RANKED - What is the best Las Vegas Strip Casino Resort in 2026

The Las Vegas Strip has the finest concentration of casino resorts in the world. Macau might have something to say about that claim, but I still don’t think it measures up personally. 

In fact, in Las Vegas, the choice is so vast that it can be overwhelming. I am often asked what ‘the best’ is, and it’s a question I can’t really answer. I can tell you what I think is the best; what the best ones are for me, but that’s the best I can do. 

And, in fact, it is exactly what I will do. Here is my personal ranking of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. It may not be yours, and I invite you to tell us what yours would look like in the comments section. 

To be clear before we start, I would recommend a stay at every one of these Las Vegas Strip casino resorts. They are all good. Some are just better than others. 

So, without further ado, let’s dive into it and rank the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip from worst to best. 

25. Sahara

It’s not that Saraha is bad per se. It’s not. There really is no such thing as a bad casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s that it’s… well it’s the Sahara. By that I mean there is no actual reason to ever go there, is there? It’s pretty as out of the way as you can get on the Strip, and once you do actually get there you wonder why you bothered because Sahara has nothing that you can’t get anywhere else two dozen times before you even need to start thinking about the trek north. 

And, actually, the most dislikable thing about Sahara is that there isn’t even anything dislikable about it. That would at least give it a distinguishable feature. But no, it can’t even do being bad very well, and that makes it simply boring. 

24. Resorts World

I don’t really have anything nice to say about Resorts World at all. In fact, it’s a really annoying place for a number of reasons. For a start, has there ever been a greater missed opportunity in recent Las Vegas history? It had an iconic plot of land (formerly Stardust), a good budget, luxury hotel chains behind it, marquee music acts, and they did nothing but mess it up. 

Basically, the place feels like a soulless mall that someone just so happened to drop a casino into the middle of. 

23. Strat

The Strat has a strange old spot in the Las Vegas landscape. Due to the 1,149 feet (350.2 meters) observation tower, which is still the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, The Strat is an undeniable icon of the Las Vegas skyline. There is cool stuff to do there too, like the rotating Top of the World restaurant and the, admittedly dwindling, amusement rides on the roof. 

But let’s be real here: The Strat is somewhere you visit every now and then, not somewhere you stay for a trip. The pool is poor, the rooms are dull, and the location is misleading. It is advertised as being a really good value property on the Strip, and technically it is. But guests arrive and realise they aren’t really walking anywhere of interest from the hotel lobby. The casino is quite nice, though, especially since the recent renovation. 

22. Circus-Circus

OK, let’s address the elephant in the room. And that’s ironic, because Circus Circus used to have an actual elephant in the room. She was called Tanya and she used to throw dice and pull slot machine levers with her trunk. True story. 

Those glory days are long behind Circus Circus now, though. It has gone from a bright and fun circus to be more akin to the kind of circus you’d see in a Batman movie:  dark, dingy, creepy, and all with a grim gothic ‘if cannibal zombie clowns started climbing out of my slot machine, I couldn’t even claim surprise’ kind of vibe. 

But one thing you can say about it is that it is unique. There is nowhere else like it on the Strip. And with an attached indoor theme park, carnival games, circus acts, and a pool with waterpark features like crazy slides, it’s a great place for families to Vegas. It’s just a very narrow niche. 

21. TI

To be completely honest with you, if this was the exact same property but still called Treasure Island, it might just be higher on the list. Good grief, I hate that rebrand. It used to be awesome. There was a really clear theme, great branding, true escapism. They even had the now long-lost live pirates show in the lagoon outside that was designed purely for that purpose.

Now, sadly, TI has fallen into the same trap as so many others. It is de-themed, safe, bland. Nothing at all stands out about it. And given the fact it has a player’s club that will not get you any value elsewhere in Las Vegas, it is incredibly difficult to justify a visit. 

