Review of Delano Hotel and Delano Scenic Suite (Las Vegas): Our pros and cons of this upscale hotel/casino/resort

 

View from Delano Hotel, Las Vegas 

When most people think about visiting Las Vegas, Delano Hotel may not be the first hotel that comes to mind.  It isn’t well known like the Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, or the Venetian, possibly because Delano used to be called “the Hotel”, which confused lots of people, including myself.

When I visited Las Vegas for the first time back in 2001, I visited Mandalay Bay, specifically, to eat dinner at House of Blues.  I had no idea there even was “the Hotel”, which was/is connected to Mandalay Bay and was/is part of the same huge resort complex.  

When it came time to book our 4 night stay in Las Vegas again during our epic 2 1/2 month long cross country road trip, we decided to book it at Delano.  We wanted to stay at some of the top rated hotels owned by MGM Resorts, and rooms looked absolutely stunning with a separate living area and a bedroom with 1 1/2 bathrooms!  After staying at motels/hotels for the previous two months on the road, we really could use more room to stretch out.  

Delano (or “the Hotel”) was built in 2003, and it’s an all-suite hotel located within the 120 acre resort complex of Mandalay Bay.  From the casino area, Delano is a short walk over.  It has best of both worlds in that the hotel is separated from the sometimes raucous and loud action of the casino, and therefore quieter, and it features a more exclusive experience with bigger and more upscale rooms compared to Mandalay Bay.

The smallest room at the Delano is 725 square feet and it makes good use of its size featuring a separate living area and a full sized bedroom.  In the living area, there is a full sized sectional sofa, a work table, a cocktail table, as well as a wet bar.  In the bedroom, there is either a king sized bed or 2 queen beds.

We were certainly excited to stay at the Delano when we booked our complimentary 4 night stay, thanks to my Gold Status on MGM Rewards.  When we booked the room, we had an option of either a king bed or 2 queen beds room.  We booked a king bed, hoping we could get an upgrade when we checked into the hotel.

On the morning of January 19, 2023, we left Pauma Valley Country Club in California for Las Vegas.  The drive would take about 5 hours, taking us on a northeasterly direction.  When we came out of the Pauma Valley Country Club, we immediately noticed acres and acres of orange trees.  

We debated if we should pick up some oranges that fell off the trees, but decided against it, for fear of getting shot!  It seemed like a good idea, but we thought better of it.  It surely was pretty though, seeing bright oranges everywhere we looked…

We got on the I-215, then eventually got on the popular I-15 which is the route most Californians use when visiting Las Vegas.  The landscape slowly changed from the fertile farmlands near Pauma Valley to deserts, and we were feeling right at home after driving on these now familiar landscapes along the great American Southwest, for the past two months.  

About 2-3 hours into our drive, we saw a very peculiar sign on the highway that recommends drivers not to use air conditioning for the next 10 miles or so during the summer months as cars may overheat.  We realized how hot the area can get during the summer months, especially near the famous Death Valley of the Mojave Desert!  We were so glad we were driving during the winter months and not during the hot and scorching heat of the summer months…

We continued on, seeing mileage markers to Las Vegas shrinking each time we saw them.  What had been a close to 300 mile trip to Las Vegas, shrank away to under 100.  When we eventually crossed into Nevada, passing a small town of Primm, the mileage marker showed we were under 30 miles to “Sin City”.  Yeah!  

There’s always something very exciting about going to a fun destination like Las Vegas.  The anticipation builds with each mile we get close to our destination, and millions of thoughts flood our brains, wondering what fun memories we might create.  The anticipation builds to a climax when we finally arrive at our destination, then is sustained, right up until we check into our hotel room.

We experienced that awesome feeling when we arrived at the Delano right around 3:30 p.m., then walked into the huge Mandalay Bay resort complex.  The walk to the hotel lobby from the parking garage took about 10 minutes as we had to ask several employees at the hotel where the Delano lobby was.  

The hallway leading to the Delano lobby was beautiful with modern decorations and muted, sensual lights all around.  We gawked at the lobby and found it very quiet and upscale.

Modern decor along the hallway to the Delano lobby

Della’s Kitchen, near the Delano lobby

I noticed there was a separate check in area for MGM Rewards Gold Status members and above, so I waited my turn to check in.  I was greeted shortly thereafter by an incredibly energetic, professional, and welcoming staff member, named Turf.  

He mentioned my Gold Status gives him lots of leeway when it comes to the room selection.  It was music to my ears!  He got me checked into to the Delano Scenic Suite, which is a corner unit with panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip from the bedroom!  Wow, I couldn’t believe it!

Turf was by far the best interaction I had during my entire 2 1/2 month long cross country trip.  He was absolutely a delight to work with.  He had what no one else had during all my hotel/motel checking in process:  enthusiasm, professionalism, and a big friendly smile!  

