Okay, so I'm a bit late writing this review. The reason I have decided to write this review is because when I stayed at the Stratosphere two years ago, I was totally unknowledgeable about Las Vegas, in general. I needed a place to stay - cheaply. My son and I were moving my daughter to Las Vegas, planned a three night stay and considering the cost to move my girl out there, I didn't have unlimited resources.

Not knowing anyone living there, nor anyone who'd visited there often enough to know what was what, I just got on the internet and browsed myself cross-eyed comparing ratings with costs prior to heading out. That in itself, was a huge mistake.

Since that time, I've made two other visits. And I will review the places I stayed on those visits as well. I came to Epinions today to review LaQuinta West Inn and Suites off of Sahara in Vegas and when I browsed and saw The Stratosphere listed, I decided to review it first. So read on for this review but please check out my reviews for The Venetian and for LaQuinta.

The Stratosphere seemed, by most accounts, to be pretty reasonable ($39.00 per night) for a three star rating. Now, I'm not as naive as I might sound. "$39.00?", you chuckle. I HAD heard all the stories about the really cheap but nice rooms, the really cheap but great steak and lobster dinners, etc., etc. So, not knowing any better, I figured $39.00 was the going rate for what I expected would be an "average" room.

Needless to say, I became MUCH more knowledgeable after my stay at Stratosphere. My son and I entered the room on what seemed to be the first step onto the stairway to heaven -- what was it again? The 252nd floor? I forget. I am exaggerating, of course, but it was WA-A-A-AY up there. I seem to recall when I looked out the window, the cars appeared to be little ants.

The room was not a nice one. The carpet was worn and dirty. I'm pretty sure the bed linens had been on the beds for several months without fresh change - even if no one else had slept in them. We had been told we would have a small refridgerator - it was missing. There was not a wall or floor lamp in the room that had not been bent out of shape or had a badly looking loose plug. None of those lamps even matched each other. Come to think of it, I don't think anything in the room matched - drapes, bedspreads, lamps, furniture, anything. The dresser drawers no longer fit into the dresser properly. And I think back now and remember thinking then that we had been tossed into the Garage Sale Zone.

The most annoying thing was the electrical outlet on the wall at the bathroom counter. I plugged my blowdryer in and when I did, the overhead lights began blinking. Then I realized that not only did they blink with anything plugged into the outlet, but the on/off switch to that overhead light was loose and the lights flickered when you just touched the switch. Okay, so we were miles up and if those electrical problems were to cause a fire, we were cooked - pardon the pun.

You ask, "So why didn't you call for another room?" I called and complained about everything in the room. The only resolution I got was a delivery of clean bed linens (for me to put on myself - which I did). I complained for three days. I complained when I check out. I learned my lesson about the Stratosphere. AND I learned my lesson that EVEN IN VEGAS, you get what you pay for.

My advice - even if you choose to put more money out - Just don't stay there.


Recommended: No