Like several other BoardingArea bloggers, I was searching for some extra nights around our upcoming conference in Las Vegas and was surprised to find THEhotel — a hotel within a hotel at Mandalay Bay — was sold out. But a new one called DELANO was also on the list on MGM’s M life website. It turns out that THEhotel is being rebranded, and the Morgans Hotel Group is bringing its South Beach DELANO concept to Las Vegas. This change is effective September 1.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. Miami is not among my favorite places to visit. But at least the name change is a positive. Megan burst out laughing when I told her that, yes, there is a hotel call “THEhotel.” The new rooms also look more contemporary with much less of the over-the-top style typical of Las Vegas.
Crisp, clean lines and minimal clutter.
It reminds me of the movie Casino. I recall it didn’t end well.
With rates starting at $150 a night when I looked, and only a little more than $120 at Mandalay Bay, I figured I’ll give it a try.
I happen to have M life NOIR status, which in turn is thanks to my Gold Passport Diamond status and a special party for Gold Passport members when Hyatt and MGM launched their partnership last year. Hyatt and MGM have one of the best hotel-casino partnerships in my opinion since it includes reciprocal status matches and the ability to earn elite credits in both programs simultaneously. Mandalay Bay and THEhotel both participate in this partnership, while the Four Seasons (also a hotel within a hotel at Mandalay Bay) does not.
But what if I like this new hotel? Can I continue earning my Hyatt Diamond status by staying here? I reached out to Hyatt and confirmed that DELANO will continue to participate in the MGM/Hyatt partnership.
As a NOIR member for the time being, I was offered yet another status match to Morgans’ Global Card, which I confirmed yesterday. It will be interesting to observe the interplay between two separate elite statuses — Global Card and NOIR — at the same property. Maybe Global Card is meant to be a replacement at this property, and it’s not really clear to me yet. But Hotel Chatter has some details about the benefits of the Global Card, some of which won’t matter because I’m already paying a ridiculous mandatory resort fee for “free Internet.” Other benefits are more appealing:
- Early check-in
- Late check-out
- 20% spa discount
- Complimentary night at all new hotels (does that include Vegas?)
- Upgrade to the best available room, including specialty suites (no $20 trick required?)
This trip will be interesting…
