The Platinum Hotel And Spa Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Off the Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

View from the outdoor pool deck

Open since 2007, the 255-room, all-suite Platinum Hotel is one of the best deals away from the Strip. This non-gaming, non-smoking condo-hotel is popular with guests on extended stays, wedding parties and business travelers. Families will love the massive suites, but the low-key, upscale vibe may not feel kid-friendly. And travelers looking to booze and cruise around Vegas may not appreciate the away-from-the-action neighborhood, though the major casinos are a pleasant 15-minute walk away, with Bally's and the Flamingo closest.

The hotel didn't skimp when they built these luxury condominiums. Suites start at 900 square feet, and the appliances look like they were installed yesterday. The gym is large and modern, the pool deck coolly elegant, and the lounge stylish and intimate. The 17th-floor event space, with sweeping views of the Strip, regularly hosts private parties, weddings and business functions. The space is closed to regular hotel guests, but if you ask the staff to take you there, they're happy to oblige.

My stay cost $129/night in the middle of May, a steal for this level of luxury. It's not just the spacious rooms with barely used furnishings and balconies with a view. The hotel also fosters a sense of privacy and relaxation that's unheard of in luxury hotels on the Strip. The only place that compares on sensibility and price is the MGM Signature, the condo-hotel arm of the massive MGM Grand.

Friendly porters at the entrance

Hospitality is top-notch in Vegas, particularly in condo-hotels and time-shares, where the staff recognizes that most guests aren't just passing through but are instead looking for the comforts of home. For most people, home may never be as luxurious as the Platinum, where the stellar service is almost on par with high-end properties like the Four Seasons. No turndown service perhaps, but guests can always find someone to assist them, whether it's with opening the door, hailing a cab, booking show tickets, or sending up forgotten toiletries. Housekeeping comes every day, which isn't common in condo-hotels. And like the bigger hotels, the Platinum has a free car service for guests (and you'll have a better shot at landing a ride here than at high-roller haunts like the Wynn)

The staff bends over backwards to accommodate requests. A guest who had a panting, slobbering bulldog in the elevator confided that the hotel normally doesn't allow pets, but since he was staying a few weeks he was granted permission to bring along his buddy.

From the bellmen to the bartenders, everyone was just lovely and took the time to chat with guests. A slightly inebriated guest at the bar kept saying he would come back to this hotel because the bartender was "so amazing."

View on a Larger Map

Located on East Flamingo Road, the Platinum Hotel is a good 15-minute walk (or quick cab ride) from the Strip, the densely packed, three-and-a-half mile long stretch of hotel-casinos that most visitors want to explore. The closest Strip properties are Bally's, the Flamingo, Caesars Palace, and the Bellagio. The immediate neighborhood is dreary, with empty lots, a power generator, and a residential complex across the street. Next door is a bus stop and an AM/PM gas station. The only nearby entertainment is the Ellis Island Casino, popular among locals for its karaoke nights.

Once you're on the Strip, cabs are easy to find at virtually any time of day or night. A generally less expensive option 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. 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. 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 option.

Virtually every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is a 10- to 15-minute cab ride from McCarran International Airport; the ride typically costs about $15.

Night swimming at the outdoor pool

On first glance, the 5th floor pool outside the Kil@wat restaurant doesn't look impressive. No palm trees. No waterfalls. But when you walk out on the pool deck, you'll see that the temperature-controlled pool is connected to an indoor pool, making it twice as big as it first appears. That also means guests can swim even during the cooler winter months, when most Vegas outdoor pools are closed.

The pool passes on individual cabanas, but a variety of furniture lets guests lounge or dine around the pool in comfort as pop music wafts across the deck. Couches surround fire pits, making it possible to hang out even on brisk desert nights. Circular rattan couches covered with colorful throw pillows are strategically placed in the shade, allowing for poolside naps away from the sun. Day or night, the pool affords a great view of the Las Vegas Strip. The other thing that sets this pool apart is the lack of the typical Vegas pool scene, as the guests seem to favor relaxing over partying.

Food and drink service is from Kil@wat restaurant. The pool is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., though I saw guests still swimming later.

Large, marble bathroom

These sprawling suites -- ranging from 900 to 2,165 square feet -- are possibly the best of their kind in Vegas. They're equipped with everything a traveler could need for a long stay in Sin City. The standard room, a Solitaire suite, comes with a beautiful, modern kitchen (including a fancy refrigerator that produces ice cubes and filtered water), a washer and dryer, a living area with a 42-inch flat-screen TV, a Jacuzzi that's big enough for two, and a large balcony, some of which overlook the Strip. Every detail, from the shower handles to the laptop-friendly safe, reflects the generous and thoughtful design.

