MGM Resort & Casino
MGM Resort & Casino. What you need to know!
Gambling!
They boast over 2,150 gambling machines in 170,000 Square Feet of casino excitement. The largest in Las vegas
With 196 table & Poker Games you can find all your everything you are looking for; Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Craps, Let it Ride, Roulette etc. They also have Mini-Baccarat, Let-it-Ride, Pai Gow Poker and more. It’s the strip, if their neighbor has it, they have it!
What was once the greatest casino on the face of the planet is now a sad Ed Hardy wearing shadow of itself. It seems the MGM can’t decide what it wants to be. Obviously it no longer wanted to be known as the casino that watched a bunch of their guests die in a fire. Don’t worry, they dumped that site on Ballys years ago. Or the family friendly Super Resort it once was in the 90’s. Even the classy joint it morphed into in the 00’s is slowly being ripped apart to make way for yet another Hipster Hotel with plenty of high earning clubs.
Those beloved lions in the lion habitat that millions have enjoyed over the years are now gone. Club 54, one of the last things in here ACTUALLY relating to a movie is now gone. I guess progress means moving forward. But when you turn all of your resorts into clones of each other that can’t be a good thing. But I digress.
Funny Story.
I came here with my Dad in the late 90’s. It was my first trip to Las Vegas. And every kids dream was MGM. I spent the entire flight out of Chicago memorizing where and what I wanted to see and do in the Theme Park there once we landed. MGM Grand Adventure! We landed late so we just stayed at our hotel Treasure Island. No big lose. The next day my Dad had to tend to a convention, and he ran late. No problem. I figured I’d go down there myself and check things out. Only problem was I gambled away most of my bankroll sitting underneath some Wizard of Oz themed area in the casino. I’d have to wait for Dad after all. That way he would pay and I could gamble with my money. 2 days later we went home, Dad promised we would come back and he would take me the next time we were in town. The next year they tore it down and made room for a pool.
So go ahead and LOL @ Grid!
What’s to eat?
A pretty solid foodcourt in the worlds shittest mall. Plenty of choices here for any budget. Remember Rain Forest Café seems like a good idea, until you pay $19.99 for a cheeseburger and a view of a mechanical gorilla’s ass. There is a small deli next to the sports book. Go get yourself some nachos. They pile them high, stadium style, and for $5.00 it’s a great deal. You can also watch a game while you are munching away.
To simplify your selection the following have been rated for value.
As Vegas eateries change almost hourly you might want to double check if these places are still in operation. This blog is very lazy with updates...
Cheap (reasonably priced for what you get). ‘Bout what you’d expect (if you don’t understand this you should stick to McDonalds). Holy Shit! (Unless you are used to your bill looking like your phone number stay away)
In no particular. Unless you consider alphabetical an order. Lord knows we don’t.
Cabana Grill - Café ‘Bout what you’d expect
Craftsteak - American ‘Bout what you’d expect
Diego - Mexican ‘Bout what you’d expect
Emeril's – Cajun Holy Shit!
Farmer's Market Food Court - Cheap
Fiamma Trattoria - Italian ‘Bout what you’d expect
Joël Robuchon - French Holy Shit!
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon - French Holy Shit!
MGM GRAND Buffet - Buffet ‘Bout what you’d expect
Nobhill - American ‘Bout what you’d expect
Pearl - Chinese ‘Bout what you’d expect
Rainforest Café - American ‘Bout what you’d expect
SEABLUE - Seafood ‘Bout what you’d expect
Shibuya - Japanese ‘Bout what you’d expect
Stage Deli - Deli Cheap
Starbucks - Coffee Cheap
Studio Café - Cheap
Studio Wok - Asian ‘Bout what you’d expect
The Grand Wok and Sushi Bar – Asian ‘Bout what you’d expect
'wichcraft - Deli Cheap
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill - Holy Shit!
Hotel
5,000 rooms at MGM. Its one of the largest Hotels in the world.
