VegasChatter

Another check of hotelrates.hotelchatter.com found prices ranging from $1,417 (Boulder Station) to $206 (Best Western) for the night of December 31st.

●The Food

If you want to do something a little bigger than In N' Out for NYE (or would rather save that for 1 a.m.), just about every restaurant up and down The Strip is offering special New Year's Eve fare. And, there's a menu for every price point, too. From $45 (China Poblano, Johnny Smalls) all the way up to $400 (Guy Savoy), and more.

●The All-You-Can-Drink

Spend New Year's Eve having fun and not worrying about how much you're spending by getting wristed instead. $55 will let you drink all you want at Hard Rock. $100 bucks will let you booze it up around Palazzo and Venetian. And, just $10 will let you drink like a fish at Silverton.

●The Parties, The Clubs and The Celebrities

Kim K. at TAO. Rob K. at Tryst. Kourtney K. (and Scott Disick) at Chateau. Mary J. Blige at RPM. Pamela Anderson at Studio 54. Fergie at 1OAK. Bruno Mars at The Bank. Drake at The Joint. John Legend at the Palms. Will.i.am at Surrender. Stevie Wonder at The Cosmo. Holly Madison at Gallery. Good Charlotte at Chateau. The Situation at Chateau (yeah, Chateau's throwing everything at NYE this year).

From the real deal to the 'really, we still have to deal with them?,' the celebs as well as the celeb-reality stars will be getting paid to party up and down The Strip. And then there's Hyde Bellagio that wants you to party with them on New Year's Eve. But, not really.

●The Fireworks

Wherever you end up in Vegas for New Year's Eve, don't get so distracted that you miss the best nine minutes of the night. And, don't expect that you can just run outside a few minutes til midnight and see a fabulous fireworks show from just anywhere. You'll want to put a little thought into just where you want to be, especially if you plan to be directly on Las Vegas Boulevard and not high above it.

●The Virgins

Vegas is expecting hundreds of thousands for NYE. And, while we're not sure how many will be virgins, we've got 'em covered. Err, we mean, we've got tips just for them. Ummm, just read this.

●The Budget-Minded

Yes, it is possible to do Las Vegas on a budget. On one of the biggest holidays of the year. It's even possible to do it for $40 or less. Just don't expect to do it at Bellagio, Wynn, Aria.... you get the picture.

●The Downtown Alternative

Skip the Strip and head north for the "Downtown Countdown," what's being billed as the first NYE block party. In Fremont East. Hosted by Insert Coins, revelers will find booze specials, live music, and even a fireworks show off the roof of the Ogden. Not too far away another self-dubbed 'Downtown Block Party' will take place around Bar + Bistro and The Artifice. Head there for DJs, fire dancers, open bar packages, and more.

(Photo: James Marvin Phelps on Flickr)