What is an inexpensive but still nice hotel on the strip in Vegas to stay in?

I'm planning a Vegas trip in a few months. We usually have a lot of people going and splitting the cost so we stay in a place like the Venetian, but this time, that's not the case and budgets are tight. I'm not interested in staying in a cruddy motel off the strip. Are there any good hotels with good prices that aren't cheesy like Excalibur or Circus Circus? Anyone's experience at a less expensive yet fun, nice, "non-kid themed" hotel would be great.