NFR Hotels in Las Vegas 2026: Where to Stay for the National Finals Rodeo (Dec. 3-12)

The best NFR hotels in Las Vegas are the official partner hotels on the free NFR Express shuttle, because getting to the Thomas & Mack Center and back every night is the hard part of rodeo week. The 2026 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo runs Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 12, with ten performances at 5:45 p.m. PT on the UNLV campus. There’s no single host hotel, so choose among the 27 official partners by what you want around the rodeo.

When and where is the NFR in Las Vegas?

The NFR is held at the Thomas & Mack Center, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, at Tropicana Avenue and University Center Drive on the UNLV campus, east of the Strip, and the 2026 edition runs from Thursday, Dec. 3, to Saturday, Dec. 12. It’s the rodeo’s 41st year in Las Vegas, with a purse of more than $17.5 million, per the LVCVA, across seven events. Every performance starts at 5:45 p.m. PT, and the venue recommends arriving an hour early.

Date	Performance
Thu., Dec. 3	First Performance
Fri., Dec. 4	Second Performance
Sat., Dec. 5	Golden Night
Sun., Dec. 6	Memorial Night
Mon., Dec. 7	Pink Night
Tue., Dec. 8	Resistol Rookie Night
Wed., Dec. 9	Military Night
Thu., Dec. 10	Canadian Night
Fri., Dec. 11	Legacy Night
Sat., Dec. 12	Patriot Night

NFR tickets

AXS is the official seller, named the NFR’s “exclusive primary and secondary ticketing partner” in August. Balcony prices listed in October 2026 were $130.50 a performance, or $522 and $783 for four- and six-day packs (face value, including the live entertainment tax), so the packs carry no discount. The mini packages for the first four or last six performances were sold out, and single sessions come only after package sales. “NFR Access ONLY” ($80, non-refundable) gets you inside to watch on screens, without a seat. Children 3 and under need no ticket if they sit on a lap.

NFR hotels at a glance

Hotel	Area	Price level	Resort fee	Parking	Booking.com
Treasure Island (TI)	Center Strip	Mid-range	$49.95 + tax per night	Free self-parking and valet for hotel and casino guests	Check prices
South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa	Off-Strip (South)	Mid-range	$33 per room per night	Free garage, surface-lot and valet parking	Hotel site
MGM Grand Las Vegas	South Strip	Mid-range	$50 + tax per night	Self-parking $20/day for hotel guests; valet $40/day	Check prices
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino	Off-Strip	Mid-range	$49.99 + tax per night	Paid self-parking (rate varies)	Check prices
The Orleans Hotel & Casino	Off-Strip (West)	Mid-range	$46.32 per night, tax included	Self-parking and valet included in the resort fee	Check prices
Rio Hotel & Casino	Off-Strip	Mid-range	$52 + tax per night	Free self-parking	Check prices
Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World	North Strip	Upscale	$55 + tax per night	Self-parking $21/day; valet from $40 (free with Nevada plates)	Check prices
Circa Resort & Casino	Downtown	Upscale	$50 + tax per night	Self-parking $25/day for hotel guests	Check prices
Golden Nugget Las Vegas	Downtown	Mid-range	$46 + tax per night	Free self-parking for hotel guests; valet $20/day	Check prices
Silverton Casino Lodge	Off-Strip (South)	Mid-range	Daily resort charge; confirm the current total and inclusions	Free self-parking and valet	Check prices

The official Stay Your Way page lists 27 partner hotels, each with its own “Book Now” link; we checked it, the shuttle routes and the sponsor list in October 2026, as our review method describes. Each of the seven events also has a sponsor hotel (team roping has two), the official home of that event’s contestants. The free autograph sessions (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., first come, first served) follow the same lineup:

Event	Sponsor hotel	Autograph session
Barrel racing	Golden Nugget	Fri., Dec. 4, The Grand Event Center
Tie-down roping	MGM Grand	Sat., Dec. 5, The District
Team roping	Harrah’s and Horseshoe	Mon., Dec. 7, Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar, The LINQ
Steer wrestling	Circa	Tue., Dec. 8, Underhang Bar (21+)
Bull riding	Treasure Island	Wed., Dec. 9, Gilley’s
Bareback riding	Park MGM	Thu., Dec. 10, The Reserve Bar (21+)
Saddle bronc riding	Resorts World	Fri., Dec. 11, Wrangler Dawg House