It's the kind of room that you'd be tempted not to leave, especially once you sink into the king-size pillow-top mattress. The clean white sheets and thick suede comforter feel incredibly soft after a hot bath. If you do decide to spend time in the room, try to catch the sunset, when Strip-facing balconies are awash in dusk light and the Strip lights begin to flicker on.

In keeping with the luxurious aesthetic, the marble bathroom has two sinks, Well Spa bath products and a wide Waterpik showerhead.

If there's any fault to this room, it's the lack of a DVD player and an iPod dock. You'll need your own cable to plug your iPod into the Bose CD player and radio. Also, the TV gets only 35 channels (some hotels have over 100). But these are all minor quibbles that don't detract from the room's amazing value.

The hotel has a firm no-smoking policy. A sign at the balcony entrance threatens a $500 fine if "evidence of smoking is found." Desperate smokers can light up outside the parking garage.

Bright and spacious fitness center

The bright and spacious fitness center has top-of-the-line equipment, including 10 StarTrac cardio machines, one StairMaster and a dozen Free Motion weight machines. The free gym also has an outdoor space where exercisers can lay down on mats and stretch under the sun.

The [/las-vegas/hotels/the-platinum-hotel-and-spa/photos/amenities-the-platinum-hotel-and-spa-v220956/ |Well Spa]] is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Treatments include a 50-minute Swedish massage ($115, average for Vegas hotel spas), a hot-stone massage ($145) and facials starting at $70. The "Muscle Soak" treatment costs $120, and includes a scrub, shower, and massage. Makeup and waxing services are also on the menu, which I imagine comes in handy for guests attending a wedding reception at Misora, the hotel's large 17th-floor terrace.

Wireless and hard-wired Internet is available for $12.99 a day. The business center has three PCs, three printers, a fax/copy machine, and shipping materials. This 24-hour workspace next to the meeting rooms adds to the hotel's business-friendly appeal.

Large eat-in kitchen

At 900 square feet, the smallest suite, the Solitaire, is gigantic, and all the units provide much of what a family needs in a home -- a fully-equipped eat-in kitchen, a spacious living room, a flat-screen TV and two sinks in the bathroom. Every room comes with a queen-size sofa bed, except for the Marquis suite -- the 2,165-square-foot, top-of-the-line unit with two bedrooms. Rollaway beds are available for $35 a night. Cribs are free.

A kids' menu is available at the restaurants and on the room service menu. The $6 breakfast is a choice of one egg, toast, bacon/sausage, breakfast potatoes/fruit, or pancakes with bacon/sausage. The kids' lunch or dinner costs $7, and includes options like chicken tenders and mini-burgers with fries or fruit.

On the other hand, this low-key hotel doesn't offer many distractions for rambunctious young kids. No DVD players or even board games in the suites, no game room downstairs. While the kids might enjoy the pool, parents may miss having a lifeguard on duty.

The management is doing a fantastic job with the upkeep of these three-year-old condominiums. Unlike at other condo-hotels, condo owners are not allowed to make changes to the suite design, so hotel guests are assured of a consistent look and feel. The countertops are gleaming, the furniture shows no scuffs or signs of other damage and the carpets and tiles are free of dirt and mildew. Housekeeping comes every day to tidy up. The pool furniture is showing signs of wear -- nothing major, just discolored cushions -- but that's the only flaw I spotted.

Dinner at Stir Lounge

Guests who don't plan to cook all their meals in the suite kitchens won't be disappointed by the hotel's two restaurants. The more casual Kil@wat is open for breakfast and lunch and also provides drink service to the pool directly outside its doors. The menu includes a breakfast burrito ($6), made-to-order omelet ($10), a Caesar salad with chicken ($11) and a build-your-own-burger (starting at $10). It's surprisingly affordable for an upscale condo-hotel, and the food is good. Smoothies, lattes, and cocktails can be whipped up for poolside service. Red and white wines and bubbly are also available for $7 to $11 a glass.

Stir Lounge beside the lobby serves dinner and drinks starting at 5 p.m. Designed as a sexy lounge with bold colors and low lighting, it's the most easygoing place in the building, with friendly bartenders engaging the small crowd in conversation. There's a short menu of dinner specials, and I sampled a po' boy ($12 -- not bad!) and a belly-busting 16-ounce steak ($28).

In-room dining is a more expensive option. While the menu is the same as in the restaurants, guests pay a 20% service charge, a $3 delivery charge, and sales tax. Room service is available between 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

For guests who want to make use of the suite's gleaming kitchen, the nearest grocery store is Albertsons, about a mile east of the hotel. It's open 24 hours, and is about a $10 cab ride.