It largely depends on where you’re planning to play, or where the center of your Vegas activities is going to be. If you’re playing at the WSOP (Paris/Horseshoe) then staying on the east side of the Strip, toward the center, makes the most sense.
When I’m in Vegas, and particularly if I’m going to be hitting the poker tables hard, I want a place where I can get completely away from all of it. Also a place where I can do laptop work comfortably, fix my own breakfast (so I eat healthier/cheaper) and generally escape the feel of being in a casino.
Of course, if you like the feel of being in a casino, then by all means stay in the casino where you’re playing most of your poker. And I wouldn’t worry too much about room rates. Because if you’re worried about room rates, you should really be staying at non-casino properties. Fortunately, I wrote an entire article devoted to conserving poker money by staying at non-casino hotels.
Here’s a simple example of how to play this game. You are going to the WSOP, and intend to play most of your poker at the WSOP, either tournaments or cash. So we fire up Expedia, set our dates to June 10-20, 2024 (ten glorious days at the WSOP). Immediately reject their 'suggested' properties, which begin with the Four Seasons, at a bankroll-crushing nightly rate of $494. Not including the resort fee, of course. No, switch to the map view, and zoom in on WSOP central (the Paris/Horseshoe region).
What do we find?
- That $208 up against the Strip is Paris. All said and done, $3,211 for the ten days (including a whopping $623 in 'resort fees').
- Go north on the Strip and see the $153? That’s the Horseshoe, which Expedia reviewers give a 'participation' award of a 7.8/10 rating. Don’t plan to spend much time in the room. It will set you back $2,472 for your ten days.
- Hold on, what’s that $168 just north of Harmon Ave, over towards Audrie St? Why, it’s Hilton Grand Vacations Elara. The ten days costs $2,401 – yes, less than the $153/night rate at the Horseshoe. And, this property gets 8.8/10 from Expedia reviewers. The room has a full kitchen. It’s an entire 11-minute walk from the Paris conference area where Summer Camp is held.
- Wait a minute. What’s that $115 on the west side of the Strip, immediately opposite Planet Hollywood? Why, it’s GetAways at the Jockey Club. Now, the Jockey Club is, well, old. It’s been a Vegas institution forever. But Expedia reviewers give it a 9.2/10 rating. And your ten-day stay will cost you (wait for this…) $1,431 all-in – almost $1,800 less than Paris. And because the Jockey Club room has a full kitchen, you can pay $1 for your bananas at CVS rather than $5 for them at Paris. Have your coffee in your room for a dollar or so, rather than $6 plus tip at the Starbucks at Paris. Is the room fancy? No, it will remind you of your grandmother’s house that was last remodeled in 1992. But if you’re spending your WSOP time in your hotel room, you’re doing Summer Camp all wrong. And it’s a whopping 6-minute walk from Jockey Club to the $1,500 WSOP event that you’re freerolling with your hotel savings. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s an 8-minute walk to the Bellagio poker room from the Jockey Club.
Again, maybe you wanna be smack in the middle of everything, even when you’re asleep. Maybe you like getting your coffee at the hotel Starbucks every morning. Some people do, and good for them. Me, as I wrote in that article above, every dollar I save on trip costs goes directly into the 'poker bankroll' column in my ledger.
So do your own math, set your own budget, and maximize your own utility. But where I lay my head in Las Vegas matters a great deal less to me than how much poker I get to play. See you at Summer Camp.
