In Vegas, I stayed at the MGM Grand for $89! There are deals to be had for sure! Look online. I live in SF and it's tougher there. You could probably get something fo $100 just outside of town and use BART to get into town. The stupid part is that it stops at midnight! LA is so huge it depends on where he wants to stay/see. You MUST drive in LA. SF & Vegas you can do on public transport.
Claudia