Where to Stay for a Las Vegas Raiders Game: Why W Las Vegas Near Allegiant Stadium Is Our Top Choice

Published by Carl Jackson on

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Travelling to Las Vegas to watch the Raiders is unlike travelling to almost any other NFL game in America. In most cities, choosing a hotel for football weekend is primarily a question of finding somewhere reasonably close to the stadium. In Las Vegas, the decision is much bigger. Your hotel becomes part of the weekend itself.

A Las Vegas Raiders game can easily become a three-night or four-night trip incorporating the Las Vegas Strip, restaurants, casinos, bars, shows, nightlife, shopping, attractions and everything else that makes Vegas one of the world’s great entertainment destinations. That means the best hotel for a Raiders game needs to accomplish two things at once: it needs to put you in an excellent position for Allegiant Stadium while still giving you the full Las Vegas experience.

For us, there is one option that brings those two requirements together particularly well.

W Las Vegas near Allegiant Stadium is our top choice for where to stay for a Las Vegas Raiders game.

The reason becomes obvious when you look at the map.

W Las Vegas sits at the Mandalay Bay complex at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. Allegiant Stadium sits immediately west of the Strip, with the official stadium walking route connecting the Las Vegas Boulevard side of the area to the stadium via Hacienda Bridge. Allegiant Stadium itself describes walking from the Strip as convenient and specifically identifies the Hacienda Bridge route as the best walking option for accessing the stadium from Las Vegas Boulevard.

That makes the Mandalay Bay end of the Strip one of the most strategically useful places a visiting Raiders fan can stay.

Add W Las Vegas’s all-suite accommodation, connection to the wider Mandalay Bay resort environment and access to everything the Strip offers, and it starts to look less like simply somewhere to sleep and more like an exceptionally well-positioned Raiders weekend base.

Where Should You Stay for a Las Vegas Raiders Game?

The first thing to understand is the geography.

Allegiant Stadium is located at 3333 Al Davis Way and sits adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, directly west of Interstate 15. It is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders and has a capacity of approximately 65,000.

For visitors, however, the important point isn’t simply that Allegiant Stadium is “near the Strip.”

It is which part of the Strip it is near.

The stadium sits toward the southern end of the resort corridor, opposite the Mandalay Bay and Luxor area. That means choosing a hotel simply because its address says Las Vegas Boulevard doesn’t necessarily mean you are choosing the most convenient hotel for a Raiders game.

The Las Vegas Strip is long.

Staying toward the northern or central sections can be excellent for a conventional Vegas holiday, but on game day it can mean additional transportation, more traffic, a longer journey and greater dependence on taxis, rideshare services or public transportation.

Stay at the southern end around Mandalay Bay and the geography changes considerably.

You’re already positioned near the official pedestrian approach to Allegiant Stadium.

And that is exactly where W Las Vegas is located.

W Las Vegas: A Raiders Hotel Without Being a Stadium Hotel

W Las Vegas occupies an interesting position in the Las Vegas hotel market because it offers something Raiders visitors may particularly appreciate: proximity to the action without making the entire trip feel like you’re staying beside a sports complex.

W Las Vegas is located at 3940 South Las Vegas Boulevard, within the Mandalay Bay complex at the southern end of the Strip. The property officially debuted as W Las Vegas in December 2024 when the existing all-suite tower transitioned into the W Hotels brand.

The property contains 1,117 suites, and MGM’s fact sheet describes the average suite as approximately 725 square feet. It is also a non-smoking, nongaming, all-suite hotel adjacent to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

That combination matters.

You can be staying within one of the biggest entertainment and resort environments in Las Vegas while having accommodation that feels somewhat removed from the constant casino-floor atmosphere.

For a football weekend, that can be an excellent balance.

Saturday can be Vegas.

Sunday can be Raiders.

Sunday night can become Vegas again.

And your hotel works for all three.

