Park MGM Skylark Suite Review

Park MGM Skylark Suite Review

Currently the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is undergoing a $450 million renovation to become the Park MGM.  While the property won’t officially relaunch as the Park MGM until April 2018, many of the rooms have already been renovated and are being rented to guests.

The property is currently a construction zone.  The pools are closed (though they look nearly finished and small but beautiful), there are construction walls up all over, the casino feels like a bit of a ghost town.

Because of this, it seems the Monte Carlo is offering very good deals to get guests into the rooms that are bookable.  I was offered two free weekend nights (had to pay resort fees) through my M life account.  I booked a “Preview” Park King room (the standard room) but for reasons I’ll explain I ended up moving to a Skylark Suite.

Note: The hotel is still the Monte Carlo and I have hopes that the issues I talk about below will get worked out before the renovation is finished.  In a way, this should be seen as a preview rather than a full, final review.  

Park King

The first room I was assigned was a Park King room on the 26th floor (Room 26-306).  After navigating the construction on the casino level, I made it to the room.  I have stayed at the Monte Carlo on previous trips.  First, I must say the renovation to the rooms is needed.  The standard rooms are about 400 sq feet; so not a ton to work with.  Unlike newer properties, each room has one small window which isn’t changing with the new rooms.

As you enter the room, the bathroom and closet are on the right.  They share one large barn sliding door; it took me a while to find out that there even was a closet.

Past the closet the room opens up to a table, leather chair and built in couch against the window wall.

The decor is minimalist, mid-century modern with a touch of steam punk.  How is that for a style?  The wiring for the overhead lamp is made to look like nob and tube. Some of the light switches are brass but also have modern finishes including USB plugs.

The room I was in had a red theme but others, like my suite below, have a green theme.

The King bed is up against the wall and faces the window.  The room has been renovated to make a nook that the head of the bed goes in to. There are two brass lamps on either side of the bed.

Against one wall is the TV.  It pulls out and can be swiveled to be viewed from the bed or the couch.

Under the TV is a panel with various connections; sure to be outdated within a few years.

I appreciated that there were plenty of power outlets including a brick of them next to the couch.

The bathroom is also minimalist with bright white and red walls.

The only storage is an Ikea style metal rack in addition to the counter.

They have done away with the bathtub and replaced it with a simple but large shower.

After unpacking, I headed to a concert.  When I returned, my room smelled quite strongly of marijuana smoke.  So much so that I think I may have acquired a second hand high in addition to a headache.  It was really bad.  I have no problem with people, but I was feeling ill.  I called the front desk to see if I could be moved.  They said they only had 2 queen bed rooms open but that they would send security up.  When security arrived, he said he could absolutely smell it and said it was likely coming from the air duct.  He encouraged me to go down to the front desk and speak with a manager.

I did, and was offered a suite upgrade for free.  I thanked him and got my new keys and headed to the new room.  Unfortunately, housekeeping hadn’t fully cleaned since the last guest; there were dirty towels on the floor and trash in the wastebasket.  Back down to the front desk…

They had housekeeping do a full clean (including new sheets at my request) and by 1:45am I was able to finally settle.

Skylark Suite

The Skylark Suite is a bit over twice the size of the standard room.  I was assigned to room 16-001.

As you first enter, the bathroom is on the right and the living room is directly ahead.  A mini bar area with an (empty) fridge is against the wall.

Behind the L shaped couch is a dining room area with high stools and storage.

The bedroom is separated from the living room with a sliding barn-style door.  Temperature controls are separate for living room and bedroom.

The bedroom features a king bed and a second television.  There is a closet next to the dressing mirror (identical to the one in the standard room).

While there is no alarm clock, there is a bluetooth speaker next to the bed.  This bedroom, unlike the standard room, actually has a dresser if you want to unpack your clothes.

Bathroom

The bathroom is quite large and can be entered from the bedroom or the living room.  If you enter from the bedroom, you are in the main part of the bathroom.  A single vanity is against one wall.  There is the same metal storage unit opposite the sink.

The shower is huge.  However, there is no tub.  I would have preferred a tub and shower given it is a suite.  The shower, other than the size, is not very luxurious.  There is just a single, standard shower head with poor water flow.  It would have been nice to have a rain shower head and hand wand.

The toilet is in an area that can be closed off from the rest of the bathroom.  It has two doors; one that leads to the shower area and one that leads to the main entry.  A second sink is opposite the toilet.

The Skylark Suite feels more comfortable than luxurious.  If you want luxury, I would suggest a suite at Aria.  They really dropped the ball by now creating a better shower and adding a soaking tub.

Let me be clear; both of these rooms are much better than the old Monte Carlo rooms.  They feel fresh.  However, they still feel basic.  I would position them at the same level of (or slightly below) the Mirage or Mandalay Bay.  And that is probably exactly what they are going for.  It will be interesting to see how the rooms price out once the property officially rebrands as the Park MGM.

I also worry about how well the rooms will age.  Bright white walls seem like they would be a magnet for dirt and stains.  The updates do not feel as if they were done with the highest level of craftsmanship.  However with the turnover in Vegas properties, maybe these rooms are only built to last a few years before the next renovation.

Check out my M life page to learn more about the Vegas properties and loyalty program.

Final note: If you get a high floor, I find the views at sunset to be quite nice.

4 thoughts on “Park MGM Skylark Suite Review”

  1. I like your review. That was gutsy to try out a preview (although with it being mostly free, I guess there’s not much downside). A few questions:

    Were the toiletries in the suite the same as the ones you’d find in the standard room, or were they upgraded?

    Did the suite have a larger window, or was it the same as the window in the standard room? (It seemed TINY!)

    You mention the rooms being about on par with (or slightly below) Mandalay Bay, yet MB standard rooms are about 40% larger than the Park, they have floor-to-ceiling windows, and they have separate showers/tubs. Design/decor aside (since that can be highly subjective), I feel like I’m missing something. What makes the Park rooms so competitive in your opinion? Is it the location only? Or is there something else I’m not seeing?

    Reply
    • Hi Josh, great questions/comments!

      Toiletries were NOT upgraded. Exact same as in standard room.

      The window was no bigger in the suite however there were two (instead of just one).

      You bring up a good point about Mandalay Bay. I guess I was mainly thinking of the design/decor. Mandalay Bay is a typical hotel room where Park MGM is (trying to be) more stylish/hip. You are correct, the rooms at Park MGM are smaller and the bathrooms not as “luxurious”. Location is better in my opinion.

      I read an article recently that had this quote:

      “It’s an unbelievable bargain. Those rooms are going to be … probably three times what they cost now,” said Andrew Zobler, chief executive of the Sydell Group, the hotel design and management company that has partnered with MGM Resorts to overhaul the Monte Carlo.

      That means they are hoping for a base rate of $300/night. I don’t see it fetching that price.

      Reply
      • Thanks for the additional info. I remember reading that quote too — LA Times I think. Based on your review however, I don’t know why anyone would pay that price for what essentially amounts to lipstick on a pig when they could walk or tram literally next door to Aria for comparables prices. Kinda delusional IMO, lol.

        Thanks again for the great review and the quick response to my questions!

        Reply

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