MGM Grand Rooms / Property vs other options

I've never stayed at the MGM Grand, only passed through for dinner once and to see Kha once, so I'm hoping to get some room Intel and then any other information folks might have on the current state.

This is my first solo trip, looking to stay somewhere with an open/active poker room. I'll spend most of my time watching/betting football, playing VP, live poker and craps. I don't plan to eat any fancy meals and I'll be in town Saturday night through Tuesday morning.

I've got the option of NYNY, Delano, MB, Park MGM, Mirage or MGM Grand comped. Really, MGM Grand is the only of those with an active poker room (last time I stayed at MB the poker room was never larger than 1-2 tables, if running a game at all). I don't mind walking to play elsewhere, but to me it seems like MGM Grand is my best option, unless there is a specific reason I should actively avoid it.

The room offered is a MGM Grand King Strip View. I've read the west tower I believe is one to avoid, any thing else I should know before deciding on MGM Grand?

I appreciate any insights folks have to offer!

 

@Count de Monet is my authority for poker action. Perhaps he can chime in . . . . .

 

Park MGM gets you nice and close to Aria & Bellagio poker rooms, which are the only 2 proper rooms open mid-strip.

Mirage puts you across the road from Wynn/Venetian, which are the only 2 decent rooms open north strip.

 

Stayed at the MGM Grand once a few years back, double queen strip view. Did not like the room at all, although the room layout was almost identical to the Mirage, with a bigger bathroom, but smaller foyer.
I found our room very noisy, both hallway and street noise, with long waiting times at the elevator (pre-Covid). Not to mention the bathtub backed up big time, but that could have been a one-off.
Of all MGM properties I stayed at, the Grand (hotel) is my least favorite. The Signature however is great, love it!
I do like everything else about the Grand, however....pools, restaurant options, casino etc.

 

Park MGM is also inferior to MGM Grand in basically every way. There's a reason it was the last MGM resort to open.
I will say Bavette's steakhouse is excellent though.

 

I’ve stayed at MGM Grand a few times, the Grand rooms are fine tho nothing that stands out IMHO. I think my favorite room that I’ve had there was an Executive Two Queen Suite. We had 3 people and it gave us ample room, esp in the bathroom, which was very large with 2 sinks. These days, I tend to stay elsewhere, but if I was ever going for another event at the Grand Garden Arena (sigh shows please come back), I would stay there again, because proximity to shows/events is very important to me. I can’t speak for poker, sorry.

 

I will say Aria Poker room was busy every day/hour I went by with people usually waiting for a spot to open or for them to open another table. Park MGM is a short walk to the Aria Poker Room

 

The only thing I don't like about Park MGM is no smoking.. I plan to have a couple cigars, and I'd rather not have to wander to another property just to enjoy one, mostly because I don't normally feel like having one until I've imbibed a bit

But if it weren't for that, I agree with everyone's comments about location. So now I have to decide if I want to have to walk for a cigar or walk for poker.

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

how much is a night at Aria with your discounted rate? Might be worth it to have that close poker room and cigars without a walk

 

Bellagio and Aria are each about $100 plus resort fees total for the three nights. That's definitely a thought. I've been watching the Bravo poker app today and bellagio seems to have about 3x the number or tables running. That's a trek from mgm grand, maybe I should fork over the dough and stay at bellagio..

 

haha I would say Vdara so you could be in the middle of both rooms but then you run into the cigar problem agajn

 

MGM used to be our home casino before the wife fell in love with Planet Hollywood and it became our home away from home. The Grand King rooms are nice for a standard room but the bathroom is on the small size and I’m not wild about the tub/shower combo. Agree stay away from the West Wing. Unfortunately the last few times we have visited my wife could not find any of her favorite machines so we don’t spend much time in the casino but do visit the food court every trip for America’s Best Chicken Tenders.

Mark

 

It's the West Wing where the rooms are really tiny (claustrophobia inducing small). The Grand King is a nice room.

 

As fellow poker play and someone who just came back from Vegas yesterday, I would stay at Park MGM or Mirage if they are comped. MGM I think isn't open 7 days a week, but I could be wrong. But I know there isn't always a game and its not that busy. So on strip, Aria, Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn or Caesars might be your best bet. I think alot of the other smaller rooms Ballys, Planet Hollywood, Flamingo arent open everyday.

So basically if you prefer Wynn, Venetian or Caesars Id stay at Mirage. If I preferred Aria or Bellagio id stay at Park MGM.

I think if Id have to pick and your okay with walking, Id take Mirage, because you could go north or south. Park MGM its pretty much north with maybe a game at MGM grand if its running. Also game type is or what stakes you play is probably more important. Personally I like 2/5 with a high max buy in so Wynn is my favorite, Aria in the middle, and Caesars and Bellagio are games I would pass on being its 100 BB deep.

 

Soooo my dilemma was randomly solved.. I was checking out the MGM websites and specifically Bellagio because I wanted to see what restaurants we're open. I noticed that I had a Bellagio specific offer that was different from my Mlife offer. My Bellagio offer included 3 nights comped (Saturday through Tuesday) in a Resort Tower King $50 FP $50 Dining credit. So I swapped over and now I'll be staying at bellagio, which I'm happy about.

Thanks for all the input everyone!