Themed hotels are a key defining characteristic of the Las Vegas Strip, and Paris Hotel and Casino is up there with the best.

Situated in a prime position on centre Strip, the architecture of Paris hotel with its replica Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and colourful hot air balloon, provide a stunning presence on the Las Vegas landscape.

Originally built as the sister hotel to Bally’s (now Horseshoe), Paris Las Vegas promised to bring a touch of Parisian culture, art, sophistication, and cuisine to Sin City. 

These days it still does all of that and co-hosts the World Series of Poker too.

So just what can you expect when you stay and gamble at Paris? Is it a fitting tribute to the city of love or just a fancy gimmick to get people through the doors? I decided to go along and find out for myself.  

1999 was a stellar year for Las Vegas properties. Mandalay Bay opened in March, followed by Venetian in May, and then Paris opened in the September. 

Just eleven months earlier Bellagio had also opened. So, in the space of a year the Las Vegas Strip was almost unrecognisable to what it had been previously. The age of the mega-resort was well and truly here.

Because of this flurry of new builds, Paris was targeted at a middle-class market. Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Venetian were newly opened and competing heavily for the high-end customer, so Paris set itself apart from them.

Paris was actually the second last, or penultimate if you prefer, themed hotel built in Vegas. The New Aladdin hotel (now Planet Hollywood) was built a year later in 2000, but then suddenly theming became very unfashionable.

The next resort built on the Strip was Wynn in 2005 and from there a new era of Vegas architecture was born.

For history buffs, Paris was built on the site originally occupied by the Galaxy Motel and a small mall that included the Little Caesar's casino.

Location

Paris has a great location in the centre of the Las Vegas Strip. In fact, many would argue that it has the single best location, overlooking the Bellagio and its iconic Fountain Show.

It forms part of a long stretch along the east side of the Strip all owned by Caesars Entertainment. This includes Planet Hollywood, Paris, Horseshoe, Cromwell, Flamingo, LINQ and Harrah’s.

Paris is connected internally to Horseshoe and has good pedestrian access to Planet Hollywood next door and Bellagio and Cosmopolitan across the road.

To explore more of the Strip, you can take the Las Vegas Monorail that has a Horseshoe/Paris station. You can go as far north as Sahara and as far south as MGM Grand by using the monorail which runs every few minutes. 

Single ride tickets cost $6, or you can buy anything from a one-day pass to a seven day pass where you can hop on and off as much as you want.

Paris is in Zone 2 of the fixed rate taxi fee from Harry Reid International Airport which is a flat cost of $26 plus tip. If you travel by car, then on-site parking ranges from $15 to $25 per night depending on your booking dates.

To access the Paris casino from the Strip, you have to actually walk around one of the 27 square foot Eiffel Tower legs on the street outside. 

The resort was designed with three feet of the Eiffel Tower inside of the casino and one outside on the street level. It felt quite surreal seeing this up-close for the first time, especially since there is an actual bar inside the tower leg.

Once I passed the tower leg I was effectively under the Eiffel Tower as I headed for one of the casino doors. The doors had red canopies above with ‘Le Casino’ written on them and each door was flanked by Parisian street lighting too.

It was clear that there was already a lot of attention to detail with the Paris theming, but I had no idea just how much until I entered the casino. 

Walking into Paris Las Vegas casino is like walking into another time and place. 

For a start, the ceilings are all painted sky blue to look like you’re outdoors. Secondly, the three Eiffel Tower legs form huge imposing structures among the casino games. 

Thirdly, the theming is genuinely stunning with an actual replica of the Pont Alexandre III bridge in the middle of the casino floor.

It was apparently inspired by a Paris street scene in the 1920s featuring the Rue de la Paix shopping district. I’ve never been there myself, but I now feel as if I have.

The casino is just under 100,000 square feet and is all housed in one big square. Despite the blue sky ceilings, I thought the casino felt very dark but this is due to the quaint Parisian streetlighting used throughout. 

This lighting as well as the gold spotlights around each of the Eiffel Tower legs dominated the colour scheme and certainly brought that romantic, city of love feel to it. 

