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Stratosphere - Heaven, hell or purgatory?

Discussion in 'LV Strip Hotels' started by bignig135, Apr 1, 2016.

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  1. bignig135

    bignig135 Low-Roller

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    We have always stayed on- Strip so far, although in recent years we have considered staying Downtown. In the end we have compromised by booking at the Stratosphere , the thinking being that its easy to travel to the main strip or downtown by bus and the monorail isn't far to walk to.
    Does anyone have any tips about The STRAT - nicest restaurants, is their players club worthwhile, anywhere good to eat nearby etc.? Many thanks.
     
  2. vegasvic

    vegasvic VIP Whale

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    IMHO I would reconsider. It's not really a walk you want to make at night to/from the strip. Sure you could walk over to the SLS and catch the monorail but that's a pain in the ass too. As far as going downtown if you are planning on taking the bus anyway then you might as well stay on the actual strip, there's no advantage to staying at the Strat as far as traveling to downtown. You can bus it from the Strat south to strip properties but personally I would just stay farther south. I don't like the place, I liked it better when it was Vegas World. The space theme was kitschy and unique.
     
  3. Grid

    Grid Well-Known Member

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    I actually wrote up a trip report after my 1st stay there. It was nice, but I couldnt bring myself to stay more than a day. the mall is completely dead and mostly abandoned. And the casino was very lonely. More people watched me gamble than actually played a slot themselves. If the place wasnt so isolated I'd consider staying there again. But with all of the casinos clustered down town or center strip it sucks being tethered to one place on vacation. Its a LONG walk to SLS, through their joint, up to the monorail and down to a habitated part of the strip.

    Pics and write up are here if you have any interest.

    https://sites.google.com/site/lvgrid/journal-blog/n-rides-slots-unicorns-sept-2014
     
  4. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    I've been to the Strat casino twice in the past few years. One time it was sketchy and had a few too many scary people in there and the other time it was as nice as could be.
     
  5. bignig135

    bignig135 Low-Roller

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    Unfortunately we are already all booked up! From previous trips, we know the general area is a bit dodgy with a lot of homeless and beggars. This year, we were easily spending at least an hour from Fremont St to the Excalibur during rush hour on the Deuce bus, which was very frustrating. Looks like we will have to join Uber/ Lyft for safer transportation.
    We keep considering Downtown to stay but the eating options aren't great and as we love going to shows so we are often mid or South Strip. Got tired of Excalibur where we were almost on first name terms with the timeshare reps!
     
  6. UTE

    UTE Plastics

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    Stratosphere is an under-rated gem on The Strip. It's strategically located in-between Downtown and the South Strip - a quick trip on The Deuce gets you where you want to be.

    Restaurants and bars at Stratosphere offer some of the best values I've seen. You've got everything from the entry-level 24 café (Roxy's) to an up-scale steak house (McCall's) and the top-rated Top of The World (one of my wife's favorite for a romantic dinner).

    Like most areas along The Strip - walk on LV Blvd and you'll be fine. There's no reason to go off The Strip anyway.

    Bill
     
  7. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    From what I've been hearing all these years the Strat is okay to stay at, nothing special and similar to downtown hotel rooms. Casino isn't very crowded but I think they had a single 0 roulette table (not sure if it is still there though). Not sure if I would walk outside of the hotel at night though, sometimes looks sketchy. Nice view on the top and there are restaurants you can lounge at to see the sights up there.

    Since you already booked you should just enjoy your stay there and come back and post how your experience was. As you mentioned, easy to catch the bus to go up the strip (or downtown) so if you don't like the atmosphere at the Strat you can play elsewhere and just use the place for sleeping and lounging.

    Too bad you already booked your stay, otherwise I would have recommended staying at the Rio, Palms, Gold Coast or Orleans. Close to the strip and their rates are lower than staying on the strip and they have free shuttles (Rio, Gold Coast and Orleans) to get you back to the strip.
     
  8. aaisack

    aaisack VIP Whale

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    The Stratosphere is not a horrible place to stay, but there are better options in the price range. It may be a good option if you like both the strip and downtown and don't mind riding the bus.