Why Location Matters So Much on Raiders Game Day

There is a temptation when planning a Las Vegas football trip to think that transportation will be easy because taxis and rideshare services are everywhere.

They are.

But Raiders game day isn’t an ordinary day in Las Vegas.

Tens of thousands of spectators are converging on one stadium at approximately the same time. When the game finishes, tens of thousands are leaving the same area.

That inevitably makes your hotel’s location more important.

Allegiant Stadium itself recommends planning transportation in advance and notes that roads can be converted to one-way operation on event days. Stadium parking also requires planning, and officials strongly encourage visitors who intend to park to purchase parking in advance.

If you’re staying in the Mandalay Bay area, there is another option.

Walk.

That single word is arguably the strongest argument for choosing the southern Strip for a Raiders trip.

Walking to Allegiant Stadium From the Las Vegas Strip

One of the best features of Allegiant Stadium’s location is that spectators staying on the southern Strip can approach the venue on foot.

The official Allegiant Stadium guidance identifies Hacienda Bridge as the best walking option from Las Vegas Boulevard. On Raiders games and selected major event days, the bridge can be closed to vehicular traffic and used for pedestrian access.

According to Allegiant Stadium, the walking path from Las Vegas Boulevard to the stadium is less than one mile, while the bridge itself is approximately 0.3 miles from its eastern side to the stadium gate, described by the venue as roughly a 10-to-15-minute walk for that section.

This is precisely why staying around Mandalay Bay makes so much sense.

You’re approaching the stadium from the side specifically designed to accommodate large numbers of pedestrians arriving from the Strip.

On a Raiders weekend, that is a major advantage.

Instead of spending the hours before kickoff thinking about traffic, parking garages and pickup points, you can concentrate on the game.

W Las Vegas and the Hacienda Bridge Advantage

This is where W Las Vegas’s position becomes particularly compelling.

W Las Vegas is part of the Mandalay Bay complex, while the official Allegiant Stadium transportation information specifically references Mandalay Bay when explaining access to the stadium.

The stadium even notes that it has worked with Mandalay Bay and Luxor to provide additional rideshare options, with those resorts accessible from Allegiant Stadium by walking over Hacienda Bridge.

That is an unusually strong endorsement of the area’s practical usefulness on major event days.

You aren’t simply choosing a hotel that happens to look geographically close on Google Maps.

You’re staying within the resort complex located beside one of the principal pedestrian gateways used for Allegiant Stadium.

For anyone researching hotels near Allegiant Stadium, where to stay for a Raiders game, Las Vegas Raiders hotels, hotels near Las Vegas Raiders stadium or best Las Vegas hotels for Raiders games, that distinction is important.

The Raiders Weekend Starts Before Kickoff

A Raiders trip shouldn’t be viewed as simply ninety minutes or a few hours inside a stadium.

The atmosphere builds long before kickoff.

Raiders supporters begin arriving around the southern Strip, bars and restaurants become busier, jerseys appear everywhere and the entire Mandalay Bay–Allegiant Stadium corridor starts feeling like part of the event.

Allegiant Stadium parking lots open approximately four hours before kickoff for Raiders games, illustrating just how early the game-day experience begins.

If you’re staying nearby, you have considerably more flexibility.

You can have breakfast without rushing.

You can return to your suite before leaving.

You can change clothes at the last minute.

You can spend time around the resort.

You can decide when you want to join the crowds heading toward the stadium.

Most importantly, your entire day doesn’t need to revolve around transportation.

That makes a significant difference to the experience.

Why Staying Near Allegiant Stadium Can Beat Staying in the Centre of the Strip

There are plenty of outstanding hotels in the centre of Las Vegas Boulevard.

For some trips, central Strip is exactly where we’d recommend staying.

A Raiders weekend is different.

Imagine staying several miles farther north and having to arrange transportation toward Allegiant Stadium while thousands of other fans are doing exactly the same thing.

Now compare that with staying at the Mandalay Bay complex and joining the pedestrian flow toward Hacienda Bridge.

