15 family-friendly hotels in Las Vegas for a winning vacation

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

You may not immediately think of Las Vegas as a family-friendly destination, but Vegas has more for families than meets the eye. Not only are attractions on and off the Strip geared toward families, but many Las Vegas hotels are also specifically designed to include features and amenities that appeal to families.

Even if they aren’t part of a major hotel loyalty program, many Las Vegas hotels participate in their own rewards programs. Quite a few properties included on this list are part of MGM Rewards, for example, which can help you earn points on your hotel stay while taking advantage of exclusive discounts.

What does Las Vegas offer for families?

So, what exactly makes Las Vegas so family-friendly? One of the main draws is the destination’s affordability — visitors don’t need to break the bank during a trip to Vegas thanks to a huge range of hotel types, many of which are budget-friendly. Plus, it’s very easy to find hotels that offer suite-style accommodations or connecting rooms, which are ideal for family travel.

There are also plenty of free activities for families to enjoy around Vegas, from fountain shows (like the one at the Bellagio) to epic playgrounds and even a free aquarium at the Silverton Casino Lodge. With dozens of kid-friendly attractions, live shows, family-friendly resorts and delicious restaurants, Vegas has everything a family needs for a memorable getaway.

If a visit to Las Vegas is in your family’s future, here are 15 Las Vegas hotels with pools, entertainment, arcades and more offerings that kids will love.

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Mandalay Bay‘s 43-story-high tower is located at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip and overlooks the resort’s massive pool complex — a major selling point for families visiting Sin City. The 11-acre complex has a wave pool, lazy river, lagoon-style pool, a sandy beach and more.

Families can also visit the on-site Shark Reef Aquarium ($29 for adults, $24 for kids between 5 and 12, free for kids 4 and younger), dine at the resort’s more than 20 restaurants and take in a live Cirque du Soleil show.

Standard rooms have two queen-size beds and sleep up to four guests. They have large bathrooms with a separate shower and tub and twin vanities, so everyone has space to get ready. Rooms with views of the Las Vegas Strip are also available.

Rates at Mandalay Bay for a family of four start at $229 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Mirage has as much fun for families on the outside as it does on the inside. Outside, kids will love the daily eruptions from the hotel’s iconic volcano and swimming in the large resort-style pool with cascading waterfalls. Inside, they can explore the tropical gardens in the large glass atrium and observe the 450 fish that live in the 20,000-gallon saltwater aquarium in the lobby.

Families will also appreciate the variety of kid-friendly dining options, including pizza, burgers and frozen yogurt, and family-friendly entertainment like Cirque du Soleil and magic shows.

Standard rooms have either one king or two queen beds and upgraded views of the Strip or the volcano for an additional fee. “Stay Well” rooms with air and water purifiers, aromatherapy and memory foam mattresses are also available.

Rates at the Mirage for a family of four start at $69 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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Kids will fall in love with the Circus Circus Hotel & Casino from the moment they step through the hotel’s big top tent-themed entrance. In the late ’90s, Circus Circus was one of the few hotels on the Strip that welcomed families, which remains a priority today.

With midway games, free circus acts and rides, including the world’s only indoor double-looping, double-corkscrew coaster, Circus Circus encourages families to play just as much as it encourages adults to try and win big at the casino.

On the property, there are multiple restaurants to choose from, including quick-dining spots your kids will probably recognize, like Krispy Kreme and Dairy Queen, as well as a buffet with something for everyone. The hotel’s pool complex has a 50-foot waterslide tower with multiple slides, a splash pad for younger kids and two large pools.

To avoid the casino crowd, book a room in the West Tower or the Skyrise Tower. Both have rooms with one king bed or two queen beds. For an additional fee of $25 each, you can request a crib or minifridge for your room.

Rates at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino for a family of four start at $25 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The New York-New York Hotel & Casino brings all the excitement of the Big Apple to the Las Vegas Strip. The exterior is a replica of the New York City skyline, complete with a torch-bearing Statue of Liberty. The hotel even has its own yellow taxi ride, though this yellow taxi is actually a roller coaster that loops around the hotel’s exterior.

The aptly named Big Apple Coaster ($19 per person) is the highlight of the hotel’s Big Apple Arcade, where you can also play Skee-Ball, air hockey and video games. You can also soak up the sun at the hotel pool, visit the pop-up Hello Kitty Cafe, stroll by the restaurants at an indoor replica of Greenwich Village and more.

