MGM Grand Evaluation: Nice Pool, however In any other case Underwhelming – NerdWallet

Except you’re seeing a present at one of many MGM Grand’s venues, this lodge on the Las Vegas Strip in all probability isn’t going to be a high place to remain. Certain, there are eating places by superstar cooks Masaharu Morimoto and Emeril Lagasse, plus a on line casino. However in comparison with different Strip accommodations, just like the Bellagio Las Vegas or Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand lacks an actual id. The on line casino feels like every commonplace Vegas spot, and many of the lodge’s inside appears like every massive lodge that caters to enterprise conferences.

However when you don’t care about staying someplace with iconic photograph ops, the MGM Grand has a really massive pool complicated that may possible sway anybody whose superb trip entails sipping a margarita by the pool.

I visited the lodge throughout a press journey in early Could hosted by Go to Las Vegas. My lodge keep and meals had been coated, however this evaluation is my very own opinion and never influenced by MGM or Go to Las Vegas.

The most cost effective possibility, the Studio King room, typically prices round $150 to $200 however can go as much as $450 throughout peak season or as little as $59 throughout gradual durations. Additionally, you will need to pay a $50 resort price on high of those costs.

For those who don’t wish to pay money, you may redeem rewards from two factors currencies at this lodge. MGM Rewards could be redeemed at MGM properties, and factors are price 1 cent apiece irrespective of how you employ them.

MGM additionally has a partnership with Marriott, so you may also redeem Marriott factors in direction of your keep. I noticed nights on the MGM Grand going for 20,000 factors an evening. At a nightly worth of $125, that may web you a worth of barely greater than 0.6 cent per level. NerdWallet values Marriott Bonvoy factors at 0.9 cent a bit, so until you may have a stash of factors you received’t in any other case use, it’s in all probability going to be a greater worth to pay with money.

For those who do determine to ebook with factors, each MGM and Marriott have bank cards that may provide help to earn factors in direction of your keep.

The MGM Grand is situated on the south finish of the Strip, a few 10-minute drive from the airport. It’s a terrific spot if you wish to go to any exhibit or present at New York, New York, nevertheless it’s a few 20- to 30-minute stroll to the Bellagio or Caesars Palace. The lodge does have a monorail cease, although, so you may simply get to that a part of city with out strolling or driving. A single trip will value you $5.50.

The MGM Grand presents commonplace rooms with a king mattress or two queens and several other suite choices. In addition they supply StayWell variations of a few of these rooms, which function air purifiers, reminiscence foam mattresses, important oil aromatherapy and unhazardous cleansing merchandise, for roughly $10 to $50 extra per evening. StayWell rooms are additionally “assured non-smoking.”

I’ve bronchial asthma and love when a lodge presents rooms like this that basically decrease the prospect of one thing triggering an bronchial asthma assault. However in keeping with the web site’s FAQs, all rooms on the lodge are speculated to be non-smoking. I don’t like doubtlessly having to pay extra to ensure the earlier visitor didn’t smoke in a non-smoking room.

I stayed in a Grand King which usually prices $30 to $60 greater than the Studio King. The lodge is at the moment being renovated, and my room was not too long ago up to date. Older rooms will look a bit totally different. My room featured a cushty king mattress, desk and seating space by the window.

After I’m working from a lodge, I don’t need the mattress to be my zoom background, so I actually appreciated that the desk didn’t fully face the mattress. However the artwork within the background doesn’t totally scream “skilled zoom assembly.”

The lavatory has a big walk-in bathe and an enormous lighted mirror, which was a pleasant contact. Having the whole mirror mild up supplied good lighting for doing make-up.

General, I preferred the room, however my room solely had a single air vent by the window, and the thermostat was on the wall a few foot beneath it. You additionally couldn’t set the thermostat beneath 65 levels Fahrenheit. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a problem. However with the thermostat so near the one vent, it hit 65 levels effectively earlier than the remainder of the room had an opportunity to chill down.

There was additionally no lavatory fan. So after showering, the steam made the lavatory downright sweltering. If a number of individuals wanted to bathe back-to-back, I’d think about the whole room would begin to really feel very popular and humid.

