
The Plaza was originally named Union Plaza.
And, no, hotels without casinos don’t count. Why? You have much to learn about Las Vegas, grasshopper.
