The very first time we went to Las Vegas was in 1977. We stayed at many different hotels since then. It's nice to try different places. We usually drove to Vegas, but we also flew there for Christmas and New Years trips. If it is your first trip to Las Vegas, staying on the Strip makes sense. But if you go every year, you've probably seen most of the casinos and sights on the Strip. We preferred to stay downtown. ON THE STRIP lots to see and do hotels are far apart casinos are huge newer hotels, fancier higher room rates plenty of places to eat more people young people, families lineups at restaurants more glitz and glamor DOWNTOWN more relaxing closeness of casinos is handy you can always find each other comfortable rooms reasonable room rates more bargains for meals not as noisy and crowded mostly adults few lineups like Vegas used to be We stayed at hotels on the Strip, downtown, off the Strip and at Jean (25 miles west). We also stayed in Laughlin and in Mesquite. Some of the hotels have been demolished or have changed names. Below are the places we stayed at. DOWNTOWN : Plaza , Golden Nugget (2005), Lady Luck (closed), Four Queens and Fitzgeralds (The Fitz, 2007) OFF THE STRIP : Rio , Continental (now Terrible's Hotel-Casino); Gold Coast, Royal Las Vegas, Day's Inn, Super 8 on Boulder, Motel 6, Polynesian (now Hooters) ON THE STRIP : Aladdin (the original hotel), Circus Circus, Excalibur, Imperial Palace, Riviera, Vegas World (now Stratosphere) DEMOLISHED HOTELS - Stardust, El Rancho, Hacienda, Granada, Vacation Village Nearby in JEAN: Nevada Landing and Gold Strike LAUGHLIN - Harrah's, Edgewater, River Palms, Colorado Belle MESQUITE - Eureka, Oasis, Virgin River, Mesquite Star (closed)