    Things I liked about my stay there:
    The room was nice for the price
    The free tower passes. Everyone needs to check out that view at least once. I also thought the drinks were very reasonable at their bar at the top of the tower considering the location.
    The all you can drink happy hour special at their bar near the sports book. I had a great time watching football there.
    The reasonably priced champagne brunch (the waitress was awesome)

    Things I didn't like:
    Location
    Lack of great VP
     
  9. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    The BJ games, for such an isolated property, were surprisingly bad when I was last there.
     
    Annual CCA (Casino Collectibles Association) Show at South Point
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  10. REELmoneySlotFan

    REELmoneySlotFan High-Roller

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    I think the Strat gets more flak than it really deserves. Most of it because of its location. If the Stratosphere was located center Strip with their overall price level, it would be one of the busiest places on the Strip I believe. They have a pretty ok pool although the pool area could use some palm trees and a little less concrete. Drinks at the pool are cheap compared to other places down the Strip. Most restaurants serve decent food without being expensive. They have all the current slots, rooms are decent, staff is friendly. The overall condition of the property isn't bad at all. And they're pretty generous with offers (probably because of their location).
     
  11. Ruark

    Ruark Low-Roller

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    The Strat is a decent mid-tier or lower-mid-tier place. The only issue is its physical isolation. There's not much nearby unless you want to travel to the Strip, and the first places you'll hit there are Encore and Wynn. As some others have pointed out, it can be uncomfortable walking in that area at night, and I can personally testify to that. Very spooky people drifting around. Very spooky.
     
  12. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Full pay 7/5 Bonus with Ultimate X (~99.2%) for quarters was an unexpected surprise. But yeah, VP generally sucks there now. Hard to believe this was the place that supposedly offered 9/7 JoB. Must have been nice...
     
  13. JR Swift

    JR Swift VIP Whale

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    I remember the 9/7 and 10/6 JoB machines as I used to always make a special trip to play there. Stayed there once a long time ago and I liked it but I'm sure it has changed a lot since then. I enjoy the quiet, spacious casino probably more than most people so I still like to spend a hour or two there trying my luck when I get the chance.
     
  14. salukidean

    salukidean High-Roller

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    Make sure to eat at the Carvery in the tower's observation deck at least once during your stay. It's the best steak sandwich you'll ever have for less than $10 and you'll likely end up revisiting after your first trip.
     
  15. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    Anyone know what BJ conditions are like there? Thx.

    :peace::beer:
     
    Annual CCA (Casino Collectibles Association) Show at South Point
    Long Overdue Stay At The Golden Nugget
  16. salukidean

    salukidean High-Roller

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    Hookers walk the street in front of property and you can get a BJ for $20-40
     
  17. lithium78

    lithium78 VIP Whale

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    I have never stayed at the Stratosphere before, but I have played in the casino (which was okay) and eaten twice at the Top of the World revolving restaurant (which is amazing.) I would say the place is much better than ANYTHING downtown, but probably not as good as the mid-range Strip properties. I've heard the ride are fun.
     
  18. Ethannf

    Ethannf Tourist

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    I'm a local and I live a short 5 minute drive from the strat which is why I spend a lot of time there. I have stayed a few times, and the updated select rooms are quite nice.

    The casino, in my opinion, has much better payouts than the rest of the strip. Better paytables on VP and slots that generally give you a good bang for your buck.

    C Bar has a few very nice bartenders and I love playing VP there. Also really easy comps and free play to get from ACEPlay program.

    I would recommend dining at McCalls and drinks at 107 Lounge at the top of the tower.

    Location isn't necessarily the best, but Vegas is small and you can get anywhere quickly.

    Also, renovations are always occurring. New slots just came in and the Starbucks was recently renovated w plenty of seating space.

    Enjoy your stay!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  19. FullPay

    FullPay When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

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    I timed the walk from my room to the pool at over ten minutes, roughly half a mile not counting elevator time. The endless walk through the dead mall to the tower elevator can be avoided by using an escalator on the north side of the casino. The neighborhood behind the Strat away from the Strip used to be called Naked City, but not naked in a good way. The location is advantageous to Downtown. Buses from Strat to Downtown and back tend to be empty and move fast, between Strat and the Strip they are packed and often slower than walking. The monorail is a good option to the Strip, but plan on hours of walking to and from rail stations and between properties. And never be fooled by the fact that you can see the Stratosphere so you 'might as well walk it.' It looks the same from Downtown as it does from Treasure Island, but it is still two miles away.
     
  20. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    Better to probably visit the strat one day.
    Roxy's is very good.
     
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