Both approaches get you to the game.

Only one makes the journey part of the experience.

This is particularly important after the final whistle.

Before a game, supporters arrive over several hours. Afterwards, a huge proportion of the crowd leaves within a much narrower window.

Being able to walk back toward your hotel rather than immediately competing for transportation can be extremely valuable.

After the Raiders Game

This may actually be the point when staying at W Las Vegas makes the most sense.

The game finishes.

More than 60,000 people begin moving away from Allegiant Stadium.

Traffic increases.

Rideshare demand rises.

Taxi queues can build.

Everyone wants to go somewhere.

If your hotel is at the Mandalay Bay end of Las Vegas Boulevard, your journey can instead begin on foot via the established pedestrian route.

There is no need for the night to finish when the football does.

You can head back toward the resort, change, eat, drink, visit a casino, find a bar, continue farther up the Strip or simply return to your suite.

That is what makes Las Vegas such an unusual NFL destination.

The stadium isn’t isolated from the city’s entertainment district.

It sits beside it.

Why W Las Vegas Works Particularly Well for Groups

NFL trips are frequently group trips.

Friends travel together. Families travel together. Couples meet other couples. Groups fly in from different states or different countries and turn the game into a full Las Vegas weekend.

That makes the accommodation itself more important.

W Las Vegas’s all-suite format is particularly interesting in this respect.

MGM’s published information describes the property as having 1,117 luxury suites, with an average suite size of around 725 square feet.

That additional space can make a noticeable difference when you’re staying for several nights rather than simply arriving late and leaving the following morning.

A Raiders weekend tends to involve luggage, jerseys, shopping, meals, drinks and time spent getting ready before and after the game.

Having a genuine suite rather than treating the hotel purely as somewhere to sleep can make the trip feel considerably more comfortable.

A Different Kind of Las Vegas Hotel

Another reason W Las Vegas stands out is that it isn’t simply another enormous casino hotel.

The property is described by MGM as non-smoking and nongaming while still being adjacent to Mandalay Bay.

That creates an interesting combination.

Visitors who want Las Vegas casinos, restaurants, entertainment and nightlife haven’t removed themselves from any of it.

But when it’s time to return to the hotel, W Las Vegas provides a different atmosphere.

That could make it especially attractive for visitors whose primary reason for coming to Las Vegas is football rather than gambling.

You can experience Vegas without necessarily sleeping directly above the casino floor.

Raiders Game Plus a Full Las Vegas Holiday

For visitors travelling a considerable distance, particularly international visitors, flying to Las Vegas for only the game may not make much sense.

The smarter approach is often to turn the fixture into a Las Vegas holiday.

Arrive on Friday.

Experience Vegas on Friday night.

Spend Saturday exploring the Strip, Downtown Las Vegas or the city’s attractions.

Make Sunday Raiders day.

Then give yourself another day to relax before flying home.

This is another reason we prefer W Las Vegas over a generic off-Strip hotel that happens to be physically close to Allegiant Stadium.

Proximity to the stadium is valuable.

Proximity to the stadium and the Las Vegas Strip is better.

W Las Vegas gives you both.

Staying Near Allegiant Stadium Without Hiring a Car

Visitors often assume that travelling around America requires a rental car.

Las Vegas is one of the major exceptions.

If you choose your hotel strategically, it is entirely possible to build a Raiders weekend around walking, taxis, rideshare and public transportation.

The official stadium transportation guidance specifically points visitors toward pedestrian access from Las Vegas Boulevard and notes that the Deuce bus operates along the Strip, with its closest stadium-area stop near Hacienda Bridge at Mandalay Bay.

That means the Mandalay Bay area functions as something of a transport gateway for football visitors.

For an overseas visitor who doesn’t want to drive in Las Vegas, that can simplify the entire holiday.

Is It Better to Walk or Drive to a Raiders Game?

For visitors staying near the Mandalay Bay end of the Strip, walking has an obvious appeal.

