Las Vegas Strip Hotels Guide 2026: South, Center and North Compared

The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard lined with some of the biggest hotels in the world, from Mandalay Bay at the south end to Sahara and The STRAT at the north. Picking between them matters more than in most cities: Strip resorts are huge, the walks between them are longer than they look, and the hotel you choose shapes where you eat, how far you walk and what you pay in fees.

This guide splits the Strip into three zones, sums up what distinguishes each major resort, and covers the costs and changes that catch people out. It was checked in September 2026. It doesn't quote nightly rates: they move daily, so check the resort's own site for your dates. Our hotel listings have a page for each resort named here that we cover.

South, Center and North Strip

The Strip divides naturally into three parts. Which one you pick decides how much you'll walk and how often you'll need a ride.

South Strip

The south end runs from Mandalay Bay up to MGM Grand and Park MGM. It is closest to the airport, to Allegiant Stadium and to T-Mobile Arena, which sits behind New York-New York and Park MGM. Rates here are often lower than at the center, and several resorts are built around their pools. The trade-off is distance: from Mandalay Bay, walking to Bellagio is a long, hot trip, so plan on the free tram along the west side of the Strip, the monorail from MGM Grand, or rideshare.

Center Strip

From ARIA and the Cosmopolitan to The LINQ and Harrah's is the most walkable stretch. The Bellagio fountains, the Forum Shops at Caesars, the High Roller at The LINQ and most of the famous restaurants are within a short walk of each other. Expect bigger crowds and, often, higher prices. For a first trip, this is the easiest place to stay.

North Strip

North of Flamingo Road the resorts spread out. The Venetian and Palazzo sit opposite Treasure Island, with Sphere and the Las Vegas Convention Center behind them. Wynn and Encore come next, then Resorts World, Circus Circus, Sahara and The STRAT. The luxury resorts here are among the best-known in the city; the far north end is quieter and usually cheaper, and the monorail's last stop is at Sahara.

Walking is slower than the map suggests

Resorts sit far back from the sidewalk, casinos are designed to keep you inside, and crossing the Strip often means climbing a pedestrian bridge. Summer afternoons regularly pass 100°F. As a rule of thumb, a walk between neighbouring resorts is 5 to 15 minutes, and crossing a whole zone takes much longer. If most of your plans are in one area, stay there.

What Sets the Major Resorts Apart

These short profiles focus on what doesn't change month to month: location, the kind of rooms, and the attractions on site. Room rates and fees change constantly and are left to the resorts' own sites.

South Strip

• Mandalay Bay: known for its large pool complex, Mandalay Bay Beach, with a sand beach and wave pool, plus Shark Reef Aquarium and the Michael Jackson ONE Cirque show. It is the southernmost resort on the Strip and the closest to Allegiant Stadium.
• Luxor: the glass pyramid, with rooms in the pyramid itself and in two towers beside it. A budget pick on the south end, linked to Mandalay Bay and Excalibur.
• Excalibur: the castle-themed budget resort at the Tropicana Avenue corner, with a family feel and quick access to New York-New York by bridge.
• New York-New York: Manhattan skyline outside, the Big Apple Coaster wrapped around it, and T-Mobile Arena a short walk behind.
• Park MGM: the former Monte Carlo, redesigned as a smaller-feeling resort with Eataly and the NoMad hotel inside the same building. It is next to T-Mobile Arena and has a theater that hosts residencies.
• MGM Grand: one of the largest hotels in the city, with KÀ by Cirque du Soleil, a big pool area and an arena for concerts and fights. It has its own monorail station.

Center Strip

• ARIA: the glass-and-steel centerpiece of the CityCenter complex, set back from the Strip between Park MGM and the Cosmopolitan. Modern rooms and a large convention area; Vdara, a non-gaming hotel, is next door.
• The Cosmopolitan: a design-led resort with many rooms that have terraces, the three-story Chandelier bar and a long list of restaurants. It sits next to Bellagio with some rooms overlooking the fountains.
• Bellagio: the fountains on its lake and the Conservatory's seasonal displays are both free to watch. Cirque du Soleil's "O" plays here. Fountain-view rooms cost more.
• Caesars Palace: several towers of different ages, the Forum Shops, the Colosseum theater and the Garden of the Gods pool complex. Ask which tower you're booking; the newer ones are noticeably nicer.
• Paris Las Vegas: the half-scale Eiffel Tower, with a viewing deck, and a location across from the Bellagio fountains. A mid-priced way to stay in the center.
• Horseshoe Las Vegas: the former Bally's, renamed in 2022, on the corner of Flamingo Road. It shares a monorail station with Paris.
• Planet Hollywood: attached to the Miracle Mile Shops, with a large theater for residencies. Popular with younger groups who want a central base.
• Flamingo, The LINQ and Harrah's: three Caesars resorts clustered around the LINQ Promenade and the High Roller wheel. Usually cheaper than Caesars Palace next door, with a monorail station behind them.

