Just like the North Strip and South Strip, the Center Strip has a range of hotels to choose from, all within easy walking distance of each other. It used to have a wider range of room rates, but the loss of the Bourbon Street (many years ago) and with the Cromwell replacing Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall, there aren’t any truly budget conscious options. The variety now is in hotel/casino brand and design.  The main center Strip hotel options are Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Paris, Planet Hollywood, the Flamingo and in the near future, the Cromwell.

The most affordable option here is the Flamingo. It also has the smallest basic rooms, which are 350 square feet. That is small for a modern hotel room, but was really nice back when the Flamingo was built. The Flamingo also has one of the best pools in Las Vegas. When it opens, the Cromwell will probably be the most expensive, but right now the most expensive option is the Cosmopolitan.

Like my previous posts on the South Strip and North Strip options, I’m going to make 3 suggestions from the list.

My first (and more affordable) suggestion is Bally’s. The basic rooms are 450 square feet, so you have a bit more space than at the Flamingo. The hotel doesn’t have a lot to offer other than a great location to use as home base for your trip, though. When I stay at Bally’s, I tend to spend most of my time at Planet Hollywood (another Caesars property, so all my expenses can be charged back to my Bally’s room). You can read my review of Planet Hollywood here.

My second suggestion is Aria. In addition to nice rooms, they have a good casino and poker room, great dining and nightlife options and a lot of bartop video poker. Everything I need. Although the standard rates can be pricey, they frequently have offers with rates starting around $109/nt with resort credits or other perks. You can see my review of their Corner Suite here.

My third suggestion is the Cosmopolitan. It gets a little too busy for me on the weekends, but during the week it is great. In addition to the dining and nightlife it is known for, it has a great Stripside location. Unlike most of the other casinos, you can step out of the Cosmo doors directly onto Las Vegas Boulevard. You can easily walk a quarter mile before getting to the Strip from some of the other casinos.  You can read my Cosmopolitan overview here. 

I’m going to give an honorable mention to Caesars Palace. It has so many options under one roof, that you won’t have to go outside during your entire trip if you don’t want to. I have never understood why their rack room rate is so high, though. They do have another one of my favorite rooms, though.