Which hotels are actually on the Strip (Rio, Westgate, Virgin, Palace Station)?
1 answer
None of those four. Rio, Westgate, Virgin Hotels and Palace Station are all just off the Strip: close enough that the marketing blurs it, far enough that you notice every evening.
What counts as the Strip: Las Vegas Boulevard South from about Mandalay Bay to The STRAT, roughly four miles. A hotel is on it when its front door opens onto that boulevard. The stretch is unincorporated Clark County rather than the city of Las Vegas, which is why its lodging tax is 13.38% and Downtown's is 13%.
Where the four actually are
- Rio: west of I-15 on Flamingo Road. You can see Caesars Palace from it, but walking there means crossing the freeway, 15 to 20 minutes and unpleasant in summer.
- Westgate: east of the Strip on Paradise Road beside the Convention Center, with its own Monorail stop, which is the honest reason to stay there.
- Virgin Hotels (the old Hard Rock): about a mile east on Harmon Avenue, a rideshare rather than a walk.
- Palace Station: on Sahara Avenue west of the freeway, a locals' casino with cheaper rooms and a locals' crowd.
None of that makes them bad choices. You get lower rates and, at some, cheaper or free parking, and you budget a car or rideshare to reach the Boulevard. Ask about a shuttle when you book and do not rely on it. The lay of the land is in neighborhoods of Las Vegas; which stretch suits which trip is in where to stay.