When it comes to Las Vegas, there is no shortage of amazing hotels with over the top accommodations and beautiful design with artful execution. In saying this, for those who are new to Las Vegas, it is difficult to sift through all of the hotels that this playground has to offer. Every now and then, we will update with a new match up. In order to regulate how hotels are judged, the marking system will be out of 20.

Ideally, mark the hotel through these 3 criteria

Rooms: /5 , Give a description on why or why not you like the room design, cleanliness, secret "traps", the washroom, and amenities.

Common areas: /5, What do you think of the overall appearance of the Lobby, Pool, Gym, Spa etc?

Service: /5 , Sometimes, its the people that make the biggest difference. Has the hotel gone to unbelievable lengths to make your stay incredible?

Dining: /5, Let's face it people, Las Vegas is a gastronomic delight. From casual buffets to high end restaurants, there is something for everyone.

/20


Let's give this a try. I will tally up the mark of the hotel through the opinion of everyone and give it an overall "mark".

Our first hotel we're rating is one of the newest hotels on the strip, the

MANDARIN ORIENTAL

Shouldn't hotel dining venues play any part in the ratings?

Good Point; ill give it another 5 points for a total of 20

I am quite doubtful your rating system will really provide any more guidance than the multitude of details provided by currently available travel sources.

When dealing with a 'true' 5* experience, the choices in Vegas are not really that diverse.

Personally, I wouldn't choose to stay at a given property because it was rated 19/20 on your scale, but more so because of the personal experiences and details I've heard from others regarding a specific property.

Trying to turn an 'experience' into a number is a bit short sighted, IMHO.

Any hotel that gives me comps is 20/20 in my book. Then again, only Venetian/Palazzo does that for me .

LOL, ^

Yes, I was thinking the same thing.

That's always the issue when doing Vegas comparisons.

Let's see :

MO suite for $550/night (making up the figure)
Palazzo suite for $0/night

4 night stay Palazzo instead of @ MO yields $2,200 in additional bankroll to use on the Palazzo trippie. Roll that $2,200 into current bankroll, spend 4+ hours a day @ the tables and get 3-4 more free 4 night stays over the next few months.

Maybe splurge to upgrade to a Siena Suite or Concierge Level, you are still ahead. Befriend a concierge, develop a relationship @ Palazzo and your service levels start to improve.

Will it ever be as good as the MO, absolutely not,

But the ROI for staying @ the MO is pretty lousy, IMHO.

Problem with The Vegas, is that if you gamble conservatively (and correctly), you are often comparing $0 to $xxx for a room.

Any other (non-gaming) city, it just becomes an issue of how much more to stay at the best. A lot different to go from $350 a night to $550 a night, in comparison from $0 a night to $550 a night. Not to mention the other big issue --- ROOM TAX! Comp rooms in Vegas = $0 tax, revenue rooms have a (IIRC) 12% hotel tax added to the room rate.

Another problem with this rating system IMHO lies with the hotel dining category. Personally, I could care less which restaurant is located in which hotel. If I'm staying at TheHotel for example, and I want to eat/party at Tao, or eat at the Bellagio buffet, I realize that it is just a short cab ride away. Having those options available does not change my perception of TheHotel, the Venetian or Bellagio.
Much like Baccarat King my hotel experience is shaped by comps. I generally can count on comps at the MGM properties...thus TheHotel, Bellagio, MGM Grand rate highly in my book!