Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino

Like other off-the-Strip hotels near the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 3,174-room Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino aims to attract the business travelers who congregate regularly at the 3.2-million-square-foot facility. With 200,000 square feet of its own meeting space (including nearly 10,000 square feet of flexible conference rooms and a 35,000-square-foot ballroom) and a full-service business center, the Westgate touts a business-friendly infrastructure. So it's no surprise that clip-on name tags are the most common fashion accessory among guests. The beer-bong-toting youth brigade found at Strip hotels doesn't tend to make it this far afield.The largest off-the-Strip Vegas hotel, the 30-story structure sits on 64 acres of land, dwarfing other properties by the convention center. Unlike smaller neighboring business hotels like Renaissance Las Vegas or Las Vegas Marriott, Westgate doesn't skimp on Vegas fixings. The hotel supplements its convention-friendly amenities with the same kind of gambling and entertainment options that tourist-magnet Strip hotel-casinos offer. In fact, this hotel has a proud history of drawing iconic Vegas entertainers: The Westgate, then called the International Hotel, booked Barbra Streisand for its 1969 opening night. The hotel also helped relaunch Elvis Presley's career in 1969 with what would become a seven-year string of concerts. (The hotel immortalizes those performances with an Elvis Presley statue at the entrance.) In the 1970s, iconic Vegas piano man Liberace played on the property. Today, entertainment options include a topless revue and a Prince tribute show.

At a glance, the Westgate may seem to be a few short blocks from the Strip, but bear in mind that Las Vegas blocks are quite long. Plus, not all sections of the Strip -- the densely packed three-and-a-half-mile-long stretch of hotel-casinos -- are equally appealing. From the hotel, it's a 30-minute, five- to -six-block walk to the popular Wynn. Less-hip spots like Circus Circus and the Stratosphere are closer. So you'll likely want to take a cab or hop on the monorail, which stops at the the Westgate as well as the MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/the LINQ, the Convention Center, and the SLS. On the plus side, the blaring lights and music of the Strip are far enough away that they won't impede your sleep.Even though no buildings sit between the hotel and the convention center, the door-to-door walk takes at least 10 minutes (the monorail stops at both locations). The Las Vegas Country Club abuts the rear of the property. The hotel offers special privileges for guests who want to use the club's golf course and other facilities.A cab ride to McCarran International Airport takes about 15 minutes.

Room decor is unadventurous, but welcoming. In Premium Rooms, vine-patterned carpeting and striped curtains have similar red-orange and beige tones, offsetting the pale-yellow walls. Furnishings consists of deep-red easy chairs; dark-wood desks, nightstands, and entertainment consoles; and beds with tall, black four-panel headboards. Decor is slightly edgier in the Signature Rooms, which have framed black-and-white prints of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, shiny black window drapes, dark (and, mercifully, non-floral) carpeting, and black-fabric-covered chandelier lamps. Both Premium and Signature Rooms are 400 square feet, the same size as the average Strip hotel room (the Westgate's suites run as large as 10,000 square feet).All rooms sport flat-screen TVs (37 inches in Premium Rooms; 60 in Signature Rooms), clock-radios, mini-fridges, and electronic safes. Closets have sliding doors covered with full-size mirrors. Good-sized bathrooms have shower/tub combos and vanity areas with plenty of countertop space. The hotel carries bath products -- shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, facial soap, and body soap -- by Kinu Lumiere.

Despite skyline views and plenty of deck chairs, the amoeba-shaped pool is only so-so by Vegas standards. It's far smaller than the outsized pools at Strip resorts like the Flamingo or the Mirage, and its plain cement deck, with relatively little foliage, doesn't add much. Nonetheless, the Westgate's pool trounces what you'll find at fellow convention center hotels like the Renaissance Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Marriott, and during the day it gets steady foot traffic from business travelers cooling off with a cocktail from the poolside bar and families with small children playing on the shallow ledges. The adjacent fitness center is housed in a pavilion-like structure with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow guests to take in the pool scenery while pedaling on exercise bikes or doing tricep pulldowns. The fitness center's flood of natural light is impressive, as are its rows of new LifeFitness equipment, strength machines, and free weights. Ellipticals, treadmills, bikes, and a climbing machine all have individual TVs. There are also six tennis courts on the grounds (unusual for a Las Vegas resort), rentable for an hourly rate. The pro shop provides a variety of services, including ball-machine rentals, private lessons, and tennis clinics. The spa, which an Oyster reporter once described as an "upgraded YMCA," is scheduled to reopen in late 2016.The business center caters to large-scale meetings with printing services that include binders, newsletters, business cards, and name tags. A notary public is also on hand. Individual guests, meanwhile, will find the same nickel-and-diming that's common in most large Las Vegas resorts. Black-and-white copies cost a per-page fee, though bulk rates are available. Computer access and printing both come at a steep rate. Handling charges apply for incoming and outgoing packages.The hotel has a long history of booking big-time performers. In 1969 it helped revive Elvis Presley's career with what would become a seven-year string of concerts. Currently, hotel guests can catch on-site entertainment -- topless revues, tribute shows, and live music -- most nights of the week.Away from the Strip and demure for Vegas, the Westgate is appropriate for families. It provides baby-sitting services and cribs, and the pool has lots of space for young ones to splash around (though there's also plenty of drinking by the pool). But the hotel doesn't offer much in the way of kid-friendly entertainment.

The 95,000-square-foot casino sets the Westgate apart from nearby business hotels, many of which lack gaming options altogether. Guests will find the typical slots and table games, as well as the world's largest sports book (350-plus seats, 28 gigantic HDTVs, one ginormous 15'-by-20' TV, and eight wagering windows). 

Guests at Westgate can pick from a solid array of dining options, though the hotel lacks the top-of-the-line culinary experiences that other major Vegas resorts deliver. And while none of the restaurants are out-and-out cheap, many offer decent value for the price.The buffet serves a wide mix of cuisines, from salads and steaks to Chinese stir-fry to tacos and burritos. Vegas diners can find better buffets in town (try the Spice Market buffet at Planet Hollywood), but they'll pay twice as much for them. Westgate's buffet dishes out above-average food at a low price.The row of restaurants just past the casino includes a low-lit Zen garden complex with several dining options. The fanciest is Benihana, located on the second level. The hibachi tables look out onto a waterfall and wooden bridge, the hibachi chef puts on a good show, and the food is as savory and delicious as you'd expect butter-laden meats to be.