Top 10 Newest Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip

After a long wait, Station Casinos has finally unveiled Durango, the first major casino resort in the Southwest Valley. The hotel tower has more than 200 rooms and suites with a modern image that tips a hat to the surrounding desert landscape. Durango also has a luxurious pool deck and a high-tech touches like digital check-in and 40 charging stations for electric cars. The casino floor is stylish and bright with lots of natural light during the day. Enjoy a cocktail by the pool at the Bel-Aire Lounge, watch a game at The George (a sports bar with indoor and outdoor spaces) and choose from a variety of cuisine at the Eat Your Food Out food hall.

Caesars Entertainment transformed Bally’s into the Horseshoe, an iconic brand that formerly had a presence on Fremont Street at the address that now belongs to Binion’s. The new version has a prominent mid-Strip location and a renewed focus on gambling with a large casino and the envious status of being host to the World Series of Poker. Most of the renovations are cosmetic, giving the property a more contemporary image with gold and leather touches. The Grand Bazaar Shops out front are getting a revamp of their in own with the addition of Ole Red and Bottled Blonde for food, drinks and entertainment.

The North Strip property known as the Fontainebleu is now open after some ups and downs over the years. The hotel sat unfinished after the original 2009 was disrupted by the recession. The Fontainebleu has withstood the storm and is showing off a premium, luxury image with a gorgeous casino floor, more than 3,700 rooms and suites and at least 500,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. At 735 feet, it’s the tallest building in Vegas if you don’t count the Strat.

The Queen describes itself as the “gayest destination on the Las Vegas Strip,” although it’s technically part of Downtown. The property is a hotel, drag brunch and nightclub in one, slowly taking over the property known as the Thunderbird. It has a drive-in motor lodge format with just 100 rooms. The location is close to the Strip, Downtown Arts District and Fremont Street. Enjoy entertainment at the Majestic Repertory Theatre and scary exhibits at Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum.

The Lexi opened in June, 2023 as the first official cannabis-friendly hotel in Las Vegas, although consumption isn’t allowed until certain laws are approved. The 21-and-over boutique property, formerly known as the Artisan, is just west of the Strip on Sahara Avenue. It was bought by Elevations Hotels & Resorts and renovated for a more contemporary image. Rooms on the fourth floor (along with a planned consumption lounge in the lobby) will allow marijuana use with special high-tech air filtration systems in place. The pool remains tops-optional and the Artisan Lounge (named in honor of the previous hotel) serves a solid lineup of cocktails and food.