Driving requires thinking about parking before you even reach Las Vegas.

Single-game parking can be purchased in advance, and stadium officials advise spectators to plan ahead. Stadium lots do not allow re-entry, and Raiders game-day parking areas generally open around four hours before kickoff.

Driving certainly makes sense for many local supporters and visitors staying farther away.

But if you’ve deliberately chosen accommodation near the pedestrian route, using a car for the relatively short journey can defeat one of the principal advantages of staying there.

For guests at W Las Vegas, we’d consider walking to be part of the attraction of choosing the hotel in the first place, subject of course to weather, mobility requirements and the official arrangements operating for your particular game.

Remember the Las Vegas Heat

There is one qualification to all this talk about walking.

Las Vegas is hot.

Early-season Raiders games can coincide with extremely high daytime temperatures, and Allegiant Stadium specifically advises first-time visitors to prepare for the heat and remain hydrated.

Even a relatively short walk feels different in intense desert sunshine.

Check conditions before leaving, allow enough time, stay hydrated and don’t assume that a short distance automatically means an effortless walk for every traveller.

Once inside, however, Allegiant Stadium is fully enclosed and climate controlled.

Allegiant Stadium Is Part of the New Las Vegas

There is a broader reason why this part of the Strip is becoming increasingly attractive.

Modern Las Vegas isn’t just about casinos.

It is becoming one of America’s great sports destinations.

The arrival of the Raiders and the construction of Allegiant Stadium fundamentally changed the southern Strip. Football weekends now bring enormous numbers of supporters into an area that was already home to some of Las Vegas’s biggest resorts and entertainment venues.

Allegiant Stadium itself has become much more than a football ground, hosting major concerts and international sporting events alongside Raiders and UNLV football.

Staying at W Las Vegas puts visitors at the intersection of those two versions of Vegas.

The classic Strip is outside.

The new sports-focused Vegas is across the interstate.

That is an extremely compelling location.

What About Staying Directly Beside Allegiant Stadium?

There are hotels on the western side of Interstate 15 and around the broader stadium district that may appear even closer geographically.

For someone whose sole objective is attending an event and leaving, some of those properties can make sense.

But that’s not necessarily how we’d judge the best hotel for a Las Vegas Raiders game.

The best option isn’t automatically the hotel with the smallest straight-line distance to the stadium.

It is the hotel that provides the strongest overall weekend.

That means considering what happens on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning and after the game.

W Las Vegas gives you stadium proximity while keeping you firmly connected to Las Vegas Boulevard.

That’s the difference.

What About Luxor for a Raiders Game?

Luxor is another logical choice because it occupies the same southern Strip zone and is prominently shown on official Allegiant Stadium transportation mapping alongside Mandalay Bay.

For price-conscious visitors, it may deserve consideration.

But W Las Vegas is aiming at a different traveller.

If you want a more upscale, all-suite environment while retaining the geographical advantages of the Mandalay Bay area, W is the stronger proposition.

It is therefore less a question of whether other nearby hotels are suitable.

Many are.

The question is which property provides the combination of location, accommodation, Las Vegas access and Raiders game-day convenience that we think makes the strongest overall package.

Our answer is W Las Vegas.

What About Mandalay Bay?

Mandalay Bay itself is obviously an excellent Raiders base.

In fact, the case for staying at W Las Vegas is inseparable from the advantages of the Mandalay Bay location because W forms part of that broader resort campus.

The difference is accommodation style.

W Las Vegas gives visitors an all-suite, nongaming hotel while retaining access to the Mandalay Bay environment.

That makes it particularly attractive to travellers who want the location and amenities associated with a major Las Vegas resort but prefer their accommodation to feel more like a retreat from the casino.

What About Staying in Downtown Las Vegas?

Downtown Las Vegas can be fantastic.

Fremont Street offers a completely different version of Vegas, often with a more concentrated nightlife atmosphere and a distinctly old-school identity.

