The Stratosphere is deffenitly not the fanciest on the strip, but if you are looking for a clean hotel for a very good price, then it's a great deal. I was a little worried after reading some reviews, but they should be taken with a grain of salt.

First of all, the biggest complaint I have read on here, is the distance. No it's not center strip, but neither is Mandalay Bay, way on the other end. It's Vegas, if you don't like waking I wouldn't suggest going in the first place. The Deuce bus runs right outside of the Stratosphere, or you can walk a few blocks to the Sahara and take the monorail. We walked around ALL day, so whether we were coming from one end of the strip, or the center of the strip, either way our legs would be getting a work out all day.

Another complaint I have heard is that it's a "horrible area" I wonder what kind of white picket fence neighborhood people are living in if they think THAT is a bad area. I would have felt completely safe walking to the hotel at night by myself in that area.. It's really not that bad, people are constantly walking around all areas, not just center strip. At least on that end I didn't have to deal with the constant cards being given out for hookers. If you live in a city you probably see A LOT worse.

Thirdly, yes the hotel itself is quite outdated.. But for as cheap as you can get it, it's not that bad. Our room, and the others we were with had perfectly clean rooms. If you are like me and only really plan to shower and sleep (or barely sleep) in, then that should be good enough! Our bathroom even had a big soaker tub.

Overall, if you want to save your money for fun things in Vegas, and if you really aren't one to spend all of your time in your room, this hotel has amazing deals, and it was well worth it. I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to stay in a really beautiful hotel on the main part of the strip, but if you want to save some money, and if you think there are more important things to spend money on, then this place gets that job done!

We stayed for one night in December, a $50 special, and we were spoiled after having stayed at South Point. The room was like an older Holiday Inn or Super 8. We didn't wait long in line, tons of parking. No serious problems, just average & dated room.

I was in Las Vegas to attend a conference near the Convention Center, and was unwilling to pay the $149 per night that a room cost at the conference hotel. I chose the Stratosphere because it was nearby, and away from the Strip. Since I was on a brief business trip, and seeking low taxi fares, and a quick commute,
The Stratophere really fit the bill! The room was $44 per night, including an upgrade. I found the room to be very clean, and very basic, sparsely furnished, on the 20th floor, overlooking the Tower and the thrill rides.
It is a very self-contained hotel complex for the business traveler. There were enough restaurants and fast food joints, and a row of shops of all sorts, to keep one happy for a few days, if the Strip does not matter to you, and really convenient if all you have is an hour or two to fill in the evening. Most Vegas hotels do not put coffee makers in the room, to draw folks back to the casinos, but at least the Stratosphere had a Starbucks right by the elevators.
My room rate included a free pass to the Stratosphere Tower, during daytime hours, which I could not use, but would recommend as another entertainment option.
I ate at their Italian restaurant, Fellini's, both nights, and was very pleased, and that says alot when you know I come from Boston, and can choose from many Italian restaurants in the North End!
There were no more than 3 people in each of the five or six lines at the registration desk when I checked in on a Sunday afternoon. I felt safe, as a woman traveling alone when inside the hotel. I was told not to wander around at night, by myself, in that area.

This was a great hotel for the price.

We arrived in May 2008 at 6:30 pm on a Sunday night. We were very disappointed to find that all rooms in the Premier Tower with nonsmoking king beds were full. This is what we requested when we booked through the hotel website. The only thing they could offer us was a handicapped room with a king bed. We didn't like it. It was a small room, had a view of the buildings air conditioners and the bathroom was AWFUL. The floor was painted concrete. No fan. No real sink counter. It was a walk-in shower with no tub. If you take a shower the water gets all over the bathroom floor. You can not walk in there with your socks on - your feet will get wet. No spot to set your shampoo or soap. And in the room the TV is located off to the left of the bed instead of directly in front.

So we called the front desk and said we wanted a better room. We paid an extra $80 a night to switch rooms to the Executive Suite (12th fl.) and it was SOOOO WORTH IT! The entry and bathroom are all marble. The room is huge - 775 sq. feet. Crown molding, table, chairs, sofa, TV, fridge, microwave, 3 sinks, mirrored closet doors, HUGE jacuzzi tub, huge walk-in shower, separate toilet room...decent view of the Saharah Hotel. We were thrilled.

One tip for people who like to drink: have your taxi driver stop at a store that isn't near the strip and pick up affordable bottles of alchohol and soda. Then put them in your room fridge and make your own affordable drinks.

We stayed at the Stratosphere for 3 nights and took taxi's everywhere. Average price to the strip, the Palms and Fremont Street is $8 - $15 a trip. We hated the bus - it is slow and always packed with sweaty smelly people.

We took advantage of the free entry to the top of the Stratosphere from 10am - 2pm if you book the package through the hotel website. It was one of the high points of our trip. No lines, friendly elevator service, no crowds, fantastic views inside (huge clear windows) and out (walk up the stairs to get outside). It will take your breath away! There is even a Starbucks at the top. Great place to relax for a few hours and enjoy the views. Bring your camera and video camera for sure. 360 views of the entire city.

We also spent two days at the pool. We weren't impressed. Water was freezing cold. You can't relax in the water because someone is always splashing around with the basketballs or volleyballs. Umbrellas are hard to get if you come later in the day but there is some shade under a canopy far from the pool. The view of the mountains is nice and we enjoyed the hot tub. Plenty of chairs to sit on. There was just too much concrete and not enough greenery, plants and trees. They should revamp it with more greens and a warmer pool and then the place would be a hit. Drinks were expensive as usual for Vegas. It also costs $10 to visit the "private, tops optional" pool.

There is a little mall inside the Stratosphere with a McDonalds. We went there every morning but the service was terrible. Very slow and unfriendly. Too bad.

One of our taxi drivers said the locals call it the Shitosphere but we didn't think it was that bad. It was a decent, clean hotel if you get the right room such as the Executive Suite. The view is worth the taxi ride from the strip - going to the top is a MUST.