Residence Inn By Marriott Las Vegas Hughes Center Rating: 2.5 Pearls

Off the Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Situated across from Gordon Biersch Brewing Company and Terrible's Hotel and Casino, and adjacent to Bahama Breeze, Cozymel's Mexican Grill, and Hamada of Japan, the Residence Inn in Hughes Center might be off the Strip but it is immediately surrounded by a variety of dining and entertainment establishments. Quality restaurants are within a five- to 15-minute walk of the hotel, such as a P.F. Chang's as well as a number of steakhouses -- Del Frisco's, Ruth's Chris, and Morton's. But if you choose to walk, know that you're probably going to be the only person on the sidewalk.

Just outside the bright lights, bawdy shows, and grandiose structures, there's a Vegas that stretches beyond that dense, 3.5-mile-long line of hotel-casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip. Slightly removed from the incessant hustle are a number of hotels -- located anywhere from a five-minute walk to a five- to 10-minute taxi or shuttle ride from the center of the action -- that offer closer proximity to the Las Vegas Convention Center, a quieter night's sleep, and, at times, a bit more bang for the buck.

Many visitors like to explore the hotels and attractions along the Strip and once you're there, it's easy to find a taxi at virtually any time of day or night. A generally less expensive option for getting around the area is the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and costs $3 to ride. There's also a monorail system, which stops at MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Hilton, and the Sahara. Note, however, that the monorail stations are far from one another so it can be a long walk from the station to where you actually want to go. A single-ride ticket is $5; a one-day pass is $13. If you're traveling along the Strip with at least one other person, a cab is often the least expensive and most convenient option.

• 10-minute drive, $12 taxi, or $15 Beltran to McCarran International Airport
• Five-minute drive (or exhausting 25-minute walk) to the casinos, performances, incredible restaurants, nightclubs, and designer shopping on the Strip; taxis are available for access to and from the Strip and cost no more than $10 one way
• Free on-site parking
• Five-minute drive to the Las Vegas Convention Center

A One Bedroom Suite

• Starting at about 425 square feet, the studio -- the standard room type -- is a comfortable size and includes a pullout sofa bed; one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites (825 square feet) also available.
• 42-inch flat-screen TVs
• Free Wi-Fi
• Coffeemaker
• Full kitchen in every room -- full-size fridge, four-burner electric stove, microwave, full utensils
• Comfortable beds; down pillows
• No smoking rooms