Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Accommodations,
Both Standard &
Not
Many of the “usual suspects,” plus excellent
other options you may not have considered
T
O STRIP OR NOT TO STRIP
?
THAT IS THE QUESTION
,
AND IT
'
S AN IMPOR
-
tant one.
No, I'm not recommending that your Vegas vacation include a career change.
I'm saying that where you decide to stay will shape your experience of the city and
determine how much you're likely to spend.
Though other guidebooks will recommend otherwise, I don't think it's a given
that one MUST stay on the Strip to enjoy Vegas. Just like any other decision you
make, it has its advantages and disadvantages. So before we go any further, I'm
going to list the pluses and minuses, which should help you evaluate the options
listed in this chapter.
REASONS FOR STAYING ON THE STRIP
Reason #1:
I'll start with the obvious: Because it's the Las Vegas Strip, the most
important sightseeing attraction in the city, and when you roll out of bed in the
morning you'll be in the center of all that glorious insanity.
Reason #2:
You won't need a car. Though distances on the Strip are deceptive, if
you're smart enough to bring sneakers and fit enough for 20- to 30-minute walks,
you can hoof it to a number of sights without having to bother about the price of
gasoline.
Reason #3:
The hotel you're staying in is likely to be as big a tourist attraction as,
say, the Liberace Museum (p. 131) or nearby Lake Mead (p. 290). So staying at
the Luxor or New York-New York will give you more of a chance to experience
all that fake stuff, in-depth. Spend the time and you'll quickly become an expert
in
trompe l'oeil
ceilings, fiberglass statues and the gravity-defying voodoo that
allows those skimpily clad cocktail waitresses to avoid “Janet Jackson moments.”
REASONS FOR NOT STAYING ON THE STRIP
Reason #1:
Okay, think this one through: Do you actually want to be in the
midst of all that “glorious insanity?” Are you really into dodging weaving drunks
in the hallway at 2am; hiking that mile and a half from your parking space to your
bed at night; trying to get to bed early (or sleep late) and being rudely woken
every fifteen minutes by the eruption of a “volcano,” or the screams from the
rollercoaster outside your window? And staying at a Strip property guarantees that
