My wife and I are budget-hotel people.  We've staged at the Excalibur and Tropicana in the past, and although they were expectedly disappointing, it was in the least, expected.  On a whim, we glanced at the Mirage prices, and decided to splurge the extra $50 per person for the entire trip.  And, now we have found our new go-to Vegas hotel.  Fabulous rooms, great restaurants and the best pool in Vegas.  Absolutely worth the extra few dollars!  One word of caution though -- do not move anything in the mini-bar.  We ended up getting charged an extra $10-15.  Not a big worry in the big scheme of things, but certainly something to watch out for in your bill.