SAHARA vs Fontainebleau: North-Strip Value or Luxury Next Door?

SAHARA vs Fontainebleau is the north Strip’s value-versus-luxury question, asked on the same stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. The resort fees are 5 cents apart and both include self-parking, so the decision comes down to what you get for the room rate: SAHARA has compact rooms, free valet, the Monorail and a Vegas Loop stop at a mid-range price, while Fontainebleau has rooms of about 490 square feet, a six-acre pool deck, LIV and its own Loop station at a luxury price. For convention travelers, that trade-off is sharper than it looks. Our SAHARA review and Fontainebleau review cover each resort in full.

	SAHARA	Fontainebleau
Location	North Strip	North Strip
Price level	Mid-range	Luxury
Best for	Drivers, transit users, value seekers	Luxury travelers, pool and nightlife fans
Pool	The Pool at SAHARA (seasonal, open daily March–October), free for hotel guests of all ages	Seven pools across a six-acre complex, including the LIV Beach dayclub
Casino	Yes	Yes
Resort fee	$54.95 + tax per night	$55 + tax per night
Parking	Free self-parking and valet	Free self-parking for registered hotel guests, Nevada residents and Fontainebleau Rewards members; visitors first hour free, then $20 per 24 hours; valet $35 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun
Check-in / out	4 PM / 11 AM	3 PM / 11 AM
Rates	Check SAHARA Rates	Check Fontainebleau Rates

How we checked: we read SAHARA’s and Fontainebleau’s terms, FAQ, pool and parking pages through Nov. 4, 2026 (Fontainebleau’s site blocks automated readers, so we used the official pages as indexed by search plus its Oct. 22 press release), along with Monorail, CES and LVCVA pages. Our review method explains how we date each fact.

SAHARA vs Fontainebleau side by side

	SAHARA	Fontainebleau
Address	2535 Las Vegas Blvd S, at Sahara Ave	2777 Las Vegas Blvd S
Rooms	1,613 in three towers (Alexandria, Marra, Blanca)	3,644 in one 67-story tower
Standard room (official)	Alexandria King 322 sq ft; Blanca 325; Marra Style Queen 360	Bleau Room 488–494 sq ft
Pools	The Pool at SAHARA, free for hotel guests of all ages	Six-acre Oasis Pool Deck with seven pool areas, incl. 21+ LIV Beach
Pool status in November	Season runs March–October	Ice rink on the pool deck from Nov. 19; winter swim hours not posted
Resort fee (November 2026)	$54.95 + tax, already included in rates on SAHARA’s site	$55 + tax
Self-parking	Free for all resort guests	Free for registered guests
Valet	Free	$35 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun
Transit on site	Monorail terminus and Vegas Loop station	Vegas Loop station
Check-in / checkout	4 p.m. / 11 a.m.	3 p.m. / 11 a.m.
Spa	Amina Spa closed for renovation	Lapis Spa & Wellness

Location: neighbors with different front doors

Both resorts sit on the east side of the boulevard at the north end of the Strip, with SAHARA at the Sahara Avenue corner and Fontainebleau farther south at 2777. Neither publishes a walking time to the other or to the center Strip, and guests at both regularly ride to Bellagio and Caesars. If you want to stroll between landmarks, our where to stay in Las Vegas guide points you to the center.

What separates them is transit. SAHARA is the Monorail’s northern terminus, with the station inside the resort, and its Loop station opened in August 2026 at the Paradise Road entrance. Fontainebleau’s Loop station is on Level V-1 at the south valet, and its nearest Monorail stop is Westgate Station, which the Monorail lists as near Fontainebleau. Our north Strip hotels guide covers the rest of this end of the boulevard.

Winner for location: SAHARA, because two transit systems start at its doors. Fontainebleau wins if you’d rather take a rideshare from a luxury lobby.

The Convention Center commute

The Las Vegas Convention Center, at 3150 Paradise Road, sits behind the boulevard from both resorts, and how you get there matters more than the map distance.

To the LVCC	From SAHARA	From Fontainebleau
Monorail	SAHARA Station to Boingo Station at the LVCC: two stops, about 4 minutes of riding	Walk to Westgate Station first, then one stop
Vegas Loop	Surface station at the Paradise Road entrance, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily plus convention hours	Underground station on Level V-1 at the south valet
Loop fare	Ticketed; SAHARA says only rides between LVCC campus stations are complimentary	Ticketed; fares are set by The Boring Company
Meeting space on site	Private-event venues	About 550,000 sq ft

The Monorail route map lists two minutes from SAHARA to Westgate and two more to the Convention Center, and the Boingo station serves the South and Central halls directly. For the West Hall, the Monorail says to go through the North Hall and the Paradise Bridge or take the free campus Loop from the Central Hall; the LVCVA says walking between the West Hall and the North and Central halls can take up to 25 minutes, against about 2 minutes on the campus Loop. A single Monorail ride costs $5.75 online, and a one-day pass is $13.95 (as of November 2026).

