My wife, Kathy, and I have been travelling together for almost 40 years.
We started going to Las Vegas on our 10th anniversary and have been returning for the last 25 years. Our visits have numbered in excess of 50 and we have always worked within a budget. We have frequented most of the MGM property resorts and can offer some insight if you are planning a trip to Las Vegas. I will cover the Las Vegas basics and Las Vegas shows in other posts. In this post I will discuss the hotels we have visited.
Las Vegas Hotels
Take Note. Be careful when you book hotels in Las Vegas because there are hotel fees that do not necessarily show up on your booking and are charged at the hotel on check-in. These fees are in the $30 t0 $40 range per night. If you book vacation packages or on travel websites, you may get a surprise when you arrive at the hotel. Do not assume the fees are included. Read the fine print!
Parking. The hotels now charge for parking so be prepared for a charge that was not there before. See my November 29, 2017 post that talks about the MGM Resorts and the Mlife card that can waive your parking fees at their hotels.
Checkin. Many hotels now offer a mobile check-in. They request your checkin information including your credit card and time of arrival. They email you when the room is available and you go to a separate place to print your keys and avoid the long check-in lines. Works great.
- New York New York
This is now our “go to” hotel in Las Vegas. The New York New York has a good location towards the south end of the Strip and is on a corner with MGM Grand, Excalibur and Tropicana. The parking is at the back with a walk directly into the hotel and down to the check-in.
The rooms are a good size and the King bed rooms are what we usually get. The elevators to the rooms are centrally located so the walking is not bad in relation to many of the hotels.
The hotel has the best range of restaurants for us on the Strip. Try the Beerhaus for happy hours and snacks. There are good opportunities for Mexican food, burgers and pizza. Try the chicken soup and share a sandwich at Greenberg’s Deli.
Walking inside and outside of the New York New York is excellent. The hotel sits on the walkway to T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The gaming tables are getting better because there seems to have been an improvement in dealers. We never used to play blackjack here even when we stayed at the hotel. That is changing as they have picked the place up a notch. You can find enough $10 blackjack tables.
Hotel room prices are going up as people have found the same things we have.
- Monte Carlo
Next door to the New York New York and on the other side of walkway to T-Mobile Arena. We stayed at Monte Carlo last year and will also be there in early 2018. Good hotel but nearly as good as New York New York yet the pricing is about the same.
The parking is good at the back and the walkway takes you right in for check-in.
The hotel is currently undergoing renovations at the front so Diablos and 800 Degree pizza are now gone as are the restaurants inside the hotel at the front. Do not expect the changes to be finished until late 2018.
Some of the hotel rooms have been renovated and they have separate rates for them as compared to the older rooms.
- Excalibur
This is a lower budget hotel in the MGM Resort properties. We stayed there many years ago and it started to slide over time. Lately, it seems to have picked up and looks much cleaner. If money is a little tighter, this is your best option to stay on the Strip.
Parking is easy and it is a good walk to check-in and then to your room.
Good Food Court upstairs and, if you take kids to Las Vegas, they have a kids game area downstairs. Just a note – why would you take kids to Las Vegas? It is NOT the place for kids at all.
You can get $5 blackjack tables here; however, they also come with players who do not know how to play.
- MGM Grand
We have never stayed here because it always seems so big. We do go over to play blackjack and catch a Fat Tuesday’s downstairs past the check-in.
It is getting harder to find a $10 Blackjack table so we may not be as frequent customers.
Ka is here and we have seen it twice. One of our all time favourites.
- Luxor
The Luxor is located between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay. There is an inside walkway connecting all three hotels. There is also a Tram running from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, with a separate Tram from Mandalay Bay to Luxor.
We just stayed at Luxor and it was disappointing. Clearly on a slide and needs some TLC in a hurry. The pricing is starting to reflect the way it is going. Check out other options, and that now includes the Excalibur, if the budget is getting tight.
Parking is good at the back; however, you must walk all the way to the front for check-in and then possibly to the back for the far elevators. Once on your floor the walk can be long if your room is in the far corner. We did this and hence the poor rating.
The Pyramid Cafe is good for breakfast and the Carrot Top show was excellent.
The gaming tables are not bad and you can find a few dealers that talk to you.
- Mandalay Bay
Really nice hotel. We stayed there twice and the rooms were excellent. The price is top end for MGM Resorts. It is on the south end of the Strip and a bit out of the way. Lots of walking or else consider taxi, Uber or Lyft. Driving is usually out is you are having a drink or two.
Parking is good at the back and then you do walk to the front for check-in along the casino. The elevators to your room are right by the check-in.
Lots of restaurants and the options are quite good, especially on the walkway to Luxor. Burger Bar and Slice of Vegas are good. Fat Tuesday’s has a nice slushy drink. Add a shot to finish it off!
The Blackjack tables are at least $15 and this is a bit much for me. I’ve never found Mandalay Bay as a place to sit and gamble.
- Tropicana
We have not stayed here for a long time. They have renovated the rooms and casino and they all look good. This is an independent hotel (not MGM Resorts or Caesars Group) and is in a good location.
The Laugh Factory is in the Tropicana and we have been to it many times as we did with the predecessor, The Comedy Stop. Never had a bad show!
- Mirage
The Mirage is located in the middle / north end of the Strip between Treasure Island and Caesars Palace. We have stayed here a number of times and this is a MGM Resort.
Parking is good and the walk to check-in is not bad. From check-in to the elevators you must walk through the casino which is weak.
The rooms are good and the price is comparable to New York New York. The restaurants are decent with huge sandwich at the Carnegie Deli. Consider sharing with a bowl of soup. The Terry Fator show and Love are excellent and we have seem them both twice.
I think the blackjack tables have slipped because the dealers do not seem as friendly anymore. Overall, if we were going to stay this far down the Strip it would be at the Mirage.
- TI, formerly Treasure Island
We only stayed at Treasure Island once and the junior suite we had was excellent. This is an independent hotel (not MGM Resorts or Caesars Group).
The Gilley’s BBQ restaurant does not fit with the hotel theme but it is good BBQ on the Strip.
The gaming is good and when we are down at this part of the Strip we usually stop in for some Blackjack.
My second cup is now empty…………….
