Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Daniel Globe
The landmark once widely known as the Stratosphere Hotel is now called The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower. Its defining feature is the 1,149-foot observation tower that rises above Las Vegas Boulevard. The tower—not the hotel-room portion of the resort—is responsible for the property’s famous height and skyline presence.
Quick Answer
The STRAT Tower in Las Vegas is 1,149 feet (350.2 meters) tall. It is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. The 1,149-foot measurement refers to the observation tower, not to a conventional hotel building or to the height of the public observation deck itself.
Key Takeaways
- The STRAT Tower stands 1,149 feet (350.2 meters) tall.
- The property was formerly called the Stratosphere and began transitioning to The STRAT brand in 2019.
- The STRAT is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, but it should not be described as the tallest conventional building in Las Vegas.
- Public observation areas are on Levels 108 and 109, while Top of the World restaurant is on Level 106.
- Big Shot rises to about 1,081 feet above ground, while SkyJump uses a platform roughly 855 feet above the Strip.
- Attraction availability changes, so visitors should check The STRAT’s official website before relying on an older list of rides.
How Tall Is the Stratosphere Hotel?
The structure most people mean when they ask about the “Stratosphere Hotel height” is The STRAT Tower. It reaches 1,149 feet, or 350.2 meters, from its base to its architectural top.
At 1,149 feet tall, The STRAT rises more than 400 feet higher than Las Vegas’s tallest conventional hotel towers.
The distinction matters because The STRAT Tower is an observation tower. It does not contain occupied hotel floors throughout most of its 1,149-foot height. The Council on Vertical Urbanism’s Skyscraper Center therefore places it in a different structural category from high-rise hotel buildings.
Note: Saying The STRAT is the “tallest building in Las Vegas” is misleading. Its tower is taller than every conventional hotel building in the city, but it is classified as a telecommunications/observation tower rather than a standard high-rise building.
History of the Stratosphere and The STRAT
The tower grew from the ambitions of Las Vegas casino operator Bob Stupak, whose Vegas World casino previously occupied the site. Stupak wanted a tower that would change the city’s skyline and give visitors elevated views, dining, and entertainment.
Construction began in February 1992. The project endured financial difficulties and a major construction fire on August 29, 1993. UNLV Special Collections preserves extensive historical footage and records from the Bob Stupak Professional Papers documenting the tower’s planning, construction, fire, and opening.
The Stratosphere officially opened on April 30, 1996. The resort encountered financial trouble almost immediately, and Stratosphere Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 1997.
Carl Icahn later gained control of the property, and American Casino & Entertainment Properties was eventually formed to oversee it. Golden Entertainment acquired the property through its purchase of American Casino & Entertainment Properties in 2017.
On February 4, 2019, Golden Entertainment announced that the Stratosphere would be rebranded as The STRAT. The new identity accompanied a large renovation program covering hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, casino areas, and the observation experience.
Architectural Design and Features
The STRAT combines a large hotel-and-casino complex at ground level with a much taller freestanding observation tower. The concrete tower shaft supports an expanded pod near the top, where visitors find observation areas, restaurants, bars, event spaces, and attractions.
This design explains why the property’s overall height can be confusing. The majority of its 1,149-foot vertical profile is not filled with hotel rooms. Instead, elevators carry visitors from the resort to occupied levels near the top of the tower.
The resort has more than 2,400 guest rooms and suites along with casino, restaurant, entertainment, and pool facilities. These conventional resort spaces occupy buildings that are far shorter than the observation tower.
Near the top, the tower becomes a destination of its own. The current official tower guide identifies indoor and outdoor observation decks on Levels 108 and 109. Top of the World, the property’s rotating restaurant, is on Level 106.
Height Comparison With Other Las Vegas Landmarks
The STRAT clearly rises above nearby resort towers, but an accurate comparison needs to distinguish observation towers from conventional buildings.
| Las Vegas Structure | Type | Height |
|---|---|---|
| The STRAT Tower | Observation tower | 1,149 ft |
| Fontainebleau Las Vegas | Hotel building | 735 ft |
| Encore | Hotel building | 631 ft |
| Wynn Las Vegas | Hotel building | 614 ft |
| Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas | Observation tower | 540 ft |
| Caesars Palace Tower | Hotel building | 435 ft |
At 1,149 feet, The STRAT Tower is about 414 feet taller than the 735-foot Fontainebleau Las Vegas. It also rises nearly twice as high as Wynn Las Vegas.
That does not make The STRAT the tallest conventional building in Las Vegas. The difference comes down to how tall structures are classified: buildings have occupied floors through a substantial portion of their height, while observation towers can have long structural shafts supporting occupied areas near the top.
Observation Decks, Big Shot, X-Scream, and SkyJump
The height of The STRAT is not only a skyline statistic. Visitors can travel hundreds of feet above Las Vegas to reach indoor and outdoor observation areas on Levels 108 and 109.
These decks provide wide views across Las Vegas and the surrounding valley. Because they sit below the tower’s mast, visitors should not assume that standing on the observation deck means they are 1,149 feet above the ground. The 1,149-foot figure is the total height of the tower.
