Part 3 of an ongoing series about things to do in Vegas. The things to do and reviews are free in this post and parts 2 and 4. Make sure to read ’em all to learn about everything Vegas has to offer and if seeing all the hotels is worth it! For things to do in Downtown Las Vegas and reviews for the Neon Museum, Mob Museum, and more, visit Things to Do In Las Vegas Part 1! P. S. The downtown activities, while paid, were some of my favorites so I highly recommend them.
Instead of waxing poetic as I am known to do pre-bulk of a post, I will instead direct you to my explanations in Things To Do in Downtown Las Vegas and Free Things To Do on the Las Vegas Strip (part 2 of the whole series and part 1 of the free things). For a short synopsis (I’m going to try, I promise), Las Vegas has significantly changed over the years. Over the years, I’ve had a strong desire to visit all the hotels and experience their décor and attractions. After so much evolution, I wasn’t sure what hotels were still worth visiting and after scouring the internet, I couldn’t find what I was looking for – a review of the hotels. Not as a guest, but as a visitor to see the sights! Without a guide, I visited (almost) all of them. So, without more background (again, really recommend parts 1 and 2!), I present you the hotels on the central portion of the strip (with a few other things thrown in)!
Keep in mind, all opinions are completely my own, based on my experiences and preferences. Everyone is different and unique – and that’s ok! I also stuck to free things in hotels, so it’s solely based on décor, store wandering, and free shows not any of the attractions they host.
Also, please note all of these images were taken with an old iPhone so they may not be as good as my others! But still pretty good…
Caesar’s Palace & The Forum Shops
From the outset in 1966, Caesar’s goal has been to attract wealthy gamblers, and they’ve done so with lavish décor, statues of Venus, David, Caesar, and more, and towers and columns abound. Outside, there are replicas of the Spanish Steps and pools modeled after the Roman baths. Overall, it’s an architecture marvel and quintessential Las Vegas.
(P. S. On a note unrelated to just seeing the free things the hotel has to offer, we actually stumbled on a slot machine that was really fun! As I mentioned, I’m not a big gambler, but Mom really wanted to try this one, so we did for a while. It was simple, easy, and I would’ve won a lot of money had I been a bigger risk taker! Unfortunately, I don’t remember what it was called. But it was green, so if you are wandering and see a green machine that has an old-school handle, that’s the one! It was kind of a slot machine, but with just numbers.)
In 1992, The Forum was built as an extension of the hotel and casino. I joined them together because, like the Palazzo and Venetian shops, you can just kind of wander into this area. Like it’s counterparts, the shops are decked out in the Roman theme with marble, statues, a spiral staircase, and several fountains. On top of that, the marble and statues were imported from around the world and there’d gold leaf accents throughout. If you walk through the Forum, you are truly walking through the most valuable real estate in Las Vegas – amazing when you consider the gambling areas! Furthermore, the Fall of Atlantis fountain uses special effects and animatronics to tell the story of Atlantis every hour. The fountain show is pretty freaking cool!
Caesar’s Palace review/score: 4.5/5
Why: It’s the mini-world I pictured when I pictured Vegas. It lives up to expectations, if not exceeding them. The biggest downside is the lack of original stores – they go for extremely high-end (think Cartier, Dior, and Ted Baker), which is reasonable. Just not what I look for in shops. I also wasn’t super impressed with the exterior or Spanish Steps, but I felt like royalty inside.
The Linq & Promenade
The building was originally opened in 1959 and has gone through several renovations and name changes. In 2014, it underwent its most recent change to The Linq. It’s nothing special or interesting inside, in my opinion. Just another flashy hotel and casino. As for the attached shopping and dining area outside, it was stuffed full of people and wasn’t very original. It could be pleasant to stroll down with less people because it was a pretty area, though. It’s definitely a modern hotel aimed and feels aimed at younger visitors just looking for gambling and partying.
The Linq review/score: 1.5/5
Why: It wasn’t old, run down, or dirty… but it wasn’t a must-stop. Like I said, not much to see or do.
The Flamingo
The Flamingo is the oldest hotel still in operation on the Strip to date! It’s also the only casino opened before 1950 that’s still open – guess what that means! It has mob roots!! Bugsy Seigel (who originally purchased El Cortez) purchased a two-thirds stake in the property and helped develop the casino until it opened in 1946. He even convinces fellow mobsters to invest, but after a year with no revenue, people began to suspect someone was skimming money. Siegel was given the chance to remedy the situation, but it wasn’t quick enough. Even after making up a quarter-million-dollar profit, he was killed.
Not that any of that is relevant to today!
Today, The Flamingo is home to a garden full of its namesake and *a little bit* of tropical and pink décor. And it does still have a kitschy sign that I associate with Vegas, which is fun! But other than the flamingo garden, which admittedly isn’t much, it’s not a mind-blowing stop. My favorite part was Rupaul’s store, and even that wasn’t teeming with stuff.
