The Flamingo is one of the oldest hotels on the Strip, dating back to 1946, and was built by the mafia mobster Bugsy Siegel. It is decorated in hot pinks, turquoises, and flamingos in a Miami/tropical theme. There is a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from their massive Paradise Garden Buffet to a more formal Italian café. Visitors can walk through the flamingo and wildlife habitat, which is full of lush trees and flowers, a nice welcome when you’ve been out in the brown desert all day.

The pools are some of the best that I saw in Vegas. There are two main pools, complete with grottos and waterfalls; a kiddie pool; another pool with a water slide; and two hot tubs. A highlight is that these pools have palm trees all around so that you have relief from the blistering desert sun. The pools can get crowded, so get there early in the morning if you want to avoid the masses.

The rooms were standard, comfortable hotel rooms with two double beds, two sitting chairs, a desk, and a bathroom with a shower/tub. They were nothing extraordinary, but provided exactly what we needed, since we were really only in our rooms to sleep at night. We were on the fourth floor and had no view at all, so make sure you request a room above that if a good view is important to you.

There are several reasons why I would highly recommend The Flamingo:

1. Location: The Flamingo is smack in the middle of the Strip, allowing you to walk just about anywhere you want to go. Caesar’s Palace is directly across the street, and the Bellagio, Mirage, Harrah’s, and the Venetian are all within easy walking distance. This is a huge advantage, since you will find that it’s possible to walk your legs off if you’re not near other hotels. Also, the Flamingo is one of the few hotels with a monorail stop in it. So, when you’re tired of walking, you can take the monorail directly back to your hotel.

2. Crowds: It’s true that compared to some of the other Strip hotels, the Flamingo has a lot fewer attractions. That is perfect for people staying there, because it doesn’t attract a whole lot of outside people which makes everything less crowded and makes the restaurants have very short waits compared to others.

3. Price: For what you get, I would definitely consider this a "best bang for your buck" kind of hotel. Obviously, price depends on when you stay, but we were able to get our room for $79 a night. Sure, it’s not as luxurious as some hotels, but who goes to Vegas to stay in their room all day anyways?

We loved our stay at the Flamingo. I visited all of the hotels on the Strip and can honestly say that I wouldn’t pick anywhere else to stay for the reasons I listed above. We will definitely be going back to the Flamingo!

The shops downstairs were so much fun! Each shop carried its own theme and targeted a different audience.