Black Hat USA: Hotels & Where to Stay
1 Aug – 6 Aug 2026 Mandalay Bay Convention Center 22,000 attendees
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Black Hat USA 2026 runs 1 to 6 August at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, opening with four days of deep technical trainings before the two-day Briefings and Business Hall bring the full crowd of around 22,000 security researchers, CISOs, red-teamers and vendors together. It is the corporate anchor of 'hacker summer camp', with DEF CON following immediately afterwards, which means many attendees stay a week or more and the south end of the Strip books out hardest. Staying inside the Mandalay Bay complex or in the connected Luxor and Delano towers removes the daily commute entirely, and those rooms are the first to go once trainings registration opens. August in Vegas is brutally hot, making hotel proximity a genuine comfort decision rather than a luxury. This page carries live, bookable rates sorted by real distance to Mandalay Bay so you can compare on-property convenience with mid-Strip value before both tighten.
Popular areas for attendees: South Strip · Mandalay Bay / Luxor area · Downtown Las Vegas.
- Hotels sorted by actual distance to Mandalay Bay Convention Center, including the connected Luxor and Delano options that skip the commute entirely
- Live 4 and 5 star rates across the South Strip and Downtown compared in one place
- Free-cancellation rates prioritised, useful when training sign-offs and DEF CON plans are still moving
- Instant tax invoice at checkout, which resort-fee-laden Vegas bookings often make painful elsewhere
Event at a glance
- Dates
- 1 Aug – 6 Aug 2026
- Venue
- Mandalay Bay Convention Center
- City
- Las Vegas, USA
- Airport
- LAS
- Attendance
- 22,000
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Hotels ranked by walking distance.
Flexible bookings
Pay Weekly available on free cancellation rooms.
Rates shown for the event window, Fri, Jul 31 → Fri, Aug 7 (arrive the day before, leave the day after) — or choose your own dates above.
Hotel rates near major event venues rise as the dates approach and the closest hotels sell out first. Booking a free-cancellation rate early locks the price with no downside.
On the map
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Where to eat during Black Hat USA
CES dinners book out weeks ahead — the good rooms near the Convention Center go first. These are the spots Vegas regulars actually take clients: reserve before you fly, and keep one casual back-up for the nights the schedule slips.
Piero's Italian Cuisine
Italian · old-school Vegas
Convention Center Dr — 5 min walk from LVCC
The CES institution — directly across from the Convention Center, dark booths, osso buco, and half the industry in the room during show week.
Tip: Book weeks ahead for CES week; ask for a booth for client dinners.
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Golden Steer Steakhouse
Steakhouse · since 1958
W Sahara Ave — 6 min drive
Vegas's oldest steakhouse — Sinatra's booth is still there. Tableside Caesar, dry-aged steaks, and the kind of room that closes deals.
Tip: CES week reservations open ~60 days out and vanish — set a reminder.
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Lotus of Siam
Northern Thai
E Flamingo Rd — 10 min drive
Repeatedly called the best Thai restaurant in America — khao soi and crispy duck worth leaving the Strip for, with a deep Riesling list.
Tip: Order the Northern Thai specials, not the standard menu.
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Raku
Japanese izakaya · robata
Chinatown, Spring Mountain Rd — 15 min drive
Where Strip chefs eat after service — charcoal-grilled skewers and house-made tofu until 2am. Perfect for the night the show runs late.
Tip: Open till 2am — ideal for a post-booth-teardown dinner.
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Esther's Kitchen
Italian · pasta & natural wine
Arts District — 12 min drive
The Arts District favourite — house pastas and sourdough that locals queue for. A relaxed team dinner away from convention crowds.
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Joël Robuchon
French fine dining
MGM Grand — 14 min drive
The only three-Michelin-star room in Las Vegas — the deal-closing dinner when the contract is big enough to justify it. Jacket recommended.
Tip: Tasting menus only — plan 3 hours and book the moment your dates lock.
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Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
Steak · Spanish
Sahara Las Vegas — 5 min drive from LVCC
José Andrés does carnivore theatre — wood-fired steaks and Spanish plates minutes from the Convention Center. The impress-a-client room closest to CES.
Tip: Closest fine dining to LVCC — the CES-week table everyone fights for.
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Vesta Coffee Roasters
Specialty coffee · café
Arts District — 12 min drive
Las Vegas's best specialty roaster — proper flat whites and quiet tables for the morning email triage before the halls open.
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Peppermill Fireside Lounge
American diner · 24 hours
Las Vegas Blvd — 4 min drive from LVCC
The neon-lit 1972 institution — open 24 hours, giant breakfasts, and booths that have hosted more informal CES meetings than most suites.
Tip: Open all night — the fallback when the only slot a contact has is 7am.
Open in Google MapsAfter the halls close: Las Vegas
Client dinner, team night out or a free day after Black Hat USA — bookable experiences in Las Vegas, same account, same checkout.
While you're in Las Vegas
Vegas runs on spectacle — if your fair dates line up, few cities give a client a bigger night out.
Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
A night race straight down the Strip — the hottest corporate-hospitality ticket in the city.
Find ticketsLas Vegas Raiders (NFL)
Home games at Allegiant Stadium — an easy add-on if your trip hits a game weekend.
Find ticketsVegas Golden Knights (NHL)
One of the best live-sport atmospheres in the city, at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip.
Find ticketsSphere & Strip residencies
Marquee residencies and the Sphere give you a headline show most weeks of the year.
Find ticketsFixtures recur each season; exact dates for your fair week are confirmed at ticket search.