The Flamingo review/score: 2/5
Why: I won’t lie, part of me really wants to give this a fantastic score because it hosts Rupaul’s Vegas show. But really, there’s not much to see here.
Bally’s
Bally’s is located where other hotels were starting in 1963. After several iterations, the original MGM Grand was constructed in 1973. In 1980, the property suffered a severe fire, but was quickly rebuilt. Six years later, the property was sold to Bally’s and the MGM Grand moved to its current location down the strip. The property has undergone several renovations since then, but it hasn’t provided anything for the average hotel-hopper to see! There’s plenty of paid attractions in Bally’s, but as far as seeing cool stuff just walking around the hotel or in their Grand Bazaar, there isn’t much. It also loses points from me because it used to hold the last remaining Vegas revue (read: showgirl show), but it ended in 2016. Sad face.
Bally’s review/score: 2/5
Why: It’s not bad or boring or disappointing necessarily… But there’s nothing to do or see outside of gambling and drinking, which isn’t the point of this list. There’s no old Vegas charm either, like with El Cortez. The Grand Bazaar shops are also generic, big name stores with no unique draw.
Paris
In 1999, Bally’s sister property (like the Venetian and Palazzo) opened. Paris and Bally are connected, and we walked into Paris first. Included in the design of Paris is a half-scale model of the Eiffel Tower, a two-thirds-scale model of the Arc de Triomphe, and a replica of La Fontaine des Mers. If you’ve already been to Paris or weren’t impressed with it, you may not fancy a visit here! But inside the casino there is beautiful décor, and I loved just looking at it. Even if you have been to Paris, it’s interesting to see the replications. You may even enjoy seeing these icons with (somewhat) fewer people around.
Paris review/score: 3.25/5
Why: It really is beautiful inside. But it’s small. We wandered across the promenade to Bally’s before we even fully immersed ourselves in the feel of Paris. For it’s looks, it gets a more positive score, but it’s not really Paris and it’s not big enough to have tons of fun wandering in.
Bellagio
The Bellagio opened in 1998 on the site of priorly famous hotel, Dunes. No surprise, it’s an iconic luxury hotel, resort, and casino like most on the Strip. There are several notable features that draw visitors, starting with it’s 8-acre lake that holds the Bellagio Fountains. The Fountains put on a dancing water show set to music. If you’ve ever seen Font Mà gica in Barcelona, this show might be a disappointment. However, it’s a nice, succinct show in its own right.
Upon walking into the Bellagio, an installation composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers called Fiori di Como greets visitors, and it’s remarkable. After walking further into the hotel, visitors find the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which undergo theme changes throughout the year – rotating between the four seasons and Chinese New Year. It was probably my favorite attraction in any of the hotels. It was immersive, extraordinary, but not too overwhelming in its size.
Other things you can see in the Bellagio include its Gallery of Fine Art (we were so tired we chose to skip it) and chocolate fountain, which I had no idea existed. But it’s the largest in the world!
Bellagio review/score: 4.75/5
Why: The gardens are famous for a reason, and they are incredible. They win hotel décor by far, but when you take the ambiance in the shopping areas at the Venetian into account, it’s not quite as high. It meets par, though, with the glass flowers. It’s compact and breathtaking, though, and absolutely needs to be on your list of things to do in Las Vegas.
Planet Hollywood & Miracle Mile Shops
Planet Hollywood took the place of the old Aladdin hotel in 2007. The hotel has undergone several renovations and its final form (for now) is a sleek, shiny look. I personally think they missed giving it an Old Hollywood glamour vibe, but apparently, it’s just me.
As for the shops, there’s nothing super unique that we found. Just another modern Vegas hotel with shops connected.
Planet Hollywood review/score: 1/5
Why: It’s clean, chic, and shiny. But not worth making a special stop for in my opinion.
The Cosmopolitan
The Cosmo opened in 2010 as a luxury resort and casino, and wow it delivers. I wasn’t expecting much from this hotel, in all honesty. I couldn’t find a theme or reason to visit, but since we were passing it, we stopped in – and I am glad we did! It’s an example of modern Vegas done very well.
It’s beautiful inside. That’s the simple description – it’s an open concept, so when you look up, you can see all the floors above you. Tying them together is an incredible Chandelier that starts at the top and cascades all the way down. In addition to the breathtaking sparkle from the chandelier, there are interesting shoe pieces in each floor, a cool Alice in Wonderland themed area (Rose. Rabbit. Lie.), and other art installations scattered around. You can pay to see things in Rose. Rabbit. Lie., but it isn’t necessary to appreciate the décor. And you need to appreciate the décor!! At least if you like Alice in Wonderland like I do. I mean, even if you don’t, it’s freaking cool!
I love reading about free things to do in cities I haven’t visited yet! Thanks for the great Vegas tips.
No problem, happy to help!