South Strip question?

Just booked MGM for 5 nights in late August. But we haven't stayed on the south strip for probably 6 years, have visited that area but only for 4-5 hours per trip. Since we will have the time this trip can anyone tell me about the new things within say the last 5-6 years on the south end? Thank you all.

 

I just came back from Vegas yesterday. The most prominent change is the City Center between Monte Carlo and Bellagio. MGM has some ongoing construction going on. There will be a new park on the NYNY property, with shops, dining, etc. which is in the process of happening now. I don't really understand the full context of your question. The Mid-Strip and South Strip are just minutes apart, basically Harmon Ave. and Tropicana Ave. There are some cosmetic changes to some of the resorts, but it's basically the same as before. The major change to the mid-strip is the Imperial Palace now called Quad with a giant Ferris wheel to be completed in 2014. And Bill's is being replaced by a Butique.

 

Thank you Waverunner. We have only went to the south strip to meet friends and grab a quick bite close to where they were staying. Because of health issues we usually try to stay in the vicinity of our hotel. We will move to Mirage later in the trip. But since we haven't spent days on the south end I was just curious if anything new has been added in the area. Is the construction in the area affecting walking from Monte Carlo and south?

 

The Trop remodel and the ruining of Luxor come to mind. I was very impressed with Tropicana, but have no desire at all to set foot in Luxor again. I can't believe they did that to what was a cool place at one time.

 

No, walking from Monte Carlo to Mandalay Bay will be fine. You can also take the Tram from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay once you cross the bridge from NYNY. What you could do is walk from NYNY to Mandalay Bay, just cross the bridge to the other side of Tropicana Blvd, and walk on the Strip from Excalibur to MB to take pics of Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay. Then you can take the Tram back from MB to Excalibur, then take the Tram from Monte Carlo up to Bellagio with stops at Aria, Cosmopolitan. Also, in front of Tropicana, there's a great view of NYNY, MGM, Excalibur that's great for pics. When you get to Mirage, there will be construction on the opposite side where the new Quad, the Linq, and the former Bill's was. There are 2 crosswalks, one in front of Margaritaville, and one between Caesars/Mirage.....which is what i used to get past the construction even though it's still accessable from Harrah's to Bally's if you choose to travel on that side of the Strip. The reason i bypassed it most days was when you walk to/from Harrah's and Flamingo you MUST walk into/out of the Quad.

 

The Lounge at the Trop has excellent live entertainment in the evenings and in the afternoons Thomas at the bar in the Lounge makes the best mojito I've had anywhere.

 

MGM is completely new, top to bottom. Lots to see there.

CityCenter! It's great to explore (assuming that counts as south strip). Definitely go visit Aria, they have a wonderful casino. Also you must visit Cosmo. Cosmo is really a sight to be seen. Go have a burger at Holstiens, or some "Secret Pizza". Also assuming it counts as south strip PH has been remodeled pretty much top to bottom (nothing super impressive but there is a lot to do there). The new Gordon Ramsey places Steak and Burgr are big additions over there.

Also some changes are happing at Mandalay Bay, but not too much just yet. But it's still one of my favorite places to stay and play. A few new restaurants are opening as well as a nightclub.

Luxor, Excalibur, NYNY and Monte Carlo are just continuing to age pretty much. Luxor had a casino remodel a few years ago. But everything else is just as it was for the most part (they are about to start working on The Park behind Monte Carlo)

 

Nothing major (large) has really changed over the past 6 years.
Like others have said MGM has changed some on the inside. No more Seablue, no more cafe, no more lions, lots of other small changes. Some still in progress.
Refreshed rooms and casino.

Is Aria really considered south strip? Seems closer to mid...

 

If you put things into perspective, Mandalay Bay and Wynn are Mid-Strip. There are Monorails, Trams, taxis, buses, shuttles, walking, etc. You can walk from MB to Wynn if you want to. Back in the old days you wouldn't really walk from one resort to another because there really wasn't anything to do in between Hotels. Now, the Strip, between Mandalay Bay and Wynn, seems totally different, even though the distance between Hacienda/MB and Fashion Show Mall/Wynn are the same, because there's something to do on the way to MB-Wynn.
As for MGM.........there's no more Dorothy and the Yellow Brick Road