A name like “Imperial Palace” tends to set up certain expectations, doesn’t it? With a name like that, you almost expect a mini-Versailles in Las Vegas. But the Asian-themed Imperial Palace is very much a budget hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Other than a foray to its classic car exhibit and grabbing a quick burger there one time, I’ve pretty much avoided it until my last trip. As much as I love to save money when I travel, my trips to Las Vegas are still my vacation and I want a certain level of comfort when I’m there. So I’ve never taken advantage of the Imperial Palace’s (IP, for short) rock bottom prices. Most of my trips are during pool season, and I’m sorry, but their pool area (the “Shangri-La pool”) just isn’t anything to write home about.

Imperial Palace bedroom

It’s funny, though, how your standards change when you’re no longer making decisions based on “I want to have a great vacation” but rather “I need shelter.” I had a forced stay at the IP over New Year’s when my flight home got canceled. Naturally, prices of hotels on the Strip skyrocket for New Year’s, and they book up fast. I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to find a place on the Strip, let alone for a reasonable rate, so I was very relieved when a quick Internet search turned up vacancy at the Imperial Palace. The prices were high for the quality of this hotel (approximately $100/night), but understandable since it was New Year’s. And it was still the cheapest thing I could find. I booked it.

My impression of it as a budget hotel remains. That’s exactly what it is. It’s not fancy, but it’s also usually ridiculously cheap (except during times like New Year’s), so you can’t complain too much about it not being fancy. It’s very basic, but it served my needs. And given the fact that it was there for me when I needed it most, I have developed a fondness for it. But let’s look at the good and the bad, shall we? I stayed in room 1620 in Tower 3, just for the record. This is one of the cheapest room types. I have no idea what the other rooms were like.

The Good

• My room had a nice view of Caesars Palace.
• The bed was comfy, the sheets were clean, and there were no bedbugs (I checked, as I always do).
• The room had a small balcony with sliding door–a rarity for a Las Vegas hotel–which would have been really nice if it hadn’t been too cold out to enjoy it.
• Customer service seemed good to me. Housekeeping went the extra mile and left a note indicating exactly who had cleaned the room. I like accountability like that. I was also impressed with the front desk agent who checked me in. When I saw that the room key looked exactly like my Total Rewards card, I said “Oh my God, I’m going to get them confused for sure.” She said, “Oh, I can take care of that for you,” and she turned my Total Rewards card into my room key, too. Problem solved.
• I had asked for a quiet room, and surprisingly, it wasn’t bad–especially for New Year’s–even though it was right around the corner from two banks of elevators. I heard people in the hallway on their way out on New Year’s Eve, but not after I went to bed. Once I had my earplugs in, I slept like a baby.
• You cannot beat the IP’s location at Center Strip. Caesars Palace is right across the street, Harrahs is next door, and lots of other resorts are within easy walking distance.
• It’s located on the monorail, which makes getting up and down the Strip to other hotels easy (at a price).
• As for the restaurants, I only ate at one during my stay–The Hash House a Go-Go, which I’ve already reviewed here. That gets a big thumbs up from me.
• The IP is home to one of the best shows on the Strip, Human Nature.
• It also has what it calls “dealertainers.” These are blackjack dealers who are celebrity lookalikes, who occasionally get up and sing songs made famous by their doppelgangers. It’s one part cheese, one part fun.

Imperial Palace bedroom

The Bad

• The carpet in my room was very old and stained. I’m sure housekeeping vacuumed, but it really needed either a deep, deep cleaning or to be replaced (I vote for replace). I kept my socks on whenever I was in the room.
• The furniture had definitely seen better days as well.
• The water pressure wasn’t great and the tub filled with water quickly due to a slow drain. I took quick showers. (For me, it wasn’t worth calling maintenance.)
• Reports of the slowness of the Imperial Palace’s elevators are not exaggerated. I almost gave up and walked down 16 flights of stairs one day.
• The Imperial Palace does have in-room wifi, but it’s not free. I paid $35 for a 3-day package so I could continue to blog while there and stay on top of emails, etc.
• There was no room safe.
• If you care about such things, the room had a regular TV, not a flat panel.
• I wasn’t crazy about their selection of slot machines.
• I don’t recall anyone checking room keys at the elevators, even on New Year’s Eve. But you know, even if they did, how would security know the difference between a room key and your Total Rewards card? That design might not be the best idea in the world.

In any case, none of the “bad” things about the hotel were dealbreakers for me, especially since I was still feeling lucky to even have a place to stay. How solo-friendly was it? It was fine. There seemed to be a very diverse customer base (all ages, various ethnicities and nationalities), which I liked. The slow elevators were a great icebreaker for chatting with other guests who were also waiting. Would I stay here again? Under the right circumstances, yes. The upshot is, if you’re looking for luxury, keep looking. If you’re on a tight budget and just need basic accommodations, give it a look. They do have among the cheapest prices on the Strip.

Las Vegas Hotel Review