One of the most recognizable boulevards in the entire world, the Las Vegas strip holds upon the promise of fun and easy riches. Almost everyone traveling to Las Vegas, be it for a two-day business trip or a week long of debauchery, makes the strip the central figure in their travel plans. And Las Vegas strip hotels know this, which is why their numbers continue to grow each year.

The Las Vegas strip hotels are the mainstays of Vegas travelers, and icons such as the Luxor pyramid or the Eiffel Tower are ubiquitous in most photos of Las Vegas hotels. There is a wide range of them ready to accommodate your every whim. From the family friendly hotels of the southern end, to the opulent giants centered on the strip to the more Spartan hotels to the north, the strip is a tribute to man's ability to innovate, to construct, to bring dreams closer to reality.

The good thing about booking a room at a hotel on the strip in Las Vegas is that, regardless of the specifics, you are guaranteed a quality stay, a great room and all the fun you can handle. No matter where you stay, you'll be near the beautiful sounds of jackpots and the incomprehensibly lively Vegas nightlife. There are budget affairs such as the Tropicana and the Flamingo. Intermixed with the cream of the Vegas hotels, these perfectly nice lodgings are perfect for those looking to at least appear like they are keeping a budget while on vacation in Vegas. Some of the best deals are the Excalibur and Luxor. Located in one of the best spots in the city, they also offer extremely low prices, especially considering their proximity to higher tier hotels like the MGM Grand and Paris. Deals like these can also be found at the nearby Monte Carlo, but they are less frequent and are populated by a slightly older crowd.

Las Vegas Strip Map

The very crux of what Las Vegas is can be seen in the top of the line hotels in the burning heart of the strip. Since its inception, the Bellagio has been the defining hotel on the strip in Las Vegas. Upscale in every sense of the word, there's no getting past the luxury imbued into every nook and cranny of the spacious rooms, sophisticated casino floor or the immense outdoor fountains that make their way into just about everyone's digital camera at least once. Not that there isn't some competition for the hottest hotel on the strip in Las Vegas. Right now, it's the brand new Wynn casino, which tries to trump the Bellagio in nearly every way – only time will speak to its success.

Other notable hotels on the strip are the languorous Venetian, looking like a postcard of Venice on meth amphetamines; Treasure Island, one of the most underrated Las Vegas strip hotels; and the famed Caesars Palace. If any hotel can claim to be on par with the Bellagio, it's this one. World-renowned for its high class shopping and premier boxing events, there's never a shortage of gaping tourists walking through the immense hallways and casino floor that Caesars provides.

While absolutely impossible to choose a bad Las Vegas strip hotel, there are clearly advantages and disadvantages to certain casinos. If thematically sound hotels are high on your list of priorities, though, you'll never encounter a better street than Las Vegas Boulevard. You can travel from Egypt to New York to France to Italy to a pirate ship, all in the space of an afternoon.