@Groundwork2022 - eat the restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere. Best view of the strip and the city! The food was surprisingly good, too. Exceeded our expectations for a view restaurant. 
One annoying thing about Vegas is that many (all?) of the big hotels arrange themselves so you have to walk through the casino to get to the front desk, or restaurants, or elevators, or anywhere else. And once the gambling action gets going later in the the day the air in the casino is choked with cigarette smoke. So even if you are not a gambler by time you walk to your destination your clothes and hair smell all smoky.
Vdara is a nice all-suite, no-casino hotel where we stayed a few times when visiting with D. It’s a nice experience if you don’t want to hike through a potentially smoke-filled casino every time you go in and out. The location is quite nice as well, right next door to Aria and Cosmpolitan.
I like Vegas a lot, but without a doubt the worst part for me is the smokers in the casinos.
@BunsenBurner : A few years ago the Stratosphere was a fairly dangerous place to be. Lots of drug dealing, drug usage & gang presence. Very dangerous. I may be mistaken, but I am almost certain that the Stratosphere is the number one hotel to avoid in Las Vegas due to drugs, crime & prostitution.
P.S. Avoid Circus Circus & The Stratosphere as they are both rundown & in a rough area.
If you take a taxi to the Stratosphere & have dinner reservations at the top, it is okay. Just avoid any nightclub or any attempt to walk in the nearby area. Stay in another hotel away from this area. But, I agree that the view should be spectacular from the top floor restaurant. But this is a very seedy area.
We walked to the tower from the other end of the strip around 8 pm and returned around 10 pm. Maybe we were stupid, but we never felt being in danger. Yes, the area around it is not very glitzy, but it was no worse than walking up Capitol Hill in Seattle. We headed straight for the restaurant though - never even looked at the hotel.
You were lucky. The area is home to strip clubs, dirty book stores, prostitutes & lots of drugs. Known as an area inhabited by gangs–although that was two years ago.
If you go to Las Vegas, it is best to stay at the top hotels.
The Cosmopolitan, Aria, Wynn, Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay, Encore (Wynn property), Waldorf Astoria, Venetian is okay, MGM Grand, Bellagio & several others.
Of course, cost is a factor but many offer discounts.
View Aria & The Cosmopolitan on the web. Both are fine places to stay & enjoy Las Vegas.
Years ago I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel (off the strip a few long blocks) and really enjoyed it. Smaller and quite nice.
@Groundwork2022, you’re coming at a great time. This May has been unusually mild and the temperatures will only be in the high 80’s to low 90’s.
If you’re willing to make an all day excursion, you could pay a visit to Valley of Fire after you see Hoover Dam. The red rock terrain is really beautiful there.
If you don’t want to drive that far out, Red Rock Canyon is only a 30 or so minute drive from the Strip on the western edge of town. There is a scenic loop drive with many possible stops for gentle to strenuous hiking trails if desired.
I saw Jubilee 3 times, and was so disappointed that the iconic showgirl era had come to an end. I thought the girls were beautiful and the show tastefully done. It was a variety show. A little Cirque, comedy, etc.
Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. I had done a little bit of research, so I was aware about packing light layers and such. The guidebooks didn’t say anything about walking through smoky casinos to get to your room, though. Ugg. Fortunately we’re staying at Mandalay, and that was mentioned as not being one of the “walk-thru” casinos. If that’s true (or if nothing has changed), I am very glad to hear that. It is a long way from the Stratosphere too, so I guess I now know where to hide from the extended family who will be joining us on the trip. It is a pretty expensive place, so I can understand why some posters feel that one visit is enough.
US News ranks hotels. Included are Las Vegas Hotels & Resorts. The top 11 ranked Las Vegas hotels are:
- Mandarin Oriental (now it is Waldorf Astoria as of late 2018–so a step down. Non-gambling resort.)
- Aria Sky Suites
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore by Wynn
- Wynn
- Skylofts at MGM Grand
- Four Seasons (top 5 floors of Mandalay Bay)
- Bellagio
- Aria
- Palazzo
- Venetian
Mandalay Bay is great.
