2026 WSOP hotel shopping is usually a two-part grind: find a competitive rate and stay close enough to the tables. Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, the tournament's two host venues, have the obvious advantage of letting players walk straight from their room to the action. But guest reviews suggest there's another factor worth considering before booking — cleanliness standards.
Given that this isn't something as easy to measure as miles or Benjamins when booking, we analyzed guest reviews of 35 prominent Las Vegas properties using a normalized Hotel Dirtiness Index. The result? An 88.1-point gap between the cleanest and dirtiest hotels.
Key Findings
- Flamingo Las Vegas ranks as the dirtiest hotel in the study with a Hotel Dirtiness Index score of 91.0, while Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn tie for the cleanest at 2.9.
- The 88.1-point gap reflects substantial variation in cleanliness standards across Las Vegas properties.
- Premium rates and luxury branding do not guarantee stronger cleanliness performance. Case in point: The Cosmopolitan and Mandalay Bay both rank among the ten worst-performing hotels in the dataset.
- Housekeeping reliability was the most common complaint, with guests across all hotel categories reporting missed cleanings and rooms going multiple days without service.
- Neither official WSOP 2026 host venue ranks among the cleanest hotels surveyed. Paris Las Vegas placed 13th, while Horseshoe Las Vegas finished 18th overall.
The Dirtiest Hotels in Las Vegas 2026 — Full Rankings
Flamingo Las Vegas — Rank 1, Score 91.0
Few resorts occupy more valuable real estate on the Strip than Flamingo. Yet for WSOP 2026 travelers, that convenience comes with the tradeoff of staying at the dirtiest hotel in Las Vegas. Among the top five properties, Flamingo is also the priciest at $176 per night, while mold odors and worn room conditions surfaced more often than any other cleanliness concern in guest reviews.
The Strat Hotel & Casino — Rank 2, Score 89.6
If there was a recurring theme in The Strat's reviews, it was that housekeeping struggled to win guests over. Reports of unresolved cleaning issues appeared repeatedly, while mold odors showed up almost as often as they did at Flamingo Las Vegas. During the WSOP, though, some travelers may find those concerns easier to overlook given the property's $116 nightly price tag, one of the lowest among major hotels near the Strip.
Excalibur — Rank 3, Score 87.0
Excalibur's biggest selling point has always been location. Pedestrian bridges connect the resort directly to New York-New York Hotel & Casino and MGM Grand without the sticker shock that often comes with a Strip address. During the WSOP, nightly rates averaged just $122. The property's cleanliness score, however, was dragged down by recurring reports of inconsistent housekeeping and rooms that were not always serviced as expected.
Rio Hotel & Casino — Rank 4, Score 86.7
Historically, Rio was ‘the’ WSOP hotel. Several poker legends, with Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson all part of the cast, spent summers competing here during the property's 17-year run as the tournament's host (2005 to 2021). Nowadays, it's more of a budget-value option, perhaps for guests who enjoy staying somewhere with a few stories to tell. Though dated rooms and lingering mildew odors continue to weigh on the guest experience.
Luxor — Rank 5, Score 85.5
Sleeping inside a 30-story pyramid isn't something most cities can offer. Anyone passing down the Strip can recognize the sight. Yet there doesn't appear to be much effort to preserve the brand's stature, at least from a cleanliness standpoint. Luxor rounds out the top five dirtiest hotels in Las Vegas. Beyond visible room wear, longer-term guests often cite inconsistent cleaning standards. Rooms average $142 per night throughout the WSOP.
The Worst Rated Hotels in Las Vegas during WSOP — Full Rankings
The table below breaks down the worst rated hotels in Las Vegas for cleanliness alongside their average costs and recurring themes from guest reviews.
