A very wise first step in planning any Las Vegas trip is to make a decision about your hotel stay.

For many people, this is one of those places where you'll spend very little time in your room. Don't sacrifice safety or cleanliness, but consider the importance of a grand view of The Strip or a prestige address. Staying in an overpriced hotel room is not an essential Vegas experience.

It's best to start with a search for hotel deals.

The Strip is where most people prefer to stay, but cheaper rooms can be found minutes away and in downtown Las Vegas a few miles away. See what's on sale for a given time frame. Last-minute deals are a more likely option than getting a cheap Vegas room on Priceline, especially when a big convention is in town.

For some rock-bottom savings tips, visit Sleep Cheap Las Vegas

Is your heart set on a room along The Strip? If so, there are some places where cheaper rooms are more likely to be found. Notice the phrase "more likely." Prices vary a great deal by time of week, month and year.

Circus Circus offers a less-than-strategic location at the far north end of The Strip. But rooms here are often cheaper than at other major hotels.

Another relatively low-priced Strip hotel is Excalibur. Located just across the street from New York New York, it offers 4000 rooms at prices below its neighbors.

Need some more recommendations? Check out About Las Vegas Travel's Cheap Hotels in Las Vegas.

If at first you don't find a hotel bargain, refuse to be discouraged and keep trying.

In a city with so many rooms, chances are good you'll find something on sale.