Question of the Day - 15 October 2022

Back in the Strip's infancy when Las Vegas hotels were more like motels, many featured balconies that looked out onto the Strip or the pool area. But today, few Strip rooms have outdoor access and we can think of a number of reasons why not.

For one thing, Nevada has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and jumping (from the top of the STRAT, Hoover Dam, upper-level parking garages, overpasses, or hotel balconies) is a popular choice. Hence, most hotels don't even have windows that open, let alone balconies that you can walk out onto.

Another reason is almost certainly the climate. During many months of the year, being outside isn't a desirable option. And this ties in with a third reason: the additional expense both of adding balconies and of air-conditioning a hotel with open sliding doors.

Bugs are another issue. In the springtime when the weather's at its most inviting and sitting outside on your balcony to watch the lights come up on the Strip might seem like a pleasant early-evening activity, you run the risk of admitting some unwanted visitors into your room.

And, of course, added to the expense, this is a city that wants its guests down on the casino floor, or at least eating a meal or catching a show. It's well known that the policy, up until a few years ago, was to make the standard hotel rooms functional, but not so comfortable that guests would want to hang out in them. Hence, it's not such a surprise that the non-gaming off-Strip Platinum Hotel on E. Flamingo does offer private balconies, as does the Virgin, which has 39 rooms with balconies (left over from the Hard Rock days when that joint wanted you to party wherever you were), while the majority of hotel-casinos don't.

All that said, a few properties do offer this amenity, although they tend not to afford views of the Strip. And a word of caution: Several hotels we called stated that they had suites with "balcony views," which as far as we can tell simply means that they have large windows.

A few casualties along the way include Harrah's, which used to have some rooms with balconies overlooking the pool, but have all now been converted to offices. Imperial Palace used to have some balconies, but those were removed in one of the many remodels. The Sahara used to have balconies, but no longer does. 

Also, some hotel-casinos have balconies, but only attached to the most expensive high-roller digs. The Pool Villas at the Tropicana occupy some of the older low-rise "courtyard" rooms, all of which have balconies, though most aren't available to book. And the 2,000-square-foot villas at Caesars Palace have them. 

The Cosmopolitan is among the few that, priding itself on breaking with the norm, has balconies for many many of its rooms (the smallest "City Rooms" don't have them). The majority of them face the Strip, while some face Bellagio or CityCenter.

OYO has two towers, one of which has balconies, either overlooking the pool or toward the Strip.

At MGM Grand, patios are available in the Terrace Suites (total of 14) -- 1,300-square-foot two-story rooms with 800-square-foot patios complete with hot tubs. These have views looking out toward New York-New York and Excalibur. Also, some of the rooms at MGM Grand's Signature have balconies, mostly facing the Strip. Ask when booking.