Cheapest Hotels in Las Vegas – On the Strip & Downtown

Key Points:

• I priced every hotel on the Strip & Downtown for a random sampling of future dates to determine the cheapest.

• On the Strip, Circus Circus was the cheapest option, followed by STRAT and Excalibur.

• Downtown, Binion’s was the least expensive option with Golden Gate and El Cortez right on its heels.

Doing Vegas on a budget isn’t as easy as it used to be. Prices are rising, and fees abundant.

Partly because I like saving money and partly because I like doing nerdy sh*t, I thought it would be fun to find the cheapest hotels in Vegas.

Methodology: I’ve randomly selected 10 future nights, with dates that land on both weeknights and weekends.

From there, I’ll be able to determine an average nightly rate and crown the least expensive option. Resort fees will be factored in.

These average rates don’t reflect how low midweek rates can get. Most of the hotels below can be had for around $60/nt all in, off-peak.

Circus Circus

At an average nightly rate of $92.08, Circus Circus sits atop the heap as the cheapest hotel on the Strip.

Their “West Tower King Room” specifically was the least expensive option, often priced at $25 plus resort fees mid-week.

I recently stayed in that exact room type and found it “OK” for the price, but far from something I was excited about. Definitely a “motel-ey vibe”.

The small price tag comes with some distinct tradeoffs, though, as Circus Circus is located a short ride (or a long walk) from the central portion of the Strip.

The Deuce Bus can get you to the action cheap, but it’s crowded & slow.

If traveling with kids, Circus Circus is known to be one of the more kid-friendly resorts in Las Vegas, offering an arcade, carnival games, and an amusement park.

STRAT

While technically located on The Strip, STRAT is far from the action. While it’s distant, there’s still plenty to love about the resort, which ranked as the second-cheapest option, with an average rate of $107.95.

First, gambling limits are usually a rung or two cheaper than center strip resorts, allowing you to stretch your budget.

The real perk, however, is STRAT’s SkyPod tower, which boasts bars, restaurants, a wedding chapel, and rides. Observation deck tickets cost around $25, and a ride can be added for $5.

Xscream (pictured) is like a teeter-totter that dangles you off the edge of the tower, while Big Shot shoots you straight up in the air.

STRAT is also located along the Deuce Bus route, which connects guests to resorts on the Strip to the south at a palatable price.

Another transportation option available to you is the FREE Downtown Loop shuttle, which connects STRAT to stops in the Arts District and the Fremont Street Experience. It’s a great option.

STRAT’s Elevate Rooms, while a rung above the cheapest option, have recently been renovated and left me impressed. Pay a few extra bucks for one of these bad boys.

Excalibur

I’m a sucker for themed resorts in Las Vegas, and Excalibur has some medieval swagger.

Excalibur has an expansive gaming floor, one of the cheapest buffets on the Strip, and a free tram to both Luxor and Mandalay Bay to the south.

Base rooms at Excalibur ranked 3rd cheapest on the Strip, with an average nightly rate of $121. Those same baseline rooms start at around $60/nt after fees.

Excalibur’s Royal Tower was most recently renovated (in 2016), but the Resort Tower just received fresh furniture hand-me-downs from MGM Grand.

Luxor

One of the most instantly recognizable structures on Earth also offers some of the most affordable rooms in town.

While my 10-night sampling of dates pegged Luxor at $129.40 per night, baseline rooms in their pyramid can often be had for under $60/nt after fees.

Luxor is also connected to Mandalay Bay and Excalibur via both a free tram and an indoor walkway, which tends to be faster than the tram.

Recently, I reserved their cheapest Pyramid Premier Room, which was solid for the price, albeit unclean and in disrepair. I’m hoping it was a fluke.

If it’s in your budget, consider upgrading to a Tower Premier Room, one of the best budget-friendly rooms in Las Vegas. They’re sizable at 449 sq. ft., fashionable, and pristine in terms of cleanliness and maintenance.

Base rooms in the tower are just a few extra bucks per night, and worth it.

Casino Royale

Lacking the “glitz & glamor” of other mega-resorts in Las Vegas, Casino Royale’s small 152-room hotel offers an advantageous center-Strip location, steps away from numerous resorts.

In addition to cheap rates, which averaged $159.42 per night across my sample dates, Casino Royale offers several budget-friendly dining options, free parking, and no resort fees.

That said, my recent stay at Casino Royale wasn’t great.

I had water coming through my ceiling, the towels and sheets were stained, and the hotel product isn’t exciting. At all. I prefer almost any other hotel on this list, provided you can get into one for less.

Flamingo

A Las Vegas icon, the Flamingo ranked as the cheapest Caesars-branded hotel on the Strip by a hair with an average nightly rate of $160.35.

If center-Strip location is important, Flamingo’s tough to beat as it’s parked smack dab in the middle of things, surrounded by LINQ, Cromwell (soon to be Vanderpump), and Caesars Palace across the street. Numerous other resorts are also within walking distance.

My favorite non-gaming amenity at Flamingo is their new GoPool, which I think is one of the best pools in Vegas.

While Flamingo is cheap, my recent stay in a Flaming Room left me unimpressed. The room was fashionable for the price, but it was unclean and had abundant maintenance issues.