CES 2027 runs its exhibits Jan. 6–9, 2027, and CES’s transportation page lists both SAHARA and Fontainebleau among the five hotels with Loop rides to the LVCC “for a small fare,” and Fontainebleau’s south valet as a rideshare pickup point. During SEMA Show week (Nov. 3–6, 2026), the Monorail ran extended hours, a pattern worth checking for your own show. Our hotels near the Las Vegas Convention Center and CES hotels guides compare the closest options.

Winner for convention travelers: SAHARA for an attendee who’ll commute daily by rail, especially to the South or Central halls. Fontainebleau wins for a company meeting held in the hotel, or for a West Hall schedule where the Loop does the work.

Rooms: 322 to 360 square feet vs 488 to 494

Room type	Resort	Official size	What to know
Alexandria King	SAHARA	322 sq ft	Walk-in shower; closest tower to the Monorail walkway
Blanca King / Blanca Double	SAHARA	325 sq ft	“Newly redesigned”; 196-room boutique tower
Marra Style Queen	SAHARA	360 sq ft	Two queens, “luxury shower”; Marra has 1,131 rooms
Marra Signature One Bedroom King Suite	SAHARA	730 sq ft	Nespresso machine, VIP check-in
Bleau Room	Fontainebleau	488–494 sq ft	King or two queens
Fontainebleau guest rooms overall	Fontainebleau	488–660 sq ft	Bleau, Gold and Platinum rooms; suites sold separately

Room size is Fontainebleau’s clearest win: an entry Bleau Room is 128 to 172 square feet bigger than SAHARA’s standard rooms. Every Fontainebleau room and suite is smoke-free, with a $500 cleaning fee for smoking in one, and the building opened in December 2023.

SAHARA’s rooms are compact but modernized, and every room has a mini-fridge. Book Marra for the most space in a standard room, Blanca for the newest redesign and Alexandria for the shortest walk to the Monorail. SAHARA also lets kids 17 and under stay free in existing bedding and charges $15 a night for a third or fourth adult (as of October 2026).

Winner for rooms: Fontainebleau.

Pools: closed for the season vs an ice rink on the deck

The Pool at SAHARA is free for hotel guests of all ages, while non-guests must be 21 or older. SAHARA lists the season as March through October; the 2026 season opened March 6. Book a November-to-February stay at SAHARA assuming no pool.

Fontainebleau’s Oasis Pool Deck covers six acres with seven pool experiences, according to the resort’s 2024 launch release, including the Grand Pool, the VIP Legacy Pool, La Mer, Bleautopia, Gigi’s and the 21+ LIV Beach dayclub. The deck was introduced as exclusive to hotel guests and non-smoking, and children under 18 must be with an adult. From Nov. 19, 2026, the Oasis Ice Rink takes over the third-floor deck, through Jan. 17, 2027, according to Fox5’s report of the announcement. Entry is free and skating starts at $30 plus taxes and fees (as of November 2026). LIV Beach also hosts a race-weekend party on Nov. 21.

Winner for pools: Fontainebleau, in any season. SAHARA’s all-ages policy is generous, but only from March to October. Our Las Vegas hotels with pools guide ranks more decks.

Dining, nightlife and the spa

Fontainebleau is the destination. It holds the MICHELIN One Key designation for a second straight year in the 2026 guide, according to its Oct. 22 release, and its dining runs from Don’s Prime and Papi Steak to La Fontaine, the 12-seat ITO omakase counter, Komodo, Chyna Club and Gabriela Cámara’s Cantina Contramar, with a food hall for quick meals. LIV Nightclub is 21+, and the 3,800-seat BleauLive Theater books headliners, including Marc Anthony on Nov. 20–21, 2026. Lapis Spa & Wellness is open.

SAHARA keeps it simpler. Maroon by Kwame Onwuachi serves Caribbean steakhouse fare, Balla Italian Soul is chef Shawn McClain’s coastal Italian, and Chickie’s & Pete’s, The Noodle Den and Zeffer’s Cafe cover casual meals. Magic Mike Live (18+) is the headliner. The catch is wellness: Amina Spa and the Alexandria Fitness Center closed for renovation after June 7, 2026, leaving the 24-hour Fitness Studio in Blanca Tower.

