Shark Tank Pool, Golden Nugget Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

It’s heating up in Las Vegas.  During our last family visit temperatures topped 112+ degrees.  Still, Las Vegas provides lots of opportunities for an affordable family vacation.  With the slump in business travel, hotel rates are amazing.  We spent our spring break in Las Vegas staying in premium hotels on the Strip and in  Down Town Las Vegas for less that $100 a night.  On our trip last week we scored a full suite at the Las Vegas Desert Rose Resort, a few blocks off the strip, for a similar price.

On a summer visit to Las Vegas, a pool can be a source of hours of family fun.  Although this city is not always considered the most family friendly tourist destination, I have found that families can be found frolicking in most Las Vegas hotel pools.  Many casinos are now introducing separate pool areas for adults.  I think this is a great idea.  Hopefully this will segregate the splashing kids from the serious (and perhaps topless) sun bathers. 

Be sure to check with each hotel for pool hours as they vary seasonally.  Also, it seems that some Las Vegas hotel pools offer loaner life jackets.  Check before you go.  If you have little ones it’s a nice safety precaution. It would be convenient not to lug wet life jackets back and forth.

Road construction is slowing traffic both on and off of the strip right now, so it’s nice to have something fun to do right in your hotel.  Here are a few of my favorite family friendly Las Vegas pools as well as others that I would like to try out in the future.

On the Strip

Mandalay Bay

Although this hotel continues to be out of my family’s price range, I plan to keep on dreaming about this fabulous pool.  Some day I hope that my preschoolers can dig in the sand along the gigantic beach while big brother body surfs in the wave pool.  Perhaps my husband and I can find a moment to drift along the lazy river in inner tubes.  Most web sites vote this the best pool in Las Vegas.

Flamingo Las Vegas

My husband has stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation Resort at the Flamingo and says that the Flamingo pools are amazing.  They include several water slides and a grotto to escape the heat.

MGM Grand

I chose this hotel for our Spring Break trip because of it’s lazy river.  I thought it would keep us entertained throughout the visit.  This river is huge.  It’s very fun.  Unfortunately, it moves quite fast.  My ten year old thought this was awesome, but my little guys did not enjoy it at all.  We all headed for one of the regular shallow pools.  If you have big kids, the MGM Grand offers affordable rooms and a great pool.  If you’re just bringing little ones you might want to look elsewhere.  The MGM is so big, it is also a major hike to the rooms, pool area, etc.

Monte Carlo
I stayed at this hotel with my husband a few years ago, and we enjoyed the pool without kids.  Well, without our kids.  The pool was still teeming with families.  The Monte Carlo wave pool and lazy river aren’t huge, but the room prices at the Monte Carlo can’t be beat.  I would try to hit this pool at off hours since it gets very busy.

Excalibur

If you are looking for a hotel that is super family friendly and super cheap, the Excalibur may be a great choice for you.  When we visited a few years ago my son loved the waterslide.  It kept him busy for hours.  We visited the arcade last spring and had a good time. They had cheap games that even my preschoolers enjoyed.

Off Strip

Water Slide Splash Down, Golden Nugget, Las Vegas

Golden Nugget

This is my kid’s favorite pool in Las Vegas and we will be sure to return in the future.  It is a large, shallow pool that surrounds a giant tank filled with sharks and huge fish.  A water slide goes directly through the tank giving the slider a unique perspective and the parents some great photo ops.  If you are looking for affordable rooms and a pool that will keep your kids mesmorized check out the Golden Nugget.

Loews Las Vegas Resort

OK.  I am dreaming of a trip to this kid friendly resort located in Lake Las Vegas.  The pool here comes equipped with a water slide and pool toys (kick boards, noodles, etc.).  This resort takes being family friendly seriously.  There is also a kid concierge and a great child care facility on site. What a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle of the strip!

Public Pool

Desert Breeze Community Pool

For our summer trip to Las Vegas I chose spacious accomodations over a fabulous pool.  Still, there is an inexpensive alternative way to have some seriously wet fun in Las Vegas.  This community pool serves the locals, but should welcome tourists as well.  It has an outdoor water park that provides a chance to get wet like a Las Vegas native.

For a more adult perspective on Las Vegas pools, check out Jenny Bengen’s Uptake post on hot Las Vegas pools here.