Tropicana Resort Review

News:  now Tropicana and the stunning M resort are partners!  This means – hopefully – free shuttles to one of the most beautiful and elegant resorts in Vegas (with the best Vegas buffet!).  More on Tropicana:   it can be a very affordable gem in which to enjoy your Vegas stay (with some minor ‘issues’, see details further down this page) if you can pick and choose your dates. We have often found great deals for this resort although, if you come during high-season weekends, it can be very, very expensive, perhaps unreasonably so; in this case, budget-oriented visitors may wish to opt for cheaper (yet good enough) options highlighted on our cheap Vegas hotels page. But let’s concentrate on what you’ll find at the remodeled Tropicana resort:

1 – Rooms. The rooms, all remodeled some time ago, are spacious and decorated very tastefully; you do enjoy an overall tropical feel when you enter any room at Tropicana. The rooms here are not as luxurious as the Encore rooms (just to give you an example) but they have good quality furniture (not the cheapest plastic-type, low grade wood-imitation furniture that some ‘affordable’ Vegas resorts offer); they are very spacious with tastefully decorated windows (to continue the beach-cabana feel) and boast very spacious and tastefully decorated bathrooms. The beds are comfortable (though you won’t enjoy super plush mattresses and pillows of resorts like Encore or even Mirage) and the linen used is good quality. We have a video of a standard Tropicana room, which you can access by clicking the link.

On a slightly ‘negative’ note, the windows at Tropicana did not seem to be offering any real sound proofing from the outside; even though we were on the 18th floor (we often choose the higher floors), we could still hear all the noises from the road and even some people. This is an aspect which may bother those seeking total quiet from their bedroom; for other guests, it will probably be irrelevant.

2 – Inside the resort. A good aspect of the Tropicana resort, for visitors who don’t want to walk long distances to their hotel room, is that its casino is not huge and that most of its rooms are therefore easily reached. The Paradise Tower elevators are literally steps away from the resort exit/entrance and, if you don’t like to walk long distances, Paradise Tower is probably the best room location for you. On the other hand, if you like to overlook a very nice (albeit very busy and noisy) pool area, with plenty of greenery, some palm trees and even a nice waterfall, then the cabana rooms may be more suitable for you.

The only significant distance you’ll have to walk is from the rooms to the gym, the spa and the convention center.

3 – Pool. The pool area is rather beautiful, with green patches, nice tall palm trees (although not quite as ‘lush’ as the stunning Mirage pool area & gardens) and a beautiful waterfall. Personally, I’d also have a waterfall right in the middle of the main pool, just like at the Mirage resort, but this one here at Tropicana is beautiful nonetheless. We have a video of the pool area at the new Tropicana which you can access by clicking on the highlighted words.

4 – Fitness Center. The gym is modern and bright; it overlooks the pool area through huge glass walls. The equipment is good enough but not as good as you would expect in a professional gym (the ellipticals, especially the ‘glider’, tend to exercise the wrong muscles); it’s not as high-end as at the Mirage cardio room for example or at the Bellagio gym (even the Excalibur gym is better – see our page on Best Vegas Gyms for details); it’s a relatively small gym so, during busy times, you may well not be able to find an exercise machine. However, the worst part of it is the fact that, when the sun ‘turns’ in the afternoon, it shines directly onto the glass, which is where all the cardio equipment is, rendering the room rather hot (and the sun shining on your face is uncomfortable too); for some reason the air conditioning was nowhere near strong enough to counteract that effect. This problem won’t arise in the winter months but from May onwards I found it noticeable. If you are fit you won’t mind, but if you suffer from high blood pressure or from a condition whereby you cannot exercise in the heat, it may be better for you to do so in the morning when the sun does not face the glass wall.

The Tropicana resort offers a very popular steakhouse (Biscayne), set along the walkway between the casino (roughly) and the convention center; it also offers a cafe which, occasionally, becomes a buffet (for special occasions-dates-celebrations). However, if you stay at Tropicana and want to go to a very good Vegas buffet, the nearest is Aria, which is not exactly round the corner but do-able on foot, if you pace yourself and avoid the scorching sun in the hot months. For this, see our quick list of top Vegas buffets.

5 – Internet: several of the ‘main’ Vegas resorts on the Strip now follow this trend: having paid the hefty resort fee, you can use basic basic wireless Internet for ‘free’; however, this is not good for any serious Internet ‘work’ (streaming or uploading), for which you will have to pay extra (faster speed or higher bandwidth). This is frustrating to anybody who wants to use the Internet for anything more than light browsing. Tropicana follow this trend unfortunately, (but so many other Vegas resorts).

6 – Location: South Strip. This means that you will be a significant distance (if you want to walk) from all the main attractions along center-Strip, though it’s possible to walk there and back, especially if it’s not too hot outside. Bellagio, Aria, Paris, Caesars Palace and, further along Mirage & Venetian, are all a long walk away so bear that in mind when you choose your location. If you are a buffet lover and a food connoisseur you won’t find a very good buffet in the South Strip area: you’ll have to head mid Strip and even further North. In terms of bars and clubs in Vegas, MGM (‘next door’) will provide enough entertainment for a night or 2; beyond that, going to City Center and then Caesar’s & Venetian/Mirage will be a must. If you found this page useful, please share it, thank you 🙂

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