Strip Hotels
You may also want to consider the Imperial Palace, right near the Casino Royale. I have stayed there several times, and found it to be comfortable and reasonably priced. (They used to have some REALLY good BJ in the Champagne Pit, but last time I was there things seemed to have gone downhill.) The IP is also located next to Harrah's, which offers free shuttles to their various properties -- it's a nice free way to get around.
Two weeks ago, I stayed at the Sahara for the first time, and was not impressed. There was construction going on across the street (with noise starting at 6 AM) and the BJ games were mediocre, at best.