Guest rooms have an industrial style and bold colors that lend a New York flair, and rooms with views of the Strip are available.

Rates at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino for a family of four start at $120 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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Kids will feel like true royalty when they step across the drawbridge and into the sprawling medieval castle that is the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. The royal theming continues inside the hotel with suits of armor, stained glass windows, coat of arms decorative touches in the guest rooms and a “Tournament of Kings” jousting and dinner show (tickets start at $42 per person).

The hotel also has a dungeon-themed arcade with video games, midway games and fun prizes and a large pool area with four pools, three Jacuzzis, waterfalls and a winding waterslide. You can dine by the pool or at one of the hotel’s many restaurants.

If you choose a guest room in the Royal Tower, you’ll be treated to views of the castle’s colorful turrets outside your window.

Rates at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino for a family of four start at $95 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Bellagio Resort & Casino is one of the best hotels in Las Vegas. This “something for everyone” resort has just under 4,000 guest rooms in two large towers, some with views of the Bellagio’s iconic fountain show. The majestic fountains outside the hotel shoot as high as 460 feet into the air during daily shows set to music.

The Bellagio is also home to one of Cirque du Soleil’s most unusual shows, “O,” which features a large 16-foot-deep pool where performers dive, dance on floating platforms and perform aquatic acrobatic feats.

You can also pay a visit to the 14,000-square-foot themed botanical garden, which is updated seasonally, and the Mediterranean-themed pool area.

Rooms at this upscale Las Vegas hotel embrace a calming water theme that offers a welcome contrast to the excitement outside your room.

Rates at the Bellagio Resort & Casino for a family of four start at $261 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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Resorts World Las Vegas is more than just a hotel — it’s actually three hotels in one huge 3,500-room hotel complex. Each of the hotels – the Las Vegas Hilton, the Conrad Las Vegas and Crockfords Las Vegas (part of Hilton’s LXR collection) — offers something different for families in terms of amenities and luxury, but the resort’s public areas are open to guests of all three.

The resort is home to more than 40 dining outlets with cuisine from across the globe, a theater that hosts big-name musical acts and a 5 1/2-acre pool complex with multiple pools and Jacuzzis, including a shallow splash pool for children. One pool is reserved exclusively for guests of Crockfords.

As the resort is part of the Hilton family, guests can earn or redeem Hilton Honors points at all three Resorts World hotels and enjoy the perks of elite status.

Rates at Resorts World Las Vegas for a family of four start at $79 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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With nearly 5,000 guest rooms across 6.6 acres, the MGM Grand is the largest stand-alone hotel in the U.S. That means there are endless opportunities for family fun without ever leaving the hotel, though when you do leave, there are convenient walkways and a monorail station to help you easily get around town.

Families can watch the popular Jabbawockeez dance troupe perform on select nights, visit a “Hunger Games” exhibition and watch world-class magician David Copperfield at the hotel’s event space (all experiences require a ticket purchase), or enjoy the pools and lazy river at the MGM Grand’s pool complex.

In addition to sit-down dining, there is a large food court with options like Nathan’s hot dogs and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

Guest rooms range from standard-yet-stylish rooms to VIP Skylofts with 24/7 butler service, floor-to-ceiling views of the Strip and spacious accommodations.

Rates at the MGM Grand for a family of four start at $130 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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You don’t have to stay on the Strip to experience the best attractions in Las Vegas. The Tahiti Village Resort & Spa is less than 2 miles from Las Vegas’ most popular casino resorts and offers a complimentary shuttle to make it easy to get back and forth.

Of course, the all-suite hotel has a lengthy list of its own activities and amenities, including tiki-themed dining, a summertime luau, an arcade and a pool area with a lazy river and a sandy beach.

Accommodations have kitchens, large living areas and one or two bedrooms that sleep up to eight guests. Some rooms also have private outdoor balconies and Jacuzzi tubs.

Rates at the Tahiti Village Resort & Spa for a family of four start at $125 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Hilton Vacation Club Cancun Resort Las Vegas is far enough off the Strip to offer a respite from the lights and sounds of the city but close enough to reach the action in about 10 minutes.