The carpets were grey with red and pink fan patterns while some of the flooring looked like polished cobbled streets and really reflected the lights well.

Around the casino was just as themed as the casino itself. The signage, the finishing, the building facades and the canopies above shops, bars and restaurants just screamed Paris. There was even a red velvet-curtained Moulin Rouge style stage area to one side.

Inside the casino, you can find huge life-like trees with dancing lights positioned around the floor, a centre statue with water fountains and chandelier lighting too.

All-in-all, I certainly couldn’t forget for one minute where I was gambling. You simply cannot get away from the Paris theming, even if you want to.

Table Games Selection

There are 66 table games at Paris casino including baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette. There is a whole separate pit for poker games offering some great variations.

I saw bet minimums starting from $15 through the day for blackjack, baccarat and triple zero roulette, although this may rise on an evening. I couldn’t see any single zero roulette on offer.

I could only find 6:5 blackjack on the main casino floor but there are some 3:2 games in the high limit area starting from $100 minimum bet.

I played some $15 blackjack while I was there and had a fun table. I did find the environment a little claustrophobic as it was busy and the table games are packed quite tight to each other, but I still enjoyed it.  

The table condition was good, and the dealer was professional and friendly.

Classic table games:

• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Craps
• Baccarat
• Three Card Poker 

Variants:

• Pai Gow Poker
• Pai Gow Tiles
• Crapless Craps
• Free Bet Blackjack
• Double Up Blackjack
• Let it Ride Poker
• Mini Baccarat
• Crazy 4 Poker
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
• Mississippi Stud Poker
• I Luv Suits Poker

Although Paris Las Vegas has been a co-host of the World Series of Poker since 2022 alongside Horseshoe, it doesn’t have its own poker room. Rather, other areas of Paris resort are used for the WSOP including the convention centre and the main cage area.

Slots

When I looked up how many slots Paris casino had I wasn’t surprised when it said 850. Although that may seem a lot at first, it is considerably lower than a lot of Strip properties and significantly fewer than you’ll find at the best online casinos.

For example, Venetian, Cosmopolitan and Mirage all have similar sized casinos to Paris, but they have between 1,000 – 1,300 slots each.

Part of the reason for this is the sheer amount of casino space that is allocated to non-casino activities in Paris. The statues, the entrance to Eiffel Tower attraction, the tower legs and the bridge all mean less floor space for slots. 

I did find a decent variety of slots in Paris. I just couldn’t find a few of my favourite games. However, in contrast I found some new games I hadn’t tried before. There is also a lot of space allocated to electronic table games.

Some popular games I did find were:

• Dragon Link
• Quick Hits
• 88 Fortunes
• Top Dollar
• Cash Falls
• Dancing Drums

I played some Dancing Drums and some Dragon Link Autumn Moon on my visit but just couldn’t hit anything. 

One lucky player, however, turned a $5 bet into a $1,390,820 jackpot win at Paris Las Vegas on Wheel of Fortune just a couple of months ago. I’m thinking I really should play more Wheel of Fortune!

Bar-Top Gaming

You can play bar-top games a variety of bars in Paris Casino. Gustav’s is the central casino bar where you can play bar-top games in the heart of all the action.

However, I also saw bar-top gaming at Le Central Bar, Montecristo Cigar Bar and the Caesars sportsbook. 

Playing bar-top games will usually entitle you to comped drinks. If you want to play, just pull up a chair, stick some cash in one of the gaming machines and select your game.

Each bar-top terminal can be different, but more often than not you’ll be able to select from some video poker variations, blackjack, keno and a limited number of slot games. 

I put $20 and was playing $1 blackjack at Gustav’s and was offered a drink after four or five minutes.  Don’t forget to tip your bartender and if you’re not sure what to order, just ask. 

Paris Sportsbook

There is a good-sized Caesars Sportsbook and Lounge at Paris which looked like it had been recently renovated.

I saw a wall of high-definition LED TV’s showing various sports, some low leather seating, odds boards, and a desk with a handful of betting windows. There was also a row of self-serve betting kiosks along the wall and some individual booths for horse racing too.

