Hotwire Hotel: Hotel suggestions? How to get what I want...

[pblanck]

I am taking my family through Las Vegas and will be spending 2 nights in Las Vegas. I want one of the big name hotels on the strip and I want to stay in the tower with a view of the strip. The higher the room the better. I think the kids would get a big kick out of being able to look out the window and look down at the strip below.

I checked the prices and they don't seem that bad (primarily because we are staying on weekdays).

Does anybody have a suggestion as to which hotels would be best for us? I have not been there in 25 years and don't really know what it is like now.

Secondly, since what I want is rather specific, tower room with a view of the strip, does that preclude me from using PRICELINE or HOTWIRE? I used Las Vegas Hotel Checker to check out specific rates and the ones listing strip views seemed like a decent price. But I don't know that I can specify strip view while using hotwire or priceline.

Lastly, there are 6 of us. We normally stay at Embassy Suites because they sleep 6 (although I don't have the whole family stand next to me at check-in). Do any of the strip casinos offer suites?

If these questions are too far off topic, please let me know and I will narrow it down to just the second question.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

If you need a strip view i think you would be better of booking direct, as this can't be guaranteed thru the opaque suppliers.

Almost all the hotels have suites, but not sure if they're designed for six people (as this may also violate their occupancy rules due to fire code), and they're certainly not the 'standard' room you will get from a PRICELINE or HOTWIRE purchase.

Rates thru the opaque providers can often be less than half of a conventionally booked room, which would make booking two rooms equal to or less than booking one room direct, but you'll also still have the issue of the strip view to deal with.

[pblanck]

I agree, the cost savings of using HOTWIRE or PRICELINE (plus the benefit of more space) would definitely make it worth my while to get two rooms. But without knowing that I can get the "strip view" I am not sure it is worth it.

I am definitely going to try the "$20 tip" idea. Given that the weekday rates were roughly half of the weekend rates, I assume there is plenty of free rooms for him to upgrade us.

[mrxow]

How much do you want to spend? I don't know what anybody can do on here to point you in the right direction for a deal, but I have been in a number of strip view rooms up high that didn't have all that spectacular a view. If somebody told me they were going to Vegas just once and wanted a room with a view, I would tell them to get into the Mandalay Bay with a high room facing north up the strip. The view from MIX on top of theHotel is surreal. And I have been to a party in a high level suite on the north east corner of the main tower that had an incredible view, too, though a little muted by the heavy tinting of the glass.

It's a little trouble, but you could stay in two different places to save money or get a different perspective. One thing a lot of people don't realize is how great the view is of the strip when you get away from it a bit. It's not quite the family place, but the view from the top of the Palms back to the strip is awesome. I know the view from the top of the Rio is good, too, but I don't know what kind of view you would get from your room. People do win rooms at the Rio sometimes, I think.

Even the view back to the strip from the high floors downtown can be nice.

I think we won a room at Boulder Station years ago. They don't participate any more. We ended up on the top floor facing the strip and we loved it. It's further away, so it's not quite as in your face as the Palms, but it was very nice for 50 bucks or whatever we paid...