The property’s best-known thrill attraction is Big Shot. According to The STRAT’s official attraction information, the ride launches from a platform about 921 feet high and travels 160 feet up the tower’s mast, reaching roughly 1,081 feet. Its launch speed is listed at approximately 45 mph.
X-Scream extends riders beyond the edge of the tower at about 866 feet above the ground. The official X-Scream page currently lists the attraction as closed, so visitors should verify its status before buying admission with the expectation of riding it.
SkyJump is different from the mechanical thrill rides. It is a controlled open-air descent from the tower. Current official ticketing describes the jump platform as approximately 855 feet above the Strip.
Warning: Tower rides can involve high speed, strong forces, significant heights, and abrupt movement. Height, age, weight, restraint, and health restrictions vary by attraction. Review the current official ride requirements before purchasing tickets.
Pro Tip: Check The STRAT’s official attraction page on the day of your visit. Ride operations can change because of maintenance, weather, or temporary closures, and older travel guides may list attractions that are not currently operating.
Impact on the Las Vegas Skyline
The STRAT Tower has been one of the most recognizable elements of the Las Vegas skyline since 1996. Its slender shaft and elevated pod make it visually different from the wide hotel towers that dominate much of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Its location near the north end of the resort corridor also gives it a distinctive role as a visual marker between the major casino area and central Las Vegas. The property itself describes the tower as a fixture of the Las Vegas skyline, while its height makes it visible from many parts of the valley.
The tower’s development was unusual even by Las Vegas standards. Bob Stupak originally pursued an even taller structure, but aviation concerns affected the final design. Construction challenges, financial problems, and a 1993 fire made the project difficult long before guests reached the observation decks.
Despite those setbacks, the completed tower changed the city’s vertical profile and became closely associated with Las Vegas imagery, much like the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas and other highly recognizable resort structures.
Renovation, Rebranding, and Modernization
The former Stratosphere has changed significantly since its 1996 opening. Golden Entertainment took ownership in late 2017 and began a large property-wide transformation.
The company announced the new The STRAT identity in 2019 and formally unveiled more than $100 million in completed renovations in January 2020. Those improvements covered hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, the casino floor, public areas, and a remodeled observation experience.
The renovation is more useful to current travelers than the unsupported future-development claims sometimes found in older descriptions of the resort. Plans for individual restaurants, room technology, attractions, and entertainment can change, so current property information should come directly from The STRAT rather than from speculative announcements.
Why The STRAT Remains a Las Vegas Landmark
The STRAT stands out because few resorts combine a conventional hotel and casino with a 1,149-foot freestanding observation tower. The property’s height, observation decks, rotating restaurant, thrill attractions, and unusual history give it a role that is different from a typical Las Vegas hotel.
Its biggest claim to fame is also simple: The STRAT Tower is 1,149 feet tall and is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. That fact is more accurate than describing the property as the tallest hotel or tallest building in Las Vegas.
For visitors, the most important distinction is between the height of the complete tower and the elevation of the places they can actually visit. Observation decks, dining areas, and attractions occupy levels below the 1,149-foot summit, while rides such as Big Shot can take guests even higher along the tower’s mast.
If you’re planning a family trip in addition to visiting The STRAT, you may also find this guide to double travel strollers for spring adventures useful when choosing gear for sightseeing with young children.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the height of the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas?
The tower at The STRAT, formerly the Stratosphere Hotel, is 1,149 feet (350.2 meters) tall. That measurement refers to the observation tower rather than the height of the hotel’s guest-room buildings.
Is The STRAT the tallest building in Las Vegas?
No, not under standard tall-building classifications. The 1,149-foot STRAT structure is an observation tower rather than a conventional building. It is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and rises higher than Las Vegas hotel buildings such as the 735-foot Fontainebleau.
How high are The STRAT observation decks?
The public observation areas are on Levels 108 and 109. Structural data places the observatory at roughly 873 feet above the base, well below the tower’s full 1,149-foot architectural height.
What is located at the top of The STRAT?
The upper tower contains indoor and outdoor observation areas, Top of the World restaurant on Level 106, food and drink venues, event spaces, and elevated attractions. Big Shot travels along the mast above its launch platform, while SkyJump begins from an elevated platform on the tower.
Can the public go to the top of The STRAT?
Yes. Visitors can purchase Tower admission for access to the observation areas. Separate tickets or packages may apply to rides and SkyJump. Hours, prices, and attraction availability can change.
Is the Stratosphere Hotel still called the Stratosphere?
No. Golden Entertainment announced a rebrand in 2019, changing the property’s public identity from the Stratosphere to The STRAT. “Stratosphere Hotel” remains a common legacy name and search term.
Sources
- The STRAT — Tower & Observation Deck — current tower height, observation levels, Top of the World, and visitor information.
- The STRAT — Thrill Rides — Big Shot and X-Scream measurements and current attraction information.
- The STRAT — SkyJump — official SkyJump attraction information and requirements.
- The STRAT — 2019 Rebrand Announcement — confirms the transition from Stratosphere to The STRAT and Golden Entertainment ownership context.
- The Skyscraper Center — The STRAT Tower — structural height, tower classification, and observatory elevation.
- UNLV Special Collections — History of the Stratosphere Tower — archival material documenting planning, construction, the 1993 fire, and the original opening.