I gave him the best review I had ever given on hotel reviews, and he really deserved it.  When one of the the hotel supervisors called to check in on us, I told that person that Turf really made our stay incredible right from the get go.  Wow, what an amazing experience working with him…

We got keys to our room, then went upstairs.  After getting off the elevator on the 31st floor, then getting our bearing, we headed to our end unit.  It was at the very end of the hallway but we really didn’t mind.  That meant we got a very private location, away from all the traffic in the main hallway and the constant sound of elevators.

Beautiful artwork in the hallway, Delano, Las Vegas 

Long hallway to our room!

We opened the door to our room, and we felt like we hit the lottery!  Room was magnificent, with floor-to-ceiling windows in both the living room and the bedroom.  As we had previously known, the large sectional sofa was front and center in the living room.  

Living room was nice sized for 4 people to hang out in, and the views were fantastic.  From the living room, we saw planes taking off/landing at the McCarran Airport, keeping us busy, and we really appreciated the half bathroom to our left as we walked into the room.  

Living room, Delano Scenic Suite, Delano, Las Vegas 

Views of Mandalay Bay and the airport

In the bedroom, we loved the view of Luxor across the street, as well as the views of the famous Las Vegas Strip.  The views were incredible and the best we’ve ever had in Las Vegas!

The bedroom had a huge king sized bed with an incredibly comfortable mattress and a huge bathroom.  We felt like kings and queens…Just the thought of spending the next 4 nights at the Delano Scenic Suite was intoxicating…

Bedroom, Delano Scenic Suite, Delano, Las Vegas 

Bathroom with a tub and a shower, Delano Scenic Suite

During nights, we got to enjoy even more preposterous views of Las Vegas with Luxor being the centerpiece of it all.  The brights lights coming up from the top of Luxor was incredible and would stay with us in our memories forever.  I read somewhere that Luxor’s bright lights can be seen from space, and I believe it.  It is really, really, really bright, when viewed up close!

Las Vegas Strip view at night

We absolutely loved our time at the Delano Scenic Suite.  I think I speak for most people when I say a hotel experience is usually better when the room itself is amazing.  This was that exact scenario…

During our 4 night stay at the huge, sprawling resort, we got to do absolutely nothing (well, almost nothing), except to eat, relax, play, and to enjoy the room with its stupendous views!  We parked our car on the first day, then walked or took the free tram on the Las Vegas Strip.  It was, without a doubt, a welcoming respite from all the driving we had done up until then…

Without further ado, please see our pros and cons of Delano:

Pros

• Delano Scenic Suite (or any room for that matter)

Our room was the best thing about the hotel!  Had we gotten a regular suite room, we would still have loved it thanks to the extra room for stretching out.

The fact that it was the Delano Scenic Suite really helped though.  We didn’t want to leave our beautiful room.  It was that nice!

There are times when we book a motel/hotel where it’s so unappealing that we want to get out of the room to explore the great outdoors, but this was not that.  Because we had a separate living area and a bedroom, each of us was able to relax in separate areas, without bothering each other.

The secret to a long, happy, and a successful marriage is the ability to detach ourselves once in awhile and spend time away from each other.  We all need that “me time” from time to time.  Delano made that possible.

• Hotel staff, especially Turf

The person that was responsible for getting us the Delano Scenic Suite was Turf, and he did it with a huge, infectious smile!  It was such a big deal to finally meet someone in the hospitality industry who really cared and enjoyed his work.  It sure has been awhile since I felt like a million bucks thanks to great customer service…

This was no small feat, as customer service has been on a steady decline since Covid-19 hit.  It seems everyone is pissed off, getting angrier by the day, and it shows on faces of customer facing employees who have to deal with the public.  

It sure is a nasty self feeding loop of customers who are angry to begin with, getting nasty to employees, then those same employees getting angry at customers, then repeating infinitely.  When I run across employees who are nice like Turf, it is such a breath of fresh air and it really makes my day.

Let’s be nice to each other!

• The free tram

We had no idea the tram that runs from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur was still free after all these years.  We utilized it to make a stop at the Excalibur for lunch.  It was such a huge convenience to be able to take the tram without needing to take our car to Excalibur.  

During hot summer months in Las Vegas, you’ll agree the tram is a great idea because you really don’t want to walk along the Strip in 100 degree heat!  Tram is definitely one of the cool things about Las Vegas.

The tram runs just about every 10 minutes, and it was awesome.  Be advised, if riding at nights, the tram can be a bit raucous thanks to plenty of drunk people!

The tram does make a stop at Luxor, but we ended up walking over to the hotel using the convenient, indoors walkway, connecting Mandalay Bay to Luxor instead.  

There is another free tram that runs from Park MGM to Bellagio, with a stop at the Aria/Shops at Crystal, in case you’re staying near those places.  It really makes it super convenient.  Obviously, you can walk everywhere, but these may save your life during hot, scorching summer heat of Las Vegas.

View from the tram

• Resort and all the amenities!

Mandalay Bay is one of the largest resorts we’ve visited in Las Vegas.  After staying 4 nights there, we still didn’t explore everything inside the resort!  

