One of the most stressful aspects of traveling to Vegas is booking your accommodations.
It’s not that there are few choices, and everything is two stars, though. Quite the opposite.
The city is brimming with inviting, high-end resorts, making it difficult to decide how to find the best pricing and availability.
You could go with what seems like the logical route and reserve your room directly with the resort, but you’re not guaranteed to get the best price, and rarely are there packages that include room, travel, a rental car, or other necessities.
Third-party booking sites often offer exclusive discounts on room rates, can bundle different aspects of your trip for an even cheaper rate, or offer rewards and loyalty programs.
The question is, which third-party hotel booking site do you use for your Las Vegas trip? There are quite a few, so we’ve put together a list of the best available and some of the pros and cons of using each.
The Best Sites for Booking Your Vegas Vacation
Expedia for Booking Vegas Hotels?
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all your vacation needs, Expedia is a great place to start for hotels, flights, car rentals, vacation packages, excursions and adventures, and cruises.
Rewards Program:
As a frequent Expedia user, you can amass points to put toward already discounted Vegas hotels. While you’re sure to catch deals through Expedia, especially when booking packaged vacations, being a frequent user and earning rewards is the best way to guarantee cheap stays.
Related: Cheap transportation and free trams on The Strip
Pros:
- Sales are frequent, especially for bundled vacations
- Travel insurance is available for purchase if needed
- Cancellations are surprisingly easy
- Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Supports Affirm financing
Cons:
- Discounted rates aren’t always the cheapest
- Cancellation policies aren’t entirely clear
- Travel insurance can be confusing and expensive
Expedia Group Alternatives
Expedia is just the primary service of the much larger Expedia Group Company. Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Trivago, and Hotels.com all fall under the Expedia Group banner. However, each one has its own reward program or, in Travelocity’s case, paid membership for exclusive offers.
For the most part, any website under the Expedia Group Company will offer the same deals and have a similar points-based rewards program. However, Hotels.com and Travelocity branch off with something a little different.
Hotels.com for Booking Vegas Hotels?
An easy site to navigate with a rather simple means of finding the hotel you want, Hotels.com is a timeless resource for securing accommodations and transportation, with an emphasis on hotel stays.
Rewards Program:
The rewards program ditches points for a coupon system, where a one-night stay typically earns one coupon. Earn 10, and you score a free night. Hotels.com also has members-only pricing (usually 25% off), though becoming a member is free.
Related: Stay on the Strip or Downtown?
Pros:
- Coupon-based system is easier than points
- Ample filters make searching hotels easier
- Car and vacation rentals available
- Branded credit card increases rewards
- Supports Affirm financing
Cons:
- Chain hotels aren’t necessarily cheaper
- Availability can be very limited
- Rewards can’t be used on all properties
Travelocity for Booking Vegas Hotels?
Being part of the Expedia Group Company, Travelocity’s layout, offerings, and sales are near identical. However, it differs most with its costly rewards program.
Rewards Program:
You’ll have to pay an annual fee to be part of Travelocity’s rewards and score 50% or more on your stays. It’s only beneficial if you strictly utilize this platform. Otherwise, you’re throwing $99 per year away.
Pros:
- Easy to navigate and build packages
- Rewards program offers significant discounts
- Offers hotels, flights, car rentals, excursions, and cruises
- Insurance available for hotels, flights, car rentals, and cruises
- Supports Affirm financing
Cons:
- A little too similar to Expedia
- Rewards program is costly
- Rewards restricts you to one platform
What about Vegas.com for hotel rooms?
A resource for everything Vegas, from air and hotel packages to shows, tours, attractions, club access, and so much more.
Vegas.com is more than just a booking site, as it offers extensive looks into local restaurants, activities, shopping, transportation options, and spas. Some deals are significant, but it’s not rare for direct booking to be the same price or a little cheaper.
Related: How to save on Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas
Rewards Program:
Vegas.com does not offer a rewards program.
Pros:
- Provides information on notable events
- Adding a show or tour to your stay is easy
- One-stop shop for all things Vegas
- Generous change/cancellation policy
Cons:
- No rewards program
- Website can feel a little cluttered
- Some descriptions are out of date.
- Not as much name power as Hotels.com or Expedia
How is Priceline?
There are several opportunities to save big with Priceline, so long as you’re willing to remain loyal and almost exclusively use the service for all your hotels, flights, car rentals, and cruises. Priceline also has access to discounted rates on local Vegas attractions like museums, excursions, and more.
