When it opened, this place had a lot wrong with it, starting with an utterly tacky tribute to the Wizard of Oz that can still be seen to some extent in the rainbow-patterned carpets. Today, though, it’s hard to remember that because they’ve turned the joint into a well-rounded property complete with one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows, Ka, and a restaurant lineup that includes eateries from Joel Robuchon, Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck, Tom Collicio and Emeril Lagasse.

If you can splurge big time, the Skylofts, 51 bi-level ultra-modern suites with so much Bang and Olufsen gadgetry that a butler must explain it to you, start at $850 a night are the best and most stylish of the high-end room inventory in Las Vegas. For a value option, try West wing rooms, less expensive -- frequently as low as $89 a night -- and not much wider than the plush king bed they contain but appointed in a handsome gray-and-taupe scheme. One word of caution: This is the largest hotel in the world at more than 6,200 rooms and, as such, it’s mammoth -- the Texas of Vegas resorts. Folks not interested in walking too much might want to consider another hotel.

With a pleasant French sensibility -- three feet of the half-sized Eiffel Tower actually jut into the casino -- and an unbeatable center-Strip location that provides views of the Bellagio fountains across the street, is one of the more underrated hotels in town. One reason could be that is that Paris has failed to host anything but abysmal shows, though the latest try with The Producers at least has a pedigree.

The rooms are ordinary, but if Paris isn’t on the Vegas A-list, then it's a worthy B-list topper for options like Mon Ami Gabi, a Parisian street-side cafe where guests can watch humanity go by over a croissant -- as they would in the hotel's namesake city.

The first billion-dollar Las Vegas resort off the Strip is so spectacular that it makes it difficult to believe this is from the same folks that brought us the Palace Station. The Fertitta family and Station Casinos have come a long way, spending their bucks lavishly but also wisely to take full advantage of location in the far northwest corner of the city just beneath the Spring Mountain range. The color scheme of earthen rouge tones fits perfectly, but this hotel isn’t just a superficial triumph; there’s functional thought put into how people will use the space. To wit, the lobby is physically pretty with its dramatic 60-foot crystal chandelier and convenient in that it’s steps from the guest elevators, but it also has a large bar area with plush couches and chairs which gives you a comfy place to wait for friends, something few Vegas resorts have.

The rooms are far nicer than most standard rooms on the Strip, what with all that marble and hardwood as well as VoIP phones, plasma TVs and an iPod docking station. The property’s central focus is the three-acre Sandbar Pool Backyard, a pool and beach with a fountain and blackjack tables that also is a killer setting for concerts.

The most expensive hotel-casino ever built -- $2.7 billion, or $1 million for each of 2,700 rooms -- applies a new idea from Vegas visionary Steve Wynn: Let’s tuck all the goodies inside the hotel instead of showing them off on the street for free. He built a 180-foot-tall mountain to shroud the place in secrecy, then carved out a series of spectacular restaurant spaces on the hotel side of that hill.

The then, gives off an aura of exclusivity new to Vegas, a sense some visitors may have that if they’re not staying here, they don’t belong. If you do stay, though, you get a sumptuous, clever room, smartly innovatively designed with a flat-screen TV on a swivel on the wall so no armoire is required; the TV can be seen from the couch or the bed by positioning it right. Plus, this is the only property on the Strip with an attached on-site golf course, designed by Wynn and Tom Fazio.

Photo of a room at the Wynn Las Vegas by Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY.

The Westin is one of the few Vegas casinos catering primarily to business travelers -- after a few attempts at a show, they decided to turn the showroom into a meeting venue -- but that often makes it a great deal for leisure travelers. It’s an excellent value, given the location a block east of the Strip and because it carries on the solid Westin tradition of simple, tasteful elegance with those aptly named Heavenly Beds and Baths that everyone raves about. Also, the Silver Peak Grill is one of the best coffee shops in town.

The Mandlay bay is one of the most complete resorts on the Strip, with a fleet of outstanding restaurants led by Aureole and Mix, excellent entertainment in Mamma Mia! and concerts at the House of Blues, as well as easy proximity to the Luxor’s frequent headliner concerts. Moreover, Mandalay Bay’s wonderful pool region spans 11 acres and includes a sandy beach with a wave pool, a topless pool and a lazy river.

