Signature @ MGM Grand, Las Vegas

100   Recommended
Suite
December 12, 2007 by EXPERT

 Map | 2 Reviews | 50% Recommended
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The Signature at MGM Grand
 Map | 2 Reviews | 50% Recommended

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Suite

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
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Room
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Room
Suite

On our recent trip to Las Vegas, originally, we were to stay at Bellagio. However, their rates were $300 plus for a Lake view room and the suites were sold out. My TA then suggested I consider Signature which is a new Virtuoso property. Overall, we had a very good stay but had a horrible start. As you will see, however, this may be the best value in Las Vegas. Here is our report of our 2 nights at the Signature.

Vitals I booked a 1 BR suite at the Virtuoso rate of about $295 the first night and $325 the second. Included was an upgrade to a 2 BR suite if available at check-in, daily continental breakfast for 2, and a $50 F&B credit good for Room Service or any F&B at MGM Grand. The deposit of the first night plus tax was charged 48 hours prior to arrival. There is a mandatory $15 per night Resort fee which includes access to the Health Club and Pool (which the Signature has of its own for the 3 towers), free local calls, free internet, and 2 bottles of water.

Room

In the end, I was upgraded to a 2 BR Suite (more on the process below) which is a 1 BR suite with a connecting Jr. Suite. These suites share a common "outside" foyer with individual doors leading to the separate suites. The foyer can be closed off with a double door thus creating the 2 BR suite.

The Jr. Suite is about 600sq ft which has a bedroom and sitting room combination. The sitting area has a sofa, two arm chairs, a coffee table and in the corner a work desk with internet connection and two chairs.

The bed and the sofa are along the same long wall of the room. On the other wall facing the bed is a counter where the kitchenette is located with range, hood, oven, microwave, sink, toaster, blender and fridge. Also along the wall in the kitchen is the 42" plasma screen. Just as you enter the room is the large bathroom with humungous soaking tub, separate stall shower, single vanity and separate WC.

The 1 BR suite is about 900 sq ft and has a separate bedroom and living room with dining area, full kitchen, and 3/4 bath. The kitchen is fully equipped with crockery, cutlery, utensils and cooking pots and pans. The range and oven is Miele, fridge is by Sub-Zero. There is a toaster, blender, microwave and sink with a dining counter. The kitchen was located immediately to the left as you enter the suite. In front of the kitchen is a dining table with seating for four and beyond that the living room with sofa, 2 arm chairs, a chaise longue and a balcony with a lovely view of the Strip. Along one wall was the 42" plasma screen and large built-in cabinetry providing additional closet and shelf space. Off the kitchen is a 3/4 bath with toilet and stall shower.

The master bedroom is on the corner of the building and features a large work desk with plasma screen (which retracts into the desk when powered off). There are two closets and a chaise longue in the bedroom. The master bath has separate WC, separate stall shower, two separate single vanities and another large tub. Toiletries were large Bulgari White Tea.

So for about $315 dollars a night we had a 1500 sq ft, 2 BR, 2.75 bath suite. In both fridges were to the 2 bottles of water but in the 1 BR suite fridge were additional bottles of diet coke, sprite, and Fiji water as well as a fruit plate on the dining table.

Check In

Even though McCarran is not too far from the hotel, and to spoil my Mom, we hired a car to pick us up. Our driver met us by Baggage Reclaim and yakked to my Mom about all the celebrities he's driven while I went to get our cart, retrieve the luggage, and load the cart. When I started to push the cart he finally offered to push the cart for us. The Town Car was dirty on the inside and outside and I had to load most of the luggage myself as he was yakking with my Mom again. The Signature uses ODL (On Demand Limousine) as their car company and I rolled snake eyes for the worst driver I have ever had.

We arrived at Signature and the bellmen were slow to retrieve our luggage. I received the luggage tag to present to the Front Desk after standing around for several minutes. There was no-one in front of me at the check-in desk.

The check-in took almost an hour as the hotel could not find my reservation, could not confirm with me the Virtuoso amenities, and could not confirm whether or not I had been upgraded.

Numerous phone calls and checking and re-checking my documents finally led to a breakthrough that I could get the upgrade to a 2 BR suite but they could not guarantee that the Jr. Suite would actually be adjacent and that I may only get the upgradefor 1 of my 2 night stay. Suggesting to them that a potential upgrade for 1 of 2 nights is not much of an upgrade, I then had to make a booking for a Jr. Suite, pay the deposit, and then pray that my Jr. Suite was a) on the same tower, b) on the same floor, and finally c) adjacent to the 1 BR to form the 2 BR. After all of this confusion and time we finally had our keys and with a 2 BR.

Dining

Since we got into our room so late we decided against going to the MGM Grand proper to eat and instead ordered room service. I ordered the country fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuit and corn which was terribly generous in portion size and very very tasty. My mother ordered a salad and barbeque chicken pizza which was very soggy. The room service agent told us, when I complained about the sad state of the pizza, that this was normal due to a new crust and the cheese. After mentioning that they ought to send another one or refund me, the room service attendant removed the pizza from our bill.

The second night we went to Shibuya for dinner and WOW what a restaurant. The food was awesome and since the SkyLofts had made our reservations we had a great table and excellent service. We ordered some sake, a very nice ginjyo and due to the suppliers shipping only the superior quality daiginjyo the restaurant gave us the daiginjyo for the price of the ginjyo sake. My wine glass, which appears to be the choice stemware according to the sakellier, was sticky and when I mentioned to the waiter, immediately he apologised, brought me another clean one, poured more sake from the restaurant's bottle and also topped off our carafe. Very nice!!

The breakfasts were ordered via phone the night before and delivered promptly at the appointed time both mornings. Again, American breakfast cooks cannot cook bacon soft to save their lives (ex-nay at the Pen Beverly Hills, the Signature, the Four Seasons Las Vegas, the SkyLofts and the FS San Francisco) but the food was hot, portions generous and quality high.

Service

I was very puzzled by our arrival and check-in as I was sure my Travel Agent had contacted the Sales Manager to ensure that I would have a smooth check-in. I e-mailed my TA with a brief report on the check-in and asked him to see what happened, and I left my comments at check-out.

While I was at the SkyLofts the Hotel Operations Manager from Signature called me and we had a very nice chat. There was a huge communications error and a lot of confusion on the hotel's part over handling a file like mine it seems. The Manager was very sincere in apologising but in also seeking feedback from me on how to improve their standards as they are still a new property.

The service recovery offered by the Manager surpassed my wildest expectations as I actually wasn't expecting anything. However, our dinner at Shibuya was comped AND we were offered a complimentary return stay of 2 nights in a 1 BR suite. I am sure my TA had a lot to do with this outcome and I thank the TA very much.

Shortly after I arrived home a letter from the Signature arrived detailing the refund of our dinner charges and the complimentary two nights letter. Very impressed and I would return in a heartbeat.

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