1. Treasure Island: Best Strip Base

1

Best Strip Base

Treasure Island (TI)

Center Strip · Mid-range

• Free self & valet parking
• Mystère by Cirque du Soleil
• Heated pool
• Across from The Venetian

Treasure Island is the bull riders’ sponsor hotel. Gilley’s Saloon shows the rodeo nightly from 5 p.m., free and open to all ages until 9 p.m., then 21+ with a $20 cover, and hotel guests park free.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

TI’s NFR partner page advertises a rate with no resort fee, but the asterisked terms aren’t shown, so confirm them; the standard fee is $49.95 plus tax (as of October 2026). The bull riders sign autographs at Gilley’s on Dec. 9, and NFR Express Route 6 picks up at TI’s Mystère Dreams Avenue bus curb.

Watch out for: smoking is allowed in most casino areas, and rooms have no coffee makers. Our Treasure Island review covers the rooms and the rest of the resort.

2. South Point: Best for the Rodeo Scene

Best for the Rodeo Scene

South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa

Off-Strip (South) · Mid-range

• Airport shuttle (in resort fee)
• Free parking
• 64-lane bowling center
• Arena & NFR-week events

South Point is the hub of the rodeo’s business side. It hosts the PRCA Convention (Nov. 29–Dec. 3), the Cinch Western Gift Show (Dec. 1–13) and the free Wrangler NFR Go Round Buckle Presentations at 9:30 p.m. nightly, Dec. 3–11, in the South Point Showroom, broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel.

Check Rates on Hotel WebsiteRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Free concerts follow the presentations, with Aaron Watson, Chancey Williams and Presley Barker splitting the run. South Point is on NFR Express Route 14, shared with Silverton. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Viewing Party shows the rodeo free from 5 to 10 p.m., and the Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale fills the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center Dec. 3–13. Parking is free, and the $33-per-room resort fee (as of October 2026) includes a scheduled airport shuttle for hotel guests.

Watch out for: South Point is at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, off the Strip, and its own “Vegas Cowboy Central” site still shows older shuttle details, so follow the official 2026 schedule. Book through the hotel or the official NFR link.

3. MGM Grand: Best All-Day Watch Party

3

Best All-Day Watch Party

MGM Grand Las Vegas

South Strip · Mid-range

• 6.5-acre pools & lazy river
• KÀ by Cirque du Soleil
• Monorail station
• Arena events & comedy

MGM Grand is the tie-down ropers’ sponsor hotel, and its Gold Buckle Zone in The District runs from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night of the rodeo, open to all ages before 10 p.m. It has its own NFR Express route and its own Monorail station.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Rodney Carrington plays the MGM Grand Theater Dec. 3–5, and The Red Clay Strays play the Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 5. MGM’s own pages list a different spot for the Dec. 5 autograph session, so check on the day.

Watch out for: a $50 resort fee plus tax and $20-a-day self-parking for hotel guests (as of October 2026).

4. Westgate: Best for Cowboy Christmas

4

Best for Cowboy Christmas

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino

Off-Strip · Mid-range

• Next to Convention Center
• Monorail station
• Westgate SuperBook
• Barry Manilow

Westgate sits beside the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Cowboy Christmas fills the South Halls, and lists a 7-minute walk to the convention center. Its NFR After Dark party screens the rodeo from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. in the iBar and Cabaret Theater, with free entertainment from 4 p.m. and live music until 2 a.m.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Its Monorail station is one stop from the Convention Center station, whose bridge leads toward the South Hall, and the Vegas Loop (ticketed from off campus) runs there too. Barry Manilow plays Dec. 3–5 and 10–12, and the minimum check-in age is 18, unusual in Las Vegas.

Watch out for: Westgate is a block off the Strip, self-parking isn’t free, and the resort fee is $49.99 plus tax (as of October 2026).