LINQ

While Linq’s multicolor exterior is admittedly shabby in appearance, the room product has a surprisingly updated and modern feel, albeit lacking “bells and whistles.

The biggest drawback is that rooms are small compared to peers on the Strip, measuring only 300 square feet. This was my bunk bed room, which is very similar to their standard offering.

While the rooms are fashionable, every recent room I’ve had at LINQ has been pretty beat up from a “dings & scuffs” perspective, so keep that in mind.

If smaller rooms don’t bother you, LINQ’s center-Strip location, upbeat casino floor, and raucous rooftop pool scenes could be a good option.

While I like the aesthetic of

Linq’s rooms averaged $166.15 nightly over the 10-night survey.

Horseshoe

Horseshoe’s average room rate was $181.35, ranking it as the 6th cheapest hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

Rooms at Horseshoe were last renovated in 2014 and feature vibrant pops of red alongside great Strip views.

In addition to cheap standard guestrooms, Horseshoe also has some of the most affordable suites on the Strip.

Notably, the colorful Grand Bazaar Shops in front of the resort along the Strip offer several quick-serve restaurant options if you’re on the hunt for cheap eats.

Binion’s Hotel Apache

Binion’s Hotel Apache ranked as the cheapest hotel on Fremont Street with an average nightly rate of $71.60.

Notably, Binion’s and its sister property, 4 Queens (also on this list), don’t charge a resort fee.

The rooms at Binion’s are hidden behind the blue neon facade surrounding the casino, so there isn’t an outdoor view from most guestrooms, and most rooms suffer from Fremont Street noise pollution until the wee hours of the morning.

They do have quieter rooms, and I’ve been fortunate to get one 2x now, so ask for one when checking in.

The rooms themselves are among the most distinctive accommodations in Las Vegas, designed to look as they did 100 years ago.

While they have a historic look, the hotel rooms at Binion’s still come equipped with the modern amenities you’d expect, though the bathrooms are pretty cramped by today’s standards.

The pool, while unimpressive in its own right, sits atop the roof of the vacant Mint hotel tower and offers a great view of downtown Las Vegas.

I recently stayed at and reviewed Binion’s Hotel Apache!

Golden Gate

As the oldest hotel in Las Vegas, opening in 1906, Golden Gate has some serious historic charm.

Ranking as the second cheapest hotel in Downtown Las Vegas, Golden Gate’s average nightly rate was $87.86.

Uniquely, Golden Gate’s “Original 10” rooms have been around since the hotel originally opened (Don’t worry… they’ve been renovated). What the rooms lack in space, they make up for with a fun, historic vibe.

“Original 10” rooms also rank among the cheapest at Golden Gate, often priced in the $60 range after fees.

You’ll want to note that many of Golden Gate’s hotel rooms are a (very) short distance from a live entertainment stage, and they are far from being the quietest hotel rooms in Vegas, although my request for a quiet “O10” room was successful.

El Cortez

Once owned in part by Bugsy Siegel, El Cortez has plenty of historic significance. In fact, El Cortez is the only Las Vegas casino on the National Register of Historic Places.

During my sampling of dates, room rates at El Cortez averaged $101.95, making it one of the cheapest options in all of Vegas.

I recently stayed in an “Original 47” room, which was located above the casino floor. While historic, they’ve been restored and are one of the nicest rooms on Fremont Street.

Mine was quiet, but I heard that there can be noise pollution.

If you need a good night’s sleep, check out the Cabana Suites at El Cortez, which are in a separate building behind the casino and across the street.

They’re relatively updated and are much quieter than most rooms downtown.

That said, the color scheme takes some getting used to.

4 Queens

The sister property of Binion’s, 4 Queens, also never charges a nightly resort fee.

The absence of fees, in part, contributes to the hotel’s ranking as one of the most affordable options in town, averaging $103.60 per night.

There are numerous reasons I enjoy visiting 4 Queens. They’re one of the only casinos still offering Silver Strike slot games, which kick out souvenir “strikes”.

Additionally, some of my favorite places to eat cheap call the resort home. Both Magnolia’s Veranda and Chicago Brewing Co. are go-to options of mine.

Like other Fremont Street resorts, many rooms at 4 Queens are exposed to significant noise until the early hours of the morning.

Light sleepers can book a room “guaranteed to face away from Fremont Street” on their website, fortunately.

I recently stayed at 4 Queens in a South Tower Royal Suite, which wasn’t in great shape. Their North Tower just reopened after renovation work and is likely a better option.

Hopefully, my breakdown of the cheapest hotels in Las Vegas on the Strip and Fremont Street helped you identify a budget-friendly option that works for you!

I’ve also compiled a rundown of my favorite budget hotels in Vegas that start at under $100/nt after fees, but aren’t “dumpy” – These are solid options!

Here are a few other articles that may be of interest to those looking to stretch their dollar:

• 40+ Ways to Save in Las Vegas
• Where to find happy hours on the Strip and cheap drink deals downtown.
• Where to find cheap eats on the Strip, and where to eat cheap on Fremont Street.

Related: The Most Expensive Hotels in Las Vegas!