Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other U.S. city, but unlike many other tourist destinations, it generally isn’t known for trendy boutique hotels.

Downtown Las Vegas is trying to shake the city's reputation as a place that likes to blow up old buildings.

Mexican passengers stare out the tiny airplane window, watching as an expanse of desert appears beneath them. Shrouded in baby blue skies dotted with soft, white clouds, the 747 draws closer, passing over master-planned neighborhoods, all part of the city's larger grid pattern.

A big green hooray for you! You've dutifully hung your towels on the rack instead of leaving them on the bathroom floor. You've chosen hotels with low-flow showers and compact fluorecent light bulbs. You've opted for shampoo from a dispenser instead of those tiny bottles. And a big green hooray for the hotels offering these amenities (and saving on operating costs in the process).