The resort has two pools with four waterslides and a poolside bar and restaurant. At the center of the two pools stands a Mayan-inspired pyramid with a cascading waterfall that conceals a secluded Jacuzzi.

Guest rooms at this all-suite property have either one or two bedrooms and sleep up to six guests. Each room has a full kitchen, two bathrooms and a living area. The deluxe pool-view suites also have a two-person Jacuzzi on the balcony.

Rates at Hilton Vacation Club Cancun Resort Las Vegas for a family of four start at $146 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas is a luxury retreat on the five upper floors of Mandalay Bay. Guests of the Four Seasons have access to the restaurants and other amenities at Mandalay Bay, but the hotel also has its own full-service spa, fine dining restaurant, cocktail bars and exclusive pool area. What you won’t find is a casino, making it a great choice for families who aren’t visiting Vegas for slot machines and table games.

Through the hotel’s much-loved Family for All Seasons program, kids receive a special welcome amenity and complimentary use of games and books. Children’s toiletries, childproofing items, cribs, kids menus and complimentary baby items are also available.

Standard rooms, studios and suites are available, each with art deco-inspired furnishings and expansive views of the city below.

Eligible American Express cardholders can book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts for additional perks like daily breakfast for two, a $100 spa or dining credit and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.

Rates at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas for a family of four start at $355 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Flamingo Las Vegas is centrally located on the Strip, making it a great choice for families who want to explore up and down Las Vegas Boulevard. Though much of the Strip is walkable from your hotel, there is plenty to do at the Flamingo as well.

The hotel has two pools, though they are only open from March through November. The Family Pool has a waterslide and lagoon area with playful waterfalls. You can also meet actual flamingos (and other animals) at the hotel’s 4-acre wildlife habitat.

Guest rooms have pops of pink that the Flamingo is known for, and some rooms have views of the High Roller observation wheel next door.

Rates at the Flamingo Las Vegas for a family of four start at $77 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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Aria Resort & Casino’s modern design stands out among the hotels on the Strip, but the modern amenities don’t stop at the hotel’s curved, mirrored architecture. Aria’s in-room tablets allow you to control the curtains and climate in your room, order room service, make restaurant reservations and more. Aria is conveniently connected to the Bellagio, Vdara and Park MGM by walkway or tram.

Aria’s huge pool complex has three swimming pools, two of which are open to all guests (the other is reserved for guests staying in the Sky Suites). One has a zero-entry area that is better suited for younger guests.

Choose from standard guest rooms or upgrade to the Sky Suites, Aria’s luxury rooms with spectacular views, best-in-class service and elevated amenities and accommodations.

Rates at Aria Resort & Casino for a family of four start at $228 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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The Luxor Las Vegas is one of the most eye-catching hotels on The Strip. Why? Because at 350-foot-tall, this pyramid-shaped hotel is one of the largest pyramids in the world. The superlatives just keep coming — the Luxor Sky Beam that shoots toward the sky at night is the brightest beam of light in the world and can be seen from hundreds of miles away by air on a clear night. The Luxor’s pool area even has views of the pyramid.

Inside this one-of-a-kind hotel, you can catch performances by world-famous acts like Blue Man Group or visit exhibitions like “Discovering King Tut’s Tomb,” “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” and “Bodies … The Exhibition.”

Rooms are located either in the pyramid or one of the hotel’s traditional towers. The pyramid rooms have unique sloped windows, but the tower rooms are a bit larger.

Rates at the Luxor Las Vegas for a family of four start at $95 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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Some Las Vegas hotels are designed to be budget-friendly spots where you lay your head in between trips to the casino. Others offer extravagant accommodations and luxury amenities that make you never want to leave your resort. The Wynn Las Vegas falls squarely into the second category.

The hotel’s pool area is lush and tranquil, with plenty of seating, luxury cabanas available to rent and multiple poolside dining options. World-class chefs helm the hotel’s restaurants, and some overlook Wynn’s outdoor Lake of Dreams. The manmade lake hosts complimentary nightly multisensory entertainment every half-hour beginning at dusk.

Guest rooms have bespoke furnishings and decor in calming, neutral hues, views of the valley or the Strip through floor-to-ceiling windows and signature Wynn Dream Beds.

Rates at the Wynn Las Vegas for a family of four start at $359 per night, plus taxes and fees.

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