But it isn’t where we’d choose to base ourselves if the Raiders game is the central purpose of the trip.

You’ll need transportation between Downtown and Allegiant Stadium.

For a general Vegas holiday that includes a Raiders game, that might be acceptable.

For a trip built around the Raiders, we’d rather remove that journey from the equation.

Stay south.

Visit Downtown when you want to.

The Best Area to Stay for a Las Vegas Raiders Game

If someone asked us simply, “What area of Las Vegas should I stay in for a Raiders game?”, our answer would be straightforward:

The southern end of the Las Vegas Strip around Mandalay Bay.

You are close to Allegiant Stadium.

You are positioned for the Hacienda Bridge pedestrian route.

You remain on Las Vegas Boulevard.

You have access to major resorts, casinos, restaurants and entertainment.

You can travel north along the Strip when you want to explore.

And when game day arrives, you’re already where you need to be.

That is a much stronger proposition than choosing a hotel based purely on price or name recognition without looking at where it actually sits relative to Allegiant Stadium.

Why Raiders Fans Should Think About the Return Journey

Most travel guides focus almost entirely on getting to a sporting event.

We think getting back matters just as much.

Before kickoff, you can leave early.

After the game, everyone leaves together.

That’s where accommodation strategy pays off.

Allegiant Stadium has dedicated rideshare, taxi and pickup arrangements, including rideshare facilities in Lot N. It also coordinates additional rideshare access with Mandalay Bay and Luxor.

Those are useful options.

But being able to walk toward your hotel gives you another.

You aren’t entirely dependent on a vehicle becoming available at exactly the moment tens of thousands of other people are also trying to leave.

That is one of those advantages that can look minor when booking a hotel months in advance and feel enormous at 8 p.m. on game night.

W Las Vegas for International Raiders Fans

Las Vegas Raiders games attract visitors from around the world, and Las Vegas is particularly well suited to international NFL tourism.

For a British or European visitor, the attraction is obvious.

You’re not flying thousands of miles simply to watch football.

You’re getting Las Vegas as well.

That changes what constitutes good accommodation.

An isolated airport hotel or suburban property might save money, but you’re sacrificing part of the reason for making the journey.

Staying at W Las Vegas means waking up on Las Vegas Boulevard, experiencing the Strip and still having Allegiant Stadium nearby when game day arrives.

For a once-in-a-lifetime Raiders trip, that matters.

W Las Vegas and Harry Reid International Airport

W Las Vegas’s southern Strip location is also useful for airport access.

Allegiant Stadium states that the stadium itself is less than three miles from Harry Reid International Airport, and W Las Vegas publishes straightforward driving directions from the airport to its Mandalay Bay location.

For visitors flying into Las Vegas specifically for an NFL weekend, the concentration of the airport, southern Strip and stadium within the same broader part of the city makes the logistics unusually manageable.

Land in Las Vegas.

Travel to W Las Vegas.

Enjoy the Strip.

Walk toward Allegiant Stadium on game day.

Return to the resort.

Fly home.

Compared with sporting trips in sprawling cities where the airport, downtown district, hotel and stadium may all be in completely different areas, Las Vegas can be remarkably straightforward when you choose the right base.

Making a Full Raiders Weekend at W Las Vegas

The ideal itinerary practically creates itself.

Arrive in Las Vegas and check into your suite.

Spend your first evening exploring Mandalay Bay and the southern Strip before heading farther north if you want the full Vegas experience.

Use the following day for sightseeing, casinos, restaurants, shows or attractions.

Then make game day deliberately simple.

Wake up without worrying about crossing the city.

Enjoy the pre-game atmosphere.

Head toward Hacienda Bridge with the other supporters.

Walk to Allegiant Stadium.

Watch the Raiders.

Then walk back toward the Strip and decide whether the night ends there or is only beginning.

That’s the Las Vegas advantage.

In most NFL cities, leaving the stadium means going back to the hotel.