Getting there
From Harry Reid International (LAS)
- Mandalay Bay is one of the closest Strip resorts to the airport; a taxi takes about 10 minutes and typically costs USD 20 to 30 including fees
- Ride-hail pick-ups are from the designated garage levels at Terminals 1 and 3, and prices are usually similar to taxis outside surge periods
- There is no direct rail link from the airport; RTC buses exist but involve transfers, so nearly all attendees ride or drive
- Taxi queues after the last evening banks of arrivals move quickly, but early-August conference Saturdays are the busiest window
Arriving by road or from regional airports
- Driving from Southern California takes four to five hours via I-15, longer on Friday afternoons; Mandalay Bay self-parking makes a car workable
- Some attendees position through Phoenix, Salt Lake City or LA when LAS fares spike during hacker summer camp week
- If you land mid-Strip by mistake of hotel choice, the RTC Deuce bus runs the length of Las Vegas Boulevard around the clock
- Allow generous buffers on departure day, as LAS security lines swell when Black Hat and DEF CON crowds overlap
Getting around during Black Hat USA
Getting to Mandalay Bay Convention Center daily
- The free Mandalay Bay tram links Excalibur and Luxor to Mandalay Bay, so hotels at the Tropicana Avenue end of the Strip are a genuine no-car option
- Inside the complex, the walk from the hotel towers to the convention centre is long; allow 15 minutes door to session even when staying on-property
- Ride-hail drop-offs at Mandalay Bay funnel through the designated entrances and back up badly at 8:30 to 9:30 on Briefings days
- Walking outdoors between resorts in August means 40C heat; use the air-conditioned casino corridors and the tram rather than the pavement
Around Las Vegas
- The RTC Deuce bus covers the whole Strip on 24-hour passes, and the Las Vegas Monorail serves the east side of the Strip from MGM Grand northwards
- Taxis and ride-hail are abundant but surge during evening party hours; short hops between South Strip resorts are often faster via tram and walkways
- Resort fees and venue-to-venue distances are the two classic Vegas budget surprises, so read rate inclusions carefully
- Evening vendor parties spread across South Strip venues; anything described as 'five minutes away' in Vegas is usually a twenty-minute walk
Visa & entry
Visa-free / visa on arrival
- Attendees from the roughly 40 Visa Waiver Program countries, spanning most of Europe plus Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and others, enter with an approved ESTA for up to 90 days
- The ESTA fee is now USD 40; apply at least 72 hours before your flight even though most decisions come back faster
- Canadians can attend business events like Black Hat without a visa or ESTA
eVisa / visa required
- Nationals of India, China and most countries outside the VWP need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, with consular interview backlogs that can run to months in high-demand locations
- A USD 250 visa integrity fee is being layered on top of standard visa fees for most nonimmigrant categories during 2026, so budget accordingly
- Security researchers travelling with unusual hardware should also review US customs rules on devices and tools before flying
Documents to carry
- Bring your Black Hat registration confirmation and an employer letter if a consulate or border officer asks about the trip's purpose
- Keep your return ticket and hotel details easy to show at immigration
- Your passport should be valid for the full stay, ideally with six months' margin
US visa fees and entry procedures are in flux during 2026, so check the latest official State Department and CBP guidance before booking.
First time at Black Hat USA?
- Decide early whether you are doing Trainings (1 to 4 August), Briefings (5 to 6 August) or both, because the answer changes your ideal arrival day and hotel nights
- Collect your badge at the earliest window you can; the first Briefings morning queue at Mandalay Bay is the longest of the week
- The Business Hall is vast and Briefings rooms are spread across a genuinely large convention centre, so build your schedule with walking time between rooms
- Practice sensible device hygiene as the event advises: patched devices, a travel laptop if your employer requires one, and avoid untrusted networks
- If you are staying on for DEF CON, book the whole span in one reservation now; the gap nights are the hardest to add later
Insider tips from repeat attendees
- Training days (before the Briefings crowd lands) are the calmest time at Mandalay Bay; use them for quiet meetings if you arrive early
- The real conversations happen at evening suite parties and researcher meetups rather than the Business Hall floor; vendor contacts can get you on lists if you ask on day one
- Food inside the convention area is expensive and queued; the Mandalay Bay and Luxor casino-level food courts are faster, and hydrating aggressively in August is not optional
- Use the free Excalibur-Luxor-Mandalay Bay tram instead of ride-hail for South Strip hops, especially at party hours when surge pricing bites
Black Hat USA travel FAQs
Where should I stay for Black Hat USA?
Mandalay Bay itself, or the connected Delano and Luxor, are the gold standard because you never leave air-conditioning between bed and briefing. Failing that, the South Strip cluster around Tropicana Avenue keeps you on the free tram line, while Downtown suits budget-minded attendees willing to commute.
How much do hotels cost during Black Hat USA?
Vegas room rates swing hard with demand, and hacker summer camp week lifts South Strip prices well above normal August levels, with resort fees added on top. The city's enormous room supply means reasonable rates persist mid-Strip and Downtown if you accept a short commute.
How early should I book hotels for Black Hat USA?
Two to four months ahead is wise for Mandalay Bay and its connected towers, which absorb trainings attendees first, and earlier still if you are spanning DEF CON too. Free-cancellation rates make an early hold the obvious play.
Which airport do I fly into for Black Hat USA?
Harry Reid International (LAS) is effectively next door, with Mandalay Bay among the closest resorts to the terminals at around a ten-minute taxi ride. There is no practical alternative airport unless fares spike, in which case some attendees connect via LA or Phoenix.
Should I stay for DEF CON after Black Hat?
Many attendees do, since DEF CON begins immediately after Black Hat ends and the overlap Thursday is one of the best networking days of the year. If there is any chance you will stay, book the full span now, because adding the weekend nights later is far harder than trimming them.
EventEscapes is an independent travel platform and is not affiliated with Black Hat USA or its organizers. Dates and venues can change — verify with the official event site before booking travel.