Some of the basic rooms in the main tower are strangely decorated – one had red vertical stripes for wallpaper and made it feel like you were sleeping inside somebody’s pajamas – but THEhotel suites are spacious and post-modern comfy with their gray and black color schemes. The one lackluster side of Mandalay is the unimpressive shopping devoid of any significant name stores.

Two words: Celine Dion. Two more: Elton John. OK, two more: Forum Shops. The 40-year-old Caesars Palace, one of the original megaresorts, has enjoyed a rebirth in the past decade as a young, hip, fun hotspot at the center of the Strip. The rooms in the main tower could use some sprucing up –- they’re floral-print-bedspread plain, no different than a Holiday Inn –- but they’re working on that and in the meantime they’ve opened the Augustus Tower, which kicks it up a notch with white down comforters, padded-leather headboards, and bathrooms with 17-inch flat-screen TVs. Pure, the nightclub owned in part by Ms. Dion, draws loads of celebrity partiers.

Photo of Elton John and Celine Dion by Ethan Miller, Getty Images.

As value options go, this is the little resort that could. The Silverton opened as a low-brow destination but has blossomed into a respectable venue that attracts some solid B-list entertainment -- Paula Abdul and Hootie and the Blowfish have exclusive deals here -- and offers surprisingly comfortable mountain-lodge-themed rooms for the price. The Sundance Grill, the hotel's 24-hour cafe, has a menu almost as expansive as any Cheesecake Factory -- and the new muted brown and tan earthtone décor adds to its elegance. The lodge theme still persists, though, with one of the biggest attractions here being a 12,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. Free shuttles take guests to and from the Strip.

The hotel-casino that kicked off the megaresort era in 1989 has held up remarkably well over its 18 years as its visionary, Steve Wynn, has moved on to build Bellagio and now Wynn Las Vegas. Everything that was to come -- the free on-street entertainment, big spectacle shows, enormous hotel towers, an otherworldly environment -- started at the Mirage.

The views from the rooms are somehow only enhanced by all that came after on the block, namely its neighbors Treasure Island, the Venetian and the Caesars Palace expansions. True, the spa and rooms haven't been renovated in years, but it remains impressive to walk through the tropical domed walkway into the lobby past all those fresh orchids and bromeliads to see the sensational 20,000-gallon aquarium full of sharks and puffer fish behind the front desk. Plus, a fleet of new restaurants, a new nightclub called Jet and a new Beatles-scored Cirque du Soleil, Love, have kept it modern, and a total overhaul of the property’s signature exploding volcano attraction is due in 2007 to provide this venerable favorite another infusion of freshness.

Think of the Las Vegas Hilton as Caesars-lite -- but in a good way. The two are comparably rich in old Vegas history -- there’s a statue near the casino of Elvis, who opened the property in 1969 -- and both are trying to modernize. Caesars has Celine, the Hilton has Manilow. Elton John fills in for Celine; Reba McEntire fills in for Manilow. See the pattern? The hotel, long thought of as an adjunct to the Las Vegas Convention Center, has some other fun features, too, including the Star Trek simulated motion rides, and now that it’s on the monorail line, it’s virtually on the Strip.

The nicest non-gaming resort in Las Vegas, the Alexis Park resort is laid out in with a Palm Springs sensibility: several small buildings scattered around a series of palm-tree-surrounded pools and Jacuzzis. The Alexis Park’s lack of a casino tends to draw conventioneers as well as families with small kids, but it’s across the street from the Hard Rock if you need to cut loose. The property is, however, a couple miles east of the Strip, too far for most to walk, especially in the scorching Vegas heat. Larger groups might like the bi-level Regal Suite, 1,275-square-foot digs with two bedrooms and a gas fireplace, to share expenses.

The Venetian, a worthy rival to Bellagio and the Wynn in scope, class and comfort, is essentially the world's largest business hotel masquerading as a Vegas resort. That is, there's enough pizzazz here with the Italian frescos, gondoliers along the Grand Canal and the 60,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch Spaclub to forget that the place is attached to the biggest privately owned convention center in North America.

The rooms are spacious, but misnamed; the “suites” are really not suites, but one large room in which the lounging and sleeping areas are separated by … a step. Still, the complex also contains the Grand Canal Shoppes and the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum and showrooms for Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, Blue Man Group and impressionist Gordie Brown. The second tower, the Venezia, takes the rooms to yet another level, offering 9½-foot ceilings and 130-square-foot bathrooms. And the complex will get even bigger with next year’s opening of its attached sister resort, the Palazzo, makes it the largest building in North America.

