Ahern Hotel

TL;DR

• Rare boutique: hotel option in Vegas with under 250 rooms
• No casino: on-site for a calmer vibe
• Compact and intimate: compared to mega-resorts
• Bright and quirky: design keeps it distinctly Vegas
• Check prices here

Finding a sub-200-key luxury hotel in the neon exuberance of the Vegas Strip is not an easy task.

If you want both the intimacy and the comfort of a smaller hotel, but don’t want to give up on the scene, you need look no further.

The Ahern Hotel is one of the few boutique experiences in the city, and a nice change for anyone who likes the casual intimacy of a small hotel.

The lack of casino also keeps the energy a bit more relaxed. It doesn’t, however, forget it’s in Vegas, with some of the vibe of a Star Trek set piece, and multicolored, mirrored windows.

It’s a bit like someone distilled the parts of Vegas that people like into one building, and left the grime, the gambling, the messiness.

It’s still bright lights and weird colors and next to a highway lined with billboards though, but the rooms are super comfortable and clean.

You don’t need a 10-minute elevator ride to get to your room, and you won’t feel like just a face in the crowd.

What are the rooms like?

• Number of rooms: 203
• Clean and comfortable: with simple modern design
• Red-glass accents: create unique boutique touches
• Room types: from Standards to spacious Suites
• Bathrooms: often with double vanities and red tiling
• See each room in detail here

Rooms are not overly inspired in design, but they are clean, comfortable, and really great value for money.

It’s a casual kind of modern, with a lot of white and satin accents with the lazy kind of patterning that tells luxury rather than showing it.

The interplays of sunlight and red-glass by the windows are a fun little exercise in rose-colored lenses, a unique aspect to the hotel that adds to the boutique feel.

Rooms begin as Standard Kings, alongside Standard Doubles, Deluxe Kings, and a handful of Suites.

A Deluxe King is worth it if you have work to do or like a little extra space, and the Suites are spacious and well-appointed.

Whatever you choose, you’ll have TVs, desks, and some kind of seating. Bathrooms are spacious and nice, many with double vanities and vibrant red tiling.

What are prices like?

> Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

• Multiple dining: options including Italian, coffee bar, and chophouse
• Lobby Bar: overlooks the pool
• Chocolate shop: and wine room available
• Fitness center: for active guests
• Daytime pool: with cabana reservations

There are more than a few dining options, meaning you’ll easily be able to find what you want.

Guests who need a full breakfast each morning can head to Ottimo, an Italian-inspired restaurant and pizzeria that serves breakfast.

Simpler options can be found at Aroma Barista Bar, the perfect place for an espresso and croissant.

For drinks, you have the Lobby Bar, a gleaming gold and silver space looking out towards the pool.

It’s a bit Arabian-Gulf-airport in style, but that doesn’t make the drinks taste any worse.

Finally, we’ve got Joel’s chophouse, which is not explicitly a surf-and-turf paradise, but the New American menu features a nice variety in both the land and sea food categories.

Other amenities include a chocolate shop, wine room, and a fitness center available for more active guests.

The pool is open in the daytime, and cabana reservations can be made at the front desk.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

• Not directly: on the Strip, but very close
• Quick access: to Old Vegas and Fremont Street
• Unique museums: like Neon Museum and Mob Museum nearby
• Resort giants: Bellagio and Caesar’s within 10 minutes
• Free parking: makes exploring easy

The Ahern is not technically on the strip, but it’s not far, and that little bit of calm between the entrance and the city’s most traveled street adds to the hotel’s relaxed atmosphere.

We like that it’s just a 5-minute drive up towards Old Vegas, the slightly less resort-y area around Fremont Street.

There, you can wander the streets a bit, grab a drink, check out one of the smaller casinos, even get married.

You’ll also find a cool selection of unique museums, such as the sign-focused Neon Museum or any true-crime aficionado’s dream, the Mob Museum.

Head, the other way, and you’ll easily make it to the bigger, resort-style casinos and event spaces.

The Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace are an 8-minute drive, and walking distance from the Venetian’s canal-cased shopping experience.

Anywhere in between, you’ll find it easy to hop on The Deuce, if you want to try out the city’s bus system.

Free parking at the hotel makes it easy to deal with the car, take it or leave it.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“Hidden gem. Never heard of this hotel so I was skeptical but this place was phenomenal. Excellent service, very nice rooms and couldn’t beat the price….”

“Our 2nd time staying here and we loved it both times. Not too far off the strip yet close enough and easily accessible to everything else. Will stay here again!…”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”A little bit of a walk to get to the strip but quiet location….”

”Would have appreciated a heads up about the convention that was happening, but it didn’t hinder our experience there too much….”

> Read all the reviews right here