The quick verdict
The bottom line: The LINQ is the modern budget pick on center Strip. The rooms were redesigned with a clean, contemporary look that feels younger and fresher than most budget competitors, the location is excellent, and the LINQ Promenade gives you dining and entertainment without leaving the property. Rates run a bit higher than the Horseshoe or STRAT, but you can see where the money goes.
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Introduction
The LINQ – formerly the Quad, formerly the Imperial Palace – is Caesars’ bet on the younger Vegas crowd. The rebrand brought modern room design, a social lobby, and the LINQ Promenade: an outdoor dining and entertainment district with the High Roller observation wheel anchoring one end. It is the budget Strip hotel that feels the least like a budget Strip hotel.
I filmed a full walkthrough of the LINQ hotel – the room, the casino floor, and the promenade – and this article is the written companion. If the Horseshoe is the value pick and the STRAT is the price pick, the LINQ is the style pick of the budget tier.
Watch: the full video review
My LINQ hotel walkthrough – rooms, casino, and the Promenade:
Location: center Strip with its own district
The LINQ sits at 3535 South Las Vegas Boulevard, between Harrah’s to the north and Flamingo to the south, across from Caesars Palace, in the thick of the action. Like the Horseshoe, the location means you can walk to most of the famous sights – the Bellagio fountains, the Forum Shops, the Flamingo – without planning your day around transportation.
What sets the LINQ apart is the LINQ Promenade: an open-air pedestrian district running from the Strip back to the High Roller. The LINQ Promenade out back holds 35-plus restaurants, bars and shops, including Brooklyn Bowl, Yard House, Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips, In-N-Out Burger, Chayo, and the Fly LINQ zipline. It gives the hotel something most budget properties lack – a built-in evening. You can eat, drink, ride the High Roller, and be back in your room without ever calling a car. For travelers who want the property to contribute to the trip, not just host the sleeping part, this is a real advantage.
Rooms: modern design on a budget
The LINQ’s rooms are the standout in the budget tier. The redesign went for a clean, modern aesthetic – light colors, simple lines, updated bathrooms – that reads younger and fresher than the typical budget Vegas room. In the video walkthrough, the room looks like it belongs to a hotel charging more.
Standard rooms include the essentials done well: comfortable bed, flat-screen TV, and enough space to be comfortable without feeling cramped. Bathrooms are modern in the renovated rooms. Check the room description for shower details when you book. The design choices – the lighting, the furniture, the color scheme – are what elevate it. This is the room you photograph, not the room you apologize for.
The hotel was fully renovated in its 2014 rebrand, though recent guest reviews on room condition are mixed, so skim recent reviews before booking. As with any large Vegas property, it never hurts to confirm you are getting a renovated room at check-in.
Casino and atmosphere
The LINQ casino is modern and energetic – brighter and more contemporary in feel than the classic gambling halls at the Horseshoe or downtown. The compact casino runs slots and table games, with the O’Shea’s casino area inside and a Caesars Sportsbook with a lounge and betting kiosks. The crowd skews younger, the music is louder, and the whole property leans into a social, lively atmosphere. If your Vegas trip is about the energy, the LINQ delivers it at budget prices.
Table minimums are lowest in the daytime, often $5 to $10, and climb at night and on weekends, though the party atmosphere means this is more of a slots-and-social-gambling scene than a serious player’s room. The Caesars Sportsbook has lounge seating plus betting kiosks.
Pool, High Roller, and entertainment
The LINQ pool is a solid Vegas pool – good for a daytime swim and lounge session. Influence, the pool at The LINQ, is 21 and over with cocktails, food service and live music. It runs seasonally, so check hours before you go. It is not a dayclub destination, but it does not need to be with the Promenade and the High Roller steps away.
The High Roller – the 550-foot observation wheel – is the LINQ’s signature attraction. High Roller tickets start around $20 for a standard ride, with the Happy Half Hour open-bar option (21 and over) running about $45. The wheel runs from noon daily. It is the second must-do observation experience in Vegas after the STRAT tower, and staying at the LINQ puts it in your backyard. The views at night, with the Strip lit up, are excellent.
The Promenade’s restaurant and bar lineup gives you dining variety without leaving the property. The LINQ Promenade out back holds 35-plus restaurants, bars and shops, including Brooklyn Bowl, Yard House, Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips, In-N-Out Burger, Chayo, and the Fly LINQ zipline. It skews casual and fun rather than fine dining – exactly right for the hotel’s positioning and price point.
