Looking for a Family-Friendly Vegas Resort? Try The Desert Rose!

This low-key home away from home checked all our boxes

Fridge and Freezer: Yes
Stroller-Friendly: Yes
Overall Child-Friendly: Yes
Time Spent: 5 nights

When you envision a trip to Las Vegas, several famous hotels might come to mind. The Desert Rose Resort, located near MGM Grand, probably isn’t one of them. This unassuming option might not be famous or fancy, but it did cover our most important f-words: family and friendly! Our family of three stayed there with our 10-month-old daughter on a trip with extended family in May of 2023. For us, the Desert Rose was affordable on a budget, and it offered amenities that accommodated our unique needs with a baby in Las Vegas. For that reason, I’m listing it at #4 in my ranking of baby-friendly attractions in Las Vegas.

In Vegas, it’s tricky to find a hotel that accommodates families who pump to keep baby fed. For us, the most elusive amenity was a full-size refrigerator with a freezer. My husband and I searched high and low, and our options were limited. But the freezer wasn’t optional. We needed it to re-freeze our icepack, so we could carry breastmilk at a safe temperature throughout our trip. In the future, it would be great to see more hotels providing this essential amenity for pumping families. During our trip, the Desert Rose Resort was the solution, with the freezer we needed and several other helpful features.

For starters, parking was very simple. There was no fee when we visited in May of 2023, and there were always plenty of spots near the walkway to our room. From there, we found that our suite was clean and pleasant. The layout was like a small apartment: both practical and comfortable. The fridge and freezer were located in a full kitchen, which made it relatively easy to keep our daughter fed. We stuck our Medela ice pack in the freezer daily, so we could explore with multiple bottles on hand at a time.

I used my Medela Pump in Style breast pump throughout our trip to Las Vegas. The battery pack and travel accessories came in handy countless times on our trip.

Back at the hotel, we used the stove and dishes that were provided to prepare additional meals, since our daughter was well into her journey exploring a limited selection of solid foods. “Messy” and “picky” are two very apt keywords to describe this journey. For that reason, we appreciated the flexibility to cook meals we knew she would like, and we especially appreciated the dishwasher when clean-up time came around. Beyond the kitchen, we made use of the small dining table, couch, end table, and coffee table, where I set up my pumping station. 

One of our favorite features at the Desert Rose was the family-friendly pool. Our daughter took her first “swim” there, and I enjoyed the hot tub. We also enjoyed our quiet, poolside breakfasts on site. The same waiter helped us throughout our stay and always made sure my breakfast burrito had no meat. 

The bottom line: Compared with other resorts, the Desert Rose has less of the flashy, Vegas appeal that you might expect. But if you can let that go, it’s the perfect refuge for families with young children after a busy day navigating the Strip. 

How to Visit Hoover Dam with a Baby — and Love Every Dam Moment!

Family restrooms and mountain views. What’s not to love?

Family Restrooms: Yes
Diaper Changing Stations: Yes
Lactation Space: None
Stroller-Friendly: Yes
Overall Child-Friendly: Yes 
Time Spent: 3-4 hours

I won’t lie: I didn’t expect to enjoy Hoover Dam. When my husband, our daughter, and I joined my extended family last spring on a trip to Las Vegas, it was my husband who advocated for this stop. I was skeptical. I don’t find engineering particularly intriguing, I’m afraid of heights, and I prefer green, rolling mountains to the desert any day. Despite all that, the Dam wound up at the #1 spot in my ranking of baby-friendly spots in Las Vegas!

What changed my mind? In short: the persuasive majesty of the landscape and the family-friendly amenities that helped us care for our daughter, who was 10 months old at the time. It’s hard to appreciate golden mountain views such as these until you’re there in person, and I found myself pleasantly surprised. They were stunning, even for a forest girl like me. Just as stunning? The surprise we found on the first floor of the visitor center when we arrived — a family restroom!

We were caught off guard because, throughout our visit to Las Vegas, we were repeatedly confounded by elusive amenities to help us pump breastmilk and change diapers. Actual lactation spaces are nearly impossible to find along the Las Vegas Strip, although they’re the ideal space to breastfeed or pump — sanitary, private, and usually well-equipped. Family restrooms are more widely available, if less ideal, but they can be tough to track down.

I would love to see policymakers in Las Vegas and Nevada taking continued action to increase and improve amenities for families. Nevada did pass a law in 2017 requiring most new buildings to be equipped with one or more diaper-changing stations in restrooms for men and women, and this is a great start.

In the case of Hoover Dam, the family restroom was easy to locate, and it worked for us. If you’ve traveled with a baby or toddler, you know how important family restrooms are. They’re private sanctuaries where both partners can change a diaper, clean up a mess, and maybe even sneak in a quick pee. The best family restrooms include ample space to roll a stroller in and out, as well as a diaper changing table. During our travels in Nevada, we were always relieved to encounter family restrooms that also offered a clean space to pump, since I was exclusively pumping for our daughter.

In most of these categories, the indoor restroom at Hoover Dam was just what we needed. It was clean and pleasant, with enough space for a stroller, and it offered a changing table, sink, and toilet. Unfortunately, there was no purse hook. I find these especially helpful now that the number of bags I carry with me has doubled — sometimes tripled. There also wasn’t a separate space to pump, so I wound up pumping on my feet near the sink, which worked ok in a pinch.

Just me, being goofy and eating taffy from the cafeteria next to the Hoover Dam gift shop.

A quick aside to talk equipment: Before my daughter was born, pumping on the go was already on my mind. I wanted a pump that would be travel-friendly. I ended up choosing the Medela Pump in Style, one of two options that my insurance would cover. The Pump in Style was my first choice because of its portability, allowing me to pump without plugging into an electrical outlet. It also came with a custom icepack, cooler bag for bottles, and a larger travel bag.

All these features came in handy in the family restroom at Hoover Dam. My husband helped me stow our daughter’s milk in the cooler bag, rinse my pump parts (we would sanitize them at our hotel), and get everything put away, so we could get back to enjoying our trip.

This restroom is located on the entry level at the Hoover Dam Visitor Center. If you pay for basic admission, without the tour, Dam staff will likely guide you upstairs right away. At this point, we were directed to the family restroom. I believe this is the only one on property, and I’ve reached out to Hoover Dam to confirm that. I’ll update this post if I hear back.

After I pumped, we strolled through the visitor center and stepped out to see the view from the observation deck. My vertigo took over and compelled me to steer the stroller as far from the ledge as possible, but in all fairness, the space was safe and very family-friendly. For older children, it’s an educational stop that would engage a variety of age groups. Before we took off, we grabbed a tasty, affordable lunch (a vegetarian-friendly grilled cheese) and some saltwater taffy at the cafeteria. 

Timeframe is always important to consider on a breastfeeding or pumping schedule, and this stop stretched our limits. That said, after pumping on site, we were able to see everything we wanted to see and drive back to our hotel near the Strip before I needed to pump again. The drive to the Dam was about 40 minutes. We did the most basic tour, and we did skip a few scenic views to make it work. If you want to spend longer, I would recommend coming prepared to pump twice.

Overall, the Dam was surprisingly enjoyable and more lovely than any photo could convey. If you’re planning a trip to Vegas with a baby, or with children of any age, I would definitely recommend adding it to the list.