With the recent announcement from Starbucks that sometime this spring they're ditching their deal with T-Mobile in favor of AT&T wireless hotspots, Las Vegas should soon be bursting at the seams with Wi-Fi possibilities, something like 100 venues in the valley (excluding the licensed franchises inside casinos and other host locations). They may not all get the Wi-Fi service, but we expect all the bigger ones will.
In the meantime, you've still got plenty of options, whether you want to sip a latte while you surf, or nibble on some sushi, smoke a fine cigar, catch the game, or none of the above. While we've lost a few venues since we last tackled this (QoD 9/22/06), including Fortuna at the Las Vegas Hilton, House Blend Cafe, and Pier 49 Pizza, this has been more than compensated for by a whole host of new additions and discoveries, including the Azuza Hookah Lounge, Aces & 8s Bar & Grill, Bleu Gourmet, Cafe Mitz, The Cigar Lounge, ESPN Zone (New York-New York), Lahaina Grill, Mr D's Sports Bar, Sugar & Ice at the Wynn, and Whole Foods Market, to name a few.
In addition to these, all the old favorites like McCarran Airport, the Sprint (formerly Nextel) lounge at the Convention Center Monorail station, the Apple Store (Fashion Show Mall), and branches of Krispy Kreme (including those inside Excalibur, Circus Circus, and Fitzgeralds ), It's a Grind Coffee House, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Panera Bread are still going strong. You can find the complete list by clicking here.
While, as you discovered, most hotels charge you a hefty fee for wireless and dial-up Internet access (check out our Casino Internet Connectivity information in the "Stay" section), there are a few that don't. Main Street Station doesn't offer in-room access, but has a free Wi-Fi hotspot in the lobby area near the front desk. Super 8 Motels, including the one affiliated with Ellis Island (Koval Lane) and the downtown venue on E. Fremont Street, offer free Wi-Fi access throughout, as does the Best Western (1000 N. Main Street and 3500 Paradise Rd.).
