It had been two years since our last stay at the Mirage, and with the casino renovations completed, we decided it was time to see if things had improved. During our last visit, we noted trash in the hallways and elevators, room service trays/barware that remained in the hallways all day, and housekeeping service that was barely adequate. We were pleased with our stay this time and we will be back.
Although I love the rooms, bathrooms, and the surroundings at Bellagio, we wanted to spend some time gambling at Wynn this visit. Mirage, with its central-strip location, makes it the ideal base hotel for forays in either direction.
After reading many trip reports about Mirage, I had some concerns that the hotel and casino were now focused on the younger, hard-core partying crowd. Perhaps it’s that way on the weekends, but we noted a lot of boomers during our midweek stay (April 17-20) and neither of us felt uncomfortable with the recent changes.
As noted in many trip reports, it pays off to join the Players Club if you spend even a minimal amount of time playing slots at MGM-Mirage properties. Once you’re in the system, the offers arrive at least quarterly. Our spring Players Club offer covered a three-night complimentary stay, $50 in Total Rewards (good for restaurants and gift shops), and $50 in free play. Additional slot play during our visit covered our other expenses. Be sure to check in at the Players Club desk before you check out to see if you qualify for comps over those in the offer (and allow yourself enough time in case there’s a line or problem guests ahead of you). While they are not quite as generous as they used to be, Mirage is still generous with awarding additional comps (we’ve learned not to even ask at Bellagio or Caesars). You can also pick up a line pass at the Players Club desk that allows you quick access to the coffee shop and buffet.
When you consider how much you pay to spend a night at a bare bones Comfort Inn on the outskirts of any other town in this country, you get a lot more than you pay for when you stay in Las Vegas.
We found our check-in staffer to be a bit confused due to the debut of a new computer system and possibly inadequate training. (DOS to Windows…hard to believe anybody was still using DOS.) Although we requested a king room not too far from the elevators, and were assured that’s what we were getting, the long walk down the corridor to a room three doors from the end was our first clue that maybe the new computer system was causing more of a problem than we’d thought. The two queen beds confirmed that suspicion. A call to the front desk and a very helpful staff member named Jim resulted in a room change to accommodate our original request. He was able to re-key our cards for the new room so we didn’t have to hike back to the reception area. At check-out three days later, the staff person was raving about the new system and said she loved it already.
Other than our experience at check-in and one security person who seemed to have a permanent scowl, we found the staff to be helpful, polite and friendly during our entire stay. The restaurant staff was welcoming and the grumpy dealers are gone. The casino tables have been recovered and the casino has a nice feel to it.
The rooms have been redecorated and are nicely appointed. Some of the towels will need replacing sooner rather than later. The toiletries are wonderful and have a fresh lime scent. A shower cap is NOT included, so bring your own if you use one. The water pressure in the shower was strong, the water stayed hot, and the shower curtains are now hung on the arcing rods to allow plenty of room in the shower. Yes, the bathrooms in the regular rooms are small (I was hoping for an upgrade to a Tower Deluxe room but the hotel was completely booked!). Housekeeping was flawless and everything gleamed. I called Housekeeping each morning right before we left the room to let them know they could make up the room, and it was made up in a timely manner. This is a HUGE change from previous stays when we’d return to the room at 4:00 p.m. and find the room still not made up. The hallways were immaculate.
Despite the hotel being sold out, we did not stand in line at a Mirage restaurant during our entire stay.
We did note some cost-cutting measures that may not be noticeable unless you’ve stayed at Mirage in the past. The moving walkways into and out of the casino were turned off. All-purpose change/ATM machines have replaced change booths throughout the casino floor. If you want a book of matches (I always try to bring a few home with me), they are available only at the tables by request via the dealer to the pit boss, in the high-limit slot room, or from a cocktail waitress. (We noted they are still available at change booths and out on tables at Bellagio.) The buffet selection is not as opulent as it used to be, and the breakfast buffet is about one-third its former size (there’s still more than you could dream of eating and something to suit every taste). My husband, the Jack-on-the-rocks guy, noted the drinks were watered down a bit – not the case at the Bellagio, where he forced himself to do a same-day comparison!
We walked around the pool area one morning soon after it opened. Mirage has a glorious collection of pools, spas and fountains in a tropical setting. If you plan to lie in the sun, grab your lounge chair early and bring friends who haven’t eaten garlic the evening before -- or plan to eat some garlic yourself to keep others away -- as the chairs are plastered so close together that you have to slide onto them from the foot of the chaise. If you can manage to do so, it would be worth spending the money to reserve one of the cabanas, which offer some privacy as well as snacks and priority service.
All in all, we were pleased with our stay at Mirage. When we want to trade off some luxury (Bellagio or Wynn) for location, this is the place for us.
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