Learn me staying in Vegas

My Mrs and I have tickets to go to the We Were Young Festival in October. It's located at the fair grounds, right by Circus Circus.

I've never been to Vegas and don't even know where to start. We are intending to fly down and take a shuttle / uber to whatever lodging we find. 

Ideally, we'd walk to any supplemental locations, but I'm just guessing and hoping. 

Any insight on where to stay that would be walking distance? Or is it cheaper / better to be further away and rent a car? I have no idea what I'm doing 

Vegas isn't terribly big, so I wouldn't sweat finding a place a little out of the way. I haven't been to circus circus for over a decade so I can't really help with the area. There's good food all over. Check out Fremont street if you can. 
Personally I hate the town, and my first instinct is to answer "where do I stay in Vegas?" With "Don't." But that isn't really helpful. 
I'm less than two hours north, so I've never had to stay there in my adult life. 

Circus circus wasn't bad when we stayed there ~10 years ago. We were in one of the outbuildings, not the main building though. That area of Vegas is extremely walkable, but you'll need to take the bus to get to Fremont and "old Vegas". 

You can ONLY catch a cab at a hotel, you'll get yelled at by lot of people trying to grab one at a light. 

Vegas.com had the best deals and packages when we were looking at going in summer 2020, 

For a long time, Golden Nugget was the ticket.  This was 15 years ago, but they had recently done a huge renovation, super nice rooms, and they bumped the prices from $59 to $69 per night.

Loosest slots in town (if you're into gambling), beautiful place, and you walk out the front door onto the big overhead screen on Freemont.

Just checked... room rates are all the way up to *gasps sarcastically* $100 for a deluxe room.  Bargain.

Uber or taxi for transport if you want to get your booze on.

Resorts World is one of the newest hotel/casinos on the strip, and it is right next to Circus Circus, so is probably within walking distance to the festival.  Had a friend stay there for a conference a few months ago, and really liked it.  

Anytime I've stayed there, it was usually further down the strip by T-Mobile arena.  If you've never been, I'd say stay on the strip, so you get the full experience (and know if that's your thing for next time).  

I hate Vegas but the food is good.

You'll have to take a taxi from the airport, the monorail doesn't go there. Everything is a short taxi ride or monorail stop away. I prefer to stay at the MGM Signature because it is kind of tucked away and there isn't a casino in the lobby. But pricing is all over the place.

You can walk almost anywhere you actually want to go, there are walkways between hotels and large business areas. Take the monorail to the SAHARA Monorail Station and just walk to the festival. You can pick any hotel on the monorail line at that point.

Vegas is a walking town for sure. I'd try to stay on/near the Strip instead of cabbing it in/out, although that's what I do at SEMA. Any other time, I'm on the Strip and on foot. I'm not sure I'd stay any further north than Circus Circus, as the main body of the strip is south of there.

Don't bother going on the Strip during the day, it's basically one big nightclub and they always look better under the lights :)

Vegas is not a city where you look to maximize value... i always believe that if you don't have a good time in Vegas you didn't do a good job of aligning your expectations to your budget.  Vegas has become far more family friendly than it was 20 years ago but its still alot of fun and somebody else recommended Fremont which is my favorite way to spend a friday/saturday night.  Cheap drinks, free live music, and multiple casino options all within the space of 2 city blocks.  

In terms of Vegas being walkable, it is very walkable and lots of the hotels are interconnected with breezeways but be prepared; they can be a long walk...  so if you have specific times to be specific places make sure you understand the duration of time it will take to walk. 
 

When staying in Vegas, if I want as much walkability as possible, I've stayed in or near Harrah's.  Decent enough place, and probably the cheapest mid-strip Casino.  Circus Circus and Resorts World may be cheaper, it just makes a longer walk to the southern end of the strip.

When I'm feeling cheap, I end up at Luxor or Excalibur, and when I am using Vegas as a jumping off point for a trip elsewhere (airfare is really cheap), I tend to stay in a regular hotel in Henderson.

I don't stay downtown, even though it is cheaper, just because I don't want to have to drive or bus down to the strip.

I have two standing invitations to Vegas - one basically any time, I just have to get a flight there and my buddy has enough free nights at hotels that he says he'll supply the boarding. The other is for a hockey tournament, airfare and hotel would be covered. 

I don't actually want to go though. Sounds like my personal idea of hell. 

