Just off the Strip, Trump’s nongaming condominium hotel is a mellow alternative to the mega-hotel-casinos, with 1282 spacious suites boasting the latest technology, luxury touches, and tasteful decor. Room rates are seriously reduced. Too bad the 5-minute walk to the Strip for a casino or better restaurant is so unpleasant.

For the price, the Golden Nugget is a steal, provided you don't mind staying in Vegas' older downtown neighborhood instead of the newer, livelier Strip. In exchange for giving up the prime location, guests can enjoy clean, well-appointed rooms, excellent service -- and a top-notch pool complete with a shark tank.

Fresh from a recent remodeling, the 2,885-room resort has pulled back from its pirate persona. The pool is crowded, the casino is small, and top-notch Vegas entertainment is in short supply. But for a reasonably priced, clean and comfortable modern room in a convenient central-Strip location, it's hard to do better.

A classy condo-hotel tucked behind the big casinos, this 255-suite property is one of the best off-the-Strip values to be found. The luxurious oversized apartments are spectacular. The relaxing pool with a view, modern gym and stylish lounge add to the hotel's low-key, high-service sensibility.

First opened in 1946, the 3,626-room Flamingo takes its history seriously. The '70s decor, fabled tropical-themed pool, and scenic Paradise Garden buffet draw couples, families, conventioneers, and occasional partiers. For the price -- midrange for Strip hotels -- it's a fun choice, delivering a retro Vegas experience in a convenient mid-Strip locale.

A colossal, ancient Egypt-themed, pyramid-shaped hotel-casino with decent service, a great Strip location, and features on par with several midpriced neighbors on the Las Vegas Strip -- and very low room rates. An excellent budget option, especially if you opt for one of the newer tower rooms over the dated pyramid rooms.

At this sleepy downtown hotel, the rooms are generic (but clean), the pool is puny, and the casino small. All that's nearby is the similar Main Street Station casino. The quiet rows of slot machines and low rates draw a predominantly senior crowd. Travelers looking for a rambunctious or luxurious Vegas vacation should look elsewhere.

In the running for the cheesiest resort on the Strip, the medieval-themed, castle-shaped Excalibur aims for all age groups with a melange of beer pong, inexpensive buffets, jousting, and a Fun Dungeon. Filled with over-the-top goofiness and family-friendly touches, it makes few gestures toward high-end luxury, instead offering decent accommodations and lots of disposable fun.

Just a 10-minute walk from the central Strip, the 715-room Tuscany offers great deals on its large, clean, and comfortable, though dated, suites. Its TV-less gym, locally loved casino, and small pools don't dazzle, but at least there are simple perks -- free parking, gym access, and Wi-Fi in the lobby, plus four tasty and affordable restaurants.