Towering Over The Strip (Stratosphere Tower)

Member Name: topsyturvy

Product:	Stratosphere Tower
Date:	14/10/08 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good location, comfortable, helpful staff

Disadvantages: not as much to offer as other hotels

Over my summer as I mentioned previously in my review, I flew to America and Canada for a travelling summer. On one of my stops on the west coast I visited Las Vegas. I went here for my birthday but one of the hardest things I found while staying here was trying to decide on which hotel to stay at because without having been here it is difficult to see the greatness of each hotel for yourself. The majority of the hotels on The Strip are very high standard so you are looking at quite high prices which is why I had to keep to a steady budget and didn't want to spend too much. I had looked at The Venetian and it looked like my kind of thing but the prices were too steep for what I had in mind. I then had the option of The Excalibur and Circus Circus but eliminated these for the reason that the Excalibur was having building work done and Circus was more of a children's hotel.

So, after close consideration and recommendation of reading many reviews, I decided to go for the Stratosphere. In Vegas, these hotels are like no other hotels you will ever come across in your life, you have the themed hotels like The Venetian, New York, Paris etc which are based on cities so take on the art work and the real atmosphere of the country. The Wynn and Bellagio are very nice too but again based more on countries like Italy seems to be the main theme as Caesar's Palace has an Italian theme also.

The Stratosphere is at the North end of the strip so is further away it is near Fremont Street compared to the like of the Luxor and Mandalay Bay which are very south near the McCarran Intl airport. There are many ways to make your way up the Strip one being the Deuce bus which for $5 gives you unlimited travel up the Strip so the Stratosphere location is not too bad. I did walk the whole strip once it does seem quick when your going into the hotels as the city is so lively anyway. The Stratosphere is considered downtown when getting a taxi from the airport though so will cost you about $16 for a return which is still not that bad. The hotel is near lots of souvenir shops and I suppose in a way it is good because not being right in the busiest part of the Strip you get a bit of peace at night.

As soon as you arrive you can see the tower from the airport as it sticks out high above the Strip. As soon as you get here the reception and casino hit you right away and you know you're in Vegas. The casino here is not the most impressive of the hotels but is very red themed and is always busy with its poker tables, slot machines, you name it. Also the bars around the casino seem quite nice too and when you check in you will be given a discount book which gives you cheaper promotions on bars etc within the hotel. When checking in you will be given your tower room and they do ask if you want a strip view for $20 more a night.

The staff are all very helpful here in guiding you how to get about and about what shows are good. Also when I mentioned it was my birthday I was given many VIP free entry passes to the clubs which saves you about $20 to get in which even if it isn't your birthday you should enquire about. The casino floor is so big sometimes when you just want to get to places quickly from your room say to use payphones or go to the shops. Once getting to the lifts there are 24 floors but luckily I was on the 10th. I checked in late and my room was still not ready so I had to have a smoking room which I wasn't happy about but I let it go as I was so tired. The rooms are ok depending on how many you have per room. I had a twin room and it was nicely air conditioned and clean. There were clean towels but the sink was outside of the bathroom which I didn't like. You also have a menu if you want to order to your room, a TV and an iron.

The room didn't have a great view but I knew I'd hardly be in it as I had so much to see so this didn't bother me too much. The beds are queen size so they are very comfy. On my first day I went to the pool which is oddly located on the 8th floor. It is a very nice pool right out in the heat with many sun loungers for you to lie back and tan on. There is a bar if you want snacks and drinks and an alcoholic bar if you want to start drinking early. The pool isn't the biggest but is a nice size and there is a Jacuzzi on the side which is heated if you need a break. There are always enough sun loungers and the sound system plays out loud music of all kinds to suit everyone which I found very relaxing.

The first night I ate at Roxy's Diner which is like an old fashioned diner from the 50's and serves burgers, sandwiches, shakes and the classic kind of foods. The food was very nice here and the staff all sing and keep the entertainment up. It was very reasonable priced probably about $12 for the meals with a shake which is really good. Other dining options are McDonalds at the shop area, Naga the Chinese restaurant which I never got to eat in as it has late opening hours. Of course they have the Top of the World restaurant which is right at the top of the tower that overlooks the Strip and this is a la carte so is probably about $75 per person upwards to dine here. I had made a reservation but then decided to cancel as I went to the Bellagio for their dinner buffet which I recommend and this is better priced with great food.

Other things to do in this hotel are go to the shops, their souvenirs were very cheap I was in shock. They have unusual little boutiques selling all kinds of things from jewellery to clocks, to scarves. They then have ice cream place and so on. At the end of the shops you get to the tower entrance. If you are a guest it is free daily to go up the tower from 10am-2pm but if you are wanting to go and see the Strip at night it costs about $12 I think. Also, if you want an all inclusive pass to all the rides at the top of the tower it is $23 I think or maybe more. This includes all of the scary rides which catapult you almost over the edge and spin you over the strip, I was not in the right frame of mind to do these so sadly missed out. The lift takes you up the tower so quickly it is amazing and the view is very nice, I went in the day but the Strip definitely looks better at night. You get your photo taken before going up then they super impose you onto a Strip photo after which is a nice memory and if you buy so many you get a flashing Stratosphere frame which I got.

There are shows going on in every hotel but I didn't get to go to the ones in my own. I really enjoyed my stay at the Stratosphere, for what I paid it was comfortable, the staff were so useful and willing to help. The location is good and the hotel had so much to do under one roof. However, if I went back to Vegas I'd probably stay at The Venetian or the Bellagio only because I was blown away by the décor in these hotels and liked what they had to offer more nightlife wise and dining wise. I'd say the Stratosphere was more of a family hotel and the others have a more grown up theme but of course cost more.

If you want more information on the hotel go to the official website: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/

If you want to reserve your table now at the Top of the World restaurant go to: http://topoftheworldlv.com/ definitely book in advance for dinner reservations.

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