Boulder Station is a 300-room locals' hotel on Boulder Highway in east Las Vegas, with a cinema, The Railhead music venue, low rates and free parking. It is about 15 to 20 minutes from the Strip and on the way to Henderson, Boulder City and Hoover Dam, which makes it a practical base for early starts.
Boulder Station opened in August 1994 at 4111 Boulder Highway, at Lamb Boulevard, in the unincorporated east-side community of Sunrise Manor. It sits close to the I-515/I-11 freeway, so the Strip is roughly 15 to 20 minutes away by car, downtown is about 10 to 15, and the airport is a similar distance. The hotel has 300 rooms.
They were last fully renovated in 2011, so they are clean and functional rather than modern, and they are priced accordingly. Ask for a higher floor for views west toward the Strip skyline. This is a hotel for people who want a cheap, quiet room and plan to spend their days out exploring, not for travelers who want a resort.
Entertainment is low-key and local. The Railhead is a mid-sized live music room, expanded in 2000, with a long history of country, blues and rock acts, and it hosts touring and tribute shows; check the calendar for dates. An 11-screen Regal cinema has been part of the property since 1995, and there is a large bingo room and a sportsbook.
The casino draws regulars from the surrounding neighborhoods, so it is easy-going and less crowded than the Strip. Dining is simple: The Broiler steakhouse, The Brass Fork for comfort food and Pasta Cucina for Italian, plus a food court with Capriotti's, Sbarro and Wingstop.
The location helps with day trips to the southeast. Boulder Highway runs straight toward Henderson and Boulder City, and Hoover Dam is about 35 to 40 minutes away, so you can be at the dam before the tour buses from the Strip. The National Atomic Testing Museum, on East Flamingo Road, is about 10 minutes away. The trade-offs are that the area is mainly commercial and not walkable, there are few things to do on foot, and Strip nights mean a car or a rideshare each way.
Check which amenities are open before you arrive. Parking is free for everyone, which saves real money compared with the Strip, but a nightly resort fee is usually added to the room rate, so compare total prices rather than headline rates.
Why stay here
- ✓East-side location on Boulder Highway near I-515/I-11, about 15 to 20 minutes from the Strip and the airport
- ✓The Railhead live music room for country, blues, rock and tribute shows; check the calendar for dates
- ✓11-screen Regal cinema, a large bingo room and a sportsbook, all aimed at local regulars rather than tourists
- ✓The Broiler steakhouse, The Brass Fork comfort food, Pasta Cucina and a food court with Capriotti's, Sbarro and Wingstop
- ✓300 simple rooms last fully renovated in 2011, priced well below the Strip; ask for a higher floor for skyline views
- ✓Free parking and a head start on drives to Henderson, Boulder City and Hoover Dam, about 35 to 40 minutes away
- ✓Casino with slots, table games and a sportsbook
- ✓Low rates compared with Strip resorts
Good questions
Where is Boulder Station?+
On Boulder Highway in east Las Vegas, about 15 to 20 minutes from the Strip and the airport.
What entertainment is on site?+
The Railhead music room hosts country, blues, rock and tribute shows, and there is an 11-screen cinema and a bingo room.
Is Boulder Station close to Hoover Dam?+
Yes. It is about 35 to 40 minutes away, which makes it a practical base for early starts.