In Vegas, leaving the stadium can mean walking straight back into one of the world’s biggest entertainment districts.

Is W Las Vegas the Closest Hotel to Allegiant Stadium?

“Closest” can be a misleading way to choose a Las Vegas hotel.

There are accommodation options around the stadium district that may have a shorter straight-line distance to Allegiant Stadium.

But if the question becomes “What is the best Las Vegas hotel near Allegiant Stadium for a complete Raiders weekend?”, we think the calculation changes.

We would prioritise the Mandalay Bay side because of its relationship with the official pedestrian route and the Strip.

W Las Vegas then adds its own advantages: luxury positioning, large suites, a nongaming environment and direct integration with one of Las Vegas’s major resort campuses.

So our recommendation isn’t based on claiming W is literally the nearest bed to the stadium.

It is based on something more useful.

It is one of the best-positioned upscale Las Vegas hotels for combining a Raiders game with a genuine Las Vegas holiday.

Should You Stay at W Las Vegas for a Raiders Game?

If the Raiders are the main reason you’re visiting Las Vegas, W Las Vegas deserves to be very high on your shortlist.

If you want the cheapest possible room, there will be cheaper alternatives.

If you want to spend the entire holiday around Fremont Street, Downtown accommodation may suit you better.

If your priorities revolve around a particular central-Strip casino, restaurant or show, staying farther north might make sense.

But if the question is where we’d choose for the strongest combination of Allegiant Stadium access, Raiders game-day convenience, luxury accommodation and Las Vegas Strip location, W Las Vegas is our pick.

Its position within the Mandalay Bay complex is the key.

Where to Stay for a Raiders Game Without Sacrificing Vegas

This is ultimately what separates W Las Vegas from many alternatives.

You don’t have to choose between staying near the Raiders and staying in Las Vegas.

You can do both.

Allegiant Stadium is close enough to the Strip that the two experiences naturally overlap, and the official pedestrian infrastructure around Hacienda Bridge makes the Mandalay Bay area particularly useful for supporters.

W Las Vegas takes advantage of that location while offering accommodation that can work for couples, groups, premium travellers and visitors staying for several nights.

You’re not booking a hotel beside a stadium and then commuting into Vegas.

You’re staying in Vegas and walking to the stadium.

That distinction is important.

Our Verdict: W Las Vegas Is Our Top Hotel Choice for a Las Vegas Raiders Game

There are plenty of places to stay for a Las Vegas Raiders game, and the right hotel will always depend on budget, travel style and what else you intend to do while you’re in Nevada.

But if we were planning a Raiders weekend and wanted to combine the game with a proper Las Vegas experience, we’d start our search at the southern end of the Strip.

More specifically, we’d look at W Las Vegas.

The reasoning is simple.

Allegiant Stadium is immediately west of the southern Las Vegas Strip. The stadium’s official guidance recommends the Hacienda Bridge as the best pedestrian approach from Las Vegas Boulevard and specifically identifies Mandalay Bay in its transportation arrangements.

W Las Vegas sits within that Mandalay Bay complex.

That means you’re staying in one of the most strategically useful parts of Las Vegas for a Raiders game while remaining firmly connected to the Strip.

Then there is the hotel itself.

An all-suite property with 1,117 suites, generous average suite sizes, a nongaming environment and access to the wider Mandalay Bay resort gives W Las Vegas an identity beyond simply being “a hotel near Allegiant Stadium.”

And that is exactly what we’d want from a Raiders hotel.

Because a Las Vegas Raiders weekend shouldn’t begin when the ball is kicked and end when the stadium empties.

The hotel, the Strip, the walk to Allegiant Stadium, the crowds crossing Hacienda Bridge, the game, the journey back and the night afterwards are all part of the experience.

For the complete trip, our conclusion is W Las Vegas near Allegiant Stadium.

If your question is where to stay for a Las Vegas Raiders game, that’s where we’d start.