In our continuing series on hotels, this one looks at the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip through the eyes of a typical guest. This first part deals with arrival, check-in and accommodations. Part 2 reviews entertainment and part 3 will give you a detailed analysis of the good, the bad and the ugly.

1. Check In

Check in was adequate. Nothing special. When you walk into the lobby, there is someone to direct you to an open attendant. The hotel wasn’t very crowded when I checked-in, but the wait was a little longer than it should have been.

2. Check-In Staff – The Attitude

Here is where I had my first issue. The woman that checked me in was friendly in a very robotic sort of way. She did her job, checked me in and offered nothing in terms of being helpful or going out of her way to explain anything. When I asked her about some of the activities and different things going on in the hotel, she offered no help whatsoever. This is a service business. I expect the staff to go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Instead, I felt like a piece of cattle being herded into the pen. I have had refrigerators that have made me feel warmer.

3. The Room

The couch is a joke and looks like a virus pool. I certainly won’t be sitting on it. As I write this I am looking at a couch with a bottom cushion that clearly does not match. To add insult to injury, the bottom cushion is set in with it’s zipper side out and instead of two matching pillows, there is only one. I am embarrassed for everyone on the staff because if they can’t get this right, I am scared to inspect the rest of the room. Finally, most hotels have upgraded their televisions, the one in my room is one of the old style Philips televisions, straight out of the 80′s. The size of the room is fine. The bathroom is adequate, nothing special.

At this point, there is nothing that makes me want to choose this hotel for a return visit, especially when there are several Las Vegas Hotels on the strip that will go the extra mile.

I will let you know what I think of the entertainment and dining in part 2.