When planning out our trips, choosing our Hotels, and visualizing our stay, we always have certain expectations of certain Hotels and Resorts, especially in Las Vegas where the resorts are steeped in popular culture. Very rarely do the hotels meet up exactly with our expectations. Sometimes they fall foul of our high expectations but often they are far nicer than we ever imagined. This gulf in expectation and reality also seems pretty constant amongst those who we speak to about traveling to Vegas, and trust us that’s a lot of people. We all never really know a Resort unit we check out.
After a couple of recent experiences and conversations, we thought why not compile some of the most stark contrasts in expectation into a fun list? It got us really thinking about how we and others feel about Las Vegas’s many resorts and how the actual experience compares to reality. So here you will find what we consider the 5 Most Underatted Hotels in Las Vegas, Resorts we have visited and just thought WOW, this is way better than expected. As a contrast, we also lust the 5 Most Overrated Hotels, ones that are held in very high regard and have fallen well short of the standard expected.
Foreword
Let us be clear, this is primarily a bit of fun. We are not trying to run down any hotel, or overly promote any other, we are certainly not favoring Brands, there are MGM, Caesars, and Independents on both sides of the argument. We are also not saying any of the list is particularly bad or particularly good. It all depends on the starting point. Some on our list are budget Hotels that overprovide others are 5-star Resorts that just miss the mark, they are still excellent results, but they just don’t quite live up to the Hype.
We also wanted to keep this to the Resorts. There are lots of more basic Hotels on the Strip and most of these are pretty adequate and might really offer a much better stay than you imagine, but it’s more fun if we stick to the best-known large Hotel and Casiono-style locations.
Overall this is more of a thought experiment than a serious article, so we would love to hear your thoughts on the list and hear all about your highs and lows while visiting the City.
One of the issues with hotels being overrated and underrated is this rating is in the eye of the beholder and different people have different opinions on things. This will become very evident in Our first two choices
5 – Underrated – Mandalay Bay
- Location: South Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: South Sea’s Beach Resort
- Star Rating: 5 Star
The Problem with Mandalay Bay is its location. At the very far end of the Strip, it is quite frankly just too much of a pain to get to the action. This means many people completely ignore the Mandalay Bay. It is however one of the best resorts on the Strip!
Honestly, it really has so much going for it, The Stunning Design, the incredible pool, One of our Favourites in Las Vegas, Great Restaurants, an excellent casino, great rooms with stunning views, and overall just a fantastic resort. We can not really fault it in any way…except the location. No for many people that is enough to avoid it, we very rarely stay there, much preferring to stay Center Strip, but if you are happy to travel for just about everything you want to do, or are not really interested in a lot of the goings on of the Center Strip, then the Mandalay Bay offers a fantastic stay.
It’s self-contained and can offer a fantastic 5-star resort-like experience in the City. Relaxing Days by the amazing pool, Nights in the Casino, or seeing the Dazzling City Lights from the Foundation room. It really can be very present, and as it’s fairly quiet and often avoided prices can be crazy cheap for such a plush high-end Hotel. Just don’t underestimate the distance from most attractions. It gets very old very fast.
5 – Overrated – Mandalay Bay
- Location: South Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: South Sea’s Beach Resort
- Star Rating: 5 Star
Yeah, we know we have repeated ourselves…But that’s the thing, Mandalay Bay really can be considered both over-rated and underrated, depending on your perspective. The resort tends to be underrated by those who really can appreciate how much the distance from the center can affect your trip. But first-timers, who simply look at Vegas on a map and think stuff looks pretty close together, can be really shocked at how much walking or time on transport can sap energy and budgets.
These types of visitors see what is a really nice resort with every amenity possible at bargain prices and jump at the chance to stay at one of the fanciest hotels in the City. These are exactly the kind of people that would be much better off in the center taking in all the amazing sights and sounds the City has to offer. Instead, their trip will largely be spent Sclepping to and from the Best Parts of the City.
Really Mandalay Bay’s location is such an important factor and consideration it leads people to not properly understand the Hotel.
4 – Underrated – TI – Treasure Island
- Location: North Strip
- Price Range: Budget
- Theme: Pirates of the Caribbean
- Star Rating: 4 Star
Situated at the north end of the strip, opposite the Palazzo Hotel is the much-overlooked Treasure Island. A bit of a throw-back to the 90’s and a seemingly pretty dated Hotel. However, in reality, the TI has been updated and is a pretty modern and plush hotel in a pretty decent spot.
It really is easy to look past Treasure Island and its pretty tacky theme but the whole Pirates thing has been well toned down and it’s not a fun and lively spot with a young and hip crowd. It’s also fantastically cheap and has a very grateful loyalty scheme.
The Location is not perfect, and it’s a little bit out of the way with long walks to most attractions in the City, but it’s not so far out it will ruin your visit. For the Price, it’s such a nice little resort get a room view with a strip view and you are in for a real treat as they have an excellent perspective down the Strip, one of the best on the Strip!
One of the big downsides is they have now stopped the Pirates shows, but the ships are still in place and we love the Senior Frogs Bar and Restaurant that’s in the same location.