My favourite part was the elevated lounge area which had a central bar and some soft comfy seating too. You can play bar-top games here or just chill out at one of the tables while still keeping your eye on the scoreboard. 

Waitress Service

As with all Las Vegas resorts, waitresses circulate the Paris casino floor offering comped drinks to people who are gambling. The best bit about this is that it doesn’t matter how much you’re betting. 

The downside though, is that the quality and frequency of the drinks can vary dramatically between resorts. I’ve visited Paris casino a few times now and always been lucky enough to get consistently good waitress service.

The key to getting good waitress service is to tip well. I always tip between $2 and $5 per drink and this usually means I get plenty of return visits and subsequently more drinks.  

My drink of choice at Paris is always a Pina Colada. They make them so well. One word of warning (or encouragement) though - they are strong and get stronger with every tip!

High Limit Gaming at Paris Casino

There are two high limit gaming areas at Paris casino, one for slots and one for table games.

The slots area is called Champagne Slots and is a circular area just off to the side of the main casino. It’s meant to represent a Parisian courtyard and there’s a dome over the top and some ornate metalwork all around the area. There looked to be around 50 slots in this area.

Meanwhile the Salon des Tables is the high-limit tables area where you can play blackjack, baccarat, and roulette for higher stakes starting from $100.

Cash and Payment Options 

When it comes to gambling at Paris casino, cash is what you need. Card payments are not accepted at the slots or the tables, it’s all about the cash.

To play slots, insert money into the slot machine and any payments or winnings will come back to you as a voucher. This voucher can then be inserted into another slot to continue playing or you can cash it out at a redemption machine at a speed that puts even fast payout online casinos to shame.

Similarly, if you want to buy-in at a table game, you place your cash on the table for the dealer to take and they will give you the equivalent value in casino chips. If you’re lucky enough to win, then you will take your chips and swap them for cash at the cage.

If you don’t bring cash with you, you can use an ATM, but withdrawal fees can be as high as $10 per withdrawal on the casino floor.

For all other activities in the casino, paying for rooms, dining, drinking or shopping, these can all be paid by card.

Deciding which room to book at Paris, I was offered rooms in both hotel towers with various views. An ‘Attraction View’ room is on the rear of the tower and overlooks the High Roller and Sphere, but I could also choose a Pool View, Fountain View, Eiffel Tower View or South Strip View.

I went for the Bordeaux Eiffel Tower View Room with two queen beds which was 390 square feet. Although the room was on the smaller side, what it lacked in space, it made up for in character.

With white walls, grey patterned carpets, and big red and white patterned curtains, the room was striking but not over the top. The main furniture was a big black centre unit that included the wardrobe, drawer space, two full body mirrors, and a large HDTV.

There was also a separate desk and mirror which looked more like a dressing table than a working desk. 

My favourite part of the room, though, was the large arched window, which finished off the room beautifully. I was lucky to get the arched windows as its only on a couple of floors, so don’t expect this as standard.

The bathroom was small, but had everything you need including a bath, separate shower and one sink with a large red framed mirror.

All the usual amenities were included – hairdryer, iron/ironing board, safe and some nice bathroom toiletries too. There was also a private refrigerator located in the big central until which was ideal for storing drinks.

Taking everything into account, I did really like my room at Paris and the view of the Eiffel Tower, with the pool below and the Bellagio Fountains opposite was perfect.

If you want to treat your pampered pooch to a Las Vegas trip, then you can book ‘Pet Stay’ rooms at Paris. A maximum of two dogs are allowed up to 50 pounds each and there’s an additional pet fee of $85 per night, plus a refundable nightly $100 incident fee.

Bars

Whatever type of bar you enjoy, you will find somewhere to drink at Paris Las Vegas. From up-scale cocktail lounges to casual sports bars, there’s a great mix here. 