Rewards Program:
There are two opportunities to earn rewards with Priceline.
The first is a free tiered VIP membership that offers up to 50% on over 45,000 hotels, up to 20% on car rentals, and a 10% insider coupon after every completed trip. The second is attached to the Visa Priceline credit card, which comes with a VIP Gold membership and offers 5X points for every $1 and 2X points for gas and restaurants.
Pros:
- Generous rewards program for loyal members
- Priceline app has frequent exclusive offers
- Very detailed hotel listings
- Stackable discounts
- Supports Affirm financing
Cons:
- Hotels only guaranteed for two-person occupancy
- Only frequent travelers benefit from Priceline VIP
- Website design makes finding the best price difficult
- Stringent and limited refund policy
Booking.com
A rather straightforward booking site with very few bells and whistles.
Booking.com is all about getting you to your Vegas destination and offers listings for hotels, apartments, villas, hostels, guest houses, and more. You can also book airfare and car rentals .
As a sister company of Priceline, the deals are mainly similar.
Rewards Program:
The Genius loyalty program is free and offers up to 20% on just under 400,000 properties. The tiered program starts to pay off the most at Level 2, with potential free room upgrades and complimentary breakfasts.
Pros:
- Mobile app is very intuitive and easy to use
- Has a better focus on business travel than other sites
- Connects with OpenTable for dinner reservations
Cons:
- Overall rewards program is underwhelming
- No “Mystery Deals” like seen with other sites
- Sales are near-identical to Priceline, which has a better reward program
Tripadvisor for Vegas Rooms
With one of the more difficult websites to navigate, Tripadvisor may be better suited as a review site. Like Vegas.com, it can focus on all the best parts of the city, but unlike it, the deals on local attractions and shows aren’t necessarily the best.
Tripadvisor has a bit to catch up on as a latecomer to the booking scene.
Rewards Program:
Tripadvisor Plus is available to users for $99 per year and comes with members-only savings on 100,000 hotels, $10 off experiences, and travel advice. It’s a relatively small offering compared to other rewards programs, and the $99 price tag makes it harder to get on board.
Pros:
- User reviews help plan a five-star vacation
- Access to real images taken by travelers
- A lot of information for a booking site
Cons:
- The booking portion feels tacked on
- $99 for Tripadvisor Plus is steep for what you get
- Can be challenging to sift through exaggerated reviews
What about using Google to book Las Vegas hotel rooms?
Google doesn’t offer direct travel bookings, but it can help you find the best sites that do.
By searching for a specific hotel or any hotel in a specific region, you’ll be shown a snapshot of which sites have bookings available and what the price is.
Unfortunately, the listed price is likely going to be identical across each of the main booking sites, because Google doesn’t factor in rewards programs, memberships, or limited-time offers.
Should I book Vegas hotel rooms directly?
You have quite a few options when it comes to booking your Vegas stay, and we haven’t even touched on booking directly with the property (MGM Resorts and Caesars Resorts, for example).
Each resort allows guests to book on their website, though the rates can tend to be more expensive than booking sites. However, that’s not always the case.
Rewards and Perks
Even if booking directly were always more expensive, there’s the issue of loyalty programs and rewards. Every hotel has a card used at the slot machines and table games to rack up points. Play enough, and you may earn yourself a free night or two.
It’s a much more active and efficient means of earning loyalty points, unlike booking sites that only accumulate when you complete a stay.
Pros:
- Exclusive deals unavailable to booking sites
- Loyalty programs are more rewarding
- Some programs apply to multiple resorts
- More lenient cancellation policies
- Easier to get upgrades
Cons:
- It can be more expensive
- No option to pay the stay off over time
- Most booking sites allow Affirm to finance the hotel easily
Where do you book Vegas hotels directly?
The two main Vegas websites for booking directly online are:
- MGM Resorts Las Vegas – check the latest prices
- Caesars Las Vegas Resorts – check the latest prices
Tom Hamiliton - Author/Editor Vegas Q&A
Hey there! I'm Tom, and Las Vegas holds a special place in my heart. Whether I'm lounging by the pool, getting lost in captivating shows, or taking a chance at craps, I'm all about embracing the thrilling vibes of Sin City.
Through this website, I aim to be your trusted companion, answering common Vegas Questions and sharing money-saving hacks to ensure you have an unforgettable and wallet-friendly vacation in the dazzling world of Las Vegas.
