Las Vegas means "The Meadows" in Spanish, which is wishful thinking considering the hot and dry conditions that occur in the valley year round. Originally a dusty railroad town in the middle of nowhere, it has transformed into a city of glitz and glamour that 37 million tourists flock to every year. Although the city extends well beyond The Strip, it is this four-mile road of resorts, casinos, and bright lights that provides the city's heartbeat. In fact, so much so that downtown Las Vegas hotels and casinos have suffered significantly since The Strip's boom.

Las Vegas holds many claims to fame, including the first city to legalize gambling, one of the first to dissolve the colour line, and the only city with enough audacity to make atomic bomb testing a tourist attraction!

Indeed, gambling towns are not unique, but somehow Las Vegas stands alone in its magnetism, grandeur, and garishness. It is often described as the epitome of the United States because of its voracious appetite for excessiveness. Some love it, while others loathe it. Nevertheless, it is a city, and an experience, that -- for better or for worse -- could only exist in America and is not easily forgotten.

This book provides an informative and colourful account of the major hotels located along The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.