Hyatt Gold Passport Hyatt Hotels Las Vegas Hotels MGM Resorts

Inside the Mansion at MGM Grand Las Vegas

Hyatt Hotel Corporation and MGM Resorts International held a loyalty program partnership launch event last night in the Mansion at MGM Grand Las Vegas for about 100 invited guests and corporate executives.

Ever heard of the Mansion at MGM Grand?

I was unfamiliar with this property until yesterday when I looked up the exclusive Las Vegas enclave on the web to read this 290,000 square feet architecturally splendid resort within the MGM Grand has 29 villas for high roller ‘whales’ or VIPs willing to spend $5,000+ per night.

Few visitors to Las Vegas will ever have the opportunity to stand inside the atrium and pool gardens of the Mansion at MGM Grand.

Here is a photo tour from inside the Masion at MGM Grand Las Vegas of the spaces during my three hour visit yesterday evening.

Walking around the MGM Grand, the largest hotel resort complex in the world, in search of the Mansion was challenging to find the entry to the property within the property even with a map in hand. Kelley and I stopped frequently to ask directions and we kept getting the reply to turn left at Starbucks.

Eventually we spotted a woman standing next to a Hyatt-M life sign who directed us to walk down the hall and through a metal gate.

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Inside the gate.

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After walking through several hallways, we finally found our way to the atrium covered courtyard.

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The 29 villas offer one to four bedrooms and range in size from 2,400 square feet to 12,000 square feet. One article I saw stated these villas are for invited ‘whales’, high rollers who may gamble around $1 million an hour when playing the casino games.

By those Las Vegas animal analogies my gambling pattern ranks me somewhere in the size of plankton.

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The courtyard was staffed with chefs and waiters serving up wine and champagne and an array of food.

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Mountain of jumbo prawns and king crab claws on ice.

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And Hyatt on ice.

Boarding Area founder Randy Petersen was videographer for MilePoint TV during the event. Gary Leff of View from the Wing, Scott Mackenzie of Hack My Trip and Summer Hull of Mommy Points were other BoardingArea bloggers in attendance.

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The climate controlled space inside the atrium covered courtyard was comfortably cool while outside the temperature was a sizzling 108 F degrees. I fried my head the hour before from taking a 15-minute walk down the street in the afternoon sun to buy some beer and vitamin water.

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The small number of invited guests made for easy mingling. There was a mix of bloggers, frequent business travelers and executives from MGM Resorts and Hyatt Hotels.

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The interview space backdrop Mlife-Hyatt Gold Passport-MGM Resorts.

The pool courtyard in the open air reminded me of the heat’s intensity outside while strolling with a glass of chardonnay and snapping photos.

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The Pool at the Mansion.

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The Pool with New York-New York skyline in background.

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Mansion fountains.

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Fading sunlight on the Tuscan style architecture of the Mansion.

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Inside the conversation and wine was flowing.

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King crab claws and wine was my simple good time dinner.

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Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Veuve Clique Champagne and Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.

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Kelley was all jazzed after the event from meeting so many interesting people. She has been envious of the social parties I attend at travel events. I now fear her envy will only grow on days when I am away for hotel travel and telling her about conference parties while she is home after working all day in a public school. She will think all my working parties measure up to the Mansion event.

This Hyatt Gold Passport – MGM M life event was more exclusive and better catered than most parties I have the opportunity to attend. I think my regular line to her in the future will have to be: “It wasn’t as good as the party we attended at the Mansion.”

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Gathering for the Hyatt Gold Passport-Mlife launch event in the Mansion at MGM Grand was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event for us. The opportunity to wine and dine inside the Mansion is a taste of Vegas few travelers will ever experience.

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“Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump.

One of the major benefits of attending the Hyatt Gold Passport M Life launch event at MGM Grand was an invitation to M life Noir tier status, an elite level conferred by invitation only. The 100 or so invited attendees for this launch experience in Las Vegas were each given M life Noir cards.

My M life Noir card is good through September 2014 for a taste of living large in Las Vegas over the next year and provides benefits like skipping lines at MGM Resorts buffets and other perks. If you have ever waited in line for a Vegas buffet, you probably realize the time savings this benefit offers.

About Hyatt Gold Passport and M life

Hyatt Gold Passport and MGM Resorts International partnered loyalty programs effective June 20, 2013. Beginning in August 2013, members of each loyalty program will be given reciprocal loyalty program status.

 

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts® and MGM Resorts International® have teamed up to form an unprecedented relationship in the hotel industry that offers substantial benefits to members of their loyalty programs, Hyatt Gold Passport® and M life. Starting June 20, Hyatt Gold Passport members will be able to earn and redeem Hyatt Gold Passport points at 12 iconic M life destinations on The Las Vegas Strip, including Bellagio®, MGM Grand® and Mandalay Bay®. Hyatt Gold Passport members will also be able to earn credit toward tier status for eligible stays and eligible nights at participating M life destinations.

The participating MGM Resorts destinations in Las Vegas are:

  • Bellagio,
  • ARIA,
  • Vdara,
  • MGM Grand,
  • The Signature at MGM Grand,
  • Mandalay Bay,
  • THEhotel at Mandalay Bay,
  • The Mirage,
  • Monte Carlo,
  • New York-New York,
  • Luxor and
  • Excalibur.

Beginning June 20, the relationship will provide Hyatt Gold Passport members and MGM Resorts’ M life members with the benefits outlined below.

