There’s always something new in Vegas, and the latest excitement in the city is all about the newest luxury resort tantalizing visitors. Welcome to Park MGM, a just completed a 550 million dollar renovation of the Monte Carlo Casino and Hotel, transforming the destination into to a cool, chic, and low-key yet high-end resort.
Walking into the lobby, guests will be greeted by a bright, beautiful, stylish, and understated environment. Park MGM is able to encompass all of this through European-inspired design and local desert influences. Upon arriving, Lobby Ambassadors are present to greet guests and assist them in checking in through the Park MGM’s lobby kiosk. The easy and efficient system (we checked in less than 5 minutes) was a welcome change from previous resort processing lines that are always so long, stressful, and exasperating. The option to check in with an actual person is still there if desired, but the kiosk process was so easy, we’ll be looking for it the next time we check in.
The new Park MGM rooms are boutique style and quite spacious and modern, tying in with the venue’s overall design idea of offering an intimate resort experience on a grand scale. Resort rooms are one of two color schemes, red or green. We stayed in a red room, but both colors go well with the sleek and modern style embraced by the designers. Beautiful artwork and an amazingly comfortable bed that needed to be taken home with us rounded out the room along with its impressive view overlooking the new T-Mobile Arena.
The next morning, we started the day by ordering room service for breakfast. We followed the recommendation of placing our order the night before and designated the desired AM delivery time. There was no delay and the meals were conveniently packed in to-go containers, just in case we were in a rush and needed/wanted to take our food somewhere else.
Post breakfast-in-bed, we checked out the NoMad Hotel, which is actually a hotel within Park MGM. Occupying the top four floors, the NoMad Hotel has a separate entrance with its own doorman and separate lobby and check-in. The NoMad’s rooms have an almost vintage or an old world like motif. The attention to detail was very evident at every facet as the décor o f these elevated rooms are spacious with great design, warm hardwood floors, and even a beautiful tub next to your bed. If you find yourself in the NoMad Hotel, we suggest stepping into the NoMad Restaurant and take in its old library feel with the floor to ceilings books brought from the estate of David Rockefeller.
Ending our NoMad Hotel visit, we headed over to La La Noodle. Serving authentic pan-Asian cuisine and featuring dishes from around the world, the restaurant also offers guests the opportunity to learn the art of noodle pulling. We found great menu options, good portion sizes, impeccable and attentive service, and the cocktails recommendations perfectly complimented the dishes.
After lunch, our next stop was to get pampered at the Park MGM Spa. Let me start by saying that the staff is amazing, and this always makes a very big difference when visiting a spa. The heated tile chairs and zero gravity chairs were wonderful treats. My massage therapist was very good and well-trained, making the spa experience enjoyable and making me desire another session, but due to time, it will have to be during my next visit.
What to do in Las Vegas after a relaxing spa treatment? Dinner, of course! Our choice was to check out Eataly and everything it had to offer. Located inside Park MGM, we were presented with an Italian foodie’s dream, 40,000 square feet of all things Italian. You can eat, shop, and learn everything about high quality Italian food all under one roof. Inside Eataly, there are 2 restaurants, 3 bars, 1 educational counter, and 1 counter-to-table concept. Eataly Las Vegas also offers food lovers a “kitchen of the market”, which is comprised of six different fresh counters (meat, fish, cheese, pasta, pizza, and Italian street food) where you select the products you desire to eat and they will then cook it for you.
The counters and bars were exciting and enticing, but we had a reservation at Eataly Chef’s Table. Executive Chef Nicole Brisson greeted us and then personally took us into the market to shop and select our desired cheese, pasta, and pasta sauce. With our ingredients chosen, Chef Nicole escorted us back to the Chef’s Table where she proceeded to cook a pasta dinner for us. Her great sense of humor came out as she prepared our meals, entertained us with stories, and passed on some great cooking tips. The meal was fresh, amazing, and tasty, and for dessert, we were served Tiramisu, a dessert I am still thinking about as I write about my experiences at Park MGM.
The next morning for breakfast, we ventured to Primrose, a charming French inspired bistro. Primrose is delightful and stylish restaurant/bar, but also understated. The restaurant offered a very pleasant dining experience, with food that was served fast and was thoroughly enjoyable and with top-notch staff that was very welcoming and attentive – ready to refill your coffee, juice or drinks – all with smiling faces.
After a sumptuous breakfast and a little stroll, we desired a great place for live music and a fun atmosphere. This brought us to Jazz Brunch at the NoMad Bar. Ordering a handful of delectable appetizers, we relaxed and enjoyed the energetic band and smooth singers. Their energy and talent kept drawing us away from the conversation at the table. Jazz Brunch (offered most Sundays) was simply spectacular. We highly recommend it.
Dinner at Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar was an experience. An intimate and cozy space with great artwork and spectacular music (volume is at a perfect level where you can have a nice conversation during dinner without anybody straining to hear you), was highlighted by superb menu items. We started our dinner by sampling several amazing different appetizers, but our main focus was the Chilled Seafood Plateux. The Filet Mignon was my entrée choice which was cooked to perfection, very juicy and tender. Don’t forget to order their delectable desserts– just note that the portions are huge, though we didn’t complain.
After dinner, what needs to be on the agenda when in Las Vegas? A show, of course! It was time for the main event, the . The place was packed to the rim and you see everyone from all ages, from little monsters decked out in their most outrageous costumes to older couples in their 70s taking pictures with the little monsters. At the start of the show, Lady Gaga sings as she descends from the rafters. The whole show takes you on a wonderful and visually stunning musical journey. Of course, it goes without saying that Lady Gaga is so fabulous and so talented, if you are visiting Las Vegas, you MUST watch her show at Park Theater. It was during the show I was lucky enough to attend when she stopped her performance to criticize Karen Pence for teaching at a school that discriminates against LGBT students -and the crowd roared back enthusiastically.
After the concert, we stopped by the newly opened On The Record Speakeasy Club. This club is going to be the “it” place in Las Vegas. On The Record is a very cool joint with outstanding design choices – like a wall of those old cassette tapes (millennials might need to Google cassette tapes), a wall of vintage televisions of varying sizes, another wall of vintage speakers, and there is even British double decker bus bar that was lifted by a crane onto the patio – just very cool décor. The club has three highly in demand private karaoke rooms (‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s music) which you’ll need to reserve if you want to sing your heart out. That evening, the club was jam packed with energy and people. Overall, On The Record is a great lounge with an attentive staff that seems excited to work there which can be seen through their interactions with the guests.
The next morning, it was time to go home. Overall, I highly recommend Park MGM. With its luxurious and intimate ambience, a plethora of quality food offerings, addictive spa, and attentive top-notch service, Park MGM won me over.
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