20. Horseshoe

Some Las Vegas properties are love it or hate it. Horseshoe is probably the ultimate ‘like it or dislike it’ resort. There really isn’t enough to love or hate about Horseshoe. It is completely ‘meh’. 

I like the location and the branding of the place. I dislike how smoky the casino can feel. I like how it’s connected to Paris via an indoor walkway full of shops and bars. I dislike how it’s set back a little from the Strip behind the Grand Bazaar shops. I like its WSOP association, I dislike its dark history as the original MGM Grand. 

And that is what it is like to try and judge Horseshoe Las Vegas. You kind of straddle the line of mediocrity, occasionally stepping either side for a minor issue that is neither worthy of getting excited nor angry about. 

19. LINQ

In many ways, the LINQ has a lot of charm. In a land of the giants, it is compact and quaint. It would have been easy, I guess, for Las Vegas anyway, to knock down the old Imperial Palace and just build something new and shiny, but that didn’t happen with the LINQ. 

Sure, it’s small. The rooms, by Vegas standards, are downright boxy. The pool isn’t much to get excited about either, the amenities minimal and the casino compact. It does have a great location on the LINQ promenade, though, and it is right in the heart of Caesars territory for the Caesars Rewards devotees. 

Would I stay there? Probably not. There are bigger rooms and better properties available even in the Vegas Strip ‘budget’ category. But I certainly don’t dislike it. 

18. Harrah’s

OK, let’s get the positive out of the way here first. Harrah’s has the best duelling piano bar in Las Vegas. Many will tell you that New York-New York does, but you may disregard them. Respectfully, of course. There is no need to be rude. But, yes, Harrah’s absolutely shines in that regard. 

The location is quite good too, squeezed between Venetian and LINQ, meaning the LINQ Promenade is close. That location will improve further once Hard Rock Las Vegas (formerly Mirage) reopens. 

However, the rooms, amenities and pool at Harrah’s are pretty awful when compared to the usual Las Vegas Strip standard. I always go there for the piano bar, and it’s nice that it’s part of Caesars Rewards (even if spend at the piano bar is not), but it’s very low on the list of places I’d stay. 

17. Vanderpump

Let’s start with a bit of a disclaimer on this one. Vanderpump is a new rebranding of what used to be The Cromwell. For those sufficiently Vegas-vintage to remember, its other former names are Barbary Coast and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. 

Now, I really liked Cromwell. I liked the décor and atmosphere in there, and the location was great given it was just a bridge away from Ceasars, right next door to Flamingo, and diagonally opposite from Bellagio. 

That location hasn’t changed, of course, but we are yet to truly understand what Vanderpump will be like, so it’s hard to judge it in the here and now. Also, because of Drai’s Beach Club and Night Club, it was a bit of a hangout for younger party crowds. That will be awesome or awful depending on what you are looking for. 

We’ll know a lot more next year. But based on how much I liked the Cromwell, this is where it sits for now. 

16. Luxor

Luxor is the MGM version of the Strat in a way in that it is an iconic piece of the Las Vegas skyline and public image, but once you get inside it struggles to match up to the magic. You see it from the outside and see this incredible black pyramid with a light beacon that shoots into the night sky, all guarded by a mythical sphinx and obelisk. 

Then you get inside and you see tired old rooms, elevators (well, inclinators since they move on an angle rather than just vertically) that are so jumpy you pray for your life every time you step inside of one, and a casino floor with maybe be a little too much dead space. 

There are redeeming features, though. The theming inside is still amazing, even if they have long since ditched the barge check-in desk and riverboat journey to the inclinators. And it is right in the middle of Excalibur and Mandalay Bay (and connected to both via walkways and a tram), and within walking distance of the Allegiant Stadium. It’s budget-friendly too and, like its neighbour Excalibur, gives regular guests the best offers to attract them over glitzier rivals. However, it still struggles to wow like it once did – and probably should.

