May and December - Best MLife properties

Hello,

I'm planning 2 trips to Las Vegas in 2020 with my family, one in May and one in December. We will be 3 in May (including a 2 years old baby) and 4 in December (with a 5-month baby).

I received the offers ending end of February and I have all the MLife property rooms free and credits varying between 300 and 650$.

I stayed once at the Mandalay Bay a few months ago with a friend and our level of play earned us those offers. We were treated well during that stay as well.

I don't know much about the MLife properties but I was looking to book the Bellagio twice for something more central since I'm coming with my family. I liked the Mandalay Bay pool with the sand but it's too far from the action with babies. Other properties looked nice such as the Aria, Vdara, MGM...

Which hotel would you booked in May where we will be using the pool everyday but still be central to the strip... And which hotel for the New Year given we will want to be close to the festivities?

Thank you in advance for the advices,

 

My best COMP options are:
- Bellagio Fountain view (Bellagio tower). It this a good spot for Dec 31st and the fireworks? I'm a little bit sold to the fountain even if it looks like there is no balcony in this standard room!
- Bellagio Salone suite (I guess no fountain view)
- Aria Corner suite Mountain view
- MGM Stay Well Tower spa suite
- Mandalay Bay - One-bedroom penthouse sky view 2 queen suite
- Delano scenic suite
- Mirage resort tower (I'm consider this one because of the pool at Mirage)

What would be your choices for mid-May and Dec 31st?

 

You seem ambivalent about staying at MB again, but I really do feel that pool complex makes them the best option for a spring/summer trip, the Sky View suite is amazing, and it's not that hard to quickly get elsewhere on the Strip in this day and age. December 31 is a bit trickier, and my answer would probably depend on what you intend to do that evening.

 

My vote would be the Mirage. It has a great location, a very nice pool complex, in my opinion, and a good variety of food options nearby for both adults and the kiddo's. Especially for your Spring/Summer get a way.

Not sure about your Dec. trip. Like @fugsworth said depends what you might want to do then.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

For the May trip, I guess it's between MB (penthouse suite) and Mirage (room is resort tower). I have a hard time passing on the Bellagio fountain view room as I really think that my 2 years old daughter will love to see the fountain from our room. My wife being pregnant will limit the time we can walk in a day, so it's pretty important to be well located. But I understand MB is only a short drive from the action.

For the New Year trip, we will probably just walk a little bit outside and watch the fireworks. We will be there to enjoy the atmosphere and have a gateway to a warmer city than Montreal! Any hotel close to the action should be good. I thought about the Aria but I didn't like the feel of the casino the last time I went to Vegas. It was less convivial and a cold vide. But I'm pretty sure my wife will like the class level of the Aria. Is it a good option?

Thanks

 

In terms of access, Mirage is going to be the easiest. It's smaller than a lot of the other hotels, so it's easier to get out to Las Vegas Boulevard and also to the pool, which is decent. If you have a strip-facing view, the Mirage Volcano should be a good consolation prize for your daughter. The only problem with Mirage is that it can be smoky, and it's not as classy as it used to be, with MGM tearing down a lot of what made it unique.

As far as the New Year's trip, if access is still a concern for you, I don't think Aria will be a good choice due to the multitude of escalators and stairs you'll need to deal with to get out of the CityCenter (I count the Cosmopolitan as part of CityCenter) complex. In terms of "classiness", I think Bellagio has Aria beat on that end, and the fireworks will be pretty easy to see from the Bellagio. You will have to walk a lot at the Bellagio, so beware of that.

 

Lots of shade available at the mirage pool which will be good for a toddler and pregnant wife

 

I totally agree with @iamsomedude mirage has hallway door (by Starbucks) directly open to strip which is very awesome not like Bellagio where you gotta walk like 1/2 mile to get on strip. It will help your wife a lot being pregnant move around easier. And I’m sure your daughter would like mirage w pool an d it s theme of tropical; I don’t know if you are platinum w mlife but if you are when you check in hotel ask for “platinum experience letter” which is good for 2 free entrance to secret garden your daughter will like it. - however, sounds like your offers at Bellagio and aria is not bad at all we enjoy those two hotels and would prefer staying aria; Aria has access to tram which will come in handy for your family. not to mention aria and Bellagio are newer and better atmosphere (IMH)
Not sure about New Years year never been there during nye time.

btw congrats on second child coming!!! Hooray!!! We have two kids and they are in college I miss them dearly - enjoy your time w little one.. seriously time flies so fast - one time I saw them in diapers, then they were in middle school starting to be teenagers then when I turned around again they are in college! Wow, only if I can have them back at when there were toddlers age if I may give you one advice ... I’m sure you know this but having a daughter is a wonderful .. you gotta be “respectful” w her.. YOU are the first “male” she’s gonna be interacting so what you do as father/male is gonna have huge impression on your daughters life. Treat your wife and daughter w respect then when it’s her time to “date” she’s gonna pick the right boy/man and make you proud. (sorry but dating will happen one day lol. When my daughter went on date it killed me lol) please enjoy Vegas and lovely family!!!!

 

I think I'd stay at Bellagio or MB or MGM Grand for May. They all have good pool areas.

