Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

78
CHAPTER 5 . WHERE TO STAY
MGM houses a prestigious assemblage of dining rooms, among them the
Wolfgang Puck Café, Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House, and Mark
Miller’s Coyote Cafe. These, along with buffet offerings and the Rainforest
Cafe, are reviewed in chapter 6.
As befits a behemoth of this size, there’s an appropriately gigantic casino. The
family-friendly EFX Alive! has closed, and a new (as yet unnamed) Cirque du
Soleil show is due to open in 2004. Plus, there’s La Femme, a very adult topless
show; a hot new lounge, Tabu; nightclub Studio 54; a headliner showroom; and
a larger events arena that hosts sporting events and bigger concerts. See chapter
10 for details on all the nightlife options.
The Lion Habitat is reviewed on p. 183.
The MGM Grand’s spa is a Zen-Asian minimalist wonder, all natural stone
and aged wood. The services offered are quite marvelous—for a romantic outing
or a Mother’s Day treat, try the half-day full services and private room (it’s
a mere $400, but for what you get, it might be worth the price). The state-ofthe-art
health club is larger than most, with some serious machines, including
ones equipped with fancy computer video monitors (it’ll cost you $25 to work
up a sweat here most of the day, but you can use the gym facilities only, without
the whirlpools and other amenities of the spa, for only $10 after 6pm).
The swimming pool area is a rousing success. The 6.6 acres of landscaped
grounds feature five pools, including the longest lazy river in town.
It’s not a family-friendly hotel anymore, but it still offers the MGM Grand
Youth Center, a first-rate facility for children ages 3 to 16, which has separate areas
for different age groups. The center has a playhouse and tumbling mats for toddlers,
a game room, extensive arts-and-crafts equipment, video games, a dining
area, and a large-screen TV/VCR for children’s movies. Call & 702/891-3200 for
details and prices.
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at Tropicana Ave.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/929-1111 or 702/891-7777. Fax
702/891-1030. www.mgmgrand.com. 5,034 units. $69–$329 standard double; $99–$2,500 suite. Extra person
$25. Children under 13 stay free in parent’s room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities:
Casino; events arena; showroom; cabaret theater; 2 wedding chapels; 14 restaurants; outdoor pool; health club
and spa; Jacuzzi; sauna; youth center; game room/video arcade; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business
center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms;
executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, hair dryer, iron and board, safe.
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino When it was built, the massive Monte
Carlo was the world’s seventh-largest hotel. It’s now considerably overshadowed
by its high-profile, more theme-intensive brethren. Entering it is still nice, as it
comes off more as a European casino hotel alternative (before Bellagio usurped
that position), replete with Corinthian colonnades, triumphal arches and big
and busy statuary, with an entranceway opening onto a bustling casino. A separate
entrance in the rear of the hotel leads to a splendid marble-floored, crystalchandeliered
lobby evocative of a European grand hotel. We love that the guest
rooms are accessible without going through the casino, but we hate that said
rooms are somewhat dingy and badly in need of a makeover, with dinky bathrooms.
The pool area, once the very last word in local pool fun, is now put to
shame by better versions (including superior lazy rivers) over at Mandalay Bay
and the MGM Grand. It does have a number of child/family/budget-friendly
restaurants. All in all, just about last on our list of second-choice hotels, but a
serious room redo, plus some work on the pool area, could move it up fast.
The Monte Carlo’s Pub & Brewery and Dragon Noodle Co. are described
in chapter 6. In addition, there is a highly recommended branch of the classic