15. Excalibur

Ah the Excalibur. What a specimen of themed Las Vegas fun you once were. When the property opened, it was the largest hotel in the world. It was genuinely a thing of beauty too with its pristine white walls, fairy tale turrets, and awesome free show where a fire breathing dragon battled Merlin in the castle moat. 

Fast forward to today, and it has no free attraction and the pristine white walls now contribute to the nickname ‘the dirty castle’. Certainly, if you stay there, you will see what they mean by that when you try to look out of the windows. 

But let’s also be fair to the place. Yes, it had its heyday. It played a significant part in creating the Vegas themed-resort boom in the 1990s and it still plays its part in attracting visitors today. It just does it as a budget, family-friendly option. I like Excalibur. I wouldn’t choose it over others, but I’d not turn my nose up at it either. 

14. Flamingo

I think, honestly, if you were to judge Flamingo purely on its merits as a casino resort today, it might just do a little worse on this list. The check-in desk queues alone are infamously appalling and the whole place has seen better days. 

But enough of that negativity. The Flamingo is an absolute icon of Las Vegas, incredibly historically relevant, has great branding, affordable rooms, a good location, newly renovated pool complex, a completely free attraction (the Flamingo garden) and the LINQ promenade. I have a genuine soft spot for it. 

It also has some of the most underrated and understated Strip-view rooms you can get. I once had a room that faced south and had a sensational view of the Bellagio Fountains. Let’s give it some love and, if you can’t bring yourself to love it, at least appreciate and respect it. 

13. Park MGM

Park MGM is one of those Las Vegas properties that you wouldn’t really know was there until you see it. It does not have a huge physical presence on the Strip. It never appears in photos of Las Vegas due to the fact it is so visually unremarkable. It has no fancy theme or free attractions. It is entirely unremarkable in every way. Well, almost every way. 

The one thing that really makes Park MGM stand out is that it has the only 100% smoke-free casino in Las Vegas. For many, that is a huge advantage. And, let me tell you, while it may feel like a gimmick, the air quality is noticeably better in Park MGM than it is anywhere else in Las Vegas. Of course, to some, you know, smokers, that would probably make it the worst casino in town, and I understand that. However, for the majority, it’s an enormous positive. 

The rooms are OK too. A little basic perhaps, and small by Vegas standards. That said, the resort also feels downright manageable, which can be rare on the Strip. Stay at the Venetian, for example, and it might legitimately take you 10-15 minutes to make it from your room to the Strip. Park MGM is nothing like that, and I actually think it works to its credit. 

12. Aria

OK, hear me out on this one. Please. I know Aria is high end and striking and huge and there shouldn’t be anything not to love about it. But I just can’t love it. I have tried to love it. I really have. In fact, it was the very first Las Vegas hotel I stayed at, and that usually creates extra love in itself in terms of sentimentality and nostalgia. 

And yet, I just can’t seem to connect to the place. It has all the ingredients that you’d think would be awesome. It’s got a big casino, great rooms, a very modern feel, some superb restaurants, a centre-Strip location, and it’s also part of MGM Rewards. List them, and there is no doubt that Aria should be a top tier resort. 

There is just something about it that makes Aria feel a lot less than the sum of its parts, though. I wish I could explain it, and I apologise to those who love it and think it should be much better placed on this list. But it is what it is…

11. Paris

Hmmm, Paris. This is another Aria-like one, albeit slightly different. Because while Aria has all the right ingredients, Paris has all the right prestige. It is actually very difficult to see a picture of the Las Vegas Strip without seeing Paris, or its Eifel Tower replica at least.

It is, genuinely, a bona fide Las Vegas icon. It’s also got great theming, and I am sucker for a themed resort. The location is perfect as it looks directly at the Bellagio fountains, and in Mon Ami Gabi, Paris has arguably the best breakfast spot in all of Las Vegas. 

But, just like with Aria, I have never felt able to connect with it. You know when you just don’t really feel comfortable in a place without being able to explain why? It’s kind of that feeling. Perhaps, as with Aria, it’s just as simple as I have never actually had any good gambling there. Or maybe I have had no good gambling there because I don’t feel comfortable there? 