5. The Orleans: Best for Room-and-Ticket Packages

Best for Room-and-Ticket Packages

The Orleans Hotel & Casino

Off-Strip (West) · Mid-range

• Orleans Arena
• Bowling & 18-screen cinema
• NFR Express shuttle stop
• Parking included in resort fee

The Orleans sells 2026 NFR room-and-ticket packages and describes itself as “less than two miles from the Las Vegas Strip and just four miles from the Thomas & Mack Center.” Its Ultimate NFR Watch Party in the Bourbon Street Lounge opens at 4:15 p.m. (21+), followed by Orleans After Dark at 8:30 p.m.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Its NFR page also lists the ALL IN Barrel Race and ALL IN Breakaway at the Orleans Arena, and its Boyd Gaming sister partners, Gold Coast and Sam’s Town, link to the same packages.

Watch out for: the resort fee is $46.32 a night including tax (as of October 2026), although it covers self-parking and valet.

6. Rio: Best for Drivers

6

Best for Drivers

Rio Hotel & Casino

Off-Strip · Mid-range

• Free self-parking
• Seasonal Ipanema Pool
• Off-Strip value
• Near the Palms

Rio has free self-parking, plus free RV, bus and truck parking for registered hotel guests (tell the front desk). Its Rio Round-Up shows the rodeo nightly at 5 p.m. on the Rio Event Stage in Masquerade Village, open to all ages.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

VooDoo Lounge hosts 21+ after-parties, and Tracy Lawrence plays the Penn & Teller Theater on Dec. 12. Route 8 also serves Palms, near the Rio, which parks everyone free and screens the rodeo in Greene Street from 5:15 p.m.

Watch out for: the resort fee is $52 plus tax at Rio and $43.99 plus tax at Palms (as of October 2026).

7. Resorts World: Best for Country Concerts

7

Best for Country Concerts

Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World

North Strip · Upscale

• 5.5-acre pool complex
• Hilton Honors
• Vegas Loop station
• Zouk & Ayu

Resorts World is the saddle bronc riders’ sponsor hotel, and its sixth Rodeo World runs Dec. 3–12 with NFR viewing from 5 p.m. at RedTail, Zouk Nightclub and the Wrangler Dawg House. The card shows the Las Vegas Hilton, one of the campus’s three Hilton-brand hotels.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Resorts World Theatre has 8:30 p.m. shows on seven of the ten nights, from Dwight Yoakam (Dec. 3) to Sheryl Crow (Dec. 12) with Riley Green twice, and the free Rodeo Vegas concerts run at The Stage at Zouk from 8:30 to 11 p.m. (21+).

Watch out for: the Hilton’s $55 resort fee plus tax and $21-a-day self-parking (as of October 2026).

8. Circa: Best Downtown Pick (21+)

8

Best Downtown Pick (21+)

Circa Resort & Casino

Downtown · Upscale

• Adults only (21+)
• Stadium Swim
• Circa Sports
• On Fremont Street

Circa is the steer wrestlers’ sponsor hotel, and the whole property is 21+. Its Legacy Club rooftop hosts the Rooftop Rodeo from 9 p.m. to close on Dec. 3–6 and 10–12, and the steer wrestlers sign autographs at the Underhang Bar on Dec. 8.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

Circa’s NFR offer is 15% off your stay.

Watch out for: the $50 resort fee plus tax and $25-a-day self-parking (as of October 2026).

9. Golden Nugget: Best Downtown Pick for Families

9

Best Downtown Pick for Families

Golden Nugget Las Vegas

Downtown · Mid-range

• On Fremont Street
• Free guest self-parking
• The Tank pool
• Steakhouses

Golden Nugget is the barrel racers’ sponsor hotel. It screens the rodeo free in The Grand (doors at 5 p.m., broadcast at 5:45 p.m.) and runs a nightly country series in its showroom, from Larry Fleet on Dec. 3 to Jamey Johnson on Dec. 12.

Check Prices on Booking.comRead our review

Prices vary according to travel dates and availability.

The minimum check-in age is 18, and children can use the hotel, pool and restaurants, but showroom events are 21+. The official NFR link uses access code COWBOY.

Watch out for: a $46 resort fee plus tax (as of October 2026); self-parking is free for hotel guests.

