Park MGM Las Vegas
"Why book? Pick the Park MGM if you want all the standard amenities of a quintessential Vegas resort—casino, pool deck, restaurants and bars, and shopping—packaged neatly into an upscale, boutique experience at a reasonable price point. It feels far more sophisticated than the themed resorts, far less flashy than the “trendy” resorts, yet it doesn’t have the sky-high rates you’d find at the top luxury hotels. Set the scene For a 2,900-room behemoth, the Park MGM feels surprisingly akin to a boutique hotel, as far as Vegas resorts go. When you pull up to the porte-cochère and walk through the front doors, you’re not accosted by the flashing lights and tonal cascades of video slot machines, nor are you greeted by a tableau of a European city. Instead, you walk right into a formal lobby anchored by a tree-like sculpture hanging from the ceiling in place of a crystal chandelier. There’s a slight French look with the marble floors, sage green trim work, and brass detailing, which carries through the public spaces. Yes, there’s a casino here, but it’s tucked away around the corner. As for the crowd, this is still Vegas: anything goes. There will be bachelor and bachelorette parties mixed with families mixed with couples, though the overall atmosphere here is a little more subdued than what you might find at some of the Park MGM’s neighbors on the Strip. The backstory In its previous life, the Park MGM was the dated Monte Carlo resort. The property’s $450 million transformation, completed in 2018, was a partnership between MGM Resorts International and Sydell Group, a hospitality company known for its boutique NoMad, LINE, and Freehand hotels—which explains the Park MGM’s boutique ambience. Sydell actually brought the NoMad brand to Vegas as a hotel-within-a-hotel concept at the Park MGM; the NoMad Las Vegas occupies the top floors of the building. The rooms Accommodations feel like trendy little New York City–style apartments; they range from the 406-square-foot standard rooms with king beds or two queens to the 900-square-foot Skylark Suite with a wet bar and dining nook. Decor is sleek with a hint of Art Deco vibes in one of two monochromatic palettes: either the hotel’s signature sage green or a bright red, which you’ll find everywhere from the velvet sofa to the leather chair to the subway tile in the bathrooms. Instead of typical hotel art, there are gallery walls curated by Le Studio be-poles, which adds to the residential feel. Because the Park MGM was renovated relatively recently, you’ll find ample tech in all of the rooms, from bedside USB chargers to large wall-mounted TVs with Bluetooth connectivity to play music or stream shows. The only thing missing is a bathtub—you’ll have to upgrade to the NoMad for one of those. Food and drink Like any good Vegas resort, dining and drinking options are plentiful, with more than a dozen restaurants and bars on-site. Highlights include the Vegas outpost of Italian food playground Eataly; the French-style Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar, which originally hails from Chicago; and the elegant cocktail spot NoMad Bar. For more casual options, we recommend the garden café Primrose (particularly for breakfast) and Korean BBQ spot Best Friend by chef Roy Choi. The spa The spa and salon aren’t ostentatious by any means; in fact, they’re rather small. But they have all the necessary amenities, including locker rooms with hot tubs, steam rooms, and saunas. Access is included with spa services, or guests can pay a $30 service charge to enter. The neighborhood/area The Park MGM is set just south of the center of the Strip between the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas and the New York-New York Resort and just a 10-minute drive from McCarran International Airport. It’s adjacent to the Park Las Vegas outdoor dining and entertainment complex, for which the hotel is named, and the T-Mobile Arena. The service Everyone here is perfectly cordial—they’re there when you need them, otherwise they’re pretty unobtrusive. Special shout out to the waitstaff at Bavette’s, who greet diners by name. Anything left to mention? There are three pools on the French garden–style pool deck, where café Primrose has outdoor seating; a speakeasy-meets-nightclub called On the Record, which is inspired by the casual atmosphere of an old-school record store (it’s actually behind an actual record store); and the Dolby Live theater, formally known as the Park Theater, whose residencies have included Lady Gaga, Cher, and Aerosmith. Oh, and the entire hotel is smoke-free, which is a literal breath of fresh air, and dog-friendly." - Stefanie Waldek