Whatever the explanation, I am just not a big fan of the Paris resort. 

10. Planet Hollywood

So, we now move into the top ten and start out with a selection that may surprise many. But what can I say, I just love Planet Hollywood. We vibe. While Aria and Paris are better properties than this on paper that make me feel a bit uncomfortable, Planet Hollywood is just somewhere that I always felt right at home in. 

I mean, yes, it has a smaller casino with worse game selection. The rooms, on average, aren’t as good, although I did once have a truly spectacular fountain view room at Planet Hollywood. The pool complex is nowhere near others in town too, including Paris and Aria. 

However, Planet Hollywood has a great décor, some brilliant food options like Gordon Ramsey Burger, PF Changs, and Café Hollywood, a casino with some atmosphere to it, and it has the Miracle Mile Shops wrapping around it too. It is, in my opinion, an absolute hidden gem of the Las Vegas Strip. 

9. Wynn/Encore

There is absolutely no doubting that the Wynn and Encore are spectacularly opulent. If this was a list ranking luxury, Wynn/Encore would top it. I have pretty much zero doubt about that. But this isn’t about luxury, it’s about best. And best is subjective. 

For me, Wynn and Encore are just a bit TOO stuffy, too posh. I don’t feel especially comfortable there as everything is so expensive, the crowds are always dressed so well, and it’s quite hard to relax in there. And, actually, I should say that my partner feels so strongly about that that he borderline refuses to even step in the place. 

You still have to give it its due, though. Wynn and Encore are incredible properties that really add something special to the Las Vegas landscape. They are just not for everyone – by design. 

8. Fontainebleau

Obviously, Fontainebleau is the relative newcomer in Las Vegas, even if it has now been operational for a few years. And, I have to say, it has A LOT going for it. 

When I stayed there, I thought the rooms were sensational (especially the bathrooms), the casino has arguably the best slots selection anywhere on the Strip, the pool complex was magnificent, and the food options were vast. I still covet the meatballs at Mother Wolfe even to this day. It’s an incredibly difficult property to criticise. 

However, Fontainebleau does have one critical flaw: its location. Staying at Fontainebleau is to commit to being largely stranded up at the north end of the Strip. The only other properties around it within reasonable walking distance are Circus Circus, Resorts World, Strat, Sahara, and maybe Wynn/Encore (in cooler months). And, to make it even more difficult to justify, all of those properties have their own individual rewards clubs. 

And that is something to seriously consider. If you stay at Flamingo, for example, you can easily go gamble in Harrah’s, Vanderpump, Caesars Palace, the LINQ, Horseshoe, even Paris and Planet Hollywood and earn points in the same tier system in all of them. Same for MGM properties at the south and centre Strip. That means you can extract value incredibly easily. 

If you stay at Fontainebleau though, you are pretty much restricting yourself to one casino or splitting your coin in across multiple ones, decreasing the value you get from them. So, it’s never really a case of not wanting to stay at Fontainebleau, it’s a case of being able to find better value elsewhere.

7. Venetian/Palazzo

When I first started going to Las Vegas, the Venetian was one of the resorts I was most excited about seeing. It had great theming, amazing size, and appeared to be genuinely unique. All of that still holds true. The exterior is stunning and the interior is absolutely majestic with its Grand Canal Shops and the intricate artistic ceilings. 

The Venetian and Palazzo also have great rooms throughout. They are huge and have an upper level (bed) and lower level (living space) as standard. Still to this day, they are probably the best standard rooms I have stayed in when visiting Las Vegas. 

The only real problem with Venetian and Palazzo is they can feel quite isolating. Granted, they have Harrah’s next door and Wynn and TI all very close by, but that again sort of hits the Fontainebleau problem with regards reward clubs. Additionally, they are so big that you can get a bit lost in them and although other properties are close by once you get outside, actually getting outside can sometimes be a bit of a trek. 