The Room Basics
All of the rooms here are nice, recently updated and always clean. I usually get one with a pretty comfy couch, which is a score since most rooms on the strip do not come with one. A great place to sleep when you lose all your money and your wife won’t let you sleep next to her. They all have a very vague Hollywood theme to them. Nothing over the top like Planet Ho. More like just one 16X20 picture of a past star on the wall. The bathrooms themselves look a little dated. Dacrk gray marble and older fixtures. They certainly do not reflect the rest of the place. But they are going through a huge renovation right now that looks very promising.
What you need to know.
You want a view? Chances are they will charge you for it. We are Platinum with MGM so we get a free upgrade. All that got us was an upgraded view. So if you want to save $10.00 just gamble $20,000.00 and its free! How do they stay in business giving away such perks? Bend over, here come the resort fees! Last time I checked I would rather have $20.00 than not. But you might be OK paying them for it. I don’t know how rich you are. Most people will just get pissed that the $59.99 rate the book on Expedia turned out to be $84.99 a night plus tax once they get there. The jogs to and from your room can be legendary. After this entire place is huge!
In closing:
The casino is always packed. So a ton of people are dropping money in here. The place just screams Las Vegas. But the more clubs they try cramming in here, the less the serious gamblers are going to play. No one wants to bet $100.00 a hand on Black Jack with some barefoot club girl squatting next to them. But the place does still have its charm. One of the most hidden malls in the world is here. MGM actually has two malls. The one off the casino floor that leads to the food court, pool and monorail. And the one just off the check in desk. You have to walk past the desk and veer off towards the exit doors. You’ll see a set of poorly marked escalators. Take those down and be surprised.
What else you need to know?
They do have a Spa & a few cool things you wont find elsewhere like CSI: The Experience & a pretty fun comedy club. The pool is great! This thing is huge! But it seems pretty popular and during most weekends they turn a chunk of it into WET Republic. Think, nightclub meets pool. So the place really gets packed with the club crowd. But if you pop in during the week you can relax and enjoy.
Major attractions.
As Vegas shows change almost hourly you might want to double check if these are still in operation. This blog is very lazy with updates...
The Lion habitat used to draw in the crowds, but that is being dismantled to make room for yet another nightclub or a magic theater.
Brad Garrets Comedy Club. He took his “brand” from the Trop to a much nicer spot here at MGM. Some rare appearance by known comics pop in, but mostly unknowns trying to be discovered. Some of these guys were pretty good.
David Copperfield. Now this man puts on a show! One of the greatest magicians on earth finally has his own place on the strip.
Cirque De Soliel KA. Must been seen to be believed. Well worth the price, giant moving stage, great actors and displays of strength. Its everything Cirque does well in one show. Ranks up there with “O” at Bellagio as one of the best in town.
Crazy Horse Paris. Titty Show, but very artistic. Still a titty show so you know what you are getting. Well down, and a nice space. Don’t walk in here thinking seedy strip club, this is a very classy joint.
MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is the big house, most every major fight or concert in town books here.
What did a hundo get us?
We played through five $20.00 bills on various machines. If we bet $1.00 a spin, we give em 20 spins and cash out. $2.00 per spin is 10 spins. If you can’t wrap your brain around this math, please do not gamble. I am sure this test of the slots is insanely scientific. But your actual millage may vary.
1st machine: Wheel of Gold. $0.75 Max Bet. Cashed out with $2.50. Major hit none, no wheel, no love.
2nd machine: Mrs. Martian 5 line. $1.25 Max Bet. Cashed out with $42.50 Major hit 100 quarters in the bonus game plus a few double wins.
3rd machine: Three Kings. $1.25 Max bet. Cashed out with $6.14 Major hit a slap in my face!
4th machine: Cash Coaster. $0.80 per spin. Cashed out with $44.90. Major hit 5 free bonus spins in the bonus round.
5th machine Black Widow. $2.00 Bet. Cashed out with $16.00 Major hit nearly a full screen of men (I have no idea the theme of this game) and that was the only single hit.
Total results. Turning $100.00 into $112.04 in 35 minutes seemed pretty easy. Assuming my math is correct, MGM will make you rich and Three Kings is the Devil!
Contact Information
Website - www.mgmgrand.com
General Information - (702) 891-1111
Toll Free - (800) 646-9143
FAX - (702) 891-3036
Toll Free Hotel Reservations - (877) 880-0880
Hotel Reservations - (702) 891-7777
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