I’ll admit I hold my thermostat at house set to frigid, and folks much less emotionally connected to central AC in all probability would have been rather more snug. However, I visited in Could earlier than the peak of summer time. I’d be involved about room temperature come July or August.

The MGM Grand has 28 locations to eat on web site, together with sit-down eating places and late-night to-go spots, plus two Starbucks to get your morning repair.

One of many latest additions to MGM’s restaurant roster is Netflix Bites, a one-year pop-up restaurant impressed by the streaming platform’s authentic exhibits. To be trustworthy, I used to be anticipating the “Stranger Issues” model of Rainforest Cafe, with gimmicky decor and subpar meals. However the meals was good, albeit a little bit uninspired. Whereas there are some meals pulled straight from Netflix exhibits (shoutout to “Attempt Earlier than You Deny” pizza with pineapple), the menu is usually easy American fare with punny names, like “Orange is the New Mac” and “Eggs Benedict Bridgerton.”

I loved the Nachos Nevermore, which had been commonplace nachos that had a great mixture of toppings and chips that didn’t get too soggy. However the one actual differentiator to maintain it on theme was a blood-red salsa impressed by Wednesday.

Nonetheless, when you’re eager for a enjoyable meals photograph op, the “Crimson Chunk, Inexperienced Chunk” was a very inventive idea, even when you may get the precise meal (hen nuggets with a number of dipping sauces) at virtually any quick meals place on the Strip. It comes with three dipping sauces: a spicy pink, mustardy yellow and herby inexperienced. A spinning wheel straight out of Squid Sport helped you determine which dipping sauce to eat.

There was one standout for me, although, that was distinctive, scrumptious and proper on theme: the Thoughts Flayer, a bourbon-based cocktail with lemon juice, blackberries and ginger syrup with a cotton sweet cloud on high. The blackberry items floating within the drink, plus the cotton sweet cloud actually made it really feel such as you had been within the Upside Down, the darkish, parallel dimension from “Stranger Issues.” I attempted the mocktail model, and it was scrumptious. Usually I’m not a mocktail individual as a result of the shortage of alcohol tends to make drinks too candy for me, however I didn’t miss the alcohol within the Thoughts Flayer. The flavors had been effectively balanced and the ginger added a pleasant kick.

Late-night meals is a should for me, particularly in Vegas, so having eating places which can be open 24 hours or at the least shut after midnight is a large perk. This isn’t uncommon in Las Vegas, however I used to be impressed with what number of eating places stayed open late on the MGM Grand. I attempted a slice of diavola pizza from Luchini Italian Restaurant’s slice store that stays open till 11 p.m. through the week and 1 a.m. on weekends. It made a terrific late-night snack.

To me, the largest draw of the MGM Grand is the sprawling 6.5-acre pool complicated. It’s a fairly far stroll from the on line casino and lodge rooms, however when you’re exterior, it’s simple to neglect you’re at a lodge on the Strip. It was actually the right palate cleanser after battling the Strip crowds for a few days. You’ll be able to swim in a number of swimming pools, float the lazy river or go to the lodge’s new Palm Tree Seashore Membership. And when you’re hungry, the Cabana Grill serves breakfast and lunch.

We had a cabana, which ordinarily prices at the least $500 for the day (some days may value you upwards of $1,200). It comes with a sofa, TV, fridge with non-alcoholic drinks, towel service, and meals and bar service. You’ll nonetheless must pay for any meals or drinks you order. The associated fee could be very steep, however the cabana can seat 10 individuals. Fifty {dollars} an individual wouldn’t be too unhealthy when you’re celebrating an important day.

If you wish to be proper within the motion, you’ll in all probability have a greater expertise at a lodge additional north alongside the Strip, because the MGM Grand is almost a mile south of the Bellagio, the place you may watch a watch a fountain present set to music, go to a superb artwork museum and stroll by means of a conservatory. It’s even additional away from the Linq Promenade the place you may trip a zipline or take within the views from the a big Ferris wheel referred to as the Excessive Curler.

However when you plan on spending lots of your free time on the pool, it’s actually laborious to beat the MGM pool complicated. Simply remember, when you’re visiting in the midst of summer time, your room would possibly get a little bit sizzling. For those who like a chilly lodge room like I do, that is likely to be a great motive to remain elsewhere.