TRAVEL-202609-uswest/vegas_stay_options.md

# Las Vegas — Where to Stay (shortlist)

*Candidate accommodation for the Vegas leg. Nothing booked yet.*

**Dates:** Wed Sep 30 → Sat Oct 3 (3 nights)
**Guests:** 4 adults (2 couples) → 2 hotel rooms, or one 2-bedroom suite
**Car available** — the group drives in from LA on Sep 30. KT & VT fly from LAS on Oct 3, while MS starts the drive back to San Francisco and returns the car at SFO on Oct 4. **Position on the Strip still matters, but hotel parking must now be included in every comparison.**

> **Prices below are all-in** — Booking.com totals including taxes and resort fees, for the whole group (2 rooms or 1 unit), Sep 30 – Oct 3. Booking quotes in CAD; USD converted at ~0.72.
>
> ⚠️ **Parking** still varies: free where marked; MGM/Caesars properties (Excalibur, Luxor, Horseshoe, Flamingo, Signature) charge extra per night with the fee set at the property.

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## Potential winners

1. **[Horseshoe](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/bally-s-las-vegas-casino.html)** — centre Strip at the Flamingo Rd corner, next to Paris, fountains across the road. $1,025 all-in + paid parking. Free cancellation until **Sep 28**, pay at the property.
2. **[Flamingo](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/flamingo-casino.html)** — same intersection, LINQ/High Roller behind it. $1,274 all-in + paid parking. Free cancellation until **Sep 28**, pay at the property — but only 1 room left at that rate.
3. **[Wyndham Desert Rose 2BR](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/wyndham-desert-rose-resort-2br-apartment-with-resort-access.html)** — Harmon Ave, one block behind the Strip, ~15-min walk to the centre. $630 all-in, 2 bed/2 bath + kitchen, free parking. ⚠️ Cancellation terms TBC — few units, so it can sell out (the Grand Desert villa already did).

**Booking strategy: book a free-cancellation rate now as a floor, then re-check prices near the date.** Vegas rates are demand-priced: megaresorts often dump unsold rooms cheaply in the final days, but one convention can triple prices instead — late Sep/Oct is peak convention season. A refundable booking captures the last-minute upside with none of the risk: if rates drop, cancel and rebook; if they spike, keep it. (The cheap Aug 30–Sep 3 prices seen earlier were day-of midweek rates in Vegas's slowest week — not representative of Wed–Sat, Sep 30–Oct 3.) Don't play this game with the Wyndham/Desert Rose suites — limited inventory, verify their cancellation terms before relying on rebooking.

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## Location on the Strip

| Zone | Walk to | Hotels below |
|---|---|---|
| **Center Strip** | Bellagio fountains, High Roller, Caesars, Venetian | Horseshoe, Flamingo, Casino Royale, Jockey Club |
| **South Strip** | Sphere-side attractions via tram, MGM area | Excalibur, Luxor, Signature at MGM, Desert Rose, Grand Desert |
| **North Strip** | Fewer sights; longer walks or rideshare | Circus Circus, The STRAT, SAHARA |

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## Option A — two hotel rooms (classic Vegas)

*All-in group total for 2 rooms × 3 nights, taxes and resort fees included.*

| Hotel | Zone | **All-in × 2 rooms** | Parking | Free cancel until | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Circus Circus](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/circus-circus.html) | North | **$500** (C$694) | Free (1 spot/room) | Sep 28 | 6.8 (16,474) |
| [The STRAT](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/stratosphere-casino.html) | North (far) | **$576** (C$800) | On site, fee TBC | Sep 27 | 7.2 (8,794) |
| **[Excalibur](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/excalibur.html)** | South | **$637** (C$885) | Paid | Sep 27 | 7.6 (30,951) |
| [SAHARA Las Vegas](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/sahara-lasvegas-hotel-casino.html) | North | **$934** (C$1,297) | **Free (self & valet)** | Sep 27 | **8.4** (11,717) |
| **[Horseshoe Las Vegas](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/bally-s-las-vegas-casino.html)** | **Center** | **$1,025** (C$1,424) | Paid | Sep 28 · pay at property | 7.9 (8,180) |
| [Luxor](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/luxor.html) | South | **$1,056** (C$1,467) | Paid | Sep 27 | 7.4 (22,988) |
| [Flamingo](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/flamingo-casino.html) | Center | **$1,274** (C$1,770) | Paid · 1 room left | Sep 28 · pay at property | 7.8 (24,171) |
| [Best Western Plus Casino Royale](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/best-western-plus-casino-royalecenter-strip.html) | Center | **$1,391** (C$1,932) | **Free** · no resort fee | Sep 27 · pay from Sep 25 | 8.0 (3,579) |

