Eujeanie

Yes, sometimes restaurants are not "part" of a hotel but that's usually not the norm. I do like the idea of a bird in the hand because who knows if we'll get to our planned resort later this year - if the past year has taught us anything it's that there are no guarantees about anything.

Sisosig

No one brings up that tonight is the official opening night?

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Some photos here

https://www.reviewjournal.com/busine...vegas-2314062/

Regards

TBS

Eujeanie

Watched a few videos from last night and honestly, not all that impressed. Nothing terrible, just nothing wow.

GundamWing01

most likely due to negative first impressions. based on DPs, nothing was ready and everything was still closed. also, the hotel does not operate as a cohesive unit. employees were totally confused. its a virgin brand under hilton rules and its casino is managed by Mohegan. even though the prop just opened, i already know the outcome. its just like the tropicana hilton double tree confusion. glad that was sold. also, dont forget about the hyatt AC Ocean Casino Resort. so many DPs of the mess. i expect virgin to be the same.

Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant

I'm driving through LAS next week, figured I'd pop in and do a one-nighter here to see what it's about. Pools aren't up and running yet, if I understand correctly, but... whatever. It's for science and the 'gram.

Anyone have recent intel on how Diamond benefits / breakfast / etc. are at this property?

If not, I guess I'll be the guinea pig and take photos and do a review for the betterment of FT!

Eujeanie

If you get a chance, can you see if you can find out which restaurants you can charge to your room and which show up as independent restaurants - I've got the Aspire resort credit burning a hole in my pocket. Thanks.

Cat88L3

Well, thanks for taking one for the team lol 😂.

I had hopes for this property, but nah. I'll burn my weekend certificate at the WA or Conrad LV if it opened by Aug. Going to what the GundamWing said, this resort isn't operating cohesively. There are so many sticks in the fire and it seems there is communication breakdown. I'm not trying to deal with that. I've watched a few YouTube videos from award travel bloggers about the property. A Vegas resort has opened and the pool isn't done yet?! Other things aren't in place as well. That smells trouble. I know the hotel, the restaurants/club, and the casino all operate under different companies. I think there are a couple of more hats into the ring as well. Employees were also rightfully complaining that their seems to be a lack of communication/clear management.

I'm just not impressed by what I've seen so far as to me, Virgin Hotels wasn't ready to open. I'm not even trying to have a lackluster experience in Vegas.

Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant

I'll be sure to. I already wrote the property a message asking where Diamond breakfast is... no reply (Instagram) yet. It's only been a day or so though.
I've seen some reviews that say the launch is a little stumbly, but that's par for the course -- there's always bugs to be worked out, and in a Covid era, a lot of event marketing has been in the pooper. I can only imagine trying to put on a grand opening in an age of face diapers and distancing! Hard to make customer service happen.


When is Vegas NOT lackluster?

I'm a sucker for 24 hours in that town but then I remember it's just a big smokey casino with overpriced food and too much neon.

I wouldn't waste a cert on this property regardless: It's like $120 bucks with free parking and no resort fee. I'm looking at it like my new Tropicana alternative. When I'm in town for a trade show and don't care where I'm staying but want to pointslut, I sometimes wind up at the Trop. But it's tired out. I'll look at the Virgin as a similar alternative. By the time you add Trop's resort fee onto a $50 room, it's getting close to the Virgin rates I'm seeing.

I *did* blow a certificate at the W/A last year... it was okay. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Vegas Conrad has to offer. With international wings clipped this last year, I can't easily use a Conrad cert I have. Too bad, I miss the Conrad Hong Kong... that's a fun town and a nice property.

Eujeanie

Thanks for doing this...I forgot to mention that there are 2 restaurants that are not yet open, Olives and Kassi Beach something - if you remember, ask if they'll be included in the "charge to the room" category. I'm still deciding whether to do a one-nighter there myself. Being able to use the expiring resort credit (and my expiring FNC) will determine whether I do or not.

Reviews on both Tripadvisor and Yelp have been mostly abysmal, can't wait to hear your take.

jamesteroh

In Vegas now and friend and I walked through it. Wasn’t impressed. Casino was dead for a Friday and we heard the pool is still closed

Cat88L3

I have to use my certificate by late August or it will expire. I'm going to Indonesia for most of July. The cash/point rates are so low for the Conrad Bali now, it didn't make sense to use it there. I'm also using my points since I get the 5th night free.

I'm using my certificate on a Saturday stay before I head to the Cosmo for 4 nights. Because I want to keep the momentum of caliber and quality all throughout , it seems like it will be the WA or Conrad to start my stay.

I was on the Resorts World FB page yesterday. An executive from upper management said the opening date would be June 24th and reservations would be open within the next few days. We will see...

Eujeanie

My reason for the Virgin is that we are already staying at the W-A for 2 nights on the same trip, also on expiring FNC's, so I won't be able to use my $250 aspire credit there since we don't really care for Zen Kitchen. Therefore Virgin with its choice of restaurants makes sense for one night. And it will be before the Conrad opens.

If only Hilton had seen fit to extend our certs (and I'm not really complaining, they did it once already) but since they are all expiring in August and we have no other resort stays planned this is the best option for me.

Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant

Just returned from a one-night stay checking out on the 23rd.

Edit to add bottom line up front: I would stay again. I did not have any complications as Yelp/TA early stay people had. Room great quality, front desk very squared away, everything clean, restaurants zero issues billing things to room, etc. The only downside to this property at the rate I paid was proximity to Strip. I usually stay at either the HGI across the highway or at the Trop (actually stayed there the night before this stay) when I'm in town for a night at a trade show or something and don't care TOO much about the hotel. This would easily be the better of the Trop,and if rates are similar, this is my new place. However, I doubt the early promo rate I got is going to stay at Trop levels.

This stay I was at $105 a night, no parking fees (free valet for Diamond, free self park for errryone), no resort fees. My rate included $50 F&B. Great rate, and got Diamond upgraded to a corner suite in the Ruby tower. (one of the two towers is "all suites" the other is mixed room + suites, apparently). I suspect they were putting everyone in the Ruby due to the low-occupancy. Other tower's windows were all dark on a weekend.



Front desk gal said all restaurants can be charged to room. I ate at Casa Calavera for a Happy Hour snack: $7 guac and chips, $7 quesadilla, and $7 ahi tostadas. All very tasty great service, have to sit at bar vs. table though for the "happy hour" menu/prices.
We were going to eat at Night+Market our last day for lunch, but didn't realize it was only open at... night. Oops. Looked tasty, but mostly small dishes vs. "normal" Thai lunch/dinner portions. Instead ate at the Kitchen for breakfast: everything okay, not wowing, but fine. Typical too-expensive Vegas hotel breakfast, but I had some dining credit in my rate, so...

Room was very cool, quality furnishings, some large tubes of quality hair and body goos. Large bathroom with big walk in shower (couldn't figure out how to use the rain overhead) as well as a very very deep tub. Living room had two couches and tables, two large tvs, Qi charging for phones, good assortment of plugs and USBs. Cool bed with couchy-headboard, comfortable for sitting up and watching tv. Great view of the Strip, albeit a bit far, but that's the location of the Hard Rock nee Curio, so knew what I was getting into. Separate little dressing foyer area with makeup mirror desk, twin "closets" where you can lay luggage down and hang up clothing. Safe, drawers, large standup mirror. The separate dressing area is like a foyer from the front door with a sort-of-privacy door to the main suite. A little weird layout, but I guess that's the Brit kitsch.





The ditch/tunnels next door that some have complained about (homeless living under there, lots of stolen shopping carts and bikes piled up in the gutter) looked like it was being cleaned out. As you can see in the photo below, dumpsters and construction folks are moving out the trash and cleaning it up. We saw police and ambulances taking people out and a possibly a bit of a cleanup in progress. Didn't bother me, far enough away to not be a noise influx. Otherwise, the property itself is very clean, obviously new and fresh, very few smokers (very few people period in the casino still).







Nobu, Olives, the ice cream place (afters), Kassi, aren't open yet. A fast casual pizza place, Night+Market, Casa (Mexican), One Steakhouse. and a 24-hour "Kitchen" are open. I think the Funny Library (coffee shop) is sort of not up and running yet.


Pool is not open yet, but is under construction. (Work started on the pool very early, but I didn't hear a thing -- very quiet, well-insulated rooms.) Looks like it's going to be great - large, Hard-Rock-rep-worthy successor.

eponymous_coward

Try $265 all in on the night I am burning a certificate. Though I am debating it (I am not entirely sure what the replacement for it would be though, and $265 saved now may beat trying to figure out what to burn it on before August 2022).

I'm looking at being there first weekend of June... which means there's a decent shot of the pool being active.

Thanks for the pictures and the report.