First Time Las Vegas

The Strat and the Golden Gate each have their own charm — from the top of the Stratosphere you have a fantastic view of Vegas, and the Golden Gate dates to the early 1900s and is home to the best shrimp cocktail I've ever put in my mouth — but are they party spots? Uh… no. Not at all. They're both pretty far from being party spots. The Stratosphere is an excellent hotel and casino, but suffers from an unfortunate location in no-man's land between the Strip and Downtown. It also tends to have a lot of families, complete with children, as guests, which I don't think is what you're looking for. The Golden Gate is one of my favorite spots, but it is the oldest of Old School — small, a little cramped and all about the gambling.

The best party hotels are the Palms and the Hard Rock, but while neither is outrageously expensive, neither do they qualify as budget accommodations. They are also both too away from the Strip or Downtown to walk, so staying at either of these locations means a cab ride whenever you want to see a little more of Vegas glitz. I always think it's a good idea to stay on the Strip for a first trip, because that's where you'll get the full Vegas experience.

For what you're looking for, I tend to recommend the Sahara. This hotel at the north end of the Strip draws a good crowd of young, fun visitors. It's not wall-to-wall party, though. Because of the excellent room rates — and maybe because it's also home to a big NASCAR entertainment center — there are also quite a few fanny-pack-wearing budget tourists here. The young crowd keeps the vibe happy, and it's a nice balance of price, party atmosphere and location. The monorail stops here, and it provides handy transport to other spots on the Strip.

If you REALLY want to immerse yourself in a Las Vegas ultra-party, make plans to visit the Hard Rock's pool on a Sunday morning to experience the bloody-mary-and-flesh fest they call "Rehab." The scene is packed and is guaranteed to give you a few good stories to take home with you.

Before making your final decision you may want to take a few minutes and visit our Hotel Picker tool. Use the sliders to select criteria that are important to you and you'll get a list of recommended places to stay.