Some of my favourites are:

• Gustav’s Bar – cool casino bar with casual vibe in the heart of the action  
• Le Central Bar – stylish lounge on the edge of the casino and hotel lobby
• Vanderpump À Paris – stunning high-end cocktail bar with handcrafted cocktails
• Caesars Sportsbook – chilled bar with bar-top games and sports
• Beer Park – upper floor patio bar with stunning views and great beers

As well as those above, there’s also the Montecristo Cigar Bar where you can pair fine whiskeys with the best cigars in a sophisticated setting. 

Cheri Rooftop Bar has more of a nightclub feel, while Le Cabaret Lounge is on the casino floor (the big velvet-curtained area I mentioned earlier) and this has live shows every Friday and Saturday. 

One of my favourite bars at Paris is Alexxa’s, which is situated along the Las Vegas Strip in front of the resort. I have sat on the patio here many times, people watching, enjoying the Bellagio Fountain Show while sipping on one of the punch bowl cocktails. It really is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Buffets and Restaurants

Again, variety is the key word here, as you’ll find food for all tastes and budgets at Paris Las Vegas.

Probably one of the best-known restaurants in Las Vegas is the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. At around 100 feet above ground level, this gives stunning views over the Strip paired with exquisite French cuisine. 

I once ate here on 4 July and the view of the Independence Day fireworks was breathtaking. The food was delicious too. Shout out to the raspberry Eiffel Tower Soufflés in particular.

Other high-end options include Gordon Ramsey Steak, Nobu, The Bedford by Martha Stewart and Mon Ami Gabi. The latter is a much-loved favourite of many Vegas visitors because it does really good food with an outside patio overlooking the Bellagio fountains. 

Booking is advised at Mon Abi Gabi although you can walk up and wait. I’ve done this for breakfast before and gambled in the casino while waiting for a patio table.

More casual eating options include Vanderpump, Café Americano, Alexxa’s, Beer Park, Café Belle Madeleine, La Creperie and JJ’s Boulangerie. 

If you want more grab and go food, then Brioche by Guy Savoy offers sweet and savoury treats plus Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay gives a quick eats option.

There is no buffet option at Paris, but you can go over the road to Bellagio or Cosmopolitan.

Shows and Entertainment

When it comes to entertainment, the Paris resort is its own attraction in a lot of ways. Certainly many visitors come just to experience the casino and see all of the theming up close.

The Eiffel Tower is not just something to look at either. The 540ft monument is half the size of the original and has an observation deck at 460ft that you can visit.

Tickets start at $25 for adults which you can purchase within the casino. This takes you up to the top where you can enjoy breathtaking views day or night of the Las Vegas Strip.

Another benefit of buying a ticket for the Eiffel Tower observation deck is that it means you can go on the replica Pont Alexandre III bridge. Only observation deck ticket holders are allowed on the bridge and it is a actually a really romantic space.

When I first visited Paris casino, you were able to buy a love lock for this bridge, replicating the famous love locks that appear on the iconic bridge in Paris. However, I’m not sure if this is still the case. Either way, it is an ideal location for photographs, so I’d recommend doing it.

The Eiffel Tower also puts on a nightly recurring light show every 30 minutes from sunset to midnight illuminating in red, white and blue.

In terms of shows, Paris does lack in this area. Over the years, they have tried various live entertainment and musicals with nothing lasting more than a few years. When it was one of the new casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, it’s entertainment was comprehensive but at the time of writing, the Paris Theatre remains empty.

The only regular show takes place at Le Cabaret Lounge which has live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night. There are two different shows with a Moulin Rouge style vibe with dancers and singers right next to the casino floor.

Outside of this, many of the bars, including Cheri Rooftop Bar and Alexxa’s, have regular DJ sets for the party crowd.

Paris Pool

The Pool À Paris is a two-acre space set beneath the incredible Eiffel Tower. With a large pool, sun loungers, day beds and private cabanas, it offers a pretty spectacular pool space right in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

Set in beautiful garden grounds, the octagon-shaped pool is the perfect place to relax and unwind. I went and had a look around and it had a really nice vibe to it, lively but tranquil too.

The fact that the Eiffel Tower is right there alongside gives it a really unique twist and a stunning backdrop to poolside selfies. 