In reply to mtn :

It is one of those towns where different people can have wildly different experiences, there's enough variety.  I don't like it in the evening when the strip is at its most crowded, but otherwise, it is easy to get around in.  Fremont Street is a bit of sensory overload, so I only go there occasionally.  As mentioned above, the food options are awesome.  There are several great parks a reasonable drive away, along with different museums.  I've spent trips there where the only time spent inside a casino is when it is the fastest way to where I am going.

My wife and I got married in Vegas about 6 years ago.  We and our wedding party stayed in Circus Circus.  It was a dump - I do not recommend.  Although, they somehow have a really nice steakhouse hidden within like a speakeasy.  I highly recommend the steakhouse.   We went back again recently and stayed at Golden Nugget on Fremont Street - it was a much nicer place and offered a lot better value for the dollar.   I enjoy the Fremont area more than the "strip".

In reply to Lof8 - Andy :

I had the same  dump experience with Circus Circus when I stayed there in 2002 or so - but given the way things change on the Strip, I figured it might have been fixed up by now. Maybe not!

The Luxor is kinda fun just because it's so invested into the theme, although less so now than it used to be. NYNY is bland but convenient for the southern end.

I never actually go to casinos when I'm in town, but you cannot avoid walking through them to get somewhere. This is 100% not an accident.

Circus Circus always has been and always will be a dump.

I just got done spending a week at the Venetian,  $900 a night suite.  It was OK.  Wasn't that great for what it cost.  Vegas was a lot bettern when you could get dollar Michelobs and play beerpong at OSheas.  I guess Vegas grew up and maybe I didnt.

I went there yearly for about 10 years for work.   Most of the time I was at the Bellagio, $$$$ but its nice on someone else's dime.  Also sayed at the Hard Rock a few times and then a few other less notables.   By less notables I mean at the Bellagio and HR I was never approached by a hooker in the lobby bar.   The quality of where you stay will be proportional to the cost as should be expected.  Even in the lower rent joints you can get by with ease.

As others noted its a walking, public transit kinda place.  Id never bother with a rental car there unless you wanted to go to one of the places that rents exotics or something else fun to get out of town and go play.  Driving in town is a crappy experience and should be avoided.

Of note, late at night when you have a hunger, seek out Secret Pizza in the Cosmopolitain.  Its not labeled or advertised but if you can find it you wont regret it.

ClearWaterMS said:

Vegas is not a city where you look to maximize value... i always believe that if you don't have a good time in Vegas you didn't do a good job of aligning your expectations to your budget.  Vegas has become far more family friendly than it was 20 years ago but its still alot of fun
 

I disagree with the first sentence, and I don't understand the second sentence.  Just like any other tourist heavy place, you can and should look to maximize your value.  Why would the fact that Vegas is now much more family friendly imply that it may not be as much fun as it used to be?  If you want total debauchery, it's still there for you.

My wife and I are huge fans of Las Vegas.  We were just there a few months ago.  Our airline tickets from Atlanta were $59/each round trip and our hotel was $50/night all in...taxes, fees, etc...  We stayed at Harrahs, it was the week between Xmas and New Years.  We neither drink nor gamble, as in we didn't have a single alcoholic drink the entire time and I think we spent $30 total in the casino for the entire week.  We had a blast.  

I would not stay at Circus Circus simply due to location.  It's a decent distance north of where most of the prime "Las Vegas strip" hotels are, you wouldn't want to walk.  It's also relatively run down in comparison to the others.  Sure, the strip is walkable, but not as easy as you think.  First, it's huge.  Much bigger than it looks.  Crossing the street isn't like crossing the street anywhere else.  Most intersections you need to go up an escalator, cross a pedestrian bridge and then go back down.  You will walk a E36 M3 ton touring Vegas, so be ready.  If you want a central strip location, I'd recommend Harrah's, Mirage or Caesars.  A good value option is Excalibur.  You don't want to rent a car, there's really no need.  

Other things to do besides the strip.  Freemont Street.  It's fun, a bit more "rowdy" than the strip, old Vegas.  The show is super cool, and the zip line over Freemont is awesome.  Shelby American is just a block south of the main strip, worth checking out.  If you did rent a car, Valley of Fire is about an hour drive and is really cool.  

Don't forget to visit the pinball hall of fame. 

