MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Rating: 4.0 Pearls

The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

Wet Republic

This place truly is grand. Its 5,000 rooms are the second most of any single property in the world -- but that's not the half of it. Rather, what makes the MGM Grand extraordinary is that virtually everything here is big and spectacular and over-the-top -- the casino is the biggest in town; the pool complex is vast; the entertainment options range from big-time boxing matches and arena concerts to adults-only cabaret and Cirque du Soleil; and so many of the restaurants are headed by celebrity chefs that you practically need trading cards to keep track. And even the lion habitat on site was closed permanently in 2012 as part of the hotel's renovation plans, the hotel still has plenty other options to keep you busy.

Rooms were the first area of the hotel to see renovations, which came in at $160 million, another grand touch for the mega-hotel. Service, however, is a different story. Given the enormity of the place, it's not surprising that you don't get much in the way of personalized attention. And long lines at the check-in desk are to be expected, but the staff isn't very efficient even when it comes to handling specific requests. And they can't keep up with mess. But, again, those who demand a higher level of service can get that too at the MGM -- by staying at The Signature at MGM Grand, the resort's all-suites, luxury offshoot.

All that said, this is a solid candidate for those looking to find all the extravagance and variety of Vegas, and comfortable rooms, under one roof. It's worth comparing rates at Mandalay Bay, which offers a similar everything-but-the-kitchen experience, only in a less-desirable location.

View on a Larger Map

MGM Grand is located at about the midpoint of the southern half of the 3½-mile-long stretch of hotel-casinos known as the Las Vegas Strip, across from New York, New York and just north of the Tropicana.

Most Las Vegas visitors want to explore all of the big properties along the Strip. Cabs are easy to find at virtually any time of day or night. A generally less expensive option is the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and costs $3 to ride. There's also a monorail system, which stops at Bally's, Caeser's Palace, Harrah's, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Hilton, and the Sahara, in addition to the MGM Grand. A single ride ticket is $5; a one-day pass is $13. If you're traveling along the Strip with at least one other person, however, a cab is often the least expensive option.

Virtually every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is a 10- to 15-minute cab ride from McCarran International Airport; the ride typically costs about $15.

The Deluxe Room

Renovated rooms and suites were revealved in late 2012, as part of MGM's $160 million Grand Renovation. Rooms are all large and stylish with modern decor and technologies, but West Tower rooms, the hotel's oldest (renovated in 2006) are musty and far from the action.

• Beds have heavy duvets and Serta pillow-top mattresses
• At about 450 square feet, the standard rooms are also reasonably spacious, if by no means very large by Vegas standards.
• Suites start at 675 square feet
• Fee for Wi-Fi.
• 40-inch flat-screen TV
• Carrera marble bathroom
• Jewel-tone color palatte
• Blackout curtains, for resting after those long Vegas nights
• Plug-in media hub, with iPod connectors
• These more expensive rooms include hot tubs, terraces, and in-room bars. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom Skylofts come with 24-hour butlers. Highest-end rooms are multi-level.
• 24-hour room service
• The West Tower is the oldest and furthest tower, having last been renovated in 2006. Rooms are musty and harder to get to than renovated rooms.

The casino

• The clean, spacious, well-equipped fitness center has rows of elliptical machines and treadmills, high ceilings, and natural light from large windows looking out over the expansive pool area.
• The MGM Grand Spa facilities include hot tub, sauna, and steam rooms.
• Gym-only passes are available for a per day fee Mondays through Thursdays. Passes to both gym and spa facilities are an additional per day fee. On the weekends, the only option is to pay a flat rate for access to both.
• As with all MGM resorts, guests have access to the private Shadow Creek Golf Course, about a 20-minute drive from the Strip. The greens are only open to resort guests, and MGM offers a personal limo from the Strip and caddie service.

The Wet Republic pool

• Like almost everything else at MGM Grand, the pool area is huge: 6.6 acres, to be exact. The area has five pools in total, one of which is a long winding river for inner tubes that puts the lazy-river pools at Mandalay and Monte Carlo to shame. Palm trees lend a tropical vibe.
• The pool complex closes during the winter months
• There's an adult pool, and a party pool, called Wet Republic.
• Cocktail service is available; servers are attentive and speedy.
• One word of warning: The MGM pool complex can get seriously crowded in the afternoons; the pools at the MGM Signature are much mellower.

At 171,000 square feet, the casino is the biggest in Las Vegas. It has all the options of the best Strip casinos: tons of table games, a race and sports book, thousands of slots, and particularly active craps tables.

The Lion Habitat

Nothing here is designed especially for kids, but loads of reasonably priced (among some not-so-reasonably priced) dining options and a huge pool area make the MGM Grand a solid option for families. For those families looking forward to visiting the lion habitat, the space unfortunately closed permanently in 2012 as part of the hotel's renovation plans.

Cribs and rollaway beds are available for a fee.

Kid-friendly restaurants include the Rainforest Cafe, with animatronic gorillas and a misty rainshower every few minutes (don't worry, guests stay dry).

The pool area features five pools, including one extremely long "lazy river" for relaxed inner tube rides.

Steak

With some 14 restaurants, many operated by celeb chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Joel Robuchon, and Michael Mina, the hotel is a destination for foodies who are not even guests of the hotel. Only the Wynn's collection of brand-name chefs compares.

• Nobhill is where Mina prepares high-end versions of American tavern fare
• Shibuya has amazing decor and fantastic sushi
• Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is popular, though guests won't have a hard time getting a table
• Joel Robuchon is the hautest of the haute, and most expensive
• L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon has smaller plates of Robuchon's creations.
• Craftsteak is a high-end steak house
• Right next door is Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, which is worth a trip just for a po-boy.
• Fiamma serves Italian.
• The list goes on and on.

Room service is available 24 hours a day, natch.