MGM vs Planet Hollywood

So my last three trips to Vegas I have stayed at PH and am kind of tired of it. I have also stayed at flamingo, rio, Excalibur before. So thinking of giving MGM a try, there will be about 5 or 6 guys in our late 20s and early 30s. It will be during march madness so just drinking, gambling and watching basketball. So what does the board think about MGM vs PH?

 

I personally don't care for the sportsbook at MGM. I don't know, just the way it's set up doesn't appeal to me. So for March Madness, if that was my priority, I'm not sure I'd do it.

Otherwise it's a great property, but it's going to skew a little older than the crowd at PHo.

It's way nicer than Excalibur. And the food options are among the best in town.

 

5 or 6 guys in their late 20's early 30's? I would stay at Planet Hollywood. Do you have a TR card? Preferably you or someone else does and get an upgrade on the room. Planet Hollywood is geared to guys like yourself, with half naked girls dancing on your blackjack table, rooms with a widescreen TV, many, many places to eat and be merry, immediately on the center Strip for your viewing pleasure, and many casinos close by to watch the games (PH, Paris, and especially Ballys).
I vote for Planet Hollywood.

 

While I love MGM for just about everything. It's my 'home' casino.
In my opinion its sportsbook is terrible.
When I want to bet/watch sports I'll go to just about any other casino.
MB has one of the better ones.

 

I vote for PH as well. Go go dancers, center strip. Plus the best quick sandwich shop there is, the Earl!

 

I've been doing MGM my last few trips... did a bachelor party trip and we have around the same age group as you.
We like MGM. The new renovated rooms and suites are really nice. I don't think you are gonna make it down to the pool but MGM definately wins that one if you do. There is definately a mixed crowd age-wise and there isnt a "party pit" with dancing girls but I think you guys will fit right in.
Dining option:
Late night-- wofgang pucks is open- really good food... and probably gonna cost you about the same as any 24 hour diner. Plus there are a couple dining options in the food court late night as well.
Overall dining: As others have mentioned there are some really good restaurants, plus look out for happy hour deals-- alot of the higher end places have drink and dining specials at the bar during happy hour. The buffet is usually very good, but I would avoid the studio cafe-- I found it to be overpriced for mediocre food.

I definately agree with the others that the sportsbook is not that great but you can run across to NYNY or take the tram to MB.... Oddly enough I actually prefer Excaliburs sportsbook to MGMs.
One definate stop for me and my friends is hooters casino. Go out the hotel lobby and cross tropicana. Cheaper gaming.... wings at the hooters and cheap prime rib at the mad onion. And if you dont feel like gambling bud lights are only 2 bucks.

 

if your big priority is march madness I would skip MGM. I am a big fan of PH myself, however have also stayed there my last 3 trips. For Sports book, and location I have been a big fan of Bally's. I don't know why but I have had great luck getting smoked at Bally's while gambling a relatively small amount. We are going to try Mirage in a couple months for a liberation party (divorce) because it is reasonable, sports book has great video poker bar near by for free drinks, and easy walk to clubs just to the north....

just my two cents. good luck!

 

The NYNY sportsbook is worse than MGM.

 

Is it really? I went to that Sporting House place.... or whatever the old ESPN zone place used to be.....that place seemed really cool to watch a game although service was horrid

 

For guys your age, which is same as I am, I know that I personally was bored to death at the MGM when we were there on our guys trip a few years ago. I go to Vegas to have a good time and even though the rooms were slightly better at the MGM in terms of overall condition, I just didn't get a 'good time' vibe while there. A lot more families rooming around and young kids, and it to me was more of a 'family' place. Quite the opposite of what I get at PH. If your tired of PH i would look to a place like the NYNY or Aria...just imo....much more of a lively place.

 

That place isn't bad...forgot about that. The sportsbook itself is tiny, though.

 

Yea going to stick with PH. The location, earl of sandwich and the abc store in the mall helps me pick PH. Plus I think we are going to do the march madness viewing party there on Friday. Oh yea and the free room they give me helps to.

 

If I were your age and with a group of guys the ONLY thing that MGM would have over PHo would be the pool. MGM was our home casino for the first several years of going to Vegas but we may have fallen out of love with it. They seem to have lost their focus on exactly who they are catering to. I think they tried to shift a little to your demographic but missed the mark and annoyed their older crowd in the process.

The MGM pool complex ROCKS though and is huge and packed with hotties during pool season.

For everything else young and party-like I'd say PHo wins hands down not to mention its great location.

That being said, after staying there I've found I'm too old for it

 

I think the MGM Sportsbook is great.
There have a shit load of TVs and huge TVs as well.

I have seen bathrooms larger than the NYNY sportsbook place.

MGM just doesn't seem to have a great selections of restaurants that I like so when I used to stay there I was always going other places to eat.

 

It's not that they don't have a large set of TVs, it's just that space is limited and the chairs are uncomfortable IMO.
I always thought the thing they have going for them IS their restaurants.

Just goes to show: to each his own in sports watching and food

 

Gosh I don't know! Lesser of two evils. Both have been causing me grief lately. The parking sucks at both places, and both are extremely massive, difficult to navigate properties. But, I will say I like MGM better because the rooms are remodeled, and actually nearly everything is remodeled! PH the rooms are showing wear. But they have the mall, and they have Earl of Sandwich, and a better strip location...

The resort fee is $28 with tax at MGM so factor that into your room rate. For me, if they were equal in price i'd take MGM. Other than that I'd go with whichever was cheaper.

MGM does have some good dining. A quick meal at Wichcraft is good, also I hear Craftsteak is amazing, and hello truffle chips at Wolfgang Puck, but I kinda agree, none of their restaurants have any "hype"

 

Heather, why are you parking at Planet Hollywood and not at Paris? It's much easier and faster. Just go down the escalator and exit Paris, which you do by using the door closest to PH. When you go out you just cross the ADT driveway and you're in PH. It takes 5 minutes and you avoid the Mall.

 

Waverunner, I like the way you think but is it really a timesaver? You still have to walk down the hallway with the Restaurants in Paris and through the Casino and then over to PH.

I have parked in the PH garage and the good thing is you can usually park right by the elevators (guess everyone is parked at Paris...lol), and the walk through the mall isn't that bad. I guess if the distance bothered me that bad, I would valet at PH.

I will try your idea on my next trip.....I usually spend alot of time in both places, so in a way it is one big property to me.

I definitely agree that parking is a pain at PH, and most strip properties. When I have a car, I usually take it out in the morning to do some exploring, and maybe in the evening if I go downtown; so I can live with a long trek once a day. If I used it more the distances would bother me more.

BTW, while the rooms are small I have found the tower serviced by the Empire Elevators at NYNY are very convenient. The parking garage, front desk, pool, gift shop and the coffee shop are pretty much right by the elevators. And, because of the way the NYNY is chopped up the rooms are all right by the empire elevators. But, as I said, I love NYNY but the rooms are a little small.