REVIEW: Delano Hotel – all suites (MGM Resorts) Las Vegas

I have stayed at the Delano twice in the last 9 months with my most recent visit at the end of May 2024, so this is a combined review of those visits. I have been staying at the hotel since its previous iteration, where it was known simply as The HOTEL. 

Although MGM Resorts has partnered with Marriott Bonvoy, unfortunately, despite being part of the MGM Resorts group, you can’t earn or redeem Marriott points there or get any perks.

Location and arrival

The Delano is situated at the North end of the strip connected to Mandalay Bay. Although not a center strip location, there is a lot actually at Mandalay Bay, plus you can walk through or get the free tram to Luxor and MGM as well. It is also close to the Towne Place mall, which is a pretty Spanish-style outdoor mall away from the tourist crowds, the North Premium Outlets, and the Las Vegas sign. 

There are now fixed-price taxis from the airport for $22 to Delano, which is a quicker option than an Uber, and now, at least, they can’t rip you off like they used to!

I hate casino hotels where you have to walk for 15 minutes to get out of the hotel to the strip or an Uber. The Delano guest lifts are close to the hotel exit, and from there, you can get a cab right outside or walk one minute to the Uber pick-up. 

I was staying next door at the Four Seasons (my favourite Las Vegas hotel) and simply walked through the Mandalay casino to the hotel. 

Check-in

I like the entrance to the Delano, which feels a bit California with its wooden screens and rock sculptures.

Previously, I used the check-in desk to get my key and found the staff very helpful in finding a high floor room. At the time it was the only option as the MGM website etc were all down due to cyber attack. This time I was able to do the whole check in via the MGM app and by pass the desk completely. You can either use your phone as a key or cut keys at an automatic machine in the lobby. I found the whole process pretty easy and it was great to be able to go straight to my room.

The room

All the rooms here are suites with either one king or two queen beds. There are several categories of suites: standard Suite, Stadium view, Staywell or Strip view. Staywell is the most luxurious and has an Air Purification system, a natural memory foam Stay Well Mattress, a Dawn Simulator inspired by sunrise, an Energizing Mirror with circadian lighting, a Soundscape Machine, a Stay Well Shower Infuser, and complimentary access to Cleveland Clinic Wellness programs.

I had a stadium-view suite and managed to get a reasonably high floor. These rooms are a little noisy with noise from the freeway, although if you have a strip view room, you risk airport noise depending on which direction the runways are being used. 

The suites are large and decorated in neutral light tones which you expect from Delano. They feel a little minimalist but have most things you would need (apart from free coffee).

One thing you may not know about Las Vegas is that most Strip hotels do not provide coffee or tea in the room (apart from the Four Seasons). The reason being they want you out of the room spending money and gambling. While Delano does actually provide a Keurig coffee machine, which is unusual, the bad news is that you have to pay $6 for the cup and coffee. Welcome to Las Vegas! I would personally get some capsules (probably available from the Strip drugstores and Amazon) and bring a cup.

You also used to get bottled water at most hotels included in the resort fee. That seems to have gone now as well which is a shame as I find the tap water vile – very chlorine tasting. There was also no room in the mini bar fridge for your own items which again is a Vegas thing. 

Now you get the following mostly useless things for the $45 resort fee: unlimited local and 800 calls, in-room internet access, property-wide and lobby wireless internet access, fitness centre access, boarding pass printing, digital newspaper and magazine access, alongside domestic long-distance calls (all 50 US States and DC). This is pretty much the norm for Vegas too sadly (and is now spreading to most city and resort hotels across the US). The hotel is pretty sneaky about what it includes, too; it does not appear listed on the booking confirmation, for example.

So, enough moaning. Let’s get on to what I like as I return to Delano in specific circumstances. The suite has two bathrooms with the first being a guest bathroom off the living room. Handy if one of you wants a long soak in the bath!

If you need to do any work there is a large desk with plenty of sockets and a comfy chair.

Sadly there is no mirror for drying your hair. The lounge area is large and has a wet bar with a mini bar as well. Proper glasses (many US hotels have plastic in the 4* category) and a nice large ice bucket. 

Moving into the bedroom, there was oodles of room to unpack with two wardrobes and lots of drawers.

The air conditioning was very efficient and I had to have it up at a higher temperature than I would normally have, despite it being 40c outside!

I find the beds very comfortable here and you rarely hear any noise from the corridor or next rooms. There are black out curtains that are efficient enough to keep out the bright sunlight too if you’ve had a late night!

I really like the bathrooms here, which are huge with twin sinks and in keeping with the rest of the suite.

There is even a TV to watch in the bath!

The bath is really deep for a long wallow to soothe your weary feet after all the walking in Vegas. There is also a large shower as well.

The toiletries are by MGM but I really liked the fragrance of these which were quite neutral with a natural, spa like scent. Handwash and body lotion were supplied by the sink in large containers and were not screwed down if you wanted to move the body lotion into the bedroom.

Food and drink

You have the whole of Mandalay Bay at your disposal, but there are some facilities within the Delano. There is a coffee bar as you enter the Delano, which I have never tried. It is a Starbucks type arrangement with counter service.

If you want breakfast, there is Della’s cafe which I enjoyed. It is only open during the day and you don’t usually have to wait for a table except at peak times.

The menu was pretty good, but a bit pricey:

I went for my usual avocado toast and was impressed with what arrived:

There is also a bar in the lobby, the Franklin Lounge,  which is a relaxed place to get a drink away from the casinos.

For something more fancy, there is Rivea by Alain Ducasse which is on the top floor with great views and 

For something more fancy, there is Rivea by Alain Ducasse, which is on the top floor with great views, and the menu focuses on simple, fresh Mediterranean flavors made with the best West Coast-sourced seasonal ingredients.

Next door to the restaurant is the Skyfall Lounge bar, which is worth a visit for the views, especially at sunset.

Other facilities

There are many spas in Las Vegas but I quite like the Bathhouse spa in the Delano. It doesn’t have such extensive facilities as some of the others (Aria and Waldorf are my favourites) but it is usually quiet and has several different pools to relax in as well as the usual sauna and steam room.

There is also a fairly large gym (although not by Vegas standards), so you don’t have to venture far for a workout. 

Swimming pools are always a big attraction for me in Vegas but be warned that there are two drawbacks to the Delano in this respect. Firstly, the pools are not situated by the Delano. It’s around a 10-15 minute walk through the whole of Mandalay Bay to get there. There is a short cut if you go out of Delano’s main entrance into the parking garage and towards the Uber pick up. Head into Mandalay Bay there and turn right once you get to the corner. That cuts a few minutes walk off. Secondly, the first visit I had in September the pool was closed every day of my visit even though it was 23c. This is a common complaint. On this latest trip in May, it was open every day.

However, having the Delano pools with comfy loungers and less crowded than Mandalay Bay is a definite advantage. I preferred the lower pool as it was better for swimming than the more “posing” upper pool. There is pool service here.

Another Vegas thing that I really dislike is that many pools do not have umbrellas which I find shocking. Some you can buy one for the day. Given the known dangers of the sun and the hot climate here, I think it is outrageous that hotels can be this cheap. There were a couple of solitary shades by the pool.

Everything else, like the cabanas, you have to pay for and cost several hundred dollars.

You also get access to the Mandalay pools, which are fun, with a wave pool and a lazy river to enjoy. It is worth noting that the Four Seasons also offers this and is a far superior hotel that can be something of a bargain for a Four Seasons at times. 

Booking and how to get it cheaper

Other than using Topcashback to cashback through one of the main OTAs like hotels.com or Expedia, your best bet is to book direct and join MGM Rewards loyalty scheme. You get at least 10% off, and you also earn points, which can be instantly converted into money off your hotel or restaurant bill at MGM Resorts. This is how I usually book. I paid £215 a night, including taxes and resort fees, which I think is very reasonable for a suite of this size. I have seen it as cheap as £175 a night. This also means you can manage your booking and check-in through their app when you book directly.

Conclusion

I think you have to judge this against the other Strip hotels, not against a normal hotel. In terms of other strip hotels, I actually would rate this hotel in my top 5 with Four Seasons, Nomad, Aria Sky Suites and Crockfords being ahead of it. The things that I value in the Delano are the amount of space, value for money, the ease of being able to get into an Uber or taxi within a couple of minutes of leaving my room, and having all of Mandalay Bay’s facilities on your doorstep. I like that I can get a tram down to Excalibur, too, which is an easy way to get to that part of the strip for free.

The most important thing about a hotel room for me is that it is comfortable as well as clean and there are no complaints about the Delano in that respect. I also love the My one caveat about returning is that I would time my visit for summer weekends when the pool is open or in winter when I don’t need pool. I’d be wary about booking it mid-week in shoulder season as I’d assume their own pool could well be shut at these times.