Lucky you: Rates from $39

Here are some places we checked out but didn't stay (and, in some cases, wished we had). All fall within our $200-a-night budget; as with the other hotels we stayed in, rates vary depending on the dates of your stay. Weekends generally cost more.

*

California Hotel and Casino

\o712 E. Ogden Ave.; (702) 385-1222, (800) 634-6505, \f7www.thecal.com.

Price: $40-$55

Amenities: 781 rooms in a 1974 building. Garage and valet parking. Shuttle to Strip. Room service. Hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. Rooftop pool.

Pros: Basic rooms with pretty iron-and-wood furniture and Asian-themed decor. Rooms were remodeled last year.

Cons: Small signs of wear in some rooms. Dial-up Internet in rooms. Small vanities, bathrooms in double rooms.

Vani Rangachar

*

Golden Nugget

\o7 129 E. Fremont St., (800) 846-5336 or (702) 385-7111, www.goldennugget.com\f7.\o7

\f7\o7

\f7 Price: Rooms from $59 to $199

Amenities: Public areas newly remodeled as part of $100-million refurbishment, including a new poker room, new pool area ("The Tank") with a 200,000-gallon aquarium, 600-seat showroom, new restaurants and shopping.

Pros: Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Nugget looks as fresh or fresher than many of its Strip counterparts and just as luxurious. There's even a VIP lounge and a spa. Parking is free for guests.

Cons: A distance from the Strip. Not all rooms have yet been updated so decor may feel dated. Another $100 million in construction is expected to add another tower.

Catharine Hamm

*

Main Street Station Casino, Brewery and Hotel

\o7200 N. Main St.; (800) 713-8933, www.mainstreetcasino.com.\f7

Price: Doubles start at $40.

Parking: Free self-park or valet

Amenities: Lively casino scene, multiple restaurants, use of pool at California Hotel (reached by pedestrian bridge), air conditioning, WiFi in lobby.

Pros: Air-conditioned rooms are a good value; upscale motel in style with dated bathrooms. Property, a trove of Victoriana, is fun to explore. Some nonsmoking floors. Public bus and Las Vegas Strip Trolley stop nearby.

Cons: No high-end shopping arcade. No entertainment, health club or spa, wedding chapel or room service. Rooms do not have Internet. Neighborhood is not the best.

Beverly Beyette

*

The Orleans

\o74500 W. Tropicana Ave.; (800) 675-3267, www.orleanscasino.com\f7.