The Most Boring Girl in Las Vegas

September 17, 2019 12:40 PM

Are there any good, fun places in Vegas to sit and work on my laptop with good connectivity and possibly outlets where I can people watch?

I'll be headed to Vegas next week for the 3rd time to accompany my husband on a conference trip. It's fleeting charms are now lost on me, and while we're going out in the evenings, I'll be working remotely for my Boston office from about 7am to 3pm Vegas time and don't want to spend the entire week bunkered up in the hotel room. I'd like to bring my laptop to someplace(s) where I can partake a little in the spectacle, maybe get some food or beverage but be able to concentrate on work and primarily have reliable connectivity and secondarily an outlet at which to charge. I'm not really a working-coffee-shop person. Some WFH days in Salem I like to work from a pub and get lunch and a low ABV beer.
We're staying at the Venetian, which itself has a indoor courtyard with entertainers that might pan out, but I'm hoping folks have some additional suggestions.

Thank you in advance!

posted by Sayuri. to Travel & Transportation around Las Vegas, NV (9 answers total)

There aren't a ton of places on the strip. Perhaps the suggestions at WorkFrom.CO would help.
posted by blob at 1:41 PM on September 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

Seconding that on the strip is not friendly for what you're looking for - most places actively discourage what you're talking about by not having outlets or wifi. It's all about extracting as much money as possible from people and then getting them out the door once they're no longer spending. I also find most places within earshot of the casino floors hard to work in due to the slot machine racket, but YMMV.

If you're willing to bring your own internet, that opens up more possibilities. There's places that won't object to you parking and working as long as you're not taking up a spot they're trying to put other customers into.
posted by Candleman at 1:55 PM on September 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

There’s a Denny’s down at one end of the strip where you might be able to kill a couple hours.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:59 PM on September 17, 2019

Best answer: Not a lot of free wifi in LV, esp. near the Strip, in my limited experience. You're paying for the wifi at the hotel, so use it at the coffee shop, non-smoking common areas, and outside as far as you can get. Call ahead and ask about coverage. I'm in Maine, it's been cold, sitting outside in the Vegas sun would be pleasant.

I had a travel snafu in Las Vegas and ended up at a branch library in a sketchy neighborhood where they were incredibly helpful, and I could charge my devices and use their computer and wifi. There's a branch (main?, def.not the one I visited) at Flamingo & Escodillo, 2 1/2 miles. Public Transit exists (workers have to get to the Strip) or UberLyft. I love working in libraries.

There a U of NV, LV and they'll have a library, check to see if you can get access.
posted by theora55 at 2:24 PM on September 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The best Coffeeshops with Wi-Fi in Vegas.

I'm partial to Grouchy John's.
posted by toxic at 6:19 PM on September 17, 2019 [3 favorites]

Best answer: From toxic’s list, I loved PublicUs. They have “coffee-based cocktails” that will renew your faith in the idea. Most places I’ve tried that do this apparently found bitters and stuff are expensive, so they serve “watery coffee drinks” instead. I would make a detour if I were passing through Vegas to stop there. Of course, I hate the strip and its Disneyfied-pocket-vacuum esthetic so much.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:55 AM on September 18, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Also from Toxic's list, Bad Owl is really fun! It's unofficial-Harry-Potter (so kind of generic wizard) themed, has cute decor and good people-watching, and serves some food. Off-strip but to echo everyone else, you're prob best off hopping in a cab for the best coffee shop WiFi experience anyway.
posted by assenav at 9:54 AM on September 18, 2019

Best answer: Ok, I'm in the neighboring attached hotel, The Palazzo, this week and there is a "co-working" space next to the Sands Expo center. So, from the Venetian, go into the Grand Canal Shoppes and walk through the piazza area with Canaletto and the small performance stage towards the Sands. Go down the escalator and keep walking. Just before the end of the pink carpet as you are about to enter the Sands entrance area, there is a glass enclosed co-working area to your left. It advertised outlets, Wi-Fi, and working spaces. I didn't see any fees when I walked past it. It won't give you the breadth of people watching as you'd find on the actual Strip, but business conference attendees are also walking in and out and past.
posted by jillithd at 12:45 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]

(you might have to go down the escalators one more time so you are at ground level for the Sands coworking space)
posted by jillithd at 3:12 PM on September 20, 2019