As we mentioned in our previous post about Las Vegas, we stayed at three different hotels during our two weeks there. Here's our reviews about them:
Luxor (***)
With its characteristic pyramid shape, Luxor is pretty much what Vegas is all about: splendor and magnificence. It was our first hotel in Vegas, so our hopes were up. However, it didn't quite match our expectations. The casino is big, the pool area is awesome and the restaurant options are versatile, but the elevators are a mess - one day three of four elevators in our corridor were out of service, which actually made it quicker to walk down 21 floors than waiting for the one functioning elevator - and the dinner buffet has a lack of diversity, considering its high price.
Luxor isn't a bad place to stay when you're in Vegas, but it doesn't live up to its high room rate. We stayed at two other hotels in the same class, which we both liked more and paid less for.
Score: 2,5/5
Stratosphere (***)
Another characteristic hotel, Stratosphere is one of most priceworthy places to stay in all of Vegas! We loved the service of the staff in the bars and restaurants. There were great drink offers in all the bars, as well as quite a few affordable dining options. We saw the show "Pin Up" here, and only paid half the price for it.
The pool area is magnificient. It's large with plenty of sunbeds, although the pool can get crowded at times. The prices in the pool bar are not on the cheap side.
The hotel also provides free access to Vegas' highest tower, from which you get a panoramic view of the whole city, and can watch people do the SkyJump.
Compared to our stay at Luxor the week before, we both paid less and enjoyed it more at Stratosphere. If there is one minus it'd be the distance to the main attractions on the Strip. They're a 30 or 40 minute walk away. The buffet isn't much to write home about either, so we'd strongly recommend other options for breakfast and dinner, inside or outside the hotel. But when it comes to value for money, other hotels in Vegas have a lot to learn from Stratosphere!
Score: 4/5
Hard Rock Hotel (****)
Staying at Hard Rock Hotel is an experience in itself, with all the rock star memorabilia to see throughout the hotel.
The check-in process did not go smoothly for us. Somehow, a communication error between the booking agent and the hotel resulted in us waiting for well over an hour before we were assigned a room. However, the hotel did compensate for this by upgrading us to a suite with gorgeous views over the pool area and the mountains. For us, that is a service-level unparalleled during our stay in Vegas.
Our VIP Suite...
...w/ pool view
The hotel offers something for everyone. There are numerous pools, a fitness-center, a wide variety of restaurants, concert venues... After ten days of searching through Vegas, we finally found paradise at Hard Rock. The rooms were sound-proof enough to not hear the music outside those days we didn't feel like partying. In Luxor, for example, this was not the case at all. The staff were friendly and accomodating in a way which the other hotels couldn't match. So, thank you Hard Rock Hotel for making our Vegas trip memorable!
Luxor (***)
With its characteristic pyramid shape, Luxor is pretty much what Vegas is all about: splendor and magnificence. It was our first hotel in Vegas, so our hopes were up. However, it didn't quite match our expectations. The casino is big, the pool area is awesome and the restaurant options are versatile, but the elevators are a mess - one day three of four elevators in our corridor were out of service, which actually made it quicker to walk down 21 floors than waiting for the one functioning elevator - and the dinner buffet has a lack of diversity, considering its high price.
Luxor isn't a bad place to stay when you're in Vegas, but it doesn't live up to its high room rate. We stayed at two other hotels in the same class, which we both liked more and paid less for.
Score: 2,5/5
Stratosphere (***)
Another characteristic hotel, Stratosphere is one of most priceworthy places to stay in all of Vegas! We loved the service of the staff in the bars and restaurants. There were great drink offers in all the bars, as well as quite a few affordable dining options. We saw the show "Pin Up" here, and only paid half the price for it.
The pool area is magnificient. It's large with plenty of sunbeds, although the pool can get crowded at times. The prices in the pool bar are not on the cheap side.
The hotel also provides free access to Vegas' highest tower, from which you get a panoramic view of the whole city, and can watch people do the SkyJump.
Compared to our stay at Luxor the week before, we both paid less and enjoyed it more at Stratosphere. If there is one minus it'd be the distance to the main attractions on the Strip. They're a 30 or 40 minute walk away. The buffet isn't much to write home about either, so we'd strongly recommend other options for breakfast and dinner, inside or outside the hotel. But when it comes to value for money, other hotels in Vegas have a lot to learn from Stratosphere!
Score: 4/5
Hard Rock Hotel (****)
Staying at Hard Rock Hotel is an experience in itself, with all the rock star memorabilia to see throughout the hotel.
The check-in process did not go smoothly for us. Somehow, a communication error between the booking agent and the hotel resulted in us waiting for well over an hour before we were assigned a room. However, the hotel did compensate for this by upgrading us to a suite with gorgeous views over the pool area and the mountains. For us, that is a service-level unparalleled during our stay in Vegas.
Our VIP Suite...
...w/ pool view
The hotel offers something for everyone. There are numerous pools, a fitness-center, a wide variety of restaurants, concert venues... After ten days of searching through Vegas, we finally found paradise at Hard Rock. The rooms were sound-proof enough to not hear the music outside those days we didn't feel like partying. In Luxor, for example, this was not the case at all. The staff were friendly and accomodating in a way which the other hotels couldn't match. So, thank you Hard Rock Hotel for making our Vegas trip memorable!
Score: 4,5/5
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