Location & Check-In
The MGM Grand is located at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, exactly the opposite spot of where I am coming from. The drive to get to the hotel was easy on a late Sunday afternoon.
Once there I looked for the parking garage and followed the signs for self-parking. Because I am a Gold member of the M-life rewards program, I don’t have to pay for self or valet parking. Once I got to the gate of the parking garage, I swiped my M-life rewards card and was able to get in.
I headed to the lobby to check in. It’s quite a walk from the parking garage to the check-in counter. It’s even more interesting if you have bags and need to use an elevator. It took me a second to find the best way to the lobby from the “Underground”. That’s what the hotel calls this area between the parking garage and the hotel lobby.
I lined myself up in the elite check-in line. Lucky for me again that I have status with M-life. The regular check-in line was long and was only slowly moving. At the counter, I received my room keys and headed up to my room. The elevators for my tower were just passed the lobby and the first right once inside the casino.
Grand Queen Strip View Room
I booked a room with two queen beds. The room was a couple of dollars cheaper than the Grand King with the strip view. Once I got out of the elevator I had to orientate myself and see which of the many hallways would lead to my room. I was the first one to the left and almost all the way down to the end.
The room itself had a lot of open space to move around freely. The two beds had also quite some space in between them. The beds are on one side of the room and right across in the center the TV and minibar. Be careful using any of the items in or on top of the minibar. They are expensive and you are better off grabbing your own supplies at a store outside of the hotel. However, if you use the minibar to cool your own beverages and empty them out, they charge you a $50 restocking fee. I don’t know if they will notice if you put everything back in as you found it. If you try to go that route, be sure to deny housekeeping. I didn’t even touch the minibar. First of all, I planned on having dinner anyway, and second, the items are to expensive.
The TV will greet you with your name after you turned it on. They had a decent amount of channels to watch and lucky you don’t have to pay for any of that. It is included in the $30 resort fee. That’s why you pay for it, to watch free tv for free and use the pool or gym. That’s why Vegas need a resort fee.
The bathroom had a regular size and was spacious enough to not feel trapped.
The room offered a decent view of the strip and the New York New York right across. From the elevator lobby, you are able to see the Las Vegas airport.
Public Areas
This hotel has definitely a lot to offer. It was too much for me to explore everything in one night. They have the T-Mobile Arena, a huge casino, a pool area, lots of shops and boutiques, entertainment places, the Cirque Du Soleil, a nightclub, tons of restaurants, and a food court.
The pool area is pretty nice but you have to show your room key to enter the area. Behind the pools are the signature towers, a more private part of the hotel.
If you want to buy anything at the small shops, like something to drink, don’t forget to bring your ID with you. They won’t allow room charges without ID. This is weird because I had no problems at the Mirage and they also belong to M-life. Because of that rule, the hotel lost some revenue from me. I just wanted to buy a couple of bottles of soda but I only had my room key with me. So no chance for me or otherwise I had to go back upstairs, grab my wallet and either pay cash/card or bring my ID.
I am sure no matter what you like, there is something for you to do at the MGM Grand. I didn’t have a chance to check out the Grand Garden Area or Topgolf, the newest and hottest way to celebrate and “play” golf.
The MGM is directly connected to the Las Vegas Monorail. This makes accessing the rest of Las Vegas a breeze. Leave your car in the parking garage and head out by foot or monorail.
Dining
The MGM offers food for every taste in every size and shape. Besides the food court, there are numerous restaurants and bars throughout the property. Really, there is something for everyone here. From exclusive fine dining all the way down to fast-food chains. For dinner, I decided to try Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill and one of their burgers. The burger was great, there was no waiting time to get a seat at the restaurant compared to other places. Service was good and quick and the burger tasted great. Nothing special but it was a good burger.
For breakfast, I went to AVENUE CAFÉ. They open early and are right next to Starbucks. While everyone was waiting in line to get food from Starbucks, I was seated immediately and my order only took a few minutes to prepare. The coffee was good as well and it was overall a great breakfast. Probably a little bit more expensive than Starbucks but it was something different and it tasted really good. I love freshly prepared breakfast, I guess who doesn’t?
Check out this link for a list of all the restaurants and dining options at the MGM Grand.
Address:
3799 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
USA
Phone: +1 (877) 880-0880
Web: https://mgmgrand.com
See Map below
Hotel
- WiFi
- Self parking / Valet parking for a charge if no status with M-life Rewards
- Business Center
- Fitness Center
- Pool
- Restaurants
- Bars and Nightclubs
- Monorail Station
Room
- WiFi
- Flatscreen TV
- Coffee Maker
- Dry Cleaning Service
- Minibar
- Safe
- 24 h Room Service
Most Las Vegas casinos started to charge for parking now. The transition started in 2016 and the parking rates are going up. However, if you are a member of the M-life rewards program, you can park for free under the following conditions.
- Self-parking is complimentary* for Pearl, Gold, Platinum, and NOIR M life Rewards Members
- Valet parking is complimentary* for Gold, Platinum, and NOIR M life Rewards Members
Otherwise, it’s currently $12 for a night of self-parking or $20 a night for valet parking.
- Location
-
Address:
3799 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
USA
Phone: +1 (877) 880-0880
Web: https://mgmgrand.comSee Map below
- Amenities
-
Hotel
- WiFi
- Self parking / Valet parking for a charge if no status with M-life Rewards
- Business Center
- Fitness Center
- Pool
- Restaurants
- Bars and Nightclubs
- Monorail Station
Room
- WiFi
- Flatscreen TV
- Coffee Maker
- Dry Cleaning Service
- Minibar
- Safe
- 24 h Room Service
- Parking
-
Most Las Vegas casinos started to charge for parking now. The transition started in 2016 and the parking rates are going up. However, if you are a member of the M-life rewards program, you can park for free under the following conditions.
- Self-parking is complimentary* for Pearl, Gold, Platinum, and NOIR M life Rewards Members
- Valet parking is complimentary* for Gold, Platinum, and NOIR M life Rewards Members
Otherwise, it’s currently $12 for a night of self-parking or $20 a night for valet parking.
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.