Casino.org ranks the Las Vegas resort hotels with the most complaints. According to casino.org these are the “Five Worst Hotels in Las Vegas”:
Siegel Slots & Suites
Stratosphere Hotel, Casinos & Towers (but rooftop pool & restaurant are worth a visit, just don’t stay there)
Excalibur Hotel & Casino
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino
Tropicana
There are dozens of great places to stay which offer very reasonable rates. Red Rock Resorts, Trump International & Delaro Las Vegas were noted by one source. I am not familiar with these, although I have heard of the Red Rock Resort.
I can vouch for Mandarin Oriental, but it is now the Waldorf Astoria as of late 2018–so a step down in quality (non-gambling hotel). Favorites are The Cosmopolitan & Aria.
Wynn & Encore by Wynn are very nice. Wynn targets Asian travelers / guests. Elegant feel.
Also, I recall being interested in a hotel called Linc. Have to google it as I have never stayed there.
Apparently it is the LINQ. Geared to those in their twenties. Pool parties, zip line & interactive games. Not for my tastes, but seems relatively new & very inexpensive though located right in the middle of the strip. Ad I just viewed showed $44 per night.
I would be certain to thoroughly check out any Las Vegas strip hotel priced at under $129 or so per night. The nice hotels are $250 to $360 or so per night. Of course, there are several with dramatically higher price tags.
If you stay off the strip, accommodations are very inexpensive.
@Groundwork2022 : About a decade ago I stayed at The Four Seasons which is just the top 5 floors of the Mandalay Bay. The only advantage was that Four Seasons guests could use either the Four Season’s pool or the Mandalay Bay resort pool. Four Seasons pool was much quieter. I really liked both Four Seasons & Mandalay Bat. The hotel check-in folks thought it was ridiculous to pay so much more for the Four Seasons than for Mandalay Bay.
@Publisher - note that I did not endorse staying at that place. The restaurant is what we walked there for. And it was very much worth it. Yes, it was 2 or so years ago. We walked, because that is what we do. If one does not feel comfortable doing so, there is plenty of Uber. 
Yes, I understand. Last time I was in Las Vegas I was dying to go to the Stratosphere but was warned away by the concierge of our hotel. I would love to swim in the rooftop pool & eat in the restaurant. But there were some serious issues with gangs, etc. in the immediate area & in the nightclub at the Stratosphere.
Las Vegas is an escape from the real world, but requires real world common sense.
P.S. Just google The Stratosphere Las Vegas & the pictures show why it is nearly irresistible. Incredible view is obvious.
Regarding the LINQ - it is not a new building, just new branding on the old Imperial Palace which was built in 1979 (practically prehistoric by Las Vegas standards - lol). It is part of the Caesar’s entertainment group, so it is a reputable place for budget conscious travelers.
It has super cheap room rates for mid-Strip, and the accommodations are basic, but right in the heart of all the Strip has to offer. The attached LINQ Promenade has a bunch of casual dining venues, live music, and the High Roller observation wheel if you want a great view without having to venture to the Stratosphere. Fun for a visit, but more geared to the 20-something crowd.
My last time staying on the strip was 2010 and I was at Palazzo. My room was incredible (business conference). I’ve had really bad rooms in Vegas, too. The older hotels did not want to encourage you to stay in your room…
The Caesar properties (Caesar’s Palace, Harrah’s, LINQ, Flamingo, Bally’s, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Rio) are located in the middle of the strip and are perfectly safe and acceptable mid-priced hotels. The rooms are rather basic, but the Flamingo (where I always stay) has recently updated rooms.
The most important thing is comfortable shoes. Everything is much further away than it appears!
@Groundwork2022, good choice at Mandalay Bay. Rent a cabana in the Delano club section of the pool. It’s expensive but it is so worth it. If is ti a holiday week, they may be full-you can make a reservation. Also, don’t do the Michael Jackson show-it’s over-priced, loud and has few, if recognizable, songs.
@aunt bea … and anyone else who knows better…
I hear Mandalay doesn’t give you pool floats for the lazy river, but they do sell overpriced ones, or you are allowed to bring your own. Is that correct? I went out and bought some at Five and Below, but am not certain if I am going to need them. All the reviews on this issue are at least a couple of years old.