4 – Overrated – Resorts World
- Location: Extreme North Strip
- Price Range: Moderate/High
- Theme: Chinese Themed
- Star Rating: 5 Star
The new and shiny Resorts World Hotel and Casino finally opened with a lot of fanfare. However, we find the location of the hotel to be very off-putting. And we are not alone. While the Resort is actually very nice, every time we visit it feels a little like a ghost town.
This has been exacerbated by the slow return of the Asian Market to Vegas, a market that Resorts World was obviously targeted towards. Overall this gives the whole resort a while elephant feel.
The Theme is Chinese, but it’s not Chinese-themed, it’s themed around what a Chinese Resort and Casino would look and feel. It is definitely designed to appeal to Genting’s large Asian Market.
Everything is very New and modern, and frankly, the resort is gorgeous, and the rooms are beautiful with great views. But it just has a sterile feel and is often practically deserted. Sure this can mean you get fantastic deals, but you will be walking around a gigantic and largely empty hotel, which is just a bit unnerving, and not what we come to Vegas for…
At least this has been our experience.
3 – Underrated – Sahara Las Vegas
- Location: Far South Strip
- Price Range: Moderate/Budget
- Theme: Dessert Theme (Very Subtle)
- Star Rating: 4 Star
The Sahara is in a pretty poor location. At the very far end of the Strip, well away from anywhere. This is one of the Original Strip Hotels and has been around since 1950. It’s steeped in history, but the current Sahara is a long way from the original concept and operates as a hip and modern Hotel and Casino.
The Location marks the boundary of what is known as the Strip and is a long way from anywhere. However, the Hotel is right next to the Northern terminus of the Las Vegas Monorail. While we don’t usually recommend Monorail Use, the stations are just too far from the actual strip, With the Sahara it’s right in the resort, and hopping on the Monorail gets you to pretty much any location on the strip almost negating the poor location.
This makes the Sahara an ideal location for a really Budget stay. Due to the poor location, the Sahara does an awful lot to get people into their property. It has some excellent restaurants, bars, and clubs, free valet, it is the new home to Magic Mike, and has a really nice modern vibe without charging astronomical prices. Their loyalty scheme is excellent as it really wants people to come back.
Overall it’s a hotel many people discount out of hand simply due to the location, but there is a lot going on and we really like it.
3 – Overrated – Paris
- Location: Central Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: Paris / France
- Star Rating: 4 Star
This one may come as a surprise to many, but we want to stress, that overrated does not mean BAD! We really like Paris, it’s just not quite as nice as its reputation eludes to.
You see the problem occurs in the fact most people think of Paris as a high-end luxury resort, One of Vega’s 5-star properties, and really, it just isn’t. The majority of the rooms are really basic and to be honest a little run down. The levels of service are pretty basic, and the pool area is just average. There is a fair amount going on in the hotel, and overall it’s a really nice place to stay. It’s just if you come expecting higher-end luxury, you will not find it here.
If you can bag an Eiffel View room, there are really stunning, with amazing views over the pool, the Eiffel Tower, and the Bellagio Fountains in behind. It’s one of the best views in Vegas. But these rooms are still really basic, with cheap furnishings and an “ok” bed. There is nothing wrong with them, but they are pretty threadbare.
Overall, the clue should be in the price and comparatively, Paris is a pretty cheap option, and if you come knowing what to expect it’s a great place to stay, right in the heart of everything. We just find most people expect a little more from such an Iconic Destination.
It is worth noting if you start looking at the much higher-end rooms then things get a lot more plush and exciting, but for this article, we are focussing on what most people experience.
2 – Underrated – Flamingo
- Location: Central Strip
- Price Range: Moderate/Budget
- Theme: Bird-Based Glamour / Miami Art Deco
- Star Rating: 4 Star
As far as Hotels on the Strip in Las Vegas, The Flamingo is about as close to old-school Las Vegas as possible. The Hotel opened in 1946 and was one of the first Hotels on the Strip… it wasn’t even the strip back then just a Dusty Highway, and is the oldest hotel remaining on the Strip. Originally opened by Bugsy Siegel the Flamingo has a lot of history.
Due to the hotel’s age, and it’s tacky appearance it gets overlooked quite a bit, but we really have a soft spot for the old girl. Smack bang in the middle of everything this is probably one of the best-located hotels on the Strip! With excellent Strip views, entrances right out on the Strip and directly into the Linq Promenade. Just about everything you could want is just sets from the resort, you can really underappreciate how much walking it takes to even get out of Mega-Resorts let alone get to where you want.
The Casino is great fun, with loads of low-value classic slots, The Pool Area is excellent are really fun, pracitacly a pool party every day for free, and the rooms have been overhauled quite recently and are pretty nice, at least on par with Paris, Planet Hollywood and the like.
Prices for all this are about as cheap as it gets on the Strip, and you really are not sacrificing much to stay here. The location makes up for SO much and if all you want is a room to sleep in and to be right in the heart of the City the Flamingo is absolutely one of the best. You also get a taste of what Las Vegas used to be like.