North Strip

• The Venetian and Palazzo: all-suite hotels whose standard rooms have a sunken living area; the resort calls them the largest standard rooms on the Strip. Gondola rides, the Grand Canal Shoppes and a walkway to Sphere are on site.
• Treasure Island: home of Mystère, the longest-running Cirque show in Las Vegas. In September 2026 TI advertised free parking for guests and a room offer with no resort fee, which is rare on the Strip. Its pirate show ended years ago, and The Mirage next door has closed.
• Wynn and Encore: twin luxury towers with the only golf course attached to a Strip resort, a Tom Fazio design. Wynn describes itself as Forbes Travel Guide-awarded. The Lake of Dreams show is free at night. XS nightclub is closed for renovation until November 5, 2026, and the show Awakening was advertising its final performances through October 10.
• Resorts World: the newest big resort on this stretch, containing three Hilton brands: Hilton Las Vegas, Conrad Las Vegas and Crockfords. It has a theater and Zouk nightclub.
• Circus Circus: the family budget pick, with the indoor Adventuredome theme park and free circus acts. In September 2026 it advertised free parking and a no-resort-fee room special.

Other Strip hotels not in our listings include The Vanderpump Hotel (formerly The Cromwell), Vdara, Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace, the NoMad at Park MGM, Fontainebleau, Sahara and The STRAT.

Which Hotel Fits Your Trip

Want a different setting? Compare our downtown hotels guide and the off-Strip hotels guide.

Resort Fees and the Real Price

Almost every Strip resort adds a mandatory daily resort fee to the room rate. It covers things like Wi-Fi and the fitness center, and you pay it whether you use them or not. Parking is usually charged separately.

The rules changed in 2025. Since May 12, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission's rule on unfair or deceptive fees requires hotels to include mandatory resort fees in the total price they show up front. So the headline price you see when booking should already include the fee. What still varies:

• Taxes are added on top of the room rate and the resort fee.
• Parking is not a mandatory fee, so it isn't part of the room price. Some resorts charge for it and some don't: in September 2026 Treasure Island and Circus Circus both advertised free parking.
• Offers occasionally drop the resort fee. TI, Circus Circus and Resorts World were all advertising no-resort-fee deals in September 2026.

When comparing hotels, compare the total for your whole stay, including taxes, then add parking if you are driving. Our resort fees guide and parking guide go into more detail.

Getting Around the Strip

• Las Vegas Monorail: runs behind the east side of the Strip with seven stations: MGM Grand, Horseshoe/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/The LINQ, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Westgate and Sahara. It opens at 7 a.m. and runs until midnight on Mondays, 2 a.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday to Sunday. The monorail says advance purchase is the only way to get discounted tickets; check fares on its site. It doesn't reach the west side (Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, ARIA, Venetian or Wynn).
• Free resort trams: on the west side, one tram links Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay, and another links Park MGM, ARIA and Bellagio. The tram that joined Treasure Island to The Mirage no longer runs.
• Rideshare and taxis: each resort has a signed pick-up area, often in or beside the parking garage, which can be a long walk from the casino floor. Allow time.
• Walking: fine within a zone, especially in the cooler months. Use the pedestrian bridges; crossing at street level is often blocked.

More options, including buses and airport transfers, are in our transportation guide.

Booking Tips That Hold Up

• Stay Sunday to Thursday if you can. Weekend nights are usually much more expensive than weeknights at the same hotel.
• Check the calendar before you book. Big conventions (CES in January, SEMA in the autumn), the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, New Year's Eve and major fights push rates up across the Strip. Search your dates against the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority calendar.
• Join the free loyalty programs. MGM Rewards, Caesars Rewards and the Venetian and Wynn programs send members room offers, and member rates are often lower on the resorts' own sites.
• Compare the total, not the nightly rate. Two hotels with the same headline price can differ once taxes and parking are added.
• Read the cancellation terms. Prepaid and discounted rates are often non-refundable.
• Ask for what matters to you at check-in. A high floor, a room away from the elevators, or a renovated tower are reasonable requests; nothing is guaranteed.

For more, see our hotel booking tips.

Closed and Renamed Strip Hotels

Older guides, maps and packages still mention hotels that are gone or have new names:

• The Mirage closed in July 2024, and its volcano show went with it. Hard Rock is rebuilding the site; until it opens, there is no hotel there.
• Tropicana closed in 2024 and was demolished to make way for a ballpark. It no longer belongs on any list of places to stay.
• Bally's is now Horseshoe Las Vegas.
• Monte Carlo became Park MGM.
• Treasure Island's pirate show, Sirens of TI, no longer runs.

If a package or listing still offers any of these, it is out of date.

Putting It Together

Start with where you'll spend your time. If it's the Strip in general, stay in the center. If you're here for a stadium event, a show or a convention, stay near it. Then pick the style: luxury (Wynn, Encore, Bellagio), space (Venetian, Palazzo), or value (TI, Circus Circus, the south-end budget resorts). Finally, compare the full price for your dates on the resorts' own sites.

For a broader view of every area, read our complete Las Vegas hotels guide, and if it is your first trip, the first-timer's guide.