HIGHLIGHTS: Delano Las Vegas

Another check off the Vegas Strip! Previously THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, Delano is an all-suite, non-smoking, non-gaming property affixed to Mandalay Bay. Highlights include the large, 725 square foot Delano King Suite (even though I got no upgrades). However, with the combination of poor bed, food, and service experience, I most likely won’t be back. It was a good deal – $90 for a Sunday night, including Breakfast for two @ Delia’s Kitchen and $100 F&B credit, but the restrictions and quality issues made for a poor overall experience.

 

My standard hotel reviews include a breakdown by the following topics. Feel free to skip to whichever section you find most interesting.

  • Highlights
  • Lobby
  • Room
  • Hotel Space / Ambiance
  • Food & Drink
  • Fitness 
  • Miscellaneous

 

LOBBY & CHECK-IN

Dropped off at the valet – free with mlife Gold and higher – and told to walk all the way in to the checkin desk. To the right of the checkin desk were two concierges sitting around, talking to each other, as a line built waiting to be checked in. Note there was no expedited line for guests with status, nor was there a lounge for a stay through Visa’s Luxury Hotel & Resorts Collection. However, the lady wandered in and the staff at the side lounge to the left of check in allowed me to check in there.

Frustrating experience, to have it hidden away, and giving her attitude especially when part of my stay included a manager’s meet & greet which never happened. Off to a poor start. Note that the hotel is pronounced Del-ano, and not De-Lahn-o, as I had assumed. That took some getting used to. No upgrades available at the check in time, which was also frustrating since I expected one with my stay (arriving nearly 3pm too!)

 

ROOM

They handed me a sheet with benefits listed on it at check in – $5 wifi credit, breakfast for 2 credit, and $100 F&B which was only good for Delano / Mandalay Bay properties. This was frustrating, since there were no caveats on that credit when I booked the stay on Visa and expected it to be good for all mLife properties as a general credit. It became more of a problem – noted in the Food & Drink section.

Room was a nice suite, with a separate half bath and living area. No issues with the room, note that temperature controls are separate for each room.

 

HOTEL SPACE / AMBIANCE

This is a non-smoking, non-casino hotel, attached to the Mandalay Bay hotel. We saw a lot of cute bridal parties, young adults, etc. throughout the property grounds. For hotel guests, there’s something called a “Sunset Hour” at the Delano’s Skyfall Lounge, for free champagne on the rooftop lounge with great views.

 

FOOD & DRINK

Delia’s Kitchen

With Delia’s Kitchen breakfast credit, and the restrictions on the F&B credit, we ended up eating here twice in a short duration for breakfast and lunch. The burger was such a disappointment, especially at the crazy high price point, as it was basically just falling apart after the first bite. Definitely a let down, and wouldn’t be getting that again. The omelette was fine.

For lunch, we got a salmon salad, where the salmon we asked for it to be cooked through, but it was raw in multiple places and not good. Additionally, the salad was simply drenched in vinagrette – we should have asked for that on the side. When the server asked about it we let her know of the issues, and she offered to remake however we were in a time crunch for work so that was not feasible. Poor experience overall – I would not be back. However, their complimentary cornbread was amazing – lady took the last two I specifically did not eat and stuffed her face with it, trying to hide it from me on the way back to the room. How adorable.

 

Mizuya

Mizuya is a Japanese restaurant located on the casino floor of Mandalay Bay. This was a terribly serviced experience. Because we could only spend the $100 F&B credit on Mandalay Bay & Delano properties, and it coincided with Mother’s Day, I was unable to stack myVegas coupons, and had to pay full price. It took something like 35-45 minutes to receive our entrees – a simple Chirashi Bowl, Yellowtail Carpaccio, and Rainbow Roll. They “apologized” with complimentary Miso Soup, and that was it. It blew my mind it would take that long for things that don’t even need to be cooked!

 

3940 Coffee & Tea

We tried to have 3940 Coffee & Tea for lunch, however when we went to look at the food we saw many flies in their refridgerated food section, which was an unsanitary turnoff and most likely a violation of health and safety codes. We did check on it two hours later and the flies were now buzzing around the food display, which was not much better. We decided to go to Delia’s instead for lunch.

What was most frustrating, was the utter lack of knowledge by Delano front desk agents regrading the terms of the promotion. While the letter said only certain restaurants within Delano / Mandalay were eligible for $100 F&B credit, they told me, while I was stuck waiting for my Mizuya food, that Border Grill was eligible – something I would have appreciated being told earlier, as Border Grill has a BOGO entree coupon. Such a poor taste left.

 

FITNESS

This fitness center looked nice, and perhaps next time I’ll experience the Bathhouse. However, there was no-one at checkin for the fitness center, so you could walk right in.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Was it a great rate? For $90 for a Mother’s Day Sunday night, $100 F&B, and breakfast credit, it was a good deal, but the experience was certainly lacking. Poor service all around, issues with food, don’t make for an enjoyable time. I really enjoyed renting a car this trip and exploring outside of the Strip, particularly Chinatown on Spring Mountain road and the surrounding noodle spots, so the trip overall was great. Have to shout out Mr. Tea with lightbulb cups decorated with faces! Not cheap @ $6.70 for bubble tea, but definitely delicious.

However, this stay was problematic. Not only did I list all the issues with the hotel at check out, they refused to budge on resort fee, something I certainly haven’t paid in a while. They said they’d bring a manager to speak with me, and I have yet to do so.

 

 

Featured Image of a beautiful piece of art in our Delano hotel room. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels. 

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