Las Vegas Hotels - Local Hangouts

Starting in the year 2000 Las Vegas experienced a tremendous boom in growth. The housing manufactures along with Las Vegas hotels had a heck of a time keeping up with demand.

The hotels/casinos are called "properties", and there were a lot of local properties built during that time. Some have come and gone, and others have survived the economic downturn. People coming to Las Vegas for a vacation typically stay on the strip where the high profile hotels are at.

It seems most visitors never get tired of seeing the strip lights from places like Caesars Palace, Ballys, Paris, Venetian and Wynn hotels. Add to this the first or second time visitors that get mesmerized by the light shows that Treasure Island and the Venetian put on, and you can get the "Vegas Fever" fast.

But what happens after you have seen the glamor and glitter a few times? Maybe a change of pace would be nice, then it is time to venture into the outer edges of the city and explore some of the Las Vegas hotels that the local crowds go to.

Granted, there are some local hotels/casinos that play the part, they are old and dingy. Downtown Las Vegas is not really considered local, it is called "Old Las Vegas". Many of those hotels are in need of a face life, but there is a clientele that still likes the aged properties. Rooms are generally cheaper, but the area leaves something to be desired.

Lets take a look at some of the more desirable local hotels you might consider staying at next time you go to Las Vegas.

Out of all the Las Vegas hotels that are considered local hangouts, the Red Rock is one, if not one of the nicest.

The Red Rock hotel is part of the station casino group properties. They own some older properties like Palace Station, Texas Station, to name a few, but the Red Rock is newer (2005) and much nicer.

Most newer hotels have much better ventilation systems, compared to older hotels, which makes it healthier if this is a concern of yours. The Red Rock is roomier in the gaming area which makes losing much nicer. You have a strip property feel without the crowds.

If you are looking for amenities like a pool (not just a pool, but the palm trees with music and Jacuzzi's and these things), workout center, business center, shops, spa, then Red Rock has it all. Attached is a bowling alley with private lanes available for parties and special events. They even offer day care for the tots and a arcade for the kids.

There is a food court, buffet, Italian restaurant, Mexican restaurant, steak house, cafe, you won't go hungry there.

There is the 215 freeway right next to the Red Rock and you are about 10 miles from the strip. Across the street is Best Buy, Costco, Lowes and a whole slew of restaurants including the cheesecake factory.

Entertainment

The Red Rock has a cozy lounge area that sports different bands nightly. Most of the time there is no cover charge, with the exception of when a named performer comes to town.

In the center of the casino there is another bar that has a DJ, it's a hangout for people who like loud music. It does electrify the gaming area and make people play more.

In the summer there is an outdoor concert area where musicians like Daughtry, Tommy Lee and others perform. It's out by the pool and the atmosphere is quite nice, the summer concerts provide locals and guests with a variety of entertainment.

As you can see going local may not be quite as bad as you might have thought, lets look at a quieter local property you might like.

A little deeper in the local community there is the Rampart Hotel and Casino.

Much smaller than the Red Rock, the Rampart Hotel caters to the older local crowd. The gaming area is separated from the hotel which leads me to believe that Rampart owns the hotel and the casino was added on later. I'm not sure, but I heard the casino is run by a different company.

Many of the amenities are located on the hotel side, as mentioned this is a smaller, quieter casino where the clientele is older. So you ask, what's the big deal? The big deal is just that, if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing, place to stay and play in, this is for you. The area is also very nice with plenty of places to shop.

Some people don't care about fancy spas or sexy, fancy pool areas, they want a more homey atmosphere, the Rampart is the place for you. At certain times of the year the rooms are quite cheap and you can get some nice meal perques included with your package.

Entertainment

There is a one man lounge show, well, maybe not considered a show, but it is entertainment.

There is a small lounge/showroom area where they rotate local talent, and there is also a cute Irish pub that has Irish music on the weekends. So, the Rampart does have a night life, but it's not the hot spot that everyone clamors to like some places along the strip.

The local Vegas hotels not only want the local business, but they want visitors to notice them too. The two hotels mentioned above is just a sample of many other local properties you can consider when vacationing in Las Vegas.

You can expect to pay anywhere from 20 to 50 percent less for rooms compared to the strip, depending on season and days of the week.

Tips:

• Just like airlines, room rates jump all over the place. Check the hotels website frequently for price changes. You could pay $100.00 for a room a month in advance, and then 2 days before you can get the same room for $60.00 because they are under booked and need to fill the rooms. Crazy, but that's the way it can end up.
• If you gamble a little or a lot, get to know a casino host. They can offer you over and above what is on the website.
  
• Get a club card - they often send out offers even if you don't play.
• Club Card - just by having the card you can get 20% or more off your dining bill for the buffet at most hotels.

Give the Las Vegas hotels away from the strip a look next time you plan a trip, you might find it more relaxing and fun to play and stay there.