Photo of the Venetian by Ethan Miller, Getty Images

The “experts” snickered back in 2001 when Sacramento Kings co-owner George Maloof opened his little resort a mile west of the Strip. It’s physically uninteresting, it’s got no theme and it’s too small at 400 rooms to make much of a mark in modern Vegas, critics harped. Maloof gets the last laugh, though; he’s now seen as a marketing genius for parlaying a season as host to MTV’s “Real World” into an enduring rep as the place to be for a host of Gen X celebs.

The Palms is Vegas at its most “what happens here stays here,” right down to the Playpen Suites ($2,000 per weekend nights) that are equipped with stripper poles. The new Fantasy Tower adds more of the same, including the first new Playboy Club in 25 years at the top along with a nightclub, Moon, that features a retractable roof. Maloof designed this off-Strip joint so that during the day and early evening, the place is a haven for local retirees lured by slot tournaments. They go home, though, before the place starts hopping.

The downtown Las Vegas core of casinos is largely a wasteland of small, low-brow properties left over from the earliest days of the city, which started here on Fremont Street. The only hotel-casino in the sector that comes close to rivaling the Strip in respectability is the Golden Nugget, with its clean rooms and a boisterous casino. Recent turnover in restaurants and entertainment does make its amenities a bit more of a gamble, but the Golden Nugget offers the sort of attentive service you expect on the Strip at a significantly lower price.

Since Bellagio's debut in 1998, the Venetian, Mandalay Bay and now Wynn Las Vegas have all opened. And still, this masterpiece of a Vegas resort-casino stands as the undisputed pinnacle of elegance and the center of gravity of the Strip. Simply put, nothing else compares to Bellagio with its lengthy list of clever innovations and treats, from the signature dancing fountains and the $8 million blown-glass Dale Chihuly chandelier in the lobby to the Conservatory's stunning seasonal display of 7,500 plants tended to by 100 horticulturists.

Plus, this is the only hotel in America with two AAA Five Diamond-rated restaurants, Picasso and Le Cirque. Yet beyond all that -- beyond the high-end shopping, the Cirque du Soleil show, the Gallery of Fine Art and one of the largest spas on the Strip -- is the simple fact that service at Bellagio has the attentive personal feel of a boutique hotel even though it has a whopping 3,933 rooms.

Photo provided by the Bellagio

The Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel (3400 Paradise Rd.; 866-352-3434) is 14-story non-gaming hotel adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center and across the street from a monorail stop. The large suites and full-service facilities are designed for client entertaining and impromptu business meetings. With 548 rooms and 30 suites, this Marriott hotel offers 14 meeting rooms with 20,000 square feet of event space, a Grand Ballroom, an Executive Board Room and a versatile 12,000-square-feet pre-function space. Professional conference coordinators are available to help plan events. Other amenities include high-speed Internet access, audio-visual capabilities, on-site catering and a fully equipped business center.

JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort, Spa & Golf (221 North Rampart Blvd.; 877-869-8777) is nestled on 54-acres of lush landscaping and streams and framed by spectacular views of Red Rock Canyon, one of Las Vegas' best-kept secrets. The facility takes advantage of the canyon's proximity by offering rock-climbing packages and early morning yoga classes. It also offers preferred rates on eight nearby championship golf courses to make this a uniquely healthy Las Vegas experience. Prepare to be pampered in the 40,000-foot spa facility that includes an outdoor heated lap pool, an outdoor Watsu tub, fitness and nutrition counseling and a wide array of spa treatments. When you finally get down to business, expansive conference facilities, a fully equipped theatrical space with multimedia facilities, a host of breakout rooms and dial-up and high speed Internet access in the rooms means that business will flow smoothly. Wind down at The Plush Lounge, a sophisticated venue designed for the over-30 crowd that includes a unique outdoor lounge area overlooking the streams and waterfalls scattered throughout the property.

Clarion Emerald Springs (325 E. Flamingo Rd.; 800-732-7889) is a non-gaming facility with 150 hotel rooms, restaurants, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool. Located a couple of blocks east of the Strip, this small hotel offers in-room Internet access, meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 200 attendees and complimentary limousine service to the airport, convention center, and the Strip.