The Best Resorts in Las Vegas 

Families won’t be too concerned that this impressive casino resort in Summerlin is 10mi (16km) from the Strip. Though there is a shuttle service to the sights, kids will be too busy seeking out the delights of the hotel itself to worry about leaving. Highlights include a cinema, kids’ club, 72-lane bowling alley with its own deli, cyberquest arcade, and incredible 3 acre (1.2ha) pool area with cafe, poolside entertainment, and lounger service.

There’s nothing understated about the Luxor’s towering black pyramid soaring above the south end of the Strip. Inside, the hotel’s wealth of entertainment and dining options are just as extravagant. Guests can hit the casino, choose from several restaurants – serving everything from Mexican dishes to frozen yogurt – or book one of Luxor’s long-running shows including the extraordinary Blue Man Group. Spend days recovering at the mammoth 19,000sqft (1,765sqm) pool complex or indulging in spa treatments at the Nurture Spa.

Don’t expect quiet days and early nights at Mandalay Bay. This is a Vegas hotel that can outdo even the most ostentatious hotel on the Strip with its headache-inducing choice of activities and amenities. The focus is firmly on fun here, with its own 11 acre (4.5ha) sandy beach, wave pool, lazy river, and lagoon. There’s also a range of big-name theater shows, along with a shark aquarium that’s home to over 2,000 animals – including piranha and giant rays.

If lazing by the pool appeals more than neon-drenched nights in a casino, Cancun Resort offers a compromise between the thrill of the city and a well-earned break in the sun. Ten minutes’ drive from the bustling Strip, the resort itself is a laid-back mix of penthouse suites, villas, and apartment-style rooms with full kitchens – so traveling groups and families can spread out. Meet each morning by the huge pool complex, complete with Mayan pyramid, waterfall, four mammoth water slides, hot tubs, and cafe.

Club de Soleil offers a luxe Mediterranean-style sanctuary minutes from the Strip, but with added home comforts when you crave a little more than a hotel. There are laundry facilities, a clubhouse, and barbeque grills available, while every suite has its own full-sized kitchen or kitchenette – with an in-room grocery delivery service to make self-catering hassle-free. Luckily, the two 24-hour heated pools, hot tubs, and tennis court ensure it will still feel like a holiday.

A gleaming high-rise a short walk from the Strip, the ARIA Resort is a grown-up playground that truly comes alive after dark. If the casino doesn’t appeal, try the enormous JEWEL Nightclub with its roster of world-famous DJs, several secluded cocktail lounges, or the glittering poker room with nightly tournaments. Foodies will love the choice of restaurants, including a tapas bar, traditional pub, authentic French brasserie, and spendy steakhouse from renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

This peaceful palatial resort may be a 15-minute drive from Las Vegas’s big-name hotels and attractions, but ideal if you want a resort holiday packed with activities. Landscaped Spanish-style grounds conceal a spa, cinema, concert hall, food court, and kids’ club, plus the obligatory large casino. The fantastic pool area is the big draw though, set among palm trees and lawns with an adults-only area, lounger service, and its very own sandy beach.

Golfers, outdoor lovers, and spa-weekenders will adore this calm resort, a short drive from the Strip. There’s no casino or nightclub – but there is a decent gym with regular organized group runs, bike rentals, a restful Aveda spa, and a heated outdoor pool. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Reflection Bay Golf Club is just next door, while active types can head to the adjacent lake for kayaking, fishing and windsurfing.

Pretend you’re on a tropical island just a few miles from the Strip at this sprawling resort with nearly 900 suites. Most of these easily sleep a family and come with fully equipped kitchens, separate bedrooms, and jetted bathtubs. The resort itself is packed with things to do including a spa, fitness center, video-games arcade, and activities for children – though you may have a hard time dragging them away from the artificial sandy beach with its heated lazy river ride, waterfalls, Tahitian Tiki torches, and pool volleyball.

This sleek, modern hotel may be 15mi (24km) from the Strip’s non-stop entertainment, but there’s no need to go anywhere once you’ve checked into the M. Guests can drift between the well-equipped fitness center, renowned spa, casino, golf simulation, and impressive 100,000sqft (9,290sqm) pool area with its adults-only pool club. Don’t worry about leaving to eat either – there are plenty of options including an award-winning buffet, steakhouse, artisan bakery, and Italian restaurant.