*Cancellation deadlines apply to the flexible rates checked Aug 31; cheaper non-refundable rates exist (e.g. The STRAT). Circus Circus and The STRAT also take refundable check-in deposits ($200/$300 per room).*

**With fees included the ranking changed.** [Horseshoe](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/bally-s-las-vegas-casino.html) (centre Strip, walkable to nearly everything in [`vegas_sights.md`](vegas_sights.md)) is now **$1,025 + parking** — no longer the bargain it looked. [Excalibur](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/excalibur.html) at **$637** stays the cheapest sensible hotel (South Strip, free tram to the MGM cluster, 30,951 reviews). [SAHARA](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/sahara-lasvegas-hotel-casino.html) at **$934** has the best rating (8.4) and free self + valet parking, but sits north.

**Skip Circus Circus and The STRAT** despite the price — both sit at the far north end, where every evening ends in a rideshare. Note MGM/Caesars hotels also take a refundable deposit at check-in (e.g. Circus $200/room, STRAT $300/room).

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## Option B — one suite / apartment for all four

*Whole unit, 2 bedrooms, kitchen. All-in totals, taxes and fees included.*

| Property | Layout | **All-in 3 nights** | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **[Desert Rose Resort](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/desert-rose-resort.html)** | 1 bed + living room | **$598** (C$831) | **9.0 (4,724)** | **NO RESORT FEE** · free parking · by far the most reviewed |
| [Wyndham Desert Rose 2BR Apartment](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/wyndham-desert-rose-resort-2br-apartment-with-resort-access.html) | 2 bed · 2 bath · 79 m² | **$630** (C$875) | 9.0 (59) | Free parking |
| [GetAways at the Jockey Club](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/getaways-at-the-jockey-club.html) | 1 bed + living room | **$775** (C$1,076) | 9.1 (2,859) | **NO RESORT FEE** · free parking · centre Strip, next to Cosmopolitan |
| [The Signature at MGM Grand — All Suites](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/the-signature-at-mgm.html) | Suite + balcony | **$839** (C$1,166) | 8.5 (1,567) | Parking paid · non-smoking, no casino in the tower |
| ~~[Grand Desert Resort 2BR Villa](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/grand-desert-resort-2br-villa.html)~~ | 2 bed · 2 bath · 95 m² | — | 9.6 (29) | ❌ **No availability Sep 30 – Oct 3** |

**If the group would rather share one place** — the way they have all trip — [Wyndham Desert Rose 2BR](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/wyndham-desert-rose-resort-2br-apartment-with-resort-access.html) at **$630 all-in** gives two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen for less than two rooms at any centre-Strip hotel. Desert Rose sits on Harmon Ave, a short walk east of the Strip. The Grand Desert villa dropped off — no availability for these dates any more.

The two 1-bedroom options (Desert Rose, Jockey Club) only work if one couple takes the living room — fine for three nights, worth agreeing in advance.

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## Not on Booking for these dates

Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Park MGM and The LINQ did not return availability on Booking.com for Sep 30 – Oct 3. Other MGM/Caesars properties did (Excalibur, Luxor, Flamingo, Horseshoe), so this is an inventory quirk rather than a sold-out Strip — **price those directly on mgmresorts.com and caesars.com** before deciding.

**Own search:** [Booking, Las Vegas Strip, 2 rooms, Sep 30 – Oct 3](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Las+Vegas+Strip%2C+Las+Vegas&checkin=2026-09-30&checkout=2026-10-03&group_adults=4&no_rooms=2&group_children=0&order=price)

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## Still to sort for this leg

- **Day trips** — the through-rental is available for Hoover Dam, Red Rock and Valley of Fire (see [`vegas_sights.md`](vegas_sights.md)).
- **Shows** — Cirque residencies sell out; book before arrival.
- **Oct 3–4 return drive** — choose MS's overnight stop / endpoint and coordinate the Oct 4 SFO car return with the SFO → YVR flight.

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*All-in prices (taxes + resort fees) re-checked Aug 31, 2026 on Booking.com for Sep 30 – Oct 3 — parking fees at MGM/Caesars properties still excluded.*