Dining
Between the Promenade and the hotel’s own offerings, the LINQ has one of the better casual dining setups in the budget tier. On-site restaurants include Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar, Hash House A Go Go, Buddy’s Jersey Eats, The Boss Cafe, Nook Express, Off the Strip, and Chayo Mexican Kitchen, plus the 3535 lobby bar and Catalyst Bar on the casino floor. Quick bites, sit-down casual, bars with actual atmosphere – you can eat well here for three days without repeating yourself or spending fine-dining money.
And like the Horseshoe, the center-Strip location means the entire neighborhood’s restaurants are a short walk away when you want to splurge.
Price and value
The LINQ typically prices above the Horseshoe and well above the STRAT, but below the mid-tier Caesars properties. Base rates often run $20 to $60 a night in the fall, before the $50 nightly resort fee. Compare the all-in total. You are paying a modest premium for the modern rooms and the Promenade location – and honestly, the rooms justify it. This is the “spend a little more, get a lot more” option in the budget tier.
The usual math applies: add the resort fee ($50 a night plus tax) to the advertised rate, and confirm parking costs if you are driving – self-parking is $20 a day for registered guests and $20 to $25 for visitors by day of week; valet is only available at the Promenade and High Roller for $40. Caesars Rewards Platinum members and above park free. Even all-in, the LINQ usually lands well under the mid-tier properties while offering rooms that do not feel like a compromise.
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Pros and cons
Pros:
- Modern, well-designed rooms – best-looking in the budget tier
- Center-Strip location
- The LINQ Promenade: dining, bars, and entertainment on property
- High Roller observation wheel steps away
- Younger, energetic atmosphere
Cons:
- Pricier than the Horseshoe and STRAT
- Resort fee on top, like everywhere on the Strip
- Casino is more about atmosphere than serious gambling
- Pool is good, not great
- The lively vibe is a plus or a minus depending on your style
Who the LINQ is for
The LINQ is for the traveler who wants budget prices without the budget feel. Younger visitors, couples, groups of friends – anyone who cares what their hotel room looks like and wants entertainment built into the property. If your hotel room shows up in your trip photos, the LINQ is the budget pick.
It is not for the traveler hunting the absolute lowest price – the Horseshoe and STRAT win that contest (see my Horseshoe review and STRAT review). And it is not for the serious gambler who wants a classic gambling hall – the atmosphere here is social first.
FAQ
Is the LINQ a good hotel for the price?
Yes – it is arguably the best-looking budget hotel on the Strip. The modern rooms and the Promenade give you more than the rate suggests. You pay a bit more than the cheapest options, but the step up in quality is visible.
What is the LINQ Promenade?
An open-air dining, shopping, and entertainment district running from the Strip to the High Roller observation wheel, attached to the LINQ hotel. The LINQ Promenade out back holds 35-plus restaurants, bars and shops, including Brooklyn Bowl, Yard House, Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips, In-N-Out Burger, Chayo, and the Fly LINQ zipline – it functions as the hotel’s built-in evening entertainment.
Does the LINQ charge a resort fee?
The resort fee is $50 a night plus tax. Confirm the all-in total at booking – the advertised nightly rate is never the final number on the Strip.
Is parking free at the LINQ?
Self-parking is $20 a day for registered guests and $20 to $25 for visitors by day of week. Valet is only available at the Promenade and High Roller for $40. Caesars Rewards Platinum members and above park free. Confirm the current policy if you are driving.
LINQ vs Horseshoe – which should I book?
The LINQ has nicer, more modern rooms and the Promenade; the Horseshoe is usually cheaper with an equally good location. Pick the LINQ if the room matters to you, the Horseshoe if the rate matters more. My budget hotels hub ranks both head to head.
Is the High Roller worth it?
High Roller tickets start around $20 for a standard ride, with the Happy Half Hour open-bar option (21 and over) running about $45. The wheel runs from noon daily. The 550-foot observation wheel offers excellent Strip views, especially at night – it is one of the better Vegas attractions for the money, and staying at the LINQ makes it effortless.
Final verdict
The LINQ is the budget Strip hotel for people who care about aesthetics. The modern rooms genuinely stand out in the price tier, the location is center Strip, and the Promenade plus High Roller give the property an entertainment dimension that most budget hotels lack. You will pay a bit more than the rock-bottom options, but this is the rare case where the premium is visible in the product.