As for hotels, I have a few suggestions. (Kitty, jump in anytime and correct me..)
Visit
www.lasvegas.com as they have a 'room finder' that does a good job of finding pricing for the various hotels around town.
My suggestion, is find a cheap on-strip hotel. It keeps you close to the action, and you can walk to the better casinos from there.
Some casinos have really cheap mid-week rates (like the Stratosphere), but Friday & Staturday nights are always a lot more!.
I would say avoid the Stratosphere. It is in the scummy part of town (but very near some great strip clubs!).. but it's not the best place to be walking to/from in the middle of the night. Not really that close to the main strip...its at the north end.
Freemont street and the old downtown vegas has much cheaper rates typically, and it is still the 'old vegas'. A lot more gritty & smokey .. not as polished and glitzy as the new strip hotels. But, plenty of good ol'Vegas fun!
Some local casinos are very good (I like the Station Casinos, and they are all within a few miles of the strip.) You'd have to drive in to the strip if you wanted to walk about, etc.
Rio and the Palms are very near the strip, but still a long walk from there. But decent hotels (as is the Orleans), and close enough for the Vegas experience.
My quick look at lasvegas.com shows that the Luxor (south end of strip, but nice hotel) and Imperial Palace (mid-strip, ok hotel, but near Ceasers and all the cool places) are averaging $85/nite to $110/nite (averaged out for the cheaper Thur. nite stay).
Harrahs may also be of interest... ($107/nite avg).
Excaliber is cheap ($86/nite avg) .. and for a reason. It is done up with tons of mideval flair like suits of armor, swords, etc. A lot of fun to walk around, but it comes off a bit cheesy. That hotel, and Circus circus is kinda know for really bad food ... and food poisonings .. so don't eat there. One the good side, it is on the corner with some stellar hotels like New York New York, MGM Grand. The Luxor is just down south of it too...
Hope that helps!
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<b>LoTRO:</b><br>--Skrotto, Hobbit Hunter of 16 broken arrows--
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