You can order poolside drinks or snacks via the Caesars Eats mobile ordering service. This gives you a choice of food from various eateries inside Paris hotel and they deliver it to you as well.

If you want to pamper yourself even more, there’s an on-site spa with a hair and beauty salon, fitness centre, plunge pool and various treatment rooms for indulgent massages and facials.

Spa

Paris has an excellent Spa. The Voie Spa and Salon is a 25,000 square foot haven of wellness. It is right on theme too, with inspiration drawn from the stunning French countryside. 

As well as the Spa there is a Salon that offers hair and nail treatments, as well as profession makeup. All the products they use can be picked up and taken home as well in the Voie store. 

For the gym-lovers, there is a very well-equipped fitness centre on-site too. 

Paris Las Vegas is part of the Caesars Rewards program which goes across all of its resorts in Las Vegas and beyond.

As well as all of the Caesars owned properties on the Strip - Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Horseshoe, Cromwell, Flamingo, LINQ, and Harrah’s - there’s also another 50 Caesars resorts across the US.

The program works the same as all rewards schemes. You collect points or credits by spending money in the resorts. In return you get benefits and perks to encourage you to come back.

To sign up, you must be 21 or over and you just need to go along with photographic ID to any Caesars Rewards desk.

Following that, you should show or use your rewards card every time you spend money in Caesars resort. That includes gambling, dining, drinking, shopping, or when you book hotel rooms and attractions too.

Every time you use it you’ll collect both Reward Credits, which can be used to claim perks, and Tier Credits, which help you climb the status tiers. The tiers and benefits are summarized below.

• Gold (0 – 4,000 Tier credits) – Free or discounted hotel stays, turn Rewards Credits into free slot play
• Platinum (5,000 – 14,999 Tier credits) – all of the above plus complimentary valet parking, and a monthly $10 Caesars bonus bet
• Diamond (15,000 – 24,999 Tier credits) – all of the above plus $100 celebration dinner and waived resort fees
• Diamond Plus (25,000 – 74,999 Tier credits) – all of the above plus guaranteed rooms with 72 hours’ notice and access to VIP lounge 
• Diamond Elite (75,000 – 149,999 Tier credits) – all of the above plus airfare credit of up to $600
• Seven Stars (150,000 + Tier credits) – VIP host, complimentary annual retreat including airfare

Should you join Caesars Rewards?

It’s an easy yes for me. Although rewards programs vary considerably in Las Vegas, Caesars Rewards is one of the best.

That’s because you can earn and redeem points across so many properties that you never feel restricted to one resort or casino.

You earn one Reward Credit for every $1 spent on hotel stays, shopping, dining, and amenities such as spa treatments. 

With gambling you earn one Reward Credit for every $5 you play on a reel slot machine and every $10 played on video poker. If you’re a live keno player, then you earn one Reward Credit for every $3 wagered.

It’s more difficult to assess with table games but hand the card to your dealer and points will be awarded based on the type of game you are playing, your average bet, and how long you play. 

An added bonus of Caesars Rewards is that you can earn points by placing sports bets at a Caesars sportsbook or online. As a general rule, you get ten Rewards Credits for every $100 you bet, but it can differ per bet.

The trick with rewards programs is to not overspend trying to climb the status tiers. Sure, extra rewards would be great but don’t over stretch to get them. Plus, you still get offered perks even at the lower tier levels anyway.

I personally think Paris hotel is underrated on the Las Vegas Strip. The architecture is absolutely stunning, the attention to detail throughout the resort and the sheer scale is utterly impressive. 

If you want a centrally located hotel that is affordable and well-kept with lots of character, then it is a great choice.

From a gambler’s perspective, there are some downsides. The size of the casino means there’s fewer slots and table games than most other Strip resorts. There’s also no poker room.

However, the location meant I could easily walk to Horseshoe, Planet Hollywood, Cosmopolitan and Bellagio within just a few minutes.

Paris impressed me but not in the way that Bellagio or Venetian do. I wasn’t wowed by the style or luxury of the resort, I was more won over by its quaint personality.