We had a very disappointing visit to the Stratosphere. First, it was very difficult to find where to park/check in. I have never been to a hotel (including in Vegas) where there is not a temporary parking area for check-ins. Instead, we had to park in the parking garage and haul our luggage through the garage, through the casino, to the poorly labeled registration desk stuck in a corner. We got to our room and were disappointed to find that it was not well cleaned. It looked as though it had not been vacuumed well and there were burn marks (in a non-smoking room) and gum stuck into the carpet. When we attempted to call the front desk to get our room switched to a cleaner one, we were put on hold for over 10 minutes at which time we finally gave up. Finally, I have never been somewhere (including resorts/casinos in Vegas) that makes you pay extra for so many things. Even towels and shady spots cost extra money at the pool that was available for free use. Really? $5 for a towel? And since the pool is on a paved rooftop, not being in a shady spot made it almost unbearable to sit outside. After paying a $30 resort fee, it was surprising that so many typical hotel amenities that other hotels offer were not offered. Most other hotel facilities at the Stratosphere were only available for use with the purchase of exorbitantly expensive drinks. I will never stay here again and will recommend visitors to stay somewhere else at every chance I get.