I stayed at Sin City Hostel a year ago for the World Series of Poker (I'm a poker pro), and it's like Vegas - it's a very great experience or a terrible one. Just look at the reviews - 5 star or 1. At Sin City, a small converted motel, the accomodations were fairly clean, the hosts were generally nice, and the location is in an interesting part of town on the edge of downtown Vegas and where the Strip begins. They have a small room to watch tv, a small kitchen, and the BBQ we had was a cozy experience. Right across the street you can see people getting married 24 hours a day at a 24hr chapel that was featured on COPS (US real crime tv show). The neighborhood is not the worst in Vegas, but has it's share of street people. Expect weird things to happen. The week I was there a guy who robbed a bank threw a bag of cash into the garbage right next to someone staying there and pretended he was staying there, he just sat down and had a smoke with a couple of the backpackers outside, then the cops eventually came by and drew thier guns and grabbed him, no joke! The same week, the only American staff member was found out to be a fealon with warrants, and slashed the tires of some guests before they carted him off. All the foreign staff there though were very nice (always hire foreign at hostels!), and since then when I went back once, I saw that they put up a gate for security and now screen all the hostel workers (the owner was new when she hired the American fealon, but apparently she's making an effort to keep a safe clean good hostel experience). This is the safest hostel out of the two in Vegas I know of, but both are in dodgy neighborhoods. I could stay at a luxury hotel for my time in Vegas but the young international crowd is cool to experience and I am booking now. When you eat in Vegas, eat the specials between 11pm and 7am - the oxetail soup at the California downtown is a must, steak or breakfast at Binion's, or the many steak and egg specials. Best alternatives to hostels is the El Cortez casino- twin bed rooms 25$ weekdays, the Gold Spike, or The Wild Wild West off the Strip. It's Vegas baby, with all it's blemishes!