Winner for dining and nightlife: Fontainebleau, by a wide margin.

Resort fees, parking and the bill

Checked Oct.–Nov. 2026	SAHARA	Fontainebleau
Resort fee	$54.95 + tax	$55 + tax
With 13.38% room tax	About $62.30	About $62.36
Fee includes	Wi-Fi, in-season pool, fitness, two bottles of water, calls, free self-parking and valet	Wi-Fi for up to four devices, self-parking, fitness center for two, concierge, calls
Self-parking	Free for resort guests	Free for registered guests (tap your room key)
Valet	Free	$35 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun
Incidental hold	$50 a day	$150 a night in standard rooms
Fee waiver	All-In rate drops the fee (through July 31, 2027)	Fontainebleau Rewards Gold and Royal, booked direct

The fees are a wash: 6 cents a night apart with tax. The difference is valet and transparency. SAHARA’s valet is free, and rates quoted on SAHARA’s own site already include the resort fee. Fontainebleau’s parking page gives registered guests free self-parking, but valet isn’t validated for them, so three nights of weekend valet add $120 (3 × $40).

SAHARA’s All-In rate, offered through July 31, 2027, drops the resort fee and adds breakfast for two at Zeffer’s and a noon checkout, but it’s 21+, must be booked a day ahead and excludes groups and conventions. Our Las Vegas resort fees guide compares the rest of the Strip.

Winner for fees and parking: SAHARA.

How this differs from The STRAT and Resorts World

This page pits the mid-range and luxury picks at the same end of the boulevard against each other, with the convention commute in mind. If you’re weighing SAHARA against its budget neighbor across Sahara Avenue, see The STRAT vs SAHARA; if Fontainebleau is up against another big resort, see Resorts World vs Fontainebleau.

Which should you book?

Choose SAHARA if:

• You’re attending a show at the LVCC and will commute by Monorail every morning.
• You’re driving and want free valet as well as free self-parking.
• You want the resort fee built into the rate, or you qualify for the All-In rate.
• You’ll spend little time in the room and want to keep the total low.

Choose Fontainebleau if:

• Room size matters: 488 to 494 square feet for an entry Bleau Room.
• Your meeting is in the hotel, or the Loop to the West Hall suits your schedule.
• You want serious restaurants, LIV and a working spa under one roof.
• You’re visiting in late November or December and want the ice rink on the pool deck.

For value and transit, SAHARA is the smarter booking; for comfort and a resort you’ll want to spend evenings in, Fontainebleau earns its luxury price. Prices vary according to travel dates and availability, so compare the same nights at both, and see how each ranks in our best hotels in Las Vegas.

FAQ

Is SAHARA or Fontainebleau better?

Fontainebleau is better for a luxury stay, with 488- to 494-square-foot Bleau Rooms, a six-acre pool deck, LIV and the MICHELIN One Key designation. SAHARA is better for value, with free self-parking and valet, a Monorail station inside the resort and a Vegas Loop stop. Their resort fees with tax are within 6 cents of each other (as of November 2026).

Is SAHARA or Fontainebleau closer to the Las Vegas Convention Center?

Both are close, but they reach it differently. SAHARA’s Monorail station is two stops, about 4 minutes of riding, from the Convention Center station, and its Loop station runs to the campus. Fontainebleau has its own Loop station at the south valet and about 550,000 square feet of meeting space; its nearest Monorail stop is Westgate.

Does Fontainebleau Las Vegas have free parking?

Yes, for registered hotel guests. Fontainebleau’s parking page says guests self-park free for their whole stay by tapping their room key at the garage gates, and its resort fee lists self-parking. Valet isn’t free for hotel guests: it costs $35 Monday to Thursday and $40 Friday to Sunday (as of November 2026). SAHARA includes both self-parking and valet.

Is the SAHARA pool open in November?

No, based on SAHARA’s posted season. SAHARA lists The Pool as open daily from March through October; the 2026 season opened March 6. When it’s open, the pool is free for hotel guests of all ages, while non-guests must be 21 or older. Fontainebleau’s pool deck hosts the Oasis Ice Rink from Nov. 19.

Are SAHARA and Fontainebleau the same price?

Not on the room rate: SAHARA sits at a mid-range price level and Fontainebleau at a luxury one, and both change with dates and conventions. Their resort fees nearly match, at $54.95 plus tax at SAHARA and $55 plus tax at Fontainebleau (as of November 2026), and both include self-parking.