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On the cheap side of the street
By KEN BREKKE
Reprinted with the permission of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine. Wanna' sleep cheap -- but comfortably -- in Las Vegas? And within walking distance of the main attractions? It's all a matter of geography. The famous Strip (a.k.a Las Vegas Boulevard) runs north and south. The expensive hotels, with some exceptions, are on the west side. The inexpensive hotels, with some exceptions, are on the east side. Staying on the cheaper side of the Strip won't keep you from seeing the fountains in front of Bellagio, the Mirage's mock volcano or the pirate battle at Treasure Island. In fact, you might have a shorter walk from across the street than if you were actually staying at one of the more expensive resorts. And by choosing a hotel on the east side of the Strip, you can pay as little as $39 a night for a room. Here are four cheap hotels (and one slightly costlier one) where you can do just that: Casino Royale and Hotel (3411 Las Vegas Blvd. S, toll-free 1-800-854-7666, www.casinoroyalehotel.com) does not have a lot of space, but all of the Casino Royale's 152 rooms are priced right. For example, rates are $49 for weekdays and $69 on weekends, at the beginning of June. Guests are next door to the Venetian and Harrah's, and Treasure Island and the Mirage are across the Strip. The Fashion Show Mall is a relatively reasonable walk away. Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino (3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S, toll-free 1-888-227-2279, www.barbarycoastcasino.com) is another little place offering big value, and retaining its Old Vegas atmosphere. The 8-acre lake at Bellagio, which erupts nightly in a dazzling display of fountains and lights, is across the intersection from Barbary Coast; Caesars Palace is directly across the street; and Bally's and the Flamingo are on either side. It has 200 rooms, and prices range from $39 on weekdays to $89 on weekends. Standard rooms are a respectable 400 square feet, compared with 510 square feet at Bellagio. Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino (3535 Las Vegas Blvd. S, toll-free 1-800-634-6441, www.imperialpalace.com) is a big place that frequently drops rates on its 2,700 rooms to $39 on weekdays, $59 on weekends. Callers and Web site visitors can get the best rates by checking the "Casino Gold Specials." Harrah's Las Vegas Casino and Hotel (3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S, toll-free 1-800-392-9002, www.harrahs.com), at 2,559 rooms and suites, is also a huge place, and its regular rates will be among the most expensive among its competitors on this side of the Strip. But weekday rates in the $50-$60 range can be found here. Check the "Hot Deals" section of Harrah's Web site. Flamingo Las Vegas (3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S, toll-free 1-888-308-8899, www.flamingo-lv.com) is normally a pricey place with rates reaching $200 a night. But at certain times of the year, travelers will find bargains among the Flamingo's 3,600 rooms and suites. Rates were at $55 for a few weekdays in July, although they jumped to $140 on some weekends. More tips for bargain-huntersCheck out the Web sites of Las Vegas hotels; many list special promotions and have "guest books" you can sign. That puts you on their mailing lists for attractive invitations, including lower room rates, two-for-one offers on show tickets and buffets, and coupons for some casino games. Visit www.travel2vegas.com, which gives abbreviated versions of casino ads that appear in Sunday editions of the Los Angeles Times. The site is updated regularly, and you do not have to live in California to take advantage of the specials. You can find crucial, and often humorous, descriptions of the hotels and casinos in Las Vegas at www.cheapovegas.com. The reviewers sometimes stretch a point in order to make a joke, but they're fairly accurate. Ken Brekke is a retired Wisconsin newspaper journalist who has made at least 40 trips to Las Vegas.
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