Hyatt Gold Passport Benefits

  • Hyatt Gold Passport members will receive Hyatt Gold Passport points on every eligible dollar spent at the 12 participating MGM Resorts destinations in Las Vegas. Members will also have the opportunity to earn M life Tier Credits simultaneously at these locations on eligible spend.
  • All eligible stays at any of the participating MGM Resorts destinations in Las Vegas will count toward Hyatt Gold Passport tier status.
  • Hyatt Gold Passport members will be able to redeem their Hyatt Gold Passport points for award nights at participating MGM Resorts destinations in Las Vegas.
  • Coming in August, Hyatt Gold Passport members will be eligible to opt-in to a reciprocal tier status in MGM Resorts’ M life, providing benefits at participating MGM Resorts destinations. Depending on the matched Tier Level, members may receive special room offers and upgrades, pre-sale access to premier concert, show and fight tickets, invitations to members-only events, access to M life Moments – exclusive experiences, and much more.

M life Benefits

  • M life members will receive M life Tier Credits for eligible spend when traveling beyond MGM Resorts destinations, in Las Vegas, Detroit and Mississippi, when they stay at Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide.
  • M life members will have the opportunity to experience destinations and cultures across the globe with the authentic hospitality that Hyatt offers while earning M life Tier Credits.
  • Coming in August, M life members will be eligible to opt-in to a reciprocal tier status in Hyatt Gold Passport, providing benefits at Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide. Depending on the matched Tier Level, members may receive complimentary in-room Internet access, guaranteed room availability, late check-out and more during their Hyatt stay.

Hyatt Gold Passport – MGM M life announcement

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Thanks Hyatt and MGM for the M life high life experience inside the Mansion at MGM Grand.

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Blogger disclosure: This Hyatt Gold Passport-M life launch event included some freebies: Two nights at the MGM Grand in a standard room on the 21st floor ($250 value), two tickets to Cirque du Soleil Zarkana ($340 value), and the launch event party at The Mansion at MGM Grand (priceless). My transportation to Las Vegas was self-funded.

 

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests.

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11 Comments

  • Zach July 19, 2013

    king crab claws? 🙂

  • michael July 19, 2013

    that Cakebread Chard is $50 a bottle and very very nice

  • Ric Garrido July 19, 2013

    @Zach – I wondered if they were crab claws and not lobster. I asked Kelley. I know it wasn’t Maine lobster.

    Guess we never had those King Crab claws before.

    Excellent.

    The chardonnay was truly good wine.

  • […] Inside the Mansion at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Impressive place. And a write-up of the Hyatt-MGM partnership launch party which was held there last night. […]

  • No Fly Zone July 20, 2013

    A very nice review, thanks. If “Whale” status is what they are seeking to fill this hotel with a hotel, like you, my Vegas gaming is on the order of plankton. I’ve visited Vegas several times and always found plenty of other activities to keep me occupied, but “Structured Gaming” is not my cop o’ tea. If memory serves me correctly, I gave up an entire roll of nickles ($20) to that machine with the funny pictures spinning round and round. That was ~1979. Some of the shows are still fun (and spendy)and, if one knows were to look, the food can be better than the stuffy East Coast. Ask around.

  • Moving Chicane July 20, 2013

    Wonder if these Villas, or anything similiar, will eventually be made available as a high-end Hyatt award…it’s not clear (and I don’t feel likely) that “redeem their Hyatt Gold Passport points for award nights at participating MGM Resorts destinations in Las Vegas” will include the Mansion or the like.

    But it would be something truly to aspire too!

  • Andy July 20, 2013

    The Mansion is a bit “old” in feel. If you want something more modern feeling, I’d recommend checking out the SkyLoft.

  • Charles Clarke July 21, 2013

    What Hyatt status will your M life Noir status give you?

    Considering the percentage the house usually makes while you’re gambling, paying $5K/night might be the cheaper option.

    Do they think the whales read blogs enough that it is useful to promote through sites of frugal people like you? Or does this just reward you for covering all aspects of Hyatt and M life?

  • Ric Garrido July 28, 2013

    @Charles Clarke – Bloggers are the long tail of advertising and marketing. Las Vegas knows how to reach high rollers. I see my purpose in this event as to promote the new reciprocal Hyatt Gold Passport – M life loyalty partnership.

    Las Vegas is a great deal for hotel rooms. The price per square foot of room is one of the best in the USA.

    The ability to earn Hyatt Gold Passport credit for stays at MGM Resorts is one of the biggest values yet for Las Vegas travelers. I think I will probably get nearly half my Hyatt stays in Las Vegas over the next year.

    I don’t gamble. I find myself regularly visiting Las Vegas primarily for travel conferences and to see family relatives.

    I will probably write more about the various MGM Resorts over the next year than nearly any other source. I write about hotels and this new Hyatt Gold Passport feature is one I will be looking into closely.

    Where else but Las Vegas can I get a Hyatt stay credit for under $50 or live it up in a suite for around $100 per night? I think this is a huge development for Las Vegas travelers since many of us covering hotel loyalty programs see Hyatt Gold Passport as one of the best values for elite member benefits prior to this new partnership with MGM Resorts.

    Another reason I have a good relationship with Hyatt Gold Passport is they have sponsored Loyalty Traveler since 2009 for PassportswithPurpose.org, the travel blogger community effort to better the world one location at a time. Together, Loyalty Traveler and Hyatt Gold Passport have raised a significant amount of cash to help build schools in Cambodia, libraries in Zambia and water wells in Haiti through the annual PassportswithPurpose raffle.

    I do not know how Hyatt Gold Passport will match M life Noir members.

  • Ric, any idea how to link accounts? I am trying to link my Hyatt Platinum to get Gold status but cannot figure out how.

  • Ric Garrido July 30, 2013

    The feature is supposed to be available in August 2013.

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