When booking a Las Vegas hotel?

Greetings. I worked two years at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV and can assist with your question. When making reservations, most of the time, it's done online and in advance or prior to checking in.

You can also call the hotel and make reservations prior to arrival. If you want to cancel your reservations without being charge any fees, you must do so usually 48 hours before arriving. However, if you registered online through one of those "limited" packages, carefully read the terms and conditions as some may charge a one night stay plus tax even if you cancel ahead of time.

Also, if you're planning to travel to L.V. during Super Bowl weekend, be advised as that's the busiest weekend of the year for all properties on the stripe. Thus, room rates are going to be sky high. Even for deluxe rooms you'll be paying double even triple the normal rate.

I recommend you books a room with South Point Hotel/Casino. The property has excellent rates and their normal deluxe rooms are 500 sq. ft. with 42 inch Plasma T.V. mounted on the wall, nicely decorated rooms/restrooms, and very comfortable beds. I've stayed there several times and my overall experience with South Point has always been positive. Very impressive place to stay considering it's a mid-size hotel/casino.

Las Vegas is really a town that's anything for everyone so discover it with hotelbye . Las Vegas is really a city with great attractions and some of those is the popular Las Vegas Strip; the place where tourists may like a go in the hot desert evening, or have a stroll downtown and see a dazzling light reveal that spans a whole street, the Fremont Street Experience. Visitors also can get a view of incredible earth popular re-creations like erupting volcanoes, the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx of Egypt before the different lodges and casinos. Las Vegas is a town that consistently reinvents it self, therefore even although you have been here before you'll never run out of enjoyment things to do.

Most places require a credit card; the charge is generally made when you get there during check-in; you'd have to check the hotel's website or call them to see what their cancellation policy is -- if it's before a certain amount of time, there will be no charge but as it gets closer to the reservation there will be a higher and higher penalty to cancel and possibly even become a full charge once it's like within 24 hours to the reservation. Most place don't allow cash payments just in case something is found broken/stolen/missing/etc once you've left.

this information goes for everywhere, not just Vegas.

The Luxor is on the strip. You probably mean closer to the center strip. Caesars Palace and Bellagio are the nicest center strip properties. Paris is mid level, the rest of the center strip are budget properties (Bally's, Harrah's, Flamingo, Casino Royale, The Quad.) Bally's has the largest rooms of all the center strip budget properties. Bill's is closed and is reopening as something else in 2014. You said you want to spend around $350 but didn't say what dates you're staying. Some days a property is $30 and other days it's $200. The prices vary wildly depending on how crowded the hotel is, based on holiday patterns and conventions.

**Update**

Since you just added...it's Super Bowl weekend...

**Book your room NOW...as soon as possible. As rooms fill up, rates go up. We'd be thrilled to help with the reservations and booking a good room at a good price...heck, we even have some 'sports book' connections in case you need help getting a seat in the sports book area. But, yeah, superbowl weekend is usually pretty busy. Many properties on/near the strip are going for $200/night plus taxes and/or other fees per night...however I/we can get you a NICE room "ON" the strip that weekend for about $120 per night, with a microwave, coffee maker and small fridge, etc and with taxes, etc. included.

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Original question's answer!

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There are TWO types of reservations...

Guaranteed or Non-Guaranteed

Guaranteed reservations...

*If booked through the hotel's reservation desk, directly, will have a credit card on file, and it depends on the property whether they charge the first nights room, tax, etc or not. Many Las Vegas properties do...as soon as the reservation is made and the details of your stay are confirmed back to you. They would let you know, that they are about to charge your card and for what $amount...and wait for you to say 'yes' or 'okay' etc.

If booked through an online reservation system or through a travel agency (room only or room & air packages)...these are all paid 'in full' at the time of booking. Some travel agents/agencies will allow you to make cash payments towards a future stay...but your rates may change along the way...however, you 'could' find a 'layaway' alternative with 'some' agents/agencies. Typically, (99%) of all online and agent booked travel is paid "in full" at the time of booking (Expedia, Orbitz...and even my onine/full-service agency) ...that's how your rates are 'locked in' and no longer subject to change.

Non-Guaranteed reservations...

*No credit card or cash payments on file...basically, you have left your name to 'expect me' but you aren't paying anything up front...so the property has the right to fill that room, if they are filling up...and you have "No Guarantee" that the room will be there when you arrive.

**Most properties that get anywhere close to full..won't accept Non-Guaranteed reservations...and reserve the right to cancel them at any time (usually cancel all non-guaranteed resv. 48 in advance if not guaranteed prior, unless they aren't even close to full...so depends on where and when you are staying.).

In most towns, and most times, non-guaranteed works fine...because most hotels across the USA run an average daily occupancy of 60-65%...Vegas, however, runs 82-85%...right now. It used to run 92-98%...and for higher average room rates. That's why the town is crying about 'lost revenues'....they built 10% more rooms, right before the economy dropped off the cliff...now they are filling about the same amount of rooms...but for less average rates...and people are gambling/shopping/dining/etc with lower averages also.

That makes for a great 'competitive rate' market for you to come to town with though! So, "yeah you!"...right?

Regarding cancelling...

Non-Guaranteed can always be cancelled...

Guaranteed...depends.

Direct with the hotel, can usually be cancelled up to 48 hours (two days) in advance.

Online and Travel Agent booked...usually, you'll still pay one nights rate...as the typical cancellation fee....but that depends on the system and property you booked at/through. There's also "travel insurance" that is used much more often when people book cruises...but through an agent, is always available.

Best rule of thumb...don't book...until you know For Sure....you'll be going.

book direct! don't go thru 3rd parties. A real pain if problems arise!