Oh, and there are REAL flamingos in the nature reserve, just in case you thought everything in Vegas was fake!
2 – Overrated – Caesars Palace
- Location: Central Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: Ancient Rome
- Star Rating: 5 Star
Another Case of overly-high expectations in this entry rather than Caesars Palace being a poor choice. Due to Mivices such as the Hangover, Caesarsa has generated a near-mythical status, and people book rooms here and expect the stunning views to have the high-end luxury the boys in the Movie enjoyed.
The reality is most rooms are small and some of the older towers offer some pretty small rooms on low floors with pretty rubbish views. There are rooms in the resort that offer the 5-star experience but choosing a Caesars Palace room is a huge minefield with over 60 room types and 6 towers and choosing poorly could land you in a very disappointing location. We have a full guide to the Best Rooms at Caesars Palace here, but even the average rooms are still a fair bit below what people expect from a 5-star resort.
The Pool deck is also a let-down for us, the feeling is very “look at me” and pools are very small and shallow and often filled with guests. The whole deck is very concrete-based and acts like a huge heat sink in the hot Dessert summers.
The Resort and Casino are really nice and there is a huge amount going on, but this can be explored without staying here. The location is good, but there is a huge amount of walking needed to just get out of the Hotel. Overall, we just don’t find staying here as fun as perhaps we think it should be.
It’s still a great place to come and stay, but we just find the perception of the resort is far more elevated than the reality. We even go as far as to say we disagree with the hotel’s overall star-rating, this is definitely not a 5-star in our eyes more of a 4.5-star, if such a thing were to exist.
1 – Underrated – Park MGM
- Location: Central Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: No Theme
- Star Rating: 4 Star
Park MGM, previously known as the Monte Carlo sits in a really enviable spot right in the heart of Las Vegas, its muted color tones and understanding theme make this one easy to ignore, but the actual hotel is one of our favorites.
To start with, apart from the location, which is excellent, and the competitive pricing, a result of the hotel’s underrating, the Hotel has operated a Smoke-Free policy in recent years. Not just in the rooms, but the entire resort! For us, this is quite frankly heaven, and wandering around the Casino and not stinking of smoke is a real joy. The Casino atmosphere is really calm and relaxed and it’s one of our favorite spots to Gamble.
The restaurant line-up is excellent and you have instant access to all of the great dining options at New York New York and Aria, it’s right by both the T-Mobile Arean and the Dolby Live Theater. The City center project is right on the doorstep along with direct strip access.
The Rooms are not the best feature of the hotel and the views are a little so-so, but overall it’s just a fantastic place to stay that is often not even on the radars of most people.
1 – Overrated – The Cosmopolitan
- Location: Central Strip
- Price Range: Moderate
- Theme: Chic Boutique
- Star Rating: 4.5 Star
We are going to be honest. The Cosmo was the inspiration for this article. This is one of the most highly regarded Hotels in the City with years of happy customers who are fiercely loyal. For a long time, we would probably have argued this hotel was underrated not overrated, but times change.
From our recent experience along with closely monitoring travel sites and social media, the Experience at the Cosmo has fallen off a cliff. The takeover of MGM and the Pandemic Shutdown has left The Cosmo in a weird place. It’s still the same hotel and fantastic rooms, but the Hotel Service just seems to have evaporated.
Whereas the Hotel was known for its excellent and friendly service this just no longer seems the case. We had issue after issue and no one seemed to care a jot and were happy to lie to our faces. And from online reviews and social media, we are most definitely not alone.
Our recent visit probably ranks as the most disappointing hotel stay we have had anywhere in the world after decades of traveling. We accept things go wrong and not everything can be exactly as expected but it’s how a Hotel responds to issues that really defines them, and the Cosmo just did not care, even after multiple attempts by us t get them to listen.
The large and very loyal following the hotel has is taking a really long time to catch up and realize the hotel they love is just no more, but we only see one trajectory for this once great resort. We hope maybe the FULL transition over to MGM may be able to catch the slide, as it’s in a wired grey area at the minute but we fear the things that made the Cosmo so special may just be consigned to history.
It is still a nice resort with an enviable location, but their service is so poor we will not be back for a long time.
Not On The List
There are a lot of Hotels that do not appear on this list, and mainly that’s because we think they are pretty well represented! Bellagio, for the most part, meets expectations, The Wynn is always spectacular, but you expect that. Circus Circus, Excaliber, and The Rio are very low end and you get what you pay for.
Our list is all about those Resorts that don’t quite stack up!
Have Your Say
Let us know your experiences. Remember just because a hotel has ranked on our list as Overrated does not mean it’s bad, just does not in our opinion live up to the billing in most people’s perceptions. W still recommend them, well most of them, but just want to forearm people with a more realistic expectation. But let us know your take, this whole article is Opinion-based and we would love to know yours.
Have you stayed somewhere that blew away your expectations? Did one Hotel really not live up to your opinion of it? do you think we have gone one of our choices wildly wrong, or are you just here to stick up for the Cosmo?
Whatever your thoughts and feelings we really want to hear from you so feel free to drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts!