There are so many restaurants (over 20+), as well as a food court, and bunch of bars.  We honestly didn’t need to go anywhere during our stay, except to eat at Luxor and at Excalibur.  You can get lost right within the resort and just stay there, as it has everything one can imagine.

The beach area is one of the most popular in Las Vegas, with a unique wave pool!  It also is home to the famous Shark Reef Aquarium.  The casino is one of the biggest one within MGM Resorts chain, and the action is non-stop.  

• Location at the southern end of Las Vegas Strip 

If you can get a room facing north, meaning the Strip view, then the southern end location is actually a good thing as you can see most of Las Vegas Strip from that vantage point.  We think the view we had at the Delano was better than the view we had at the Bellagio, or at the Vdara.  

One other reason the location may work to your benefit is the drive time from the airport, which is shorter than all the Strip hotels, thanks to its close proximity to the airport.  If you’re taking a taxi or any of the ride-hailing services to/fro airport, you could probably save some money and time getting to/fro Mandalay Bay/Delano.

Cons

• Location at the southern end of the Strip

This is both a blessing and a curse!  Southern most end of the Las Vegas Strip means if you want to see the Bellagio Fountains (or the center of the Strip), then you’ll have to walk (or do a combination of walking and taking trams) quite a bit to get there.

If you’ve never been to Vegas and you want to see all the popular sights along the Strip without having to walk or take Uber/Lyft everywhere, then you may want to consider reserving a hotel near the center of the Strip, near Bellagio or Caesar’s Palace.  

For those of you planning to rent a car, be advised most Strip hotels will charge hefty parking fees, upwards of $18-$20 depending on when that is (weekdays vs weekends).  It’s always easier to walk and/or take the tram along the Strip.

On weekends, whenever there’s a concert or a sporting event going on, the parking situation gets even worse, with higher parking fees as well as a packed parking lots.  Who needs that hassle?

One other thing:  Due to these mega hotel’s/resort’s size, finding its self parking garage is no easy task, and once you park, you’ll still need to walk from the parking garage to the hotel anyway.  In most cases, that walk is fairly long, like at the Vdara where you have to walk into Aria, then walk outside to get to Vdara, if you’re using the self parking garage.

• Casinos are filled with smoke especially on weekends 

Casinos are known for their smoke filled rooms.  Some ventilate better than others, and some feature high ceilings, which helps.  Mandalay Bay’s casino is just over 20 years old, and it does have high ceilings and it is relatively new.

However, with these things going for the casino, weekends are unbearable at times.  They do offer non-smoking sections, but these are interspersed within the smoking sections, not really helping the matter.  You’ll see smokers puffing away in the non-smoking section, just as well as the smoking section.  No one bothers to say anything, not the patrons nor the employees.

I found edges of the casino bit better, like near the tram entrance past House of Blues, for example.  Be advised, if you don’t like smoke, then play either earlier in the day, or on weekdays, and not on weekends (late afternoon to late night).  These are absolutely the worst times…

I’d give Mandalay Bay casino smoke situation a 6, where 10 is awesome and 1 is the worst.  It’s just slightly above average, compared to other casinos I’ve visited.  There are much worse casinos out there, especially older casinos with low ceilings, and with bad ventilation.  

• High cost for foods

This is an ongoing theme since the Covid-19 outbreak and the ensuing labor shortage.  I know food costs have surged, but it’s brutal in Las Vegas, especially at the hotels.

Hotel food prices were always on the high side, but it’s gotten worse!  Most sit-down restaurants inside Mandalay Bay will cost $50-$75 for a meal for two for a takeout!  *We ate at a Chinese restaurant.  This was not even including drinks or tips.  We ordered for pickup, then ate in our hotel room.  

It would’ve easily been close to $100 had we sat down, ordered drinks, then tipped!  Ouch!  Was food that good?  Not really.  It was slightly better than average.

Be prepared for these high prices these days, not just at Mandalay Bay but at all resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.  To save money, try the food court (near the convention center), or go outside, as there are inexpensive options out on the Strip.  

We ended up eating at Subway once, and used MyVegas Rewards at Luxor and Excalibur to save money.  ***Check out my post about MyVegas Rewards to save money on hotels, foods, and shows here.

In conclusion:

Delano was my favorite stay during our 2 1/2 month long cross country trip thanks to the awesome Delano Scenic Suite, Turf, and the stupendous Strip views.  It was such a great experience, definitely unexpected, but certainly welcome after staying at smoke filled hotel like Avi Resort, where we had stayed at just the prior week.

Everything about Delano is upscale, from the hallway, to fantastic, modern room design, and to its unparalleled, excellent customer service.  No other hotel made me feel welcomed quite like Delano.  Checking in process was fun thanks to Turf, and the hotel really wants to make sure guests are happy.  No other hotel called to check in on me after couple of days, asking about our stay!

I highly recommend staying at the Delano.  It is a world class hotel with amenities to keep everyone busy, day or night.  Happy trails and keep up with us on our continuing journey across the American West!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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