NoMad Hotel: $169

Total after taxes and resort fees: $239.26

■ Background: The NoMad, which has sister properties in New York and London, is tucked inside the Park MGM like an exotic nesting doll. Esteemed French architect Jacques Garcia designed the boutique property, whose eclectic furnishings deserve a cameo in Wes Anderson’s next film.

■ The room: The nearly 300-room hotel has its own elegant entrance and lobby, where I didn’t have to stand in a loud, long line only to be told that I couldn’t check in until 3 p.m. While I waited for my room, a gracious staff member showed me around. The tour covered the main sights: NoMad Bar, NoMad Library Restaurant, a former convenience store that could double as an Oxford don’s office.

The NoMad’s rooms occupy the top four floors of the Park MGM, and the two hotels overlap at several points, such as the elevators, fitness center and, during the offseason, the pool. When I stepped onto my floor, I left behind bright and shiny Vegas for timeless Europe.

My room overflowed with character. An old travel trunk housed the minibar. A soaking tub with artworks within splashing distance sat in a small alcove near the bed. A languid couch the color of cocoa nibs stretched under a long picture window. I had two sinks, two desks and more old-fashioned light switches than I could ever use in one evening.

The snack station had the same rules as Caesars, but the coffee maker came with free pods. The bed was covered in white linens as crisp as sails. The towels were thick enough to soak up any bathtub incidents.

■ Restaurants and shops: The NoMad Bar is only open on weekends and during Dolby Live events. The book-lined restaurant serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday. I stayed on a Monday, so I had forage for food in the Park MGM. From the casino, the route to the hotel is paved with Korean barbecue, a steakhouse, noodles, a Cuban food truck and Eataly, the Italian food emporium.

■ Highlight attraction: Drinking Vegas tap water out of an embellished glass coupe made in France.

■ Did we get what we paid for? Not really. The room was exquisite, and the staff doted on me. But the point of booking this tranquil retreat was to escape the frenetic hotel-casino scene. But the opposite happened: I felt as if I were a Park MGM guest who was just passing through the NoMad.

■ The takeaway: You can’t judge a Vegas hotel by its rate. I’m no longer suspicious of super-low prices. If I need a place to simply rest my head, I’ll definitely hand over my lunch money to an $11 place and use the savings for other splurges on the Strip. I will also not be so complacent with higher-priced properties. A steeper rate does not always translate to a more refined or amenity-rich experience.

I could’ve spent an extended stay at Vdara because it falls into my comfort zone. But for a quintessential Vegas vacation, I would go back to Caesars Palace as long as I could snag a room for less than $50. A more expensive rate would eat into my dry cleaning budget, which I would need upon my return home.