Has anyone stayed here recently? Looking for an upscale hotel for one night early next year with the wife. Right now my short list is Nobu, Mandarin Oriental, Vdara, Delano.
Thanks
Nobu is located in the middle of Caesar’s Palace. I’ve not stayed there. I have recently stayed in Caesar’s Augustus and Octavius towers that have separate entrances from Caesar’s (Nobu does not and you have to walk through at least one casino to get there). The Mandarin Oriental is my Las Vegas hotel of choice. It has no casino, but there are plenty nearby.
Vdara is not high end. Delano is nice but really far from everything.
I’ve heard about some noise issues (thin walls) at Nobu. I’ve never stayed at the Mandarin but I’ve had drinks there and it’s a beautiful spot and right at mid-strip.
Four Seasons (same issue as Delano as it’s inside Mandalay).
Stayed at the Nobu a year ago during CinemaCon conference at Caesars. Was in a standard room for them but liked it a lot.
The entrance (next to the Nobu restaurant) is tucked away and you feel nicely insulated from the noise of the casino once you head up in the elevators, which are automated and linked to your room key–just swipe and the lift knows where to go.
Didn’t think the walls were thin. My room was a bit dark, but nicely appointed in a Euro-Asian fusion way. Since I had been expecting a standard tower room at Caesars, I was very pleased, but your standards may be higher.
Have stayed at the Encore several times and found Nobu more relaxing and less ostentatious. I have heard that the Mandarin is really nice as well.
All of the rooms at Caesars are way overpriced for the quality/size/etc. relative to other, superior places on the strip. I think it continues to bank on its history/cachet, but it’s been outclassed for years.
Mandarin is, IMHO, the nicest on the Strip, by far, and worth every penny.
Vdara is a very good value given the location and its newness. Not very interesting or exciting, but a good balance.
Haven’t stayed at Delano, and although I’m sure the upgrade since the refresh is nice, as others have noted it’s a bit of a hike, if you’re willing to accept that.
I stayed at the Nobu in May. It was perfectly nice but no big deal. Also, overpriced.
I stayed at the Vdara about a year ago. As with Nobu, the Vdara is perfectly nice, but no big deal. However, Vdara is much cheaper than Nobu, and the room was larger – with a kitchenette type area as well as a lounging area separate from the bed area of the room. I much preferred the Vdara because of the size/newness of the room and the fact that there was no casino to navigate through to get in/out every day.
I haven’t stayed at the Mandarin or the Delano.
Stayed at Delano as it was transitioning from THE Hotel. Agree with others that you can do better. Have heard from friends that Mandarin is a great spot.
Cosmo is still my favorite hotel to stay at. Since the casino is much smaller and everything is spread out, it doesn’t feel all loud.
p.s. if you are a man, there are a lot of attractive women walking around going to marquee around 10-11pm. haha
We stayed at Nobu a few weeks ago. It’s a nice room and we had no issues with noise. This was for a conference, so we had to stay at Caesar’s. If price were similar I’d stay at the Mandarin, it’s more highly recommended.
FIFY.
Don’t be hating. Even you older guys have a chance 
Mandarin is nice - for a high end though, its hard to beat the Skylofts at MGM. SkySuites at Aria are nice too.
Aria or Mandarin.
Mandarin or Wynn
This is a good point about Cosmo. The blackjack tables are well-positioned for people watching at night. Definitely the best casino vibe. I don’t love the rooms, personally (they’re fine), but it’s one of my favorite places to gamble, even after they downgraded their players’ club.
My priorities are probably skewed, but I still always stay at the Venetian/Palazzo because the gym is so good (Canyon Ranch), and it’s the only place I’ve found where I can get healthy food in between indulgences.
I think that is a good point, but I don’t like the layout of those hotels. I spend a lot of time at the restaurants there and my wife still has a soft spot for the gym/spa. I like the Aria now for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. I absolutely hate the Cosmo, except for the restaurants. It is the douchiest hotel by far- full of the worst kind of people. I’ve also spent some time at the Wynn, but the dining situation has gone downhill there IMO and I always find myself elsewhere.
Their players’ club is utter crap now. I don’t even bother.
I’ve been alternating between the Cosmo and Aria for the past few years. Staying at Cosmo next month for our next trip. Both great spots, but I definitely find Cosmo to be a younger and more hip crowd.