Las Vegas, Nevada, is known for its resorts and casinos, extravagant shows, and fascinating museums. With this being our first time in Las Vegas during the spooky season, we were greeted with the Sphere appearing as a giant pumpkin. Before we knew it, we ventured away from the strip to Meadows Mall. Walking around the side of the haunted house, we noticed that it was composed of shipping containers. Once we made it through the metal detector, we were faced with the two haunted attractions: Asylum and Hotel Fear. Little did we know that with these haunts, all the tricks and surprises awaited us!
Both The Asylum and Hotel Fear were brimming with disturbed and deranged inhabitants, each bringing their own twisted charm to the night. From the midway to the deepest corners of the attractions, the variety of characters kept us guessing who, or what, would appear next.
Inside The Asylum, the halls were alive with patients, each one uniquely unhinged. No two rooms felt the same, as every actor brought their own personality and unpredictable energy to the chaos. One performer in a pink patient uniform stood out as a highlight of the evening. She twisted and twitched around us for several minutes, creating an atmosphere that was both unsettling and impossible to look away from.
Hotel Fear offered its own collection of peculiar guests and tormented staff, all trapped within the hotel’s cursed walls. While a few rooms seemed vacant during our visit, the actors we encountered made the experience feel alive and interactive. Conversations flowed naturally, never feeling scripted, and several line actors near The Asylum kept the energy high – one of our team members was hilariously overwhelmed as five characters engaged with them at once!
Overall, the cast across both haunts brought strong energy and convincing performances that made each environment feel disturbingly real.
Costuming in both The Asylum and Hotel Fear was well-executed from head to toe, showing strong attention to theme and character.
Inside Hotel Fear, the outfits were aged and distressed perfectly for their setting, giving the feeling that these guests and staff had been trapped within the hotel for far too long. The aging effects carried seamlessly into the makeup work, which blended naturally with the actors’ clothing to create a cohesive, believable look.
Over at The Asylum, the patients showcased a wide range of attire, from torn and bloodstained uniforms to grimy straightjackets, each with its own unique touches. Makeup here was just as impressive, featuring realistic wounds, varying degrees of decay, and an overall sense of chaotic individuality among the inmates.
Across both attractions, actors sported colored contacts, textured prosthetics, and grime that sold their characters. Even the queue and roaming actors matched the stories of their respective attractions, tying everything together visually.
Finding Las Vegas Haunts was easy as could be! Being set up in a shopping mall parking lot, there is plenty of free parking. There was also a haunted house sign at the mall entrance we used. There are also directional signs on the fence around the haunted houses to guide you to the entrance.
Throughout the attraction, there were staff to make sure guests were safe. In both the haunted attractions, the emergency exits were clearly marked. Every member of staff we encountered was very friendly and helpful.
We do want to let any potential guests know that you have to sign a waiver before you enter the haunts. The website is very easy to navigate with an FAQ section, a detailed back story of the haunts, and a link to get directions to the haunt.
Both Hotel Fear and the Asylum have large, themed facades to set the appropriate vibe, but the queue actors helped the most with setting up the story before we entered.
Hotel Fear had a simple storyline that we could understand: we needed to find a numbered door. The sets, props, and actors all fit the theme to progress the storyline. The Asylum was harder to understand the storyline, except that the patients had killed the doctors. Throughout Hotel Fear, we were completely immersed in the story; nothing in the haunt seemed out of place. The Asylum also had strong immersion; every set belonged in an Asylum. Throughout both attractions, we did not feel like we were in trailers (wow, it’s crazy that we were). With the roaming actors and the cemetery, both attractions flowed since they were part of a continuous storyline.
Soundscapes can add ambiance to a haunted attraction as well as add to the storyline. Within Hotel Fear, the constant sound of thunder, with the flash of the lightning in the windows, added to the believability that you are in a hotel on a stormy night. There was also creepy music playing throughout the haunt. The Asylum also had music playing that fit the mental hospital theme.
The scenic design in both the haunted attractions was outstanding. Within Hotel Fear, props were used to make a labyrinthine path. Each room we entered was fully themed with soft lighting highlighting the details. The occasional flash of lightning in the windows throughout also added to the realism. The amount of detail that was added, considering the small space of the trailers, completely enveloped you in the theme and story. Within the Asylum, there were plenty of sets you would expect, like the padded room and the operating table. All the white rooms also helped any props that have colors to pop out and draw attention.
From the moment you enter the common area of the haunts, you encounter a massive animatronic. Hotel Fear uses multiple animatronics; there were only a few rooms that didn’t have an animatronic in them. Each animatronic we encountered was working properly, and the triggers were well-hidden. The soundscape of the haunt helped cover the animatronic noises so they could surprise the guests. There were several animatronics that we had never seen before. The Asylum also uses the animatronics perfectly; multiple rooms had several animatronics. The triggers were also well-hidden.
The special effects in both haunts were amazing. Both haunts had an endless hallway effect that disappeared into a walking path. None of us could figure out how this was done. Hotel Fear used air blasts that were well-timed. The lighting drew attention to parts of the sets. There were several special effects that had an almost Disney vibe to them, like the hidden passages. The Asylum had one of the best strobe rooms we have seen. The combination of the thick fog and slow flashing strobe light was very disorienting, and the actors did an outstanding job of getting us lost in the room. The padded room was also very well done!
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9.5
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 9
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 9
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7.5
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9
Both Hotel Fear and The Asylum delivered a solid mix of surprises and startles that kept the tension high from start to finish.
Hotel Fear wasted no time setting the tone, using a variety of scare tactics in nearly every room. Each space featured at least one actor backed by a hidden effect, whether it was a well-timed air blast or a cleverly concealed animatronic. These setups gave the haunt a steady rhythm of shock and suspense. The finale was particularly effective, catching us completely off guard and sending us sprinting toward the exit.
The Asylum leaned into chaos and unpredictability. Themed freedom allowed actors to follow us for extended stretches, landing multiple scares in quick succession. Some popped out from unexpected nooks while others simply stared, or contorted, in deeply unsettling ways. One especially eerie performer twisted and crawled her way into our nightmares, leaving a lasting impression!
Across both attractions, every member of our group was targeted multiple times. We were constantly on edge thanks to actors who moved through the scenes, returning for second “double tap” scares – often right after an animatronic hit. Hidden triggers, great timing, and a few disorienting strobe-and-fog sequences near the end of The Asylum sealed the deal with a classic, high-energy chaseout.
Both Hotel Fear and The Asylum offer lengthy walkthrough experiences at a price that’s comparable to many single-attraction haunts, making this a strong value for thrill-seekers. We were entertained from the moment we arrived, with queue actors keeping the energy high and plenty of scares waiting around every corner once inside.
Between the two attractions, there’s more than enough action to satisfy horror fans looking for variety and intensity in one stop. Considering the price point and the amount of entertainment packed into the evening, Las Vegas Haunts delivers a great bang for your buck and a night full of fear just minutes from the Strip.
4400 Meadows Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107