Looking to get some advice itt from folks that know the landscape better than I. The wife and I are looking to get to lv and stay a couple nights to chill, drink, gamble, eat, etc.
We have stayed at Wynn the last couple times which was chill, but I feel like the same 300/night Im spending there can go way further at other spots on the strip, and while Wynn is cool my status on the baller scale is obv quite low there.
Thoughts? Id like to be somewhere kinda close to rio as Ill play some events and shell wanna hit spa, pool, and play some low stakes cash table games.

My go to 4 star places are Treasure Island and Planet Hollywood. Also Palms Place is real nice and can be well priced it is off strip from RIO. You can check the 3 star places which are Bally's, Flamingo(only if you want the pool), Harrahs, Linq, Rio, Gold Coast and Palms.

Places like Aria, Vdara, Venetian/Palazzo and Bellagio might be marginally cheaper than Wynn and are still similar-class of hotel. Anything beyond that and you're changing levels, which may or may not be ok with the wife. Next step down (without going too far down, still nice places) would be Mirage or Mandalay Bay.

And I consider everything on the strip to be close to Rio.

I would probably at least stick to the bolded if OP & wife are used to more upscale places.
I haven't actually stayed at most of these places, at least not recently, but basing it off reviews & reputation.
GC is fine for pokerz if you aren't super picky, but would not go there with wife used to staying at Wynn.
Orleans might work though.

I agree with all of this, I'd definitely avoid Treasure Island and Planet Hollywood if you're used to the Wynn.

Palms, Palms Place, Cosmopolitan, and Mandarin Oriental might be solid options depending on how much you're open to spending (Palms/Palms Place if you're looking to spend less, Cosmo and Mandarin for spending comparable to the Wynn)

Mandarin Oriental, Wynn, and Encore are the best hotels in Vegas. I personally love the Wynn, so I think you should still consider staying there, or doing the Encore. Just did a few nights with my girlfriend at the Mandarin this last month and she loved it.

I also did the Aria Saturday night. I prefer the Wynn, but overall it was solid. Room was good, spa was great, pool was ok though not as good as the Wynn, the atmosphere I prefer the Wynn as well. Really depends what you're looking for and what you're looking to spend. In terms of top tier hotels with a good spa, good pool, and proximity to poker, Mandarin (3 minute walk to Aria's poker room), Wynn, Encore, Aria, Vdara, Venetian/Palazzo, Bellagio, and Cosmo all would work. I haven't stayed at Palms or Palms Place in years, those might work as well but obviously no poker rooms right there and I can't speak to the pool/spa scene.

If you're willing to spend 300/night, and want closer to Rio, still on strip, I'd put in order:

Cosmo
Aria
Vdara (if you don't mind no casino)
Bellagio

and finally, if you go at the right time, your 300 might get you the baller suite at Mirage. The property is a step down from the above, but the room might be killer for that $. It all depends on your priorities!

I don't know what dates you want, but I searched Fri/Sat Jun 9/10 on ihg.com and $229/night at the Palazzo came up. I'd definitely rather do that than pay $300 for Wynn, personally.

Even better news if you have the IHG chase card, it's 20% off and it comes with an annual free night which, it turns out, is valid at the Palazzo!

My wife and I both love Wynn when it's a couples trip, but we also really enjoy Vdara. It's a non-smoking hotel, which I like, and you are right next door to Aria/Bellagio/Cosmo. The rooms are just a minor step down from Wynn. There's really not any good restaurants there, but with 3 casinos in a short walking distance you don't really need it. I also love Aria, but the non-smoking at Vdara is a nice break.

I'll also add that the last time we stayed at Wynn, we had to deal with the night club noise
well into the a.m. and it sucked. They are catering to that crowd a lot now and personally I think it drops their place down a notch. I was at Vdara over March Madness and didn't hear anything.

I would check the rates on mlife and compare them to Wynn.

While that is technically true, the distance from your room at Vdara to Bellagio and Aria (and Cosmo if that back way is still open) might not be longer than the distance from your room at another hotel to their casino.

Thanks guys for all your help!

[PHP][/PHP] this is kinda what im thinking 300 for the sickness @ mirage is money better spent than a ****ty room @ wynn

You have to go with what is the right fit for you. But I think you're likely underestimating how much better the overall experience is at a property like the Wynn. Especially if amenities such as fitness center, pool, and spa matter, and in this case you're saying they do.

If I were you, I'd do a suite at Encore (usually costs around $20 more than a room at the Wynn). That checks every box you can think of.

If $300 at Mirage gets you a penthouse or tower suite (and those are nice), do that. But I don't think you're going to see those on a weekend for under $400-500 a night. There's nothing else there that's worth $300 a night.

yea saw the weekend prices at 4/500 per night, think were just gonna airbnb palms place at this point

Vegas suites don't work that way. You might get a small Mirage suite for $300, but a baller one will be 500-1000. And a Vegas Vacation type one will be 3000+

Orrrr just get the Palazzo room for $229, it's almost a suite

If the price different is modest, I'd also opt for Palazzo over Palms Place, it's a bit nicer overall, and if nothing else for the convenience factor of being on the strip.

There are no ****ty rooms at the Wynn.

Yeah when I stayed at vdara I could get to the poker room at aria from my hotel room in under 3 minutes iirc

Heh for more than half the rooms at MGM it would take you longer than 3 minutes to get to the poker room at MGM

For more than half the rooms at MGM the walk to the escalator and ride down to the casino floor takes longer than 3 minutes.

Many years ago I had the same thought, try out a better room in a cheaper property.

I grabbed a crazy offer for midweek tower suite @ Mirage (which luck-boxed into a Penthouse upon check-in). Those kinds of deals have mostly dried up, but once in a while I've seen very attractive rates, it is just difficult to cobble together a 7-night stay and still get a fair average rate. If you get the opportunity to do this, I wouldn't even try and put you off.

I grabbed a crazy offer for a 3* property on a subsequent trip and this was too far. While the room was massive, there were still too many tell-tale signs of it being a 3* hotel in general ~ periodic cold water, prison-issue towels, basic soap/shower gel, poor general hotel amenities once outside the suite, poor food options, etc. It quickly reminded me what I took for granted at the Wynn. So much so that I checked out early and moved back to the Wynn for the remainder. And that was solo ~ with the wife I'd just plan on staying at the Wynn and go from there.

Fwiw I am booked there for 8 nights (unfortunately in August but ah well) at an average of $171 including all taxes etc and no player rating. It generally is time better spent comparing the same hotel via various sources than it is comparing different hotels via the same source.

Yes, that's the thing. I stayed at Harrahs once and upgraded my way into a 1 bed suite with Strip Giew that was massive and clean enough.

But there was the stench of smoke, rattly air con and 1970s bathrooms. Then the casino floor and surrounds was an absolute **** show.

Can almost justify that for a solo poker trip but never taking the wife there

Maybe I should marry my GF. She gets comped rooms at Aria now, but isn't above a night at Rainbow in Wendover, NV either...

Hi, I'm arriving in Las Vegas in July and have been comped 5 free nights at my hotel, but I still have to pay the resort fee (no problem with that). This reservation and comp has been confirmed by email. I am wondering, if since I have not stayed at this hotel/casino for about 5 years, could they refuse to comp me once I arrive there? Has this ever happened to anyone?