Las Vegas: 5 Places to Stay

Fashionably minimalist, the hotel is meant to feel like a boutique hotel (though with 1,118 rooms, this is hardly the case). A non-gaming property, it adjoins Mandalay Bay but has its own lobby and check-in, full-service spa (The Bathhouse), and high-profile lounge (Mix in Las Vegas) on the top floor. Rooms, in mellow grays and tans, average a generous 725 sq. ft. and have spacious marble-and-granite master baths with separate powder rooms, giant 42-inch plasma TV's, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Despite the Mandalay Bay's location right next door, the hotel is still removed from the fray, with a contemporary art-filled lobby that always feels exclusive and clubby.

Insider Tip: An adult-oriented property, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay draws L.A. weekenders, those in the fashion and music industries, and bachelor parties. Families traveling with children will feel out of place.

Room to Book: In this 42-story hotel, the better rooms are on the higher floors. Opt for a Strip or mountain-view room (pool views aren't as impressive).

• 1. THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
  3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119; 877-632-7000 36.091854-115.173773 thehotelatmandalaybay.com