| Rank | Hotel Name | Dirtiness Index Score | WSOP Total Nightly Cost* | Complaint Severity | Traveler Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flamingo Las Vegas | 91.0 | $176 | High | Mold odors, stains, sticky floors and worn room conditions surfaced regularly as part of cleanliness concerns. |
| 2 | The Strat Hotel & Casino | 89.6 | $116 | High | Unresolved cleaning issues, bugs in mattresses and mold odors. |
| 3 | Excalibur | 87.0 | $122 | High | Bed bug reports, stains on linen, inconsistent housekeeping. |
| 4 | Rio Hotel & Casino | 86.7 | $163 | High | Reviews included dated rooms, mildew odors, bugs in rooms. |
| 5 | Luxor | 85.5 | $137 | High | Reports of mold, bodily fluids and long stays with limited housekeeping. |
| 6 | The Cosmopolitan | 83.0 | $435 | High | Luxury pricing clashes with reports of blood on linens, heavy dust, mineral buildup and marijuana odor. |
| 7 | Mandalay Bay | 77.0 | $256 | High | Serious cleanliness incidents and repeated no-housekeeping reports create a much weaker experience than review scores suggest. |
| 8 | MGM Grand | 76.7 | $260 | High | Resort-fee pricing contrasts with systemic housekeeping failures, including multi-day cleaning lapses and dirty check-ins. |
| 9 | Ellis Island Hotel & Casino | 72.0 | $103 | Medium | Budget value property with recurring complaints about stained linens, dirty corridors and inconsistent housekeeping. |
| 10 | Park MGM | 68.1 | $225 | High | Non-smoking positioning is undermined by blood, urine and bedding-reuse complaints. |
| 11 | Plaza Hotel & Casino | 65.5 | $117 | Medium | Extreme room-to-room inconsistency, with both glowing cleanliness praise and notable hygiene complaints. |
| 12 | The LINQ Hotel | 63.9 | $186 | Low | Housekeeping non-delivery is the dominant issue, with service requests frequently unmet. |
| 13 | Paris Las Vegas | 63.0 | $272 | High | Mold, blood and maintenance-related cleanliness complaints create significant variability between stays. |
| 14 | Horseshoe Las Vegas | 60.3 | $220 | Medium | WSOP host venue struggles with recurring reports of rooms going uncleaned and housekeeping failures. |
| 15 | Treasure Island (TI) | 59.7 | $228 | Medium | Mixed guest experiences, with positive room reviews offset by service delays and cleanliness concerns. |
| 16 | Fontainebleau Las Vegas | 54.4 | $394 | High | Luxury pricing magnifies frustration over reports of bodily-fluid incidents and major inconsistency. |
| 17 | Fremont Hotel & Casino | 52.7 | $109 | High | Affordable downtown option, but roach reports and severe cleanliness incidents remain notable risks. |
| 18 | Bellagio | 48.5 | $413 | High | Luxury reputation is challenged by reports of unchanged bedding and blood-stained linens. |
| 19 | Planet Hollywood | 43.6 | $231 | Low | Recurring housekeeping delays and dust complaints outweigh otherwise solid cleanliness feedback. |
| 20 | Westgate Las Vegas | 43.0 | $191 | Low | Main concern is difficulty obtaining housekeeping service rather than room cleanliness itself. |
| 21 | Circa Resort & Casino | 41.6 | $272 | High | Newer resort faces isolated but serious complaints including cockroaches and blood-stained sheets. |
| 22 | Caesars Palace | 41.3 | $406 | Low | Premium rates contrast with recurring complaints about housekeeping reliability rather than severe filth. |
| 23 | Harrah's Las Vegas | 39.0 | $186 | Low | Mostly positive cleanliness reviews, with occasional housekeeping timing and service issues. |
| 24 | Aria Resort & Casino | 37.0 | $297 | Low | Clean public spaces but repeated complaints about difficulty securing housekeeping service. |
| 25 | Golden Nugget Las Vegas | 35.3 | $142 | Low | One of downtown's stronger performers, with limited complaints focused on service and smoke odor. |
| 26 | The Venetian | 32.0 | $717 | Medium | Ultra-premium pricing raises expectations that are undermined by urine, trash and bathroom-cleanliness complaints. |
| 27 | The D Las Vegas | 26.4 | $116 | Low | Predominantly positive reviews make it one of downtown's strongest cleanliness performers. |
| 28 | New York-New York | 25.4 | $181 | Medium | Strong cleanliness reputation, with only isolated incidents standing out against otherwise positive feedback. |
| 29 | W Las Vegas | 25.0 | $242 | Low | Generally clean experience, though housekeeping reliability and aging-room concerns persist. |
| 30 | Virgin Hotels Las Vegas | 22.0 | $186 | Medium | Frequently described as exceptionally clean, with only minor odor complaints preventing a top-tier ranking. |
| 31 | SAHARA Las Vegas | 19.9 | $160 | Low | Guests consistently praise cleanliness; complaints focus on housekeeping policy rather than room condition. |
| 32 | Resorts World Las Vegas | 16.5 | $332 | Low | Modern property with strong cleanliness scores and only occasional missed-service complaints. |
| 33 | The Palazzo | 11.8 | $376 | Low | Consistently strong cleanliness reviews support its premium positioning. |
| 34 | Wynn Las Vegas | 2.9 | $564 | None Reported | No cleanliness complaints identified in the review sample; exceptional housekeeping standards. |
| 35 | Encore at Wynn | 2.9 | $559 | None Reported | Immaculate guest experience with virtually no cleanliness concerns identified. |
Housekeeping Reliability Emerges as the Biggest WSOP Hotel Problem
What jumps out from the review data is that housekeeping reliability seems to frustrate guests more than cleanliness itself. We found complaints at Horseshoe Las Vegas, Bellagio, LINQ, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and Excalibur describing rooms going multiple days without service. You find the same issue at budget properties, mid-tier resorts, and premium hotels alike. And during the WSOP, when occupancy surges, the problem doesn't get any smaller.
WSOP attendees can tolerate a lot. They’re spending 10 to 14 hours a day at the tables, often returning to their rooms only to shower, sleep, and head back out. Expecting the basics to work isn't asking for much, especially when many properties are charging another $39 to $50 a night in resort fees.
