My friend and I just got back from our first trip to the city that never sleeps. (and it isn't NYC, that is for sure)I had such a wonderful time, and was suprised that I liked it as much as I did!

I think the main reason my stay was so wonderful was the MGM Grand. When making my reservations, I shopped the internet and then called the hotel directly, as I find that a bit of negotiation can go a long way! Just as I had suspected I was able to get the price down to a more appealing price per night. I thought this was a good sign that service would be good.

Upon landing in LV, the lights from the city seem to come out of no where and welcome you all the way from the plane! I was amazed at the amount of people in baggage claim that night. I havent seen even JFK that crowded. A truly wonderful bonus that MGM has thought of is airport check in! It is located in the baggage claim and really streamlines the entire process. While one waits for bags, the other checks in, the only let down was that I thought the shuttle to the hotel was free, but it is 7 dollars a person, (about 2x the cost of the taxi) and the counter attendant said the shuttle would not be back for 20 minutes... hmm they either need to work on that service, or get rid of it. . The cue for a taxi was one of the scariest lines I have EVER waited in. It was so long, but the wait was only about 15 minutes.

We spyed the green MGM Grand about 3 minutes into our ride and both thought "Wow, all these building look much smaller in person than on TV." That thought went out of our heads as soon as we entered the massive well lit lobby. The white terrazzo floor has embossed brass lions heads, and behind the checkin counter are the largest video screens ever that display the latest shows. You can buy tickets while still in the lobby. (they have it all figured out.)

We breezed right by the line at check-in and saw the massive casino which is the size of 6 football fields (I think) and went to the elevator to drop off our bags. Nice clean large room with a fairly good view of a few casinos and the mountains. (yes, there are mountains there too) We were starved and I remebered off the website that wolfgang pucks place was there, so off for a couple of tasty pizzas.

This is were I wonder when the service will get bad. Everyone at the hotel, everywhere we went was so pleasant! I was wondering if they thought we were "high rollers" becase we were treated so wonderfully from the time we landed to the time we left. It seemed that everyone was just so happy to get you whatever you want, whenever you want. Kudos to you Vegas.

Our days consisted of lounging at the "River Pool". To get to the pools, get ready for a 15 minute walk! You have to go through the casino, (figures) and then down a "street" of shops and resturants, very cool it felt like beign on a movie set. And they are lookng for your feedback on the new pilots, so they physically bombard you to go watch these shows. That gets annoying after the 3rd day. By that time you are at the pools! Yay ! 5 pools in total. The river pool is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. It is a continuous river shaped pool that was in constant motion from water jets. There are waterfalls, shooting jets and you get to people watch all while the river takes you for a ride. They have tubes for you to sit in, and you really feel like you are in a tropical paradise. Apparently the tubes cost money to rent, but we borrowed a couple of strays and were off to enjoy. It is a bummer that river pool is only open weekends. boo.

Our nights consisted of dining, and visiting all the casinos we could fit in, we also saw a comedy show starring Kevin James (Kin of Queens) but we always wanted to "go home" to the MGM at around midnight to commence our blackjack games.

The MGM is so big (I heard 1/2 mile from one end to the other) that we were in no need of the workout center. We also walked to most every casino, and took all three monorails in town so we could experience everything. The best tram is the Excalibur-Luxor-Mandalay Bay. FYI Thank goodness we got in so much excersize all night because the most dissapointing feature of the MGM is the fitness center. It is so small and has so little equipment in relationship to the sheer size of the MGM it is almost embarrasing. And to add insult to injury it costs 20 dollars a day! Rip off for sure.

The MGM has an exceptional spa however, which is adjacent to the fitness center. Talk about worlds apart! We treated ourselves to a massage and were able to use the spa for the rest of the day, wet and dry saunas, whirlpool, showers, healthy snacks, etc. Just wonderful. They also have you wear these massage slippers which are the best things ever. I forgot to ask the brand though.

I have yet to mention the CASINO! It is one of the cleanest, smoke free, (almost) largest, most fun in town, and we went to them ALL.

The MGM has a lion habitat. I thought, and still think it is weird to have a lion habitat in a casino. We never saw the lions, and hope that one day all wild animals will be protected in their natural habitat.

My view on bringing kids to Vegas. I simply do not think, no matter how many childrens rides and activities there are in Vegas, it is good for place to show them. No matter how much they strive to sanitze it, it is still Vegas, and Vegas is a gambling town.

Overall I would highly reccomend anyone over 21 to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! I know I'd do it again in a minute!

Recommended: Yes