Where to stay in Vegas

I've never been to Las Vegas, which is odd because I've been around a lot of the US. Just never to Vegas itself. And that's something I intend to remedy pretty soon now. Vegas is simply so famous that not having been there is making me feel very left out indeed.

So, I've been investigating Las Vegas Hotels and to be honest I find that I'm rather surprised. For they simply aren't as expensive as I had thought. Indeed, they're a great deal cheaper, or at least they can be, than hotels in other major American cities. For example, if you click through that link now (or at least, if I click through it now as I'm writing) you can get the Red Rock casino hotel for as little as $61 a night. That's a bit of a deal if you ask me.

Or if you're looking for something a little more downscale (in price at least) then there's the Riviera from $23 night. Or going back up market, the Venetian from $155.

These sorts of prices mean that the gambling isn't the only attraction, or at least it isn't for me. But that the gambling is going on makes Vegas a great place to take a holiday: if you don't gamble but everyone else is, then you get to take advantage of all of the things that are put on for free for those who are gambling.

Now the food in Vegas is famous for being very good and very cheap....if not in some places actually free. Similarly the drinks. Because what the casinos are really interested in is people having a good time while gambling, they compete to offer better, cheaper, food and drinks to those who do and are gambling. This simply makes everything that is on offer better and cheaper for those who aren't.

This is also true of the various tours and visits around the area. Because there are so many coming for that gambling experience there are simply a huge number of options for tours around and about. You can take in the Hoover Dam for example, still one of the most impressive pieces of engineering in the country. Or fly over the Grand Canyon. Or take a bus tour to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (and while I've not been to Vegas yet that is somewhere I've been and thoroughly recommended it is too).

All in all there's a huge number of things to do using Vegas as your base. So excuse me while I go back to that link and carry on planning my visit?