I like the Westgate. It used to be the Las Vegas Hilton where Elvis performed regularly. The Elvis Museum is there. Later, while the Hilton still owned it, it was the location of "Star Trek, The Experience". You can still see remnants of the Starfleet decor on the building if you look carefully. A huge hotel with a lot of history and the pool is also huge. Price is reasonable compared to some of the newer big hotels and it is right on the monorail line that takes you to the strip. If you want to stay in an old school casino from the 1940s there is the El Cortez in downtown. There is also the Strat that has the tall tower that overlooks the whole region. If you stay there, there is no charge to go up the tower. Great place to go for a drink. 

If you are more into hooning that gambling there are places that will rent you an ATV in the desert. And don't forget the Shelby Museum and factory by the airport. A lot of historic cars in that collection including some that appeared in Ford vs. Ferrari. You will find the name " Snowdoggie" written on the graffiti wall from the last time I was there.

If you are a real geek, you can drive about an hour out to Pahrump and see the mobile home where Art Bell used to broadcast from Coast to Coast. Spring Mountain Raceway is also in Pahrump and they have a driving school and lots of other stuff going on. And if you are looking for entertainment more on the shady side, Pahrump is also in Nye County where houses of ill repute still operate legally.

SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) said:

ClearWaterMS said:

Vegas is not a city where you look to maximize value... i always believe that if you don't have a good time in Vegas you didn't do a good job of aligning your expectations to your budget.  Vegas has become far more family friendly than it was 20 years ago but its still alot of fun
 

I disagree with the first sentence, and I don't understand the second sentence.  Just like any other tourist heavy place, you can and should look to maximize your value.  Why would the fact that Vegas is now much more family friendly imply that it may not be as much fun as it used to be?  If you want total debauchery, it's still there for you.

My wife and I are huge fans of Las Vegas.  We were just there a few months ago.  Our airline tickets from Atlanta were $59/each round trip and our hotel was $50/night all in...taxes, fees, etc...  We stayed at Harrahs, it was the week between Xmas and New Years.  We neither drink nor gamble, as in we didn't have a single alcoholic drink the entire time and I think we spent $30 total in the casino for the entire week.  We had a blast.  

I would not stay at Circus Circus simply due to location.  It's a decent distance north of where most of the prime "Las Vegas strip" hotels are, you wouldn't want to walk.  It's also relatively run down in comparison to the others.  Sure, the strip is walkable, but not as easy as you think.  First, it's huge.  Much bigger than it looks.  Crossing the street isn't like crossing the street anywhere else.  Most intersections you need to go up an escalator, cross a pedestrian bridge and then go back down.  You will walk a E36 M3 ton touring Vegas, so be ready.  If you want a central strip location, I'd recommend Harrah's, Mirage or Caesars.  A good value option is Excalibur.  You don't want to rent a car, there's really no need.  

Other things to do besides the strip.  Freemont Street.  It's fun, a bit more "rowdy" than the strip, old Vegas.  The show is super cool, and the zip line over Freemont is awesome.  Shelby American is just a block south of the main strip, worth checking out.  If you did rent a car, Valley of Fire is about an hour drive and is really cool.  

my point was that Vegas is expensive; a good meal costs more in Vegas than it does in other cities; show tickets are more expensive; etc.  To me Vegas is a curated and sanitized version of the best experiences from around the world. That is great and I have never had a bad meal in Vegas, experienced a boring show, etc.  That being said if you're hoping to find that great hole in the wall restaurant or your idea of fun is to venture off the beaten path and attempt to find that hidden gem experience it won't happen in Vegas.  The roller coaster is a perfect example, it's a really cool experience but it costs $14 for a single ride.  Compared to six flags great america which if you find a discount can be $50 or less for the whole day and includes lots of roller coasters.  

As for Vegas being more family friendly and still being fun.  I didn't intend for those to sound like they are in spite of each other.  Vegas is more family friendly, when I was a kid there wasn't much for a family to do to keep a child entertained for a day in Vegas and that isn't the case any more.  There is plenty to do for familys including roller coasters shopping great family friendly restaurant options, family friendly shows, etc.  When I first went to Freemont street (when they first installed the light show) it was a collection of small casinos, strip clubs, and a white castle.  Today the strip clubs are gone, new casinos are coming in and bringing brighter airier aspects with giant TV screens to watch sports games and the street gets shut down so they can play live music on the weekends.  

I always enjoy Vegas and a staple for us used to be to take a day trip to lake mead rent a pontoon boat and bring a large cooler with sub sandwiches and beer/soda/water and enjoy a day on the lake.  (water is too low to do that right now)