My wife and I just returned from a quick 3 day trip to Las Vegas. I haven't seen a trip report for a while, so thought I would post one. We had stayed here a few years ago and while the hotel has grown in size (much bigger pool area and restaurant) it is still a nice oasis a bit removed from the other resorts on the strip. We've also stayed at Bellagio, Wynn and Encore a half-dozen times in the last few years. We're not gamblers, so staying at the FS Las Vegas was perfect for us. Great service, beautiful rooms, smokeless environment, but easy access to the restaurants, shows, shopping and other amenities of Vegas.
Pre-Arrival:
DavidO did a great job, as always, getting us set up with a FSPP reservation at FS Las Vegas. A few weeks before arrival we were contacted by concierge. We scheduled several dinners and tickets to a show. The concierge team was very responsive and professional.
Arrival:
There was no line at the FS desk (unlike most Vegas hotels). We arrived early, just after noon, and our room wasn't quite ready yet. We received an upgrade from a Sunrise/Sunset suite to a 180 Strip View suite. We picked up or dinner/show confirmations from the Concierge and decided to get lunch at the Verandah restaurant while the room was being prepared. A few minutes after we sat down, we received a text message that the room was ready. After a leisurely lunch, we walked back to the front desk and got our key along with a few envelopes/notes from the hotel. The front desk staff gave us directions to the elevator and room. One of the envelopes we received was a welcome and confirmation of the FSPP amenities, which is a nice touch. It removes any confusion or miscommunication. Every luxury hotel should do the same.
Room:
The walk to the elevators and room was quite long. As with most places in Vegas, things are spread out. Room was huge, much larger than we needed. It was arc-shaped with a large master suite, King bed, chaise lounge and flat screen TV at one end of the arc. Large bathroom, typical of FS with a tub, shower, water closet, double vanity, Bulgari products. A walk-in closet with plenty of hanging space, a few drawers, safe and padded bench (Our bags had already been delivered and placed in the closet). There is a large common room with a desk on on end, sitting area with couch/chairs/tv and entry in the middle of the arc. A dining room with table for 10, pantry with coffee maker, refrigerator, honor bar etc as at the far end of the arc. One thing that struck my wife and I were the number of plants in the room. It was a nice touch. Shortly after we arrived, someone came up to offer some fresh fruit, which was replenished each day.
Part of the benefit of staying at the Four Seasons is the view, being on the higher floors of the Mandalay tower. The bedroom had a view to the West across The Hotel and the Luxor pyramid. The desk and sitting area with a great view North, right up the strip. The dining room looked East over the Las Vegas airport (and the very active Janet terminal for you military aircraft buffs). All the windows had heavy curtains to block out the lights, when desired. We never had a problem with flashing lights from the strip keeping us awake.
Wifi is available throughout the hotel for an unlimited number of devices. It was reliable and fast. Cost was included in the resort fee.
Location:
FS Las Vegas is at the farthest south end of the strip. It is in the same building as Mandalay Bay with a separate entrance, lobby, etc. There are a couple of 'hidden' doors between the FS and Mandalay hotel so you can easily get to a casino and other amenities. Getting up the strip is pretty easy. Each morning, we went for a walk past west side resorts to Bellagio and back down the east side. The round trip took us an hour, so plan on at least 30 minutes to walk to the Bellagio.
Most would want to take a cab to dinners or if you are going further up the strip. Cabs were plentiful. We took a cab to a show one night and then up to Caesar's for dinner another night. We never had to wait for a cab.
Another option is the Tram out of Mandalay Bay up to Luxor and Excaliber. We took it one evening to avoid the heat. A quick walk through the Mandalay casino, a short wait for the Excalibur express and 5 minute ride was all it took to get part way up the strip. The Monte Carlo/Aria/Cosmopolitan/Bellagio tram was a much longer walk from the strip to the back of the hotel and then a walk all the way back to the front of the hotel. Still better than walking in 100 degree heat.
Pool:
One of the reasons for the trip was to spend time in the sun, by the pool. The FS Las Vegas pool set up is great. Plenty of chairs, lots of options with full sun or full shade. My wife prefers sun and I prefer shade, so the staff found us a spot at the end of one of the covered sections. So we both got what we wanted. The pool itself is large with plenty of room. There were maybe a maximum of 10-15 people in the pool at any one time, so no issues with crowds. It is consistently 3.5 to 4 feet deep. So no diving, but nice depth to float around and cool off.
The staff was very attentive, providing water, towels, sunscreen, offering to clean sunglasses or provide samples of smoothie drinks. There is a pretty large bar in the pool area and food was on offer as well.
The pool itself is near, but separate from, the Mandalay Bay pool complex. Looking from the top of the FS, there is a huge wave pool, lazy river and 3-4 other large pool areas. All of which are available to FS guests. It seemed to be extremely busy on the weekends with large crowds, perhaps some music/band playing since there is a stage next to one of the pools. I'm not sure of any additional fees for use of those facilities since we didn't venture over there.
F&B:
We ate breakfast and the first lunch at the Verandah restaurant. Lunch was very good with a variety of salads, sandwiches, pizza and such available. Sunday brunch was very good with a large buffet with a variety of hot and cold items, omelet station, donut station (!), cheeses, fruits and breads. On the other days, typical breakfast items were available.
Overall, very good service and high quality food items well prepared.
Spa/Fitness:
We used the fitness center a couple of times. The room is spacious and clean, with plenty of equipment, cold drinks, towels and such. The machines had large TVs and headsets available.
My wife scheduled a spa treatment and reported it was very good. Great service and very relaxing.
Check-out and Departure:
Our check-out was smooth and easy. The front desk staff was friendly, efficient and professional. The bill was absolutely correct with all credits applied (a problem I've had at other hotels in the past). I did overhear the staff offering a reduced rate upgrade to a guest checking-in next to us. This was similar to our experience at Hualalai a few weeks ago, so it seems to be a common practice. We headed out to the drive and were immediately greeted by the door-staff. We asked for a taxi to the airport and they offered to have the house car (Mercedes S-class) give us a lift, which was a nice touch. A quite 10 minute ride to the airport and it was time to go.
I took a few (poor) photos and posted them here to give a sense of the room, view and pool area:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjz4HYU9
Overall, we find the FS Vegas a quite oasis, set apart from the rest of a town that can be over the top. It is dignified, relaxed and friendly. The staff is great and provides the highest level of service. I highly recommend it if you are visiting Las Vegas. Let me know if you have any questions.