I think I'd stay at Bellagio for NYE. You wouldn't have to go very far outside the hotel to see the fireworks that get launched from Caesars Palace, you'd be able to see them from the fountain viewing area across the port cochere from the main entrance, or from the walkway leading down from the main entrance to the street. You don't want to have to go all the way down to the street, it's a crush of people.

Any hotel except Cosmo, you aren't going to have much of a guarantee of being able to see NYE fireworks from your room, any other hotel there's always going to be 1/2 or more of the rooms that won't have a view of them at all (except ones that are being set off in nearby towns).

 

Delete

 

I have the options to select the Volcano view room and Strip view room in my account, so it should be good for the view. I went for the sports bar in my last strip so I remember a little bit the hotel. I don't remember the hotel being smoky but that's something we will like to avoid!

As for New Year's trip, we're going with the Bellagio. Thanks for your comments

 

Reading the comments makes me think I was going the long way round to get to the strip from the Mirage rooms, I thought they were set way back. All through the casino, past the row of restaurants, out past Rhumbar and the water features and finally to the strip. Certainly felt like a trek, although it wasn't too far to the pool. I rate the pools at MB, MGM and Bellagio better than Mirage, so one of them is where I would stay in May. Bellagio for December due to location.

 

Thanks for the life's advice. I totally agree with you and it's very true that the impression we make on our daughter's life is very important. And since I have a second daughter coming, I will apply those advices twice . And yes time flies, so it's a good reminder to enjoy life as much as possible. And you made me laugh with your daugther going on a date, I'm already thinking about this lol

I'm not a platinum player and will play less in those trips as I will be with the family (so no platinum experience letter). I went once in a MLife property (MB a few months ago) and played enough to get a nice service from the host (limo, all spendings credited, ...). I earned in those 3-4 days of playing the Pearl level. It's the atmosphere of the Bellagio that you're talking about that is appealing to me. With the limited moving, we may stay near the hotel. But the Mirage is better located, so I may settle for this one. The price difference between the Bellagio and the Mirage is crazy. I can stay 8 nights at the Mirage for a total price of 100$ (4 comps + 4 x 25$) but it costs way more for the Bellagio. I have the sense that the Mirage will always be comp for me but the Bellagio / Aria will depend based on the offer and my playing level.

 

Thanks for your comments on the pool and on the advice for New Year's trip, much appreciated.

 

Thank you. It's pretty much unanimous for the New Year's trip and I will go to the Bellagio.

Then for May, I'm still debating between the Mandalay Bay, Bellagio and Mirage

 

Between Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, and Mirage it depends which kind of pool experience you're looking for. We've stayed at 2 of the 3 you are considering and liked them both.

Mandalay Bay has more of a water park type atmosphere. Bellagio is more serene especially if you opt for the Cypress pool loungers. Mirage is the one we haven't stayed at before and from what I've read seems to be somewhere in between.

 

My experience was based on the gaming floor (blackjack), which you have to walk through on the way to the hotel room. Maybe others can chime in on the relative smokiness, but it made an impression on me, mainly because it was not nearly as smoky in the early 00's.

Here's a list on how I personally feel about all three:

Mandalay Bay

• Opinion on Pool: Best pool out of the 3, since it has a lazy river and other features, and it’s huge.
  
• Attractions Closeby: Shark Reef inside the Mandalay Bay, Valley of the Falls outside the Mandalay Bay, arcade in the Excalibur and New York New York (take the tram to get there)
• Kid-Friendly Shows Nearby: Tournament of Kings in the Excalibur, Blue Man Group in the Luxor
• Restaurants: Many offerings at different price ranges - you don't really have to leave the hotel if you don't want to
  
• Distance from Parking Garage to Hotel Room: Probably the longest of the three

Bellagio

• Opinion on Pool: Worst pool out of the 3, since I don't personally like "sterile"-looking pools with no features
  
• Attractions Closeby: Bellagio Fountains, Bellagio Conservatory, Bellagio Chocolate Fountain, Caesar's Palace Statue Show, Mirage Volcano, Paris Eiffel Tower
  
• Kid-Friendly Shows Nearby: Not that I'm aware of
  
• Restaurants: The restaurants here are on the expensive side - you'll have to leave the hotel to get to cheaper options, e.g Bally's Grand Bazaar Shops
  
• Distance from Parking Garage to Hotel Room: I may not be that accurate, but using Google Maps' "Measure Distance" function from the middle of the parking structure to the hotel room, it clocks in at around 1200 feet.

Mirage

• Opinion on Pool: 2nd best pool out of the 3, since it has a waterfall that your daughter can play under
  
• Attractions Closeby: Mirage Volcano, Caesar's Palace Statue Show, Venetian Waterways and Gondolas, Linq High Roller
  
• Kid-Friendly Shows Nearby: Not that I'm aware of
  
• Restaurants: Some mid to expensive-priced options inside the hotel, but the best access to reasonably-priced (and expensive) options, with access to the Linq Promenade, the Venetian, and the Fashion Show Mall
  
• Distance from Parking Garage to Hotel Room: I may not be that accurate, but using Google Maps' "Measure Distance" function from the middle of the parking structure to the hotel room, it clocks in at around 1000 feet.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to write all those details, it's much appreciated.