W Las Vegas

I am currently staying at W Las Vegas and having the worst hotel experience I have ever had in my life. This is actually the first hotel review I have ever written and I’m only doing it because this experience has been so terrible. Mind you, I have traveled a lot in my life (including to Asia, Australia, and more) and stayed in many four and five-star hotels. My last two trips I have stayed in Ritz Carltons, which both had amazing service and amentities. W Las Vegas also has many amenities but they will nickel-and-dime you for everything! For example, the two bottled waters and coffee pods that they leave over the mini bar fridge aren’t complimentary! I arrived at 10PM the other night after a long flight and opened one of the bottles of water. I found out the next morning they are $18 each! I have never heard of such a thing! Also, the front desk was very rude to me over the phone last night when I inquired why the MGM app was stating that late checkout was available (for a fee) for one of my family’s suites but the button wasn’t clicking. We were more than happy to pay the late-check out fee (as is standard in any hotel) that was advertised to us on the app but the front desk told me the hotel manager decided there will be no more late checkouts given, for this morning. When I asked for at least a 12:00 checkout I was put on hold and then was told “we have granted the 12:00 as a courtesy!”, in the most obnoxious voice I have ever heard a hotel employee use. It was like a moody, angry teenager! MGM should be embarrassed to have W Las Vegas associated with it’s name. I have stayed at other MGM hotels and always had pleasant experiences. I enjoyed the MGM in Springfield, MA so much I joined The MGM Rewards Program. But I am receiving no rewards of any kind (not even polite service) this trip ! The family member that is checking out today is attending a conference in a nearby hotel and I am thinking of checking out early and switching hotels- my experience is so bad! But I would likely be charged an exboritant fee to check out early. Afterall, they charge $18 for one bottle of water!

This hotel has a 5 star hardware but 2 star software. I would say it is a 3.5 star. First, the good stuff. The hotel has one of the biggest and more comfortable rooms in Vegas especially for families. The queen suite has 2 queens in a separate bedroom, a separate living room, and 2 bathrooms. We booked a 2 bedroom suite with a king bed room connected to the other side of the living room. The beds were very comfortable, and the bathrooms, tub, and shower were great. Yes, they charge for water and coffee but that is the norm in Vegas. I would say out of all the Vegas properties I have stayed at (Bellagio, Vdara, Aria, MGM), the W has the best rooms. Yes, the lobby is a little dark but everything else was excellent. There is a short corridor that connects you to Mandalay Bay and from there you can walk or take a tram to Luxor or Excalibur without ever walking outside. The self-parking is also covered and away from the elements. Now, for the bad stuff. The front desk is absolutely horrible. They need a new manager and a new system to manage the front desk. I have stayed at Fairfield Inns and other 2 star hotels with a most better and efficient front desk. Check in took 30 minutes even after I checked in online. Rooms were not available at 3:00 p.m. and a bunch of people were left waiting in the lobby. There is almost always a line at the front desk that takes about 15 minutes to get to someone. Also, every check in takes forever and the staff has to call housekeeping or the manager before rooms are allocated so every staff is on the phone on hold for a good 15 minutes before you can get into the check in portion. My key card did not work on the final day. It took me 3 trips down to the front desk and back to my room before they could get it right. Each time I had to stand in line for another 10 minutes or so. The front desk service is definitely a 1 star caliber for a 4 to 5 star hotel. Probably the worse front desk I have been to in Vegas. Vdara is twice as busy and I never had to wait more than a few minutes for them to check me in.

Fantastic stay at the W Las Vegas, which is already an upscale and first class experience before an extensive remodel to complete the transition from The Delano to the full W vibe, which will be a major journey as this is now the largest W property in the world. Fantastic staff, manager Darren did a masterful job juggling a completely full house. Front office staff Cesar and Alexandria, and Nicholas at the bell desk were all great. Skyfall is still happening and remains one of the most impressive views in all of Vegas. Very short walk to the neighboring Mandalay casino, and the W gym is really great, much much nicer than neighboring Mandalay Bay gym.

The "W" is part of the Mandalayj Bay complex, although treated as a separate property. The rooms were OK, although a little "tired" for what is supposed to be a premium hotel. It is a long walk to the Casino, but not so far as to be taxing. There are several quality restaurants on the property, at several price levels. the House of Blues is always one of our favorites. Like most casinos on the strip, the Casino here has fewer old style slots only around a dozen video poker machines ( and not a very good variety of the poker machines). One of the good features is the tram to the Luxor and Excalibur. There is a mall with shops and restaurants between the Mandalay Bay and Excalibur, including a very good Irish Pub. We had stayed at the Mandalay Bay the first months it was opened. It has grown, and like most strip hotels, it does not really aim for the middle of the road tourist.

Bathroom linens were scratchy and thin, we had requested a high floor but got a room on the 4th floor with a few of the wall next door. Lobby is kept dark for some reason. MGM keep asking to sign into their app.