MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas

Located at the corner of Tropicana Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard on the south end of the Strip, the MGM Grand Hotel is the grand daddy of the first wave of Vegas mega hotels that were built in the early 1990′s.

Back in 1993 when it opened, it was the biggest hotel in the world with over 5,000 rooms. Today, with almost 6,900 rooms and suites, it is still one of the biggest, and it has terrific amounts of convention space along with a large arena, theaters, and all sorts of shopping.

Make no mistake about it, the MGM is still a force to be reckoned with in Vegas, especially in the family market. The hotel has a number of great entertainment options for adults and kids alike, and it’s casino, like the hotel itself, is huge, the largest in Las Vegas, with 171,500 square feet (15,930 square meters).

I remember staying here when the place was brand new – it was all the rage at the time. By today’s standards, the regular rooms at the MGM don’t really compare with the very best Vegas has to offer, especially when matched up against the rooms at the Bellagio, Venetian, or Wynn.

But they have been renovated are are quite elegant nowadays. The hotel also added the SKYLOFTS at the MGM grand, a set of five-diamond rated suites on the top two floors of the tower that are operated separately from the main hotel.

There are an amazing 19 different restaurants at the hotel, including Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck, Nobhill by Michael Mina, and Joël Robuchon. The buffet has also long been a Las Vegas favorite. And for kids, there is a Rainforest Cafe along with a bunch of fast food places.

Entertainment and Shopping

There is a lot to do at the MGM. The Cirque du Soleil show KA is located in a theater right off the casino. This show is spectacular, and it’s storyline is more linear (less abstract) than other Cirque shows.

The New York Times said KA might just be ” the most lavish production in the history of Western theater”. It is a definite no-miss for the entire family when you stay at the MGM.

Kids will also love CSI: The Experience, an interactive video-based experience based on the TV show in which you get to play the investigator and solve crimes. Kids under 12 have to be with an adult.

Now the pools are where the MGM Grand really shines, especially for families. There is one adult pool, but the other 4 are for families, including the 8,000 foot long Backlot Lazy River and the only salt water pool in Vegas.

Many will tell you the pools here are the best in town, and for families, this is hard to dispute. The hotel has a lot of land, and the pool area takes full advantage of that space. It’s a wonderful place to play and cool down on a hot Vegas day.

For adults, there is a very vibrant nightlife at the MGM, including the  Studio 54 nightclub, a recreation of New York’s famous disco-era club. There’s also the Crazy Horse Paris, a sensual show for adults with dancers trained in Ballet.

Finally, kids and adults will love the free MGM lion habitat located off the casino. You can observe lions in a glass-enclosed habitat and even see trainers head in and sit with the lions to keep them calm and content. Each set of lions only spends a day a week in the enclosure, and are free to spend the rest of their time on a large ranch. Not a bad job if you’re a lion.

There is plenty of shopping on-site too, everything from upscale shops to a Harley Davidson store. Kids absolutely go nuts for the M&M and Coca-Cola Museum stores nest to the hotel too. With four floors of candy, they are hard for adults to resist too!

All in all, this is a great hotel for families and adults love it too. It’s not as up-scale as the five-diamond places down the strip, but if you are looking for loads to do, great rooms, and a relaxed vibe, it really is a great place to stay.