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.

Since 1966, the 2,419-room Caesars Palace has defined excess on the Strip -- a massive spa with Roman baths; elaborate mosaics and classical architecture around the pools; one of the biggest casinos in Vegas. But base-level "Classic Rooms" are smaller, more drab, and older than the Vegas norm. You can upgrade to a more recently renovated room, but check the Venetian's rates first.

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 $180 million renovation completed in 2011 turned the once-dingy Tropicana into one of the nicer mid-range hotels on the Strip. This storied hotel is one of the oldest in Vegas -- it was built in 1957, and once had mob associations -- but today it is clean, modern, and even somewhat stylish, with South-Beach-inspired decor and a sprawling pool club and nightclub, Bagatelle Beach. The casino isn't as large as others on the Strip, but the central location makes it easy to gamble elsewhere -- the hotel is connected via pedestrian bridges to MGM Grand and Excalibur. The basic contemporary rooms have fresh tropical style; guests should stay in the Paradise Tower to be close to the Strip or the Club Tower to be close to the pool. But note that prices tend to be a bit higher than at other mid-range options such as Treasure Island and New York New York.

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.