Aruba Hotel

The slightly shady stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South between the Stratosphere and Charleston Boulevard is lined with old motels. Many of them are pretty sketchy places, as you’d expect given the signs out front advertising hourly rates and free adult movies, but a few stand out from the crowd. The Holiday Motel (2205 Las Vegas Boulevard South) is a pretty scruffy place, but its animated vintage neon sign is one of the most handsome in town. And up the road, the Aruba at least makes an effort to elevate itself above its surroundings. This is still a pretty basic and thin-walled motel, sure, and the location, well… But a recent refurbishment has spruced it up a lot, with the management tilting at a vintage Vegas vibe, and the regular events in the Thunderbird Lounge (swing night on Fridays, occasional bands on Saturdays) are a nice touch.