More NFR partner hotels

Other partners on the official list: Caesars Palace (Rascal Flatts on Dec. 5 and Thomas Rhett on Dec. 10 and 12 at The Colosseum), Park MGM (the bareback riders’ sponsor hotel), Harrah’s and Horseshoe (team roping’s sponsors), Fontainebleau (advertising 30% off), Virgin Hotels (its own NFR 2026 page offers up to 25% off plus a one-time $50 food and beverage credit per stay with code NFR2026, for Dec. 4–12 stays of two nights or more, 21+; the NFR partner page still says up to 30% off), Silverton (free parking and a free airport shuttle for hotel guests, who must all be 21), Gold Coast, Sam’s Town, Mandalay Bay, Planet Hollywood, Wynn and Tuscany Suites. Planet Hollywood calls itself a shuttle stop but isn’t on the published route list, and Wynn and Tuscany Suites have no listed stop.

On a budget, the partners to price are The D (15% off), the Plaza (free nightly viewing parties and NFR programming at its CORE Arena), Downtown Grand (a free watch party every night) and The STRAT. Compare them in our Downtown Las Vegas hotels guide, and see the best off-Strip hotels for more beyond the Boulevard.

Getting to the Thomas & Mack Center

The free NFR Express is the easiest way in: 14 routes covering 24 hotels, Dec. 3–12. Pickups start at 4 p.m. PT, there’s no service during the performance from 6 to 8:15 p.m., and returns run until 9:45 p.m. Most buses leave every 15 minutes or when full (some hotels every 30 to 60 minutes), and the NFR says to allow about 20 minutes for traffic. No ticket is needed, non-guests may ride from the partner hotel closest to where they’re staying, and glass and alcohol aren’t allowed on board. Exact pickup spots are on the official NFR Express page.

Route	Pickup hotels
1	Cowboy Christmas, LVCC South Hall (one way to the arena)
2	MGM Grand
3	Park MGM
4	The Orleans
5	Fontainebleau, Westgate
6	Caesars Palace, Treasure Island
7	Harrah’s, Horseshoe
8	Gold Coast, Palms, Rio
9	The D, Downtown Grand
10	Circa, Golden Nugget, Plaza
11	Resorts World, The STRAT
12	Mandalay Bay, Virgin Hotels
13	Sam’s Town
14	Silverton, South Point

MGM Grand and South Point describe their stops differently, so ask the ambassador posted at each pickup point.

Driving: UNLV Tickets sells General Parking in the Scarlet Lot for $25 per performance. Accessible spaces are limited, overflow lots open when the main lots fill, and the drop-off zone isn’t open for pickups. From the Strip, take Tropicana Avenue east, turn left on University Center Drive, then right on Thomas and Mack Drive. Our guide to Las Vegas parking fees covers hotel garages.

Rideshare and taxis: the grounds map marks a rideshare area next to Gold Buckle Parking, and after the last shuttle, Lyft, Uber and taxis wait at the front of the arena. More options are in Las Vegas without a car.

Bags: one clear bag (a one-gallon zip-top bag or up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches) plus a clutch up to 8 x 11 inches. Backpacks, cowbells and outside food and drink are banned, and everyone passes through metal detectors.

Hotels near the Thomas & Mack Center

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is the closest NFR partner hotel, about 0.64 mile from the arena as the crow flies, and it’s a Route 12 shuttle stop. These are our own straight-line calculations from map coordinates, not walking distances:

Hotel	Straight-line distance	NFR partner?
Hyatt Place Las Vegas	0.40 mile	No
Embassy Suites by Hilton Las Vegas (University Center Drive)	0.57 mile	No
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas	0.64 mile	Yes, Route 12
Silver Sevens	0.76 mile	No
Tuscany Suites & Casino	1.06 miles	Yes, no shuttle stop listed

No hotel officially claims to be the closest. Hyatt Place says it’s adjacent to Virgin Hotels and UNLV, MainStay Suites Las Vegas Flamingo says the Thomas & Mack Center is “close by,” and Budget Suites of America – Tropicana calls it “a short distance” away. Walking routes are always longer than these straight-line figures, so check the route before you plan to walk.