The best-performing hotels in the dataset reinforce that point. Beyond luxury branding and room design, properties like Wynn Las Vegas, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort, and Resorts World Las Vegas all repeatedly earned praise for consistent housekeeping standards and rooms that remained well-maintained throughout their stay. More than anything, guests seemed to appreciate the reliable delivery of the basics.
Premium Las Vegas Hotels Often Underperform on Cleanliness
If there's one thing travelers expect their money to buy, it's a cleaner room. Hotels near Horseshoe Las Vegas seem to play by different rules, at least during WSOP.
The Cosmopolitan, a property synonymous with polished design and luxury pricing, posted one of the highest nightly rates in the dataset while still ranking among the weakest performers for cleanliness. Same if you turn to the Horseshoe Las Vegas itself. Despite room rates hovering around $220 per night during the series, the property finished squarely in the middle of the standings. Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn were two of the few exceptions where luxury rates were matched by consistently high room standards.
That disconnect becomes even more relevant during the WSOP Main Event, when demand pushes nightly costs higher at the likes of Horseshoe, Caesars Palace, and Paris Las Vegas. Room standards often have very little to do with this, as you're mostly paying for location and convenience relative to the tournament floor.
Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas Trade Cleanliness Consistency for WSOP Convenience
Since leaving the Rio in 2022, the WSOP has operated out of the connected Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas resorts. Neither host venue distinguished itself on room standards. Paris finished in the middle of the pack with a Hotel Dirtiness Score of 63.0, while Horseshoe followed closely behind at 60.3. Across both properties, reviews suggest the level of cleanliness could vary noticeably from one stay to the next.
Compared with its August rates, Horseshoe saw room prices increase by 141.0% during the Main Event, the largest in the dataset, while Paris Las Vegas rose by 58.2%. Whatever frustrations guests noted in reviews, they did little to slow demand. The ability to walk from hotel room to tournament table seemingly outweighs the drawbacks.
Best and Worst Areas for WSOP Hotel Cleanliness
Unlike room pricing, cleanliness scores show very little relationship to geography. Some of the largest differences appear between properties in the same area.
The Center Strip contains both the lowest-rated hotel in the dataset, Flamingo Las Vegas, and better performers such as Aria and Caesars Palace. At the North Strip, you have Wynn and Encore, the two that top the rankings, right next to The Strat, which lives much closer to the bottom. Near-Strip properties then range from the poorly rated Rio to the substantially stronger Virgin Hotels.
Downtown might just be the most practical alternative for players prioritizing price and access over premium Strip positioning. Still, it's a market where you need to understand the options property by property. A stay at Golden Nugget or The D Las Vegas bears little resemblance to one at Plaza, where cleanliness complaints surface with far greater regularity. Perhaps the most surprising case is Circa. For one of the newest resorts in Las Vegas, its reputation is more complicated than the sleek façade might suggest.
How We Ranked Las Vegas Hotels for WSOP 2026
To compare cleanliness perceptions across Las Vegas hotels during the WSOP 2026 period, we developed a Hotel Dirtiness Index based on publicly available ratings and guest-review data from the following primary sources:
- Booking.com cleanliness subscore data
- Hotels.com cleanliness rating data
- TripAdvisor user-generated review content
- Google Reviews user-generated review summaries
The index combines four core inputs:
- Overall cleanliness ratings
- Frequency of cleanliness-related complaints
- Severity of reported issues
- Volume of positive cleanliness mentions
As they appear within guest reviews. We based our analysis on sampled guest-review content rather than full review-volume classification.
Because each platform applies different rating systems and review structures, we first standardized all inputs onto a common scale. We then combined these variables into a comparative 0–100 Hotel Dirtiness Index, where higher scores indicate a greater concentration of cleanliness-related complaints and negative guest sentiment relative to other properties in the dataset.
Published room rates, resort fees, and projected WSOP 2026 nightly pricing were collected separately to provide additional traveler context. None of these variables were incorporated into the Dirtiness Index and did not influence final rankings.
Disclaimer: This is not an official inspection or health-standard assessment. Our objective is to identify hotels generating the strongest patterns of cleanliness concerns among guests over the previous 12 months. Individual experiences may vary between properties, room types, and travel dates.
What WSOP 2026 Travelers Should Know Before Booking a Las Vegas Hotel
WSOP attendees can tolerate a lot. They're spending 10 to 14 hours a day at the tables, often returning to their rooms only to shower, sleep, and head back out. Many players spend months preparing for the series through online tournaments, satellites, and even poker freerolls, making a clean and reliable hotel room feel like a reasonable expectation once they arrive in Las Vegas.
Our analysis compared 35 Las Vegas hotels ahead of WSOP 2026 using a Hotel Dirtiness Index built from publicly available cleanliness scores and guest-review complaint patterns. Flamingo Las Vegas emerged as the weakest performer with a score of 91.0, while Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn set the benchmark at 2.9. Beyond the substantial differences between properties, the bigger takeaway was that room standards, pricing, and tournament convenience don't always move in the same direction.
