Not perfect, but almost. Great Value for the $$$
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 07/23/09
In a nutshell: Loved the location, the decor, the upscaleness (is that a word?), the bed, and the bath products. The food is pricey and only a notch above "just okay." The slots could pay better (I guess you could say that about most casinos.)
This was our 2d stay. Check in was easy and we got a Super Rate via the Player's Club invitation in the mail. Be sure to sign up and play a little in their casino and you will reap some big rewards. We requested a King / NS room. Upon arriving, the room smelled strongly of smoke. A phone call to the front desk got us an immediate room change and they reprogrammed our new room to fit our card key, eliminating the need to trudge back to the lobby and wait in line again. Only complaint about the new room was it was the LAST room down a Very Long corridor. My steps from elevator to room were 220. That's a lot of walking, whether or not you are dragging luggage. Especially if you like to pop in and out of the room several times a day.
I made daily requests for early housekeeping and they graciously obliged. The bellman was most helpful when we checked in. The ice machine was out on our floor (boo, hissss), and he had to scout a couple of floors (and make that long walk) to bring us ice. Plus, he ran another errand we needed -- and quickly. Very accomodating.
We didn't have very good luck with the slots in the casino. They didn't pay as well as last year. And they needed more of the newer gadget-type machines. The casino does a decent job of getting rid of smoke. Hooray for that !!!
The Cravings Buffet was nice but not as nice as last year. We felt both quantity and quality were down a bit. FYI, check with the Rewards Desk to see if you have enough points for a comp meal. It doesn't take too many.
The Roasted Bean has nice coffee and pastries. Pricey like everywhere else. And there's that LONG walk back to the room if you're an early bird like us.
Be sure to check in the Impulse store and bring home some of the Aqua Lime bath and hair products. The shampoo, soap, and body butter are great. So's the tall plastic beer glass. It's the perfect size and will even go in the dishwasher.
Take the tram to the TI next door. It beats walking in the heat. There's a McDonald's across the street. And also a Denny's. If you don't mind a little hoofing, Caesar's is "next door" also. You might be interested in the "Bare" pool. Very popular. Get there early if you want a chair.
Oh, don't want to forget -- their bed is wonderful. I think it's some breed of Sealy Posturpedic. They probably sell those in Impulse store too. LOL
Bottom Line: The Mirage is beautiful and swanky without all that inflated grandeur. If you want value and comfort for your money, sign up for their Player's program, and take advantage of their Deals. The Mirage will be one of our repeat stays as long as it's as great as it is today.