Still, let’s be real: Venetian and Palazzo are great casino resorts. I would never discourage people to stay there like I might others. And now that that the Sphere is open and operating, crowds are pushed through the Venetian and Palazzo much more naturally than before, so it feels like it is getting a bit of a renaissance, popularity-wise. That’s great to see. 

6. MGM Grand

For many years, I disliked the MGM Grand. I must be honest about that. And that bothered me slightly because, in truth, that corner where MGM Grand, Excalibur, and New York-New York sit was the place that gave me that once in a lifetime WOW moment that makes you fall in love with Las Vegas. 

My perception of MGM Grand changed a lot when I stayed there for the first time. That makes a lot of sense to me. MGM Grand is, after all, a bit of a weird shape and layout, and the main lobby is actually on Tropicana Avenue rather than Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip). That means if you enter MGM Grand from the Strip, you do so from the side and have a little walk to get into the heart of the resort. 

However, when you are staying there and your access point into MGM Grand is the central elevators, it feels like a much more immersive place and I kind of fell in love with it a bit. 

It has a lot going for it too as a resort in general: an iconic look, a good casino, nice food options, and a frankly great pool complex. It definitely lives up to its prestigious name, but I think you have to stay there yourself before you genuinely see it. 

5. Caesars Palace

I think I agonised over where to place Caesars Palace on my list more than any other. Because, if truth be told, I have no real love or personal affection for the place. That doesn’t mean I dislike it either, by the way. I just don’t love it. I find it a bit too smoky and sprawling, like it is a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster of a property that has just been added to over the years rather than built to purpose.

But, in fairness, that is exactly what it is. And to punish it for that would be punish it for being an icon with supreme longevity and legend. That didn’t feel fair to me. 

I mean, Caesars Palace is a huge part of the Vegas story. It occupies the largest single footprint on the Strip and its actual physical presence is enormous. It has stood guard over Las Vegas like an ancient sentry, quietly standing tall in time as the most stimulating cityscape in the world loudly and boisterously evolved around it. 

It’s a genuinely impressive property too. Great theming, great visuals, great location, great sportsbook, and a great pool complex. I must be totally honest though and admit that none of those reasons are why it places as it does on this list. It’s here as a mark of my enduring respect for the great elder of Las Vegas. 

4. Mandalay Bay

If this list was a question of my favourite places to gamble in Las Vegas, I would 100% have Mandalay Bay at the top of the list. I love the casino there with its high ceilings, great smell, generously spaced-out slot machines, accessible high-limit room and great game selection. 

I love staying there too. Whether you stay in Mandalay Bay itself or sister all-suite property W, your accommodation is going to be immaculately good. The resort also has the best pool complex in Las Vegas, high-quality amenities, a good selection of places to eat, and it is well-connected to other resorts that are part of the same rewards club (Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, and MGM Grand specifically).

The place does have a couple of flaws, though, too. Minor ones, to be very clear, but minor flaws are the difference when we get to the business end of this list. For a start, it’s maddeningly hard to get something quick and convenient to eat there. Goodness does that place need a proper food court. It does have one, but it’s located more in the events/convention space than the resort end, and it’s a hell of a walk to get there. 

The location can be a problem too given it is the most southern resort on the Las Vegas Strip. That does make it feel a little isolating at times, certainly when compared to those in centre-Strip. The casino can lack a little atmosphere sometimes as well. 

But look, these are tiny little complaints in the grand scheme of things. Mandalay Bay is an absolutely awesome casino resort and one of the very best in Last Vegas, and even better if the purpose of your visit includes a big sports or entertainment event at the Allegiant Stadium. 

3. New York-New York

If casinos could be spirit animals, then mine would be New York-New York. I just love spending time there. I’d also say that New York-New York proves that great casino resorts are all about the experience, not a list of numbers or amenities. 

I say that because if you looked at New York-New York from a purely cold point of view, it wouldn’t look like much. It has one of the smaller casinos on the Strip, the room sizes are distinctly average too, perhaps even below average. There is no spa, the pool has a roller coaster screaming over it every couple of minutes, and there is nothing remotely fancy about any of the food options at all. 

Forget about all that, though, because none of it really matters. What the written list can’t capture is the feeling you get when you enter New York-New York next to the food court upstairs, from either MGM Grand or Excalibur, and look down on the casino. It’s the best casino view anywhere in the world as far as I am concerned.

There may not be fancy brands taking up food locations in the resorts, but look at what it does have: a great sports bar (Tom’s Watch Bar), a great Irish Bar (Nine Fine Irishmen), a great Asian restaurant (Chin Chin), an Italian, a Steakhouse, a 24-hour restaurant, a lively piano bar, a food court,  loads of cheap easy eats, a roller coaster, an arcade…

And on top of all of that, it has the most important stuff for me, impossibly cool theming, a great atmosphere and, more often than not, an 80s soundtrack blasting while you gamble. Oh, and it has probably the best two events venues in Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena and Dolby Live at Park MGM) literally next door. 

2. Cosmopolitan 

For me, this was always going to be a very tightly run two-horse race for the number one spot. In the end, Cosmopolitan could have taken it, but ultimately it just didn’t have enough. 

Let’s get into what it does have, though, because Cosmopolitan is a brilliant Las Vegas Strip casino resort. We’ll run through it in order. 

When you walk in, you immediately get hit with that incredible Cosmopolitan smell. I can’t describe it in words, sadly, but if I was to try, I would say it’s sort of a blend of happy and home, with strong, sweet, undertones of awesome. Honestly, go smell it for yourself. 

Then when you get up to your room, you realise you have something very few other Las Vegas resorts can offer – a balcony. Your own private outdoor space right at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. Obviously fountain view and Strip view rooms come at a cost, but they are definitely worth it if you ask me, and even if you don’t get them the balcony is still brilliant. (Note: the ‘City’ rooms at Cosmopolitan don’t have a balcony, so don’t book them. Staying at the Cosmopolitan and not having a balcony is like going to a restaurant and not eating.)

Then you have the casino, which looks compact but is actually quite large with a great game selection. The food options are good, the sports book is brilliant, and the location is outstanding given it places you right at the heart of the Strip. 

The only real drawback with the Cosmopolitan is that it’s not got that iconic feel like others do. Imagine you’re planning your first trip. You are likely thinking about Caesars Palace, Bellagio, New York-New York, Venetian, perhaps Paris. It is unlikely you are thinking about a boutique-style resort with no real name recognition and zero special visual appeal. 

That’s the only fault I can really find for it, though, which should speak volumes. 

1. Bellagio

I think it always had to be Bellagio. And a part of me thinks it always will be Bellagio. It is the very centrepiece of Las Vegas itself. Go ahead and see for yourself. Google ‘Las Vegas Strip’ and I can almost guarantee that most of the images that come up at least contain the Bellagio fountains, if not centre upon them. 

If anything, it is too easy to get distracted by those fountains and not pay enough attention to the resort itself as a whole. The Bellagio is the absolute standard in Las Vegas for quality, and yet it also manages to deliver it in an entirely accessible and welcoming way, which is where the likes of Wynn and Encore can fail. 

The casino is large with a great atmosphere, even the most basic level of room is immaculate and the restaurants that line the fountains are all absolutely outstanding.  You also have some good cheap eats and some high-end shopping right there in the resort too. Even the pool complex is up there with the very best.

As we have discovered on this page, Las Vegas is the home of the finest concentration of genuinely outstanding casino resorts in the world. The Bellagio, though, is simply better than every other one of them in my opinion. 

Do you agree with our list? Have we been too cruel to your favourite or too kind to your Las Vegas casino resort nemesis (we all have one)? What would you have done differently? Tell us in the comments.