I've stayed at a majority of the major properties on the Las Vegas Strip, but one that always escaped me was the MGM Grand. On our recent trip to Las Vegas, Dan and I picked MGM Grand, specifically so that I could write this blog review. 

We arrive in the late afternoon on a Sunday for a two night stay and the valet was jammed. The valet staff were friendly and working their asses off moving vehicles, but it still took nearly thirty minutes to complete a hand-over of our keys and to have bell service come for our luggage. We were told that even though it was two weeks before the event, that people were already arriving for the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. Crazy.

Check-in was a mob scene with long, snaking queues and grumpy people.

It took nearly an hour to get through check-in and when we reached the front, a very fast-talking ( yet friendly) employee, informed us that our assigned room wasn't ready, but that we were lucky. If we were willing to take two queen beds, rather than a king, we would get an upgraded room that was ready immediately. We wanted the room asap, so we took it. 

The hallway to our room and elevator area looked inviting. 

Our room was perfectly nice, but there is no way possible that this could have been an upgrade. It was a standard room in every sense. We felt cheated and annoyed at having agreed to the queen beds. It wasn't worth calling down to complain though. 

The bathroom had a lighted make-up mirror, which is a plus. However, the tub was not big or deep enough for a comfy bath, a big minus.

We had a decent view of Mandalay Bay, Tropicana and Excalibur. Perhaps this was our upgrade?

We used the pool on Monday around noon and left after thirty minutes. The pool complex is big, but not big enough for the size of the property. It was nearly impossible to find two chairs next to each other and you can forget about cocktail service. It was not relaxing at all.  

My general impression is that everything is over-crowded... the pool, the gaming floor, the restaurants, valet, et... The staff always seemed to be hustling and they always smiled, but the crowds were a ever present. 

It had been years since I've eaten at their buffet and it was a huge let-down. The selections were lacking and the quality was subpar. Luckily, the buffet was included as part of our stay. We had a very nice. late night meal at Fiamma, their Italian restaurant. The lasagna was delicious but when we arrived, we didn't realize that it was close to closing and we were only allowed to order on the promise that we would be quick. This surprised us, as did the volume of restaurants that closed early. It's Vegas people!

One big positive about the MGM Grand is its location. It was very easy to walk to other properties for better restaurant choices. On our first night, we ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Chin-Chin in NY-NY.

I had a fun trip, but I doubt that we will stay here on future visits. There are better hotels in the same price range.