Tahiti Vacation Club

With green cement walls and slatted wooden blinds, the hotel is committed to its Tahitian theme, albeit in a 1950s movie kind of way. Its thatched porte-cochère entranceway sets the mood, and, inside, the lobby's grand staircases, wood finishings, and myriad plants and palm trees evoke the island theme. The Owner's Lounge is a bit bare, with coffee and tea and a few tables and chairs, but a cozy enough place to curl up and read a book. The game room is more welcoming, with billiards and and foosball tables, board and video games, a few couches and chairs, and a large flat-screen TV.

The pool and surrounding courtyard channels the Tahitian theme further, with two moderately sized "sand beach" pools, a hot tub with a faux-rock waterfall, and a rocky fountain between the two pools. Thatched cabanas are up for grabs, as are somewhat dated plastic loungers. The hotel's putting green consists of a few holes scattered around the courtyard. While the pool area can sound dated and kitschy to an unwelcome degree, many guests enjoy this space as a place to relax; since the pools are open 24 hours a day, night swimming is also popular. Thankfully, the guests of the Tahiti Vacation Club are usually family-oriented and less interested in the parties of the Vegas Strip, so the 24-hour pools do not mean all-night pool parties.

The hotel is located on busy Tropicana Avenue, about 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The surrounding neighborhood is a business area that includes restaurants, stores, and other small businesses. The Charlie Frias Park is across the street and offers a patch of green. This is a safe and well-lit area at night, so walking to a nearby restaurant (typically a mid-level chain such as Denny's or Papa Johns) isn't a problem. The hotel provides a free hourly shuttle for most of the day and evening, which runs to two stops on the strip as well as the local grocery store and the Old Las Vegas/Fremont section of town.

The rooms at the Tahiti Vacation Club are spacious, if a little chain-like and dated in their decor. Simple, natural wood furniture, tropical-themed bedspreads, and images of palm trees maintain the vaguely Tahitian theme, although the rooms look generally unstyled. Studios include a king-size bed, dresser, flat-screen TV, and small table, in addition to a kitchenette with a mini-fridge, microwave, toaster, and coffeemaker. The suites (one or two bedrooms) are significantly larger, with small dining areas in addition to living rooms with a couch, reading chair, and flat-screen TV. Some suites have fireplaces and/or balconies. In the suites, kitchens are fairly large, with full-size fridges, ovens and stoves, dishwashers, coffeemakers, toasters, blenders, and dishware for at least six people. Suites also have washer and dryers. In both studios and suites, bathrooms are bland, but clean, with brown tile-work, granite counters, and combination shower/tubs with jetted tubs.

In addition to the 24-hour courtyard with two "sand beach" pools and a hot tub, the hotel has a three-grill patio space where guests can barbecue. There's small fitness center with cardio and weight machines. The fitness center is carpeted, which lends itself to some mustiness, but the wood sauna next door is quite relaxing. Although the hotel is not particularly geared toward business travelers, there is a small business center with two computers and a printer. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. The hotel has a small convenience store, and also runs a shuttle that stops at the local grocery store, in addition to two locations on the strip, for those looking to gamble and enjoy some nightlife. The hotel provides a basic free breakfast .