This trip to Vegas was slightly different from our previous trips; namely, getting to the destination was quite different. We had left on Thursday, hoping to beat the weekend traffic rush. Instead, we hit three major traffic jams, caused by interesting asphalt machines that were a cool sight when switching to the 15 freeway, one minor traffic accident, and one to stare at Nevada's "No Tolerance" signs at Primm (meaning, no driving over 70 miles per hour). Only to soothe us during our first traffic jam was a call from the Mirage-- a worried VIP concierge wondering about our transportation plans to Vegas, for the Mirage offers complimentary limousine rides from the Las Vegas McCarran Airport as part of the Suite Life Package. But we said no, and she ended the call stating: we'll see you here soon!
Soon was three hours later than we had anticipated (making for a seven hour drive, including a one hour lunch break). After all the driving, difficulty in finding a spot in the self-parking garage, and a stop at the VIP Lounge, it was finally time to see the suite.
Soon was three hours later than we had anticipated (making for a seven hour drive, including a one hour lunch break). After all the driving, difficulty in finding a spot in the self-parking garage, and a stop at the VIP Lounge, it was finally time to see the suite.
(A-E = 26-30th floors respectively)
With the black colored "The Suite Life" keys, we were able to access our elevator to go up to our rooms. This key also serves as VIP passes to different dining establishments at the Mirage, so it holds quite some value!
Down the blue themed hallway (matching one of the Penthouse Suite themes featured on the Mirage website), we finally reached our suite. There were two entries: a main double door entry to the living room, and a secondary entry to the second bedroom. Our keys allowed us to gain entry to both entrances.
(a side note: all blinds in the Penthouse Suite are electronically controlled through controllers at the wall)
The combination of modern furniture, carpet patterns, and classier, padded walls and crown molding provided a classy experience, as seen with the VIP Lounge. Even the color scheme was similar: plenty of brown and beige, a bit of purple, and plenty of marble and (real) plants. All the living room chairs were quite cushy, and could be easily moved. As for the large brown sofa, it actually is composed of two pieces: one piece with the small glass table in the middle, and another with the extended footrest. The extended footrest piece along with a beige chair in the left can easily make a makeshift bed for family members who happen to not be able to squeeze into the bedrooms.
The large Phillips LCD TV and its speaker system was pleasant; to the side were additional hookups for the television, so one could potentially plug in their own electronic devices and have them displayed through the TV. Additionally, the speaker bar also had an auxiliary input section. Plenty of of outlets were also available, as well as a notepad, large metal ink pen (these are such a improvement over the plastic BIC ballpoint pens in the regular rooms), and postcards in this area.
My only gripe is that very few HD channels are offered, even though the Mirage offers HD LCD TVs in all of their rooms. Furthermore, Asian language channels were also nowhere to be found--an interesting omission.
The dining room table was large, offering plenty of space for us to put our items from the day. It also can function as a workspace-- outlets are not too far away from the table. To the back wall lay another mirror, as well as a long table filled with magazines. We saw one maintenance issue here: the mirror was cracked on the edges, and the cracks were just covered with scotch tape, instead of being repaired.
The wet bar was nicely stocked: an stainless steel sink, cocktail set, empty fridge with ice maker, and a large minibar and snack collection. Considering all the soft drinks and some of the beer are available at the VIP Lounge however, the minibar isn't of much need. Be careful of touching the minibar items and closing the minibar fridge, however; two minibar items appeared on our folio although we took nothing away from it.
Accessible by double doors is the master bedroom, which is quite intriguing for the pop-up Philips television in front of the king-sized bed. Ten years ago, this was available, but the televisions were not of the flat-screen variety. Lights above the bed make for pleasant reading, and an iHome system presents an audio option for those who prefer to listen to their own music.
The master bedroom continues the blend of traditional and modern architectural elements, though modern is much more at effect here. Only the doors and walls continue to have a traditional feel; everything else is modern.
The very large master bathroom is quite a sight: modern, plenty of marble, and double mirrors, sinks, and towel sets. There's even a Philips TV on the side, though the viewing angle isn't the most convenient.
Toiletries are still supplied by Gilchrist and Soames, but are now of the Basil Limon variety instead of Aqua Lime. For the Penthouse Suite, the Mirage provides all: plenty of facial and body soap bars, body butter (lotion), hair cleanser (shampoo), hair masque (conditioner), Scope mouthwash, a toothbrush and Crest toothpaste, a Shick shaving kit, and cotton pads and swabs. No shower caps are provided, which is surprising for this caliber of accommodation.
The bath area features Kohler showers and jet tubs, as well as Basil Limon bath gel, soaps, and bath salts. A Gilchrist and Soames scrub/loofah is also available.
That's not all with the master bathroom, for to the right is another area, featuring mirrors, a make-up area, and a closet room and toilet room. The closet room features plenty of space to put clothing, a luggage rack, and a large safe. Slippers were also supposed to be found here (male and female), but were not to be found during our visit--we had to request them through housekeeping. The toilet room features a toilet with a seat that is not flat, but rather slants downward at its center, a bidet, a telephone, and soap and towels for the bidet.
The second bedroom was like a regular guest room, only that the quality of the materials was improved and that the work desk was omitted (for it is next to the Philips TV in the living room). A large sliding closet with a large safe is to the left of this photo, while to the right sits yet another Philips TV and a large chaise lounge.
Like the master bedroom, the second bedroom features an iHome system, modern lamps, and lights above the bed.
The large closet and safe offered plenty of space to put clothing, but the sliding doors were problematic. Though parts of the doors were off the main track, maintenance never resolved this issue even though we left a note to the housekeeper during our visit.
The comfortable lounge chair was the real star of the second bedroom. It was an extremely comfortable piece of furniture, and makes another great makeshift spot to take a nap!
Before entering the second bedroom's bathroom, one walks past a large wooden drawer to the left and a small make-up area to the right. The increase in quality of materials continues to be seen with the marble flooring and furniture.
The second bathroom is quite small, but decked out in marble.
Toiletries are just the same as the master bathroom, only in smaller amounts. A hairdryer and extra tissues and toilet paper rolls can be found inside the cabinets.
The shower and