Should you stay at MGM? Wish we hadn't.

Hi,

We%26#39;re a midwest couple, 40, love to travel, love to gamble, love to drink good wine on beer budget. Got a good deal at MGM (made better because they ultimately comped three nights and gave us a 7 p.m. checkout on fourth day). But likely wouldn%26#39;t return.

a) No Vegas %26#39;Wow%26#39; factor. The low-ceiling lobby, the layout, the smoke (other casinos do a better job with ventilation).

b) The room: Ours was deluxe grand tower. OK view. Very comfortable bed and bedding. Marble bathroom, but disappointing tub. Room also looked like it was decorated with castoff of other rooms or hotels that had been redone. Odd worn areas...like paint chipped off dark framed photos on wall. Pool was crumbling in places, too. (Positive: room service -- excellent service, nice menu)

c) People. There were lots of fine people here, don%26#39;t ge me wrong. But the scum factor seemed to run a little high. And worse -- and we knew this going in -- many, many families. I%26#39;m writing a separate post on this that will anger many people. But really, parents, what are you thinking? I bet you live in a nice neighborhood where you think your kids are safe...so why set them loose in a place filled with many drunks, addicts, transients, etc.

Overall, there%26#39;s no romance. No ambience (outside of some restaurants and bars). No luxury (outside of suites). Entertaining dealers, good bartenders, OK slot selection. Didn%26#39;t feel nearly as large as others often mention on this board. Oh, and public bathrooms -- particularly the very large women%26#39;s restroom in slot area between elevators and lion habitat -- never felt altogether clean.

Should you stay at MGM? Wish we hadn't.

I don%26#39;t mean to sound rude but you should expect to get what you pay for. It%26#39;s no Bellagio or Wynn but iit s a good value for the money you spend, which in your case was next to nothing.

Should you stay at MGM? Wish we hadn't.

Thanks for your personal take on my favorite hotel. Glad you enjoyed the room service...lol

A very dignified and reserved reply Lowrance.

I was expecting a much more defensive reply to aid your home from home in Vegas.

By ';scummy people'; do you mean other guests? Because walking through the casino I%26#39;ve never noticed this. I%26#39;m curious what you expected it to be like. I%26#39;ve never stayed there, but it isn%26#39;t the first thing that comes to mind when I think ';romance'; or ';luxury.'; Why did you choose this property in the first place?

I posted this as a balance to so much of what we read on these boards before going. 99 percent of it was glowing on so many fronts. That%26#39;s not what we found.

I%26#39;m not discounting anyone else%26#39;s take. Your opinion is valid, as is mine.

We did get what we paid for. Lesson learned. I hope others will learn the lesson before they make a mistake.

All I am allowed to say on the matter is

MGM is the best!

Oh and thank you for your input.

1) Wow factor: I respectfully disagree. I love the Vegas Vibe there. To each his or her own. Did anything WOW you?

b) Never ever have had a bad room there. I never noticed mis-matched furniture or chipped paint on picture frames. I don%26#39;t go looking for chipped paint, either.

c) Kids in Vegas. You went in the summertime. They%26#39;re going to be in every major vacation place in America. I stay at the MGM and I am not a drunk or addict. Well, Vegas addict, maybe, but not drugs. I *am* a transient, as almost no one actually lives in a hotel. It is not my home, so that makes me a transient. OK, guilty on that.

d) No luxury (outside the suites). OK, so it%26#39;s not the Wynn, Bellagio, or Venetian. I personally don%26#39;t feel as comfortable in those places, though, as I%26#39;m a jeans/shorts %26amp; t-shirt kind of guy. My guess is you went with the MGM based on price.

OK, Lowrance%26#39;s turn!

Stripcruiser: I agree with you about the Vegas Vibe. I think it%26#39;s one of the most Vegasy places out there. Honestly, I%26#39;ve kind of wanted to stay there since the first time I walked through the place. We%26#39;ve been considering it for our next trip, although it%26#39;s kind of far south.

We walked through the Wynn on our last trip a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like it was the kind of place where an alarm would go off if you touched anything! It was pretty, and luxurious, I guess, but I don%26#39;t know if I could be comfortable there.

I just booked 2 nights at MGM for September because of the rate which I used a promo code from fatwallet to get. Hope I don%26#39;t get your room!

Wow! I stayed at MGM this May and it was fabuluous! Doesn%26#39;t even sound like the same place. Especially the lobby, I didn%26#39;t notice the low ceiling or any of the other negatives that you saw. Guess that%26#39;s why there are so many different hotels! Everyone has different tastes. Have you been to Vegas before? Do you have a different hotel that you prefer? I am always interested in hearing the opinion of others!