Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
Editor’s Note: The following review is of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts as utilized at the The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This post is not a complete review of the The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas.Â
Having enjoyed recent stays at the Wynn Las Vegas and Palazzo Las Vegas using American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program, I finally got the chance to stay at another hotel I’ve had on my FHR list for a long, long, time – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
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About The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
First, a quick refresher on the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program.
How To Use It:
You’ll need a premium American Express Platinum credit card that grants you access to the FHR program. Both the American Express Platinum card and the American Express Business Platinum card will work.
  
The Benefits Of The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
American Express’s FHR program is an under-utilized benefit for many Platinum users, but it provides tremendous value when used at the right hotels.
The standard perks of the program include the following 6 benefits:
The Benefits Vary By Property:
The “unique amenity” at the The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas is a $100 Spa services credit. Additionally, the “daily breakfast for two” benefit is equivalent to entrance to the Wicked Spoon buffet ($24 per person M-F, $38 per person S-Sun), bringing the total FHR benefit is worth to $176 [on the weekend].
About The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is one of the newer, hipper, and exclusive properties on the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s easy to see why. This Autograph Collection property stands out in terms of the modern and the posh and it’s also home of the most popular clubs/bars and dining spots in all of Las Vegas.
The Check-In: The Invited Guest Line
When I arrived, I headed straight for the managed check-in line between the impressive digital displays on the massive columns.
The digital displays here are impressive, quite impressive
The large check-in desk; at most the wait was about 3 parties deep
Once I made it to the check-in desk, I notified the front desk attendant that I had an FHR reservation, to which replied, “in that case, you can actually head over to the Autograph Lounge for your FHR check-in” and he pointed me to the lounge to the left of the front desk.
FHOP Tip: If you book through FHR, you can skip the line and check-in and out at the Autograph Lounge.
The Check-In: The Autograph Lounge
I headed over to the Autograph Lounge where there was two parties in front of me, one for each attendant.
One of the attendants offered me coffee and tea at the station opposite the front desk while I waited.
The entrance to the Autograph Lounge
The front desk at the Autograph Lounge
The Check-In: The Room Upgrade
As I check-in I was thanked for utilizing the FHR benefit and for my Bonvoy status.
The front desk attendant noticed it was my birthday (without me saying anything) and quickly said with a huge smile, “Happy Birthday!”. She continued, “sir, in thanks for your loyalty, we would like to offer you an upgrade to a special version of the Terrace One King with a Fountain View, this version is much bigger, but we don’t advertise it”.
“Great, thank you!”, I replied.
I had initially booked a Terrace 1 Bedroom, King, Balcony (see the info below).
My upgrade to a Terrace One King with a Fountain View turned out to be a nice little upgrade, probably worth about $100.
The upgrade [arguably] had the best view in all of Las Vegas, certainly the best view I’ve ever had. It was the view of the Bellagio Fountain and the Las Vegas Strip (I have plenty of pics below in this post).
The upgrade also appeared to be a “accessible” room, although it wasn’t labeled as such.
The Check-In: The Welcome Letter
The Room Key
Front: Rose is the name of the digital assistant / naughty message sender.
Back
The Elevators (And Johnny Depp)
View from the window of ARIA
Told ya
The Hallway
The Terrace 1 King With Fountain View (Room Upgrade)
As I entered the room, I was as struck by the size and depth of the space as I was by the awkward slanted “reverse L” shape of the room.
But that’s not to say the shape was necessarily a bad thing.
From the left: Bathroom #1 door, wet bar, flat-screen TV #1
The Bedroom Area
Flat-screen TV #2
Extra outlets and USB connections
The room controls were essential, convenient, and a bit dusty
The Living Room & Wet Bar
The [dry] wet bar
Room Amenities
Aside from the Fiji water, most items here are priced quite reasonably
This room came with a second, empty fridge, one you can actually use (a rarity in Vegas)!
The walk-in closet with some fancy wallpaper
Bathroom 1
Another great feature of this room was that it came with 2 full-fledged bathrooms.
The first bathroom is located just to the left of the wet bar (near the room entrance).
The toiletry brand of choice at the Cosmopolitan was the high-end Five Wits brand by La Bottega.
Room Balcony
As I mentioned earlier, one of the best features of this room upgrade was the balcony and the incredible views of Las Vegas.
The view west toward Bellagio
The view east toward the Bellagio Fountain, Paris, and the High Roller
Panoramic view from the balcony
Views From The Room
I wouldn’t mind waking up to this every morning
The Fountain Show at Bellagio in full-swing
Bathroom 2 (The Master Bath)
The second bathroom was situated directly across from the bed, and it was huge.
This bathroom featured a Japanese soaking tub
Yes, it’s big enough for two
The [accessible] shower
Subliminal wall-art…somebody is watching you
A second large closet, this time in the master bathroom
Room Service Menu
Like the mini-bar, the room service menu was also very reasonable.
Do note however, there is a service fee of $8.50 delivery charge and an 18% service fee + tax on every order.
Walking The Property
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is beautiful. As it is one of the newer properties, it is also one of the most modern and artsy.
Chandelier Bar
The walkway between the two towers
Art Exhibits
As you explore the Cosmopolitan, you’ll note there is notable art displayed everywhere. Keep your eyes peeled, there’s great stuff in every nook and cranny of this hotel – even in the parking garage.
PEZ Dispenser collection; wait, why are there 5 Hamms?
StonersÂ
Wallworks by Shepard Fairey
The Pool
Dinner At Rose. Rabbit. Lie.
For my birthday dinner, I wanted to try something new and something special.
I texted Rose (the digital assistant) to see if I could make a reservation at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. No dice. I then tried the concierge to see if I could make a reservation, and was told it was completely booked. I then called the restaurant and was told the same thing, “I’m sorry sir, we are completely booked for the night”.
So, I decided to walk around the Cosmopolitan and see what was open. By chance, I walked upon the Rose. Rabbit. Lie. and asked if I could “take a look”. Just as I suspected, the restaurant was only about half-full.
I was quickly offered a prime seat at the bar for the show that was ready to begin.
FHOP Tip: If you try and make a reservation and are told there are no reservations available, it’s often worth a try to head over and see for yourself. I’d say my success rate with this is about 80% in Las Vegas.
I was seated just in time for the show! It was fire! Don’t miss it.
Tap dancing on the piano – and killing it!
See? Half-empty. Trust but verify. And tip the awesome bartendress well!
FHOP Tip: The signature Beef Wellington dish is great, sure. But the star of the show (thanks to a recommendation from the awesome bartendress) was the Sea Bass.
My birthday “cake”, courtesy of Run. Rabbit. Lie.
The dinner and the show at the Rose. Rabbit. Lie. supper club was an unexpectedly amazing experience overall. I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun at a dinner in Vegas.
Using The $100 FHR Spa Credit At Sahra Spa
A day-pass to the Sahra Spa, Salon, and Hammam was $50 per person.
I was the first to arrive and was given a quick tour of the spa facilitates.
Hammam is another name for Turkish Bath
The spa itself was somewhat smaller than the ones I experienced at the Wynn and Palazzo, but this one was new, clean, and luxuriously relaxing.
The slot-canyonesque walkway to the spa was quite impressive, leading toward a waterfall at the end
Behold, the waterfall in the hallway
Strangely, after the dramatic waterfall, the entrance to the men’s spa was this anti-climactic austere door
The men’s spa had a mid-size hot pool (with a waterfall), a monsoon cave [cold mist shower], a “re-imagined” steam-room, a sauna, and a heated stone slab.
There was also a silent lounge area, and a lounge area with a television and newspapers. One of the best features of this spa was the large vanity area where complementary toiletries were provided including combs, toothbrushes and mouthwash, shaving kits, hair products, etc.
Strangely, there was no self-served coffee or tea, those items had to be ordered through the attendant.
Using The FHR Credit For Breakfast At Wicked Spoon
FHOP Tip: If you book through FHR, you can skip the big line at Wicked Spoon and be seated quickly through the Invited Guest Line for VIP Service (per the FHR Welcome Letter).
I don’t say this often, especially when talking about a buffet, but I was “wowed” by breakfast [brunch] at Wicked Spoon.
It’s no secret that Wicked Spoon is consistently ranked among the best buffets in Las Vegas.
The calm before the brunch storm
Pork belly + angry mac and cheese = pure awesomeness
FHOP Tip: Do yourself a favor. When you are seated, head straight over to the pork belly station. This stuff is amazing and is almost always the very first item to “sell out”. Grab it while you can! If you ever wondered what heaven is like, then wonder no more. Simply mix the pork belly with the “angry mac and cheese”. You’re welcome!
Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon, and sausage
The Chinese-inspired dishes are a must as well!
Check-Out And The Final Folio
Check-out was very quick and easy. The folio was 100% correct the first time.
All-in-all, the final bill (not counting the dinner at Rose. Rabbit. Lie.) was a room rate of $204.09 plus the resort fee of $44.22, minus the FHR credits of $176, bringing the final tally for the weekend night to just $72.31!
Simply amazing.
The Bottom-Line Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Cosmopolitan Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
If there is one quintessential Fine Hotels & Resorts experience in Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is it.
I was blown away by the way Cosmopolitan handled the FHR program. The check-in at the Autograph Lounge was smart and convenient, the room upgrade was wonderful (what a view!), the spa was excellent and luxurious, and brunch at Wicked Spoon was an incredible must-do experience that was made even better by the VIP line access.
The hotel itself was posh, upscale, artsy, and modern. The supper club at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. was perhaps my favorite part of the entire stay. Using the FHR program at the The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas reminded me of something I had almost forgotten – how much fun Las Vegas can be when you do it right.
Final Rating: 10 out of 10. Pure fun!
Cheers!
