Though you could plump for an alternative – a cheap motel, a plush, casino-free resort, or even an RV park – the majority of visitors tend to stay where the action is: a hotel-casino. All have gambling arenas, a range of bars and restaurants, assorted entertainment and other amenities, from the predictable (pools, gyms, malls) to the eye-catching (galleries, zoos, rollercoasters). And all, of course, have guestrooms, from the 100 or so offered at the Golden Gate, the city’s oldest hotel (1 Fremont Street, Downtown, NV 89101, +18004261906, +17023851906, www.goldengatecasino.net, $32-$69) to the 5,000-plus at the MGM Grand (3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +18778800880, +17028917777, www.mgmgrand.com, $69-$399). Among the best high-end hotels are the Venetian (3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +18778836423, +17024141000, www.venetian.com, $119-$1,299), which carries the look and feel of Venice to a Disneyesque level of detail, and the first-class Bellagio< /b> (3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, NV 89109, +18889876667, +17026937111, www.bellagio.com, $159-$899). Cheaper is the entertaining New York New York (3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +18886936763, +17027406969, www.nynyhotelcasino.com, $69-$299); cheaper still is Circus Circus (2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South, +18772247287, +17027340410, www.circuscircus-lasvegas.com, $39-$250).

If you want to stay on the Strip, remember it’s a long hike from one end to the other; consider your location. The newer resorts are more attractive, but a few old properties retain some classic Vegas charm. Some Downtown casino-hotels do a good job with accommodation at a far lower cost than places on the Strip, although their dining options are limited and non-gambling entertainment is practically non-existent. Be warned, too: prices vary wildly, especially in the Strip hotels. A room can be $49 one night and $249 the next, depending on day of the week and time of the year; prices listed here should be taken as guidelines only. Weekdays are considerably cheaper than weekends.

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