Review: Delano at Mandalay Bay

Hyatt, Las Vegas, MGM Resorts
Review: Delano at Mandalay Bay
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After heading on to Vegas from the Andaz West Hollywood, I headed straight for the Delano at Mandalay Bay. For Amex Platinum cardholders, the Delano might offer the best value in Las Vegas. Delano is part of the Fine Hotels and Resorts program, which offers free breakfast for up to two people, guaranteed early check-in and late check-out, as well as a room upgrade and special amenity to Amex Platinum cardholders. The Delano’s amenity is a $100 resort credit that can be used at almost any of the restaurants and bars at Delano or Mandalay Bay, as well as at the Delano’s spa.

Given how affordable rooms in Las Vegas often are, this credit can at times exceed the cost of the room itself, should you only be staying for a night. That’s precisely what I planned in this case, given that stays booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts count toward Hyatt elite status, unlike stays booked via many other travel agencies.

I’d stayed at the Delano before, and was happy to return. This time, my room faced away from the Strip, instead of toward Mandalay Bay’s tower, as it had on my previous stay, but otherwise, the room was essentially identical.

Aside from a warm, yellowish hew caused by the curtains and how much light reflects off the gold exterior of the nearby towers, the room was bright, modern and airy, with a separate rooms for living and sleeping.

Each Delano suite also includes at least 1.5 bathrooms, with the full bathroom connected to the bedroom joined by a small powder room adjacent to the front door.

That evening, I headed up to the top floor, to the Skyfall Lounge, where complimentary glasses of champagne are on hand each evening for guests. After enjoying the view, I meandered next door to Rivea, the Delano’s primary restaurant located on the 64th floor and overlooking the Strip. The weather was perfect for outside dining, even at altitude, and I enjoyed both an excellent filet and a spectacular view as a way of eating up a portion of the resort credit I received from booking the room.
A few poolside beverages the next morning took care of the rest of the resort credit in short order.

The next morning, I enjoyed a breakfast of chicken and waffles at Harvest, the smaller, daily dining restaurant located on Delano’s ground level.

A staff member helpfully advised me that by listing two adults on the room, I would receive a total credit of $60 for breakfast that could be used over multiple transactions. As such, I returned to Harvest and enjoyed some tomato soup, grilled cheese, and homemade pretzel bites for lunch, all while still using my breakfast credit!

Guaranteed late checkout was also put to great use on this stay, as I was able to spend most of the day productively working in the room, after enjoying a restful morning by Mandalay Bay’s pool. It’s worth noting that Delano has its own, private pool available within the larger pool complex, as well, which can be a good alternative if the main pool is particularly busy.

Overall, this was another fantastic stay at the Delano. It has now become habit that I stay there for at least a night each time I’m in town, and when possible, I prefer to do so when first arriving. Given the ridiculous number of benefits offered to Amex Platinum cardholders for their stay – even if it’s just one night – a stay at the Delano is a great way to dip one’s toes into Vegas before succumbing to the allure of the Strip. Just enough removed from both Mandalay Bay and the rest of the resorts to feel restful, while close enough to make moving on to somewhere more central easy to accomplish, the Delano is the perfect place for a first night’s stay in Las Vegas for me, and potentially a great choice for you, even on a longer stay.

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Casey Ayers is a consultant and entrepreneur with a passion for travel. After amassing enough miles and points to travel anywhere in the world for almost free in less than six months, he developed PointsAway as a way to help others make travel dreams big and small come true.
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