Recently Added! New Las Vegas Hotels on Oyster

Nobu is a hotel within a hotel, located within one of the towers at Caesars Palace. The 181-room property -- from the creators of the Nobu Japanese restaurant chain -- offers more upscale accommodations than the main Caesars hotel, with a Japanese twist: Japanese-themed David Rockwell design, feng shui floor plans hot tea waiting upon arrival, and minibars stocked with Japanese beer and sake. Guests get 24-hour room service from the Nobu restaurant downstairs (not to mention priority reservations), and the Nobu breakfast menu is available exclusively through room service. Guests get access to all of the Caesars features, such as the fitness center, spa, and PURE nightclub, as well as a private check-in desk and concierge services (though no separate lobby).

The D Las Vegas is a modern, 638-room mid-range hotel located on Fremont Street, the kitschy party artery of Downtown Las Vegas. The hotel pays homage to its Old Vegas heritage with a vintage casino upstairs (you'll find penny slots and a rare original toy horse racing track), but the main casino is thoroughly contemporary. There are also several nods to the state of Michigan: The hotel is named for the owner Derek's nickname as well as his hometown, Detroit, while both Andiamo Steakhouse and the hot dog joint American Coney Island hail from Michigan and have never before opened locations outside of the state. A long bar along the outside of the building draws in Fremont Street passerby with scantily clad waitresses (who dance on top of the bar at night), flair bartending, and yard-long drinks. Rooms have red, white, and black decor; flat-screen TVs; and iPod docks -- they're great for the price, if not luxurious.

Skylofts is the luxury section of MGM Grand, offering some of the most exclusive accommodations not just within the hotel but in Vegas. All of the rooms are one-, two-, and three-bedroom duplex lofts (they start at 1,400 square feet) with big living areas and sophisticated but understated urban decor; prices are usually upwards of $1,000 a night. High-end extras include airport transfers in a Rolls-Royce Ghost limousine; a calm, private reception area for Skylofts guests with a separate entrance; in-loft check-ins (no waiting in line!); and access to Skylounge on the 29th floor for cocktails and appetizers. But most facilities, such as the main fitness center and the spa, must be shared with MGM guests.

This lower-middle-range hotel on the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip has two main selling points: its super cheap rates, and its abundance of family-friendly activities. These include circus performances every 30 minutes and indoor Adventure Dome amusement park with numerous rides, bungee jumping, rock climbing, and 4D theaters. With the exception of the solid steakhouse, the restaurants tend to be unexceptional but satisfying, serving hearty comfort fare -- options include a pizzeria, a barbecue restaurant, a buffet, and a Mexican joint. The hotel is a behemoth, and the 3,700-plus rooms aren't bad for the price, offering flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi.

A $180 million renovation completed in 2011 turned the once-dingy Tropicana into one of the nicer mid-range hotels on the Strip. This storied hotel is one of the oldest in Vegas -- it was built in 1957, and once had mob associations -- but today it is clean, modern, and even somewhat stylish, with South-Beach-inspired decor and a sprawling pool club and nightclub, Bagatelle Beach. The casino isn't as large as others on the Strip, but the central location makes it easy to gamble elsewhere -- the hotel is connected via pedestrian bridges to MGM Grand and Excalibur. The basic contemporary rooms have fresh tropical style; guests should stay in the Paradise Tower to be close to the Strip or the Club Tower to be close to the pool. But note that prices tend to be a bit higher than at other mid-range options such as Treasure Island and New York New York.