While Nevada is synonymous with quality gambling, some casinos are better than others, and it’s best to avoid the worst Las Vegas casinos on the Strip and its surrounds.
Las Vegas brims with excitement and is the ultimate destination for any diehard gambler. Whether you head down for a vacation or just to have a good time, Sin City guarantees you hour upon hour of quality entertainment.
However, a particular stretch of Las Vegas has recently become frustrating for many tourists. New arrivals to this gambling mecca often assume that all local hotels and casinos provide top-notch service. Regretfully, this is not always the case, and Sin City has some of the worst-rated casinos that tourists and gamblers alike have ever experienced.
According to TripAdvisor, these are five of the foulest Las Vegas casinos on the Strip and the surrounding area:
1. Tropicana Las Vegas
TripAdvisor rating: 4/5
Random TripAdvisor review: Avoid like a virus!
This Las Vegas property offers poor service and is located in a tired and old building – need I say more? Save your money – wasteful! Reeks of cigarette smoke and stale booze throughout the casino. I literally have nothing good to say about this experience.
While Tropicana Las Vegas is one of the top casinos when it comes to complimentary drinks that keep coming, these are usually accompanied by substandard service. Common complaints include a lack of Wi-Fi access, snail-pace customer service, wrong room keys, and extended breakfast queues. And it seems that the management is not hands-on with tackling these issues.
2. Circus Circus Hotel & Casino
TripAdvisor rating: 3,5/5
Random TripAdvisor review: Pretty crummy
I stopped in the casino with friends, and immediately we were hit with a wall of smoke. The whole look and design of the place was just weird. It was a pretty crummy-looking place. I don’t know why a circus-themed hotel and casino would draw people in the first place.
Of all the Las Vegas casinos on the Strip, one offers the genuine excitement of a real circus with wild animals, live performers, and acrobats. Living up to its theme, Circus Circus provides much to see and do. However, the casino is marred by negative reviews that put many visitors off from ever stepping foot in there.
The hotel rooms come at a hefty price, although what you pay and get doesn’t always correlate. There have also been complaints about slow customer service and a delayed booking system.
3. Excalibur Hotel & Casino
TripAdvisor rating: 3.5/5
Random TripAdvisor review: Dump
Don’t stay here. The rooms are old and smell bad. No fridge in the room unless you pay. Elevators take a long time. No good restaurants in the place. I hate that you have to pay for parking. The lot was pretty empty. It is just annoying.
With a lofty name like Excalibur, visitors would expect nothing less than a regal service synonymous with top Las Vegas casinos on the Strip. Sadly, this casino is more renowned for being dirty, noisy and unethical, with several visitors reporting stolen goods and money.
Truth be told, Excalibur is a stunning amalgamation of visually impressive interior designs that leave you gaping in awe. However, the poor service offered is why many gamblers avoid this venue.
4. The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Skypod
TripAdvisor rating: 3.5/5
Random TripAdvisor review: Dingy and Depressing
This hotel needs refreshment. Just gut it and start over. Definitely has an interesting and unique look from the outside, but that ends as soon as you step through the door. The casino is dark, dank, and smells as if you bathed in ashtray butts. Would most definitely not return.
When admiring the outer appearance of Las Vegas casinos on the Strip, The STRAT is to Sin City what Empire State Building is to New York. The grandiose external design of this hotel-casino draws in the crowds. However, the inside of the casino paints a different picture, with many visitors complaining about the casino management.
Additionally, rooms and bathrooms were reported as being dirty. Even Google has not been kind to the Stratosphere and often ranks it high for the “worst Strip casinos” searches.
5. Siegel Slots and Suites
TripAdvisor rating: 2/5
Random TripAdvisor review: The Motel from hell
Why do you people keep staying here? We had the misfortune of having to stay here for a while and witnessed things I don’t want to see again… Drugs, violence, suicide, bed bugs, mistreatment by the staff. Please, STAY AWAY! It is owned and run by criminals.
From available mediocre reviews, Siegel Slots & Suites encapsulates a budget motel. Patrons who have visited this place have complained about the service, food, location and accommodation. Besides being located in the dodgy part of town, guests have complained about stale food and bland service. With so much negative feedback, we wonder if Siegel is even suitable for budget travellers.
And there you have it. The list of the bad and the worse Las Vegas hotels on the Strip from the horse’s mouth. t’s important to keep in mind that the above properties can still be enjoyable for some visitors, and the experiences people have at any given casino can be highly subjective. Before visiting a casino in Las Vegas, it may be helpful to read up on reviews and get a sense of what others have experienced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some casinos that may have received negative reviews include those with outdated facilities, lack of customer service, and less favourable odds for players.
TripAdvisor reviews are based on first-hand experiences and are generally reliable, although some can be subjective, unverified, and influenced by conflict of interest.
Tropicana Las Vegas, Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, Excalibur Hotel & Casino, Stratosphere Hotel, Casino & Tower, and Siegel Slots & Suites.
