Traditionally, it was always Memorial Day weekend that marked the start of pool season in Las Vegas. However, with the introduction of the whole "daylife" concept, pioneered by MGM Grand's Wet Republic, which debuted in April 2008, pool season now gets underway as early as March, at least for the party crowd, and now many pools extend activities well into October and past the former end date of Labor Day weekend.
We may have been experiencing cold-weather warnings at the time, but Cosmopolitan already began auditioning for pool staff back in January (when their skating rink was still in operation!), and Hard Rock's Rehab starts hiring next weekend. We're not sure on official opening dates as yet, but last year Palms Pool and Mandalay Bay's Moorea Beach had their official openings the last weekend in March, although average mean temperatures in that month tend to max out in the high 60s, while Mandalay Bay's pools debuted March 6, despite forecasts of rain and snow that night! Wet Republic and Hard Rock's "Beachlife" complex followed suit March 9.
However, these pools are all the ones targeted at the nightclub crowd, who are there to be seen and rub shoulders with Kardashians and Playmates, as opposed to wetting their designer beach attire. What you are inquiring about, we presume, is when it's actually warm enough to lounge comfortably by the pool and take a dip, in which case April, when daytime temperatures start hitting the high seventies with regularity, and May, when it's about 10 degrees hotter but not yet the 100+-degree furnace-type conditions that prevail during the high-summer months, would be ideal times to bring your daughter.
Most hotel-casinos actually have at least one heated year-round pool, with hours varying seasonally, although they may close briefly for maintenance during the winter months. However, since the Tropicana underwent its recent remodel, now only the non-gaming Platinum hotel has an indoor pool, so air temperatures will be a deterrent to most other than the most hardcore/hardy swimmers between October and April.
In terms of which property to recommend, that depends upon the specifics of what you're looking for. Mandalay Bay, which is one of the newer properties at the far south end of the Strip, is famed for its family-friendly 11-acre pool complex, which features a real-sand beach, wave pool, lazy river, Beachside Casino, separate adults-only topless pool, cabanas, and this year will include the addition of a new adult party pool.
Depending on your daughter's age, the Cosmopolitan has a cool pool complex, but it's pretty much geared to an adult crowd (of the laid-back variety, rather than the seething masses of flesh and cocktail-guzzling at Rehab, Wet Republic, et al). Monte Carlo's another good option if you're looking for something family-friendly, with four pools, including a wave pool and lazy river, plus guest-only weekend pool parties, sand volleyball tournaments, and live DJs, and the rooms here will be cheaper than MBay.
Cheaper still is Excalibur, which may be pretty low-rent hotel-wise compared to the others, but recently totally upgraded and doubled the size of the pool, adding cabanas, a fire pit, sun decks, and full-service poolside dining. It features an all-ages pool, with a water slide, plus a "relaxation" pool, designed for guests 18 and older. Or you could check out the Flamingo, which has a sprawling pool area complete with a waterfall, grotto, lap pool, waterslides, floating beer pong, bikini bull-riding, guest DJs, water volleyball, and poolside blackjack and craps. Who could ask for anything more?
Those are just a few of the options on the Strip. Downtown, there's less to choose from, where we'd recommend the Golden Nugget as your best bet. Their pool complex caters to all ages and tastes, especially with the recent addition of a separate pool called The Hideout, which is adult-oriented (16+ only). The main pool, called The Tank, was remodeled a few years back and encircles a shark tank, which has a three-story water slide running through the middle of it.
You can find comprehensive profiles of all these, and all the other top options, in our Cool Pools feature, where each year we update details on pool parties and concerts, admission policies, poolside amenities, and much more, once details start being announced later in the spring.