Where to watch the NFR in Vegas

Without an arena ticket, go to an official watch party. Most hotels above host one, and the 2026 list adds Silverton’s all-ages party in the Veil Pavilion (5 p.m.), Virgin Hotels’ 24 Oxford (live feed at 5:45 p.m.) and the 21+ Downtown Golden Saloon at the Golden Gate Events Center. Harrah’s (Carnaval Court), Caesars Palace, Downtown Grand, the Plaza, Gold Coast and Sam’s Town list viewing too, and Cowboy Christmas replays the previous night’s performance at Cinch Cowboy Commons.

Cowboy Christmas and other NFR events

Cowboy Christmas, “the only official gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo,” runs Dec. 3–12 in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Halls, 3150 Paradise Road. Admission is free, hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and 375+ exhibitors fill more than 500,000 square feet. Visitors get discounted Monorail fares through the NFR’s Monorail page, and Vegas Loop rides between the LVCC’s five stations are free; parking details haven’t been posted. To stay close, see hotels near the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The YETI Junior NFR runs the same dates in a tent in the LVCC’s Platinum lot. The Downtown Hoedown lineup hasn’t been announced.

Booking tips for NFR week

• Use the official links for NFR rates. In October 2026 they carried codes such as nfr26 (Caesars Palace, Horseshoe, Planet Hollywood), NFR26 (Fontainebleau, Rio), NFRLVE26 (Resorts World), LVE2026 (Virgin), CNFR (Circa), DNFR (The D), nfrpc26 (Palms) and COWBOY (Golden Nugget), while MGM’s three partners link to its sports-partnership offers. No room-block rates are published and codes can change, so compare the total with Booking.com for the same nights.
• Expect company. AWS re:Invent runs through Dec. 4, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean play Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 11, and the Raiders host the Chargers there on Dec. 13. See the cheapest time to visit Las Vegas for December patterns.
• Plan late rides. The Monorail closes early on Dec. 3 (1 a.m.) and Dec. 6–10 (midnight), as well as Nov. 29–Dec. 2 and Dec. 13–15 (midnight).
• Pack for cold nights. December’s normal low in Las Vegas is 39.6°F, and the shuttles run until 9:45 p.m.
• Flying in? South Point and Silverton run airport shuttles for hotel guests, and some airport-area chains run free ones around the clock; see hotels with free airport shuttles. Our airport-to-Strip guide covers taxis and rideshare.
• Staying for the holidays? See Christmas in Las Vegas for the season’s displays and New Year’s Eve hotels for the fireworks.

FAQ

What is the NFR in Vegas?

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: ten nights of pro rodeo in seven events, from bareback riding to bull riding, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. The 2026 edition runs Dec. 3–12, all performances at 5:45 p.m. PT, with a purse of more than $17.5 million, per the LVCVA.

Is there an official NFR host hotel?

No single one. The official NFR site lists 27 partner hotels with their own booking links, and each of the seven events has a sponsor hotel, such as Treasure Island for bull riding and Golden Nugget for barrel racing.

What is the closest hotel to the Thomas & Mack Center?

By our straight-line calculation, Hyatt Place Las Vegas, about 0.40 mile away, is the closest hotel, but it isn’t an NFR partner. The closest partner is Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, about 0.64 mile away and a stop on NFR Express Route 12. Neither hotel publishes a walking time to the arena.

Is the NFR shuttle free?

Yes. The NFR Express is complimentary and needs no ticket. It runs 14 routes from 4 p.m. PT, pauses from 6 to 8:15 p.m. during the performance, and returns riders until 9:45 p.m.

Where can you watch the NFR in Vegas without a ticket?

At the free official watch parties, such as MGM Grand’s Gold Buckle Zone, Rio Round-Up and Gilley’s at Treasure Island. “NFR Access ONLY” ($80) gets you inside the arena to watch on screens, without a seat.

Book once your tickets are set, and compare totals with resort fees included. If the rodeo is one part of a longer trip, start with where to stay in Las Vegas.

More hotel choices for your trip

• Hotels Near Thomas & Mack Center: UNLV Events and Stays

More planning help for your hotel stay

• The Orleans Las Vegas Review: Rooms, Arena Access and Off-Strip Costs