Editor’s Note: The following review is of Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection [as utilized at the MGM Grand Las Vegas]. This post is not a complete review of the MGM Grand Las Vegas.Â
I’ve had amazing stays utilizing both Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection (LHRC) and American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program with stays at ARIA, Bellagio, Delano, and Mandalay Bay.
In this post, I’ll pay a visit to the first of two MGM properties on this trip – the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Click here for my review of the LHRC program as used at The Signature at the MGM Grand.
How did the MGM Grand Las Vegas handle the LHRC program?
About The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection:
How To Use It
To use the LHRC program, you’ll need a premium Chase credit card that grants you access. Cards known to work include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Business Ink Cash, and United Mileage Plus Explorer cards.
(Other Chase cards like the Ritz-Carlton or the British Airways cards may work as well – to know for sure, check their eligibility by using the card to sign-in on the LHRC website).
The Benefits Of The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is a little-used benefit, but sometimes it can provide tremendous value. The perks of the program include the following 5 benefits:
- Daily breakfast for two
- A special benefit unique to each property
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- A room upgrade, if available
- Early check-in and late check-out, if available
The Benefits Vary By Property – Although Not The Most Lucrative Las Vegas Has To Offer, The MGM Grand Las Vegas’ Benefits Are Still Among LHRC’s Best:
MGM Grand’s “special benefit unique to each property” is a $100 Food and Beverage Credit and a $25 per person, Continental Breakfast credit. So for two people, this benefit is worth $150 at minimum!
For reference on the LHRC’s MGM Grand’s benefits, I have provided the official email excerpt below:
The Check-in: The Invited Guest Line
The front desk at the MGM Grand Las Vegas is huge. The regular line had about 10-15 people waiting to check-in, but then again it was 11:00 pm on a Friday night.
Luckily, there was also a large, clearly marked, and properly staffed invited guest check-in located on the left side of the check-in desk. This probably saved me about 15-20 minutes on the check-in.
Rating: 5 out of 5 points for MGM Grand’s Invited Guest Check-in and skipping the regular line.
The Check-in: The $150 Food And Beverage Credits
This lucrative benefit of $150 in credits was the single biggest reason for me booking through the LHRC program.
I was promptly given the official LHRC welcome letter specifying the MGM Grand benefits in writing.
What immediately jumped out at me was the fine print confirming the continued devaluation of the LHRC program’s food benefit across MLife’s hotels.
Even so, I did notice most of the major restaurants were still listed as eligible for the credit so this wasn’t the huge hit it could have been (see my last Delano review).
I was also concerned about the term “Continental Breakfast for two daily through room service”. But I’ll get to that later.
Rating: 4 out of 5 points for MGM Grand’s detailed LHRC letter of where to use the food credits with a “-1 point” for the limiting, minor devaluation to the food program.
The Check-in: The Room Upgrade
There is a huge difference between rooms with views and those without views in Las Vegas, thus this benefit has the potential to make a big difference in your stay.
The staff was very courteous and quick with the room reservation. She offered me a map and a few tips about parking and dining at the late hour.
She did not, however, offer me the room upgrade as per the welcome letter.
Yes, I probably should have confirmed this at the front desk before heading to my room, but I’ve had good luck as of late with the automatic upgrades and I figured she would have upgraded me based on my MGM status. Wrong.
Rating: 2 out of 5 points for MGM Grand’s oversight of the room upgrade.
The Grand King Room:
The Hallway
The Bedroom
The bedroom was par for the Vegas course. The bed and [firm] pillows however, were very comfortable.
The Bathroom
My only complaint about the bathroom was the 90’s-style spread-stream sink and shower head. The water pressure was good, but diminished by the unfocused streams. It’s a super-minor thing yes, but it’s still annoying.
A nice adjustable shower head
Around The Room
Using The $100 Food And Beverage Credit
Because we got there so late, the dining options were pretty limited. We opted for the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill.
The menu was basic, limited to 1 soup, 2 salads, 4 appetizers and 6 entries. We decided to go light and just order a couple of appetizers.
We went with the Grilled Steak Skewers (which were delicious) and the Calamari (which was cold and soggy).
Nothing sadder than soggy calamari
Wolfgang Puck did have a nice beer selection though, so I went with a Belgian (of course).
Rating: 3 out of 5 points for Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill.
Using The $25 Per Person Breakfast Credit
As I mentioned above, I was concerned with the stated “Continental Breakfast for two daily through room service” line in the welcome letter.
Considering Aria and Delano’s amazing breakfasts through the LHRC program, MGM Grand surely wouldn’t really limit this to only one item on room service, right? Wrong.
There it is – the $25 “Continental Breakfast To Go”
Just to be sure, I called down to ask if this benefit really was limited to the “Continental Breakfast”. The answer was a firm and definitive “yes”.
Well, for $25 dollars for each breakfast, this must be an amazing Continental Breakfast, right? Wrong.
The breakfast included coffee or tea and your choice of two of the following: fruit, pastry, muffin, or danish.
So, without further a-do, behold…the $25 MGM Grand Continental Breakfast!
Watch your two $25 credits vanish! Tah-dah!
Rating: 1 out of 5 points for MGM Grand’s limited [and ridiculous] breakfast option.
Maxing Out The Remainder Of The $100 Food Credit
Being that I was planning on hiking the La Madre Springs trail in Red Rocks Canyon, I opted to max out the remainder of my $100 credit on lunch off the room service menu.
Here’s the rest of the room service menu.
As sad as the Continental Breakfast was, I definitely had my reservations about ordering lunch through room service. But I was pleasantly surprised.
We went with both the Club Sandwich and the Caprese Sandwich – both of which were delicious (and huge) and really hit the spot after the hike.
The club sandwich
The Check-out: Guaranteed 2:00 pm Checkout
Due to the hike, I checked-out early and didn’t utilize this benefit.
I should note that the front desk did confirm this benefit upon check-in.
Rating: N/A.
The Check-out: The Final Folio Invoice
Check-out was semi-smooth. As I handed in my keys at the front desk representative, I protectively noted that I booked this stay through the LHRC program (which they refer to as “the signature program”) and was careful to note, “I should have some credits on my account”.
After giving her the heads up, I saw she had to manually go in to the bill, find, and then add in the credits. But, it went smooth and she handed me a folio that was ultimately 100% correct the first time around.
The final total price for the room was $182.87 (that included the room rate of $104.00, the resort fee of $37, tips of $23.00, and taxes $13.92+4.95). Considering that I received in $150 in food and beverage credits, it effectively cost me just $32.87 for the entire stay.
This is why you should definitely use the LHRC program!
The Bottom Line Review:Â Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection – MGM Grand Las Vegas
Overall, I’d rate the LHRC experience at the MGM Grand as just “meh”, or a [generous] 3 out of 5.
The dinner was just OK, the continental breakfast was laughable for a “luxury program”, the room was average and dated, and the overall service was mediocre. It says something when the highlight of the stay was the lunch to-go.
If you are hell-bent at staying at the MGM Grand, it’s definitely still worth booking through the LHRC program.
But bang for your buck, the LHRC program simply goes much further at other Las Vegas resorts like Mandalay Bay or Delano – for about about the same price (or cheaper). For this reason, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend the LHRC program at MGM Grand Las Vegas.
Would I have a different experience with the LHRC program at The Signature at The MGM Grand? Stay tuned.
Cheers!
