Beirut gave some great info but I'll add on a few things.
- Pools will be closed, so the daytime will be pretty boring. There's a few daytime brunch spots that become like an inside day party (Lavo at Palazzo being one of them) but usually if I'm in Vegas in the winter, I'll take the day to relax/gamble and get ready to stay out extra late at night. You can always meet girls in the casinos but usually this is best at night.
- The best clubs right now are at Caesars Palace (Omnia), MGM Grand (Hakkasan), and the Wynn (XS, Intrigue, Surrender). Linq and Bally's are basically across the street from Omnia, walkable to MGM, though getting to Wynn is probably a cab unless you want to walk 30 mins+.
- Distances on the strip are deceivingly long when walking because of how big each hotel is, and all of the big intersections have bridges, escalators, etc. It isn't the most intuitive place to walk if you're in a rush, and ESPECIALLY if you're pulling a chick who probably has heels on. My advice for you to be "very very close" would be to find the club you want to hit up the most, and either book a room in that hotel, or the hotel next door. Otherwise, the distance will be longer than you think.
- Price-wise, unless your budget is strictly <$100/night, I'd take a look at some of the hotels that seem like they would be expensive (Aria, Wynn, Palazzo, Caesars). You're going at a pretty quiet time unless there's a major conference going on, so some hotels could have really nice deals especially if you're staying 3 nights, there's often discounts if you stay more than 2. I went a few years back in January and had a 40th floor strip view suite at the Mandalay for $120/nt on a weekend. In my opinion, staying at a spot like the Wynn is night and day versus staying at a place like Circus Circus, it sets the entire mood for your trip when you have a fun hotel with a nice room. It's your call though.
- Finally, check out this thread. There is a ton of great information there, and I've written more there.
thread-45813...+the+cheap
