Stratosphere Hotel, Casino & Tower

The Stratosphere

There are many hotels and resorts to stay at in Las Vegas. For my first 2 nights in America and Las Vegas I chose to stay at the Stratosphere Hotel, Casino and Tower. I had flown from Australia that day – arriving 4 hours before I left on the same day, and caught a bus to Las Vegas. I was ready to sleep!

Check-in was quick, and the various staff I met during my stay were friendly.

This hotel has several high blocks of hotel rooms, some which have recently been updated. I stayed in one of the older ones, which was OK but a bit dated. As an example, it has small flat screen TV, but the old TV box cabinet is still in the room. There were limited power points in the room, there was no way to make a cup of tea or coffe in the room, and the internet was incredibly slow. On check in I was offered a recently renovated room for an additional charge. A better approach may have been to offer me a lower room charge for staying in this un-renovated room.

View to The Strip

A feature of the Stratosphere is the several restaurants and buffets it offers to guests and visitors. The Top of the World restaurant is 800' above the ground at the top of the tower and offers 360 degree panoramic views of Las Vegas. There is also McCall's Heartland Grill, Fellini's Ristorante, Roxy's Diner, Buffet, Level 8 Pool Cafe, Tower Pizzeria, Starbucks, Level 107 Lounge, and Sandwich Carvery 108. There are a number of fast food outlets in the shopping aracde on the second level.

The design of the Stratosphere makes it easy to see from all directions around Las Vegas. The central 1.149' tower projects high in the sky. An observation deck on the 112th floor offers 360 degree panoramic views around Las Vegas. Tickets to this observation deck cost Adults $18.00, however there is no charge for hotel guests. There are several amazing rides at the top of the Tower. The Big Shot, X-Scream, and Insanity cost $15.00 for a ride, and the SkyJump costs $109.99 and up.

To me there are three drawbacks with staying at the Stratosphere.

Ride

Firstly, at the moment this hotel is in no-mans land, with a lot of empty building sites around it. It is not really on the action of the Las Vegas Strip, nor the Freemont Plaza area. These are within (long) walking distances, but it is easier to catch one of the buses that go around the area on a regular basis. However, in a few yeasr time the future development will make this hotel a better option to stay in.

Secondly is the "Resort Fee" you are slugged with. This is not an optional extra, but a compulsory charge. It covers things like the swimming pool and internet - even if you do not use them. Other hotels make these things free, or an optional extra charge if you decide to use them, or they are included in the price of the room. It would be better if this fee was just included in the room fee.

Stratosphere room

Thirdly, as a non-smoker, the other thing I did not like about the Stratosphere was that to get to the lift to the hotel room I had to walk through the casino, which allows smoking. There is no way of escaping the cigarette smoke as you go to your room. I know that other Hotels and Resorts allow smoking in Las Vegas, but it would be a pleasure to stay in a totally non-smoking environment. A few years ago in Australia smoking was banned in pubs, clubs and casinos. It has taken a few years to get used to, but patronage has now risen. Maybe it is time for Las Vegas to make a bold step forwardand ban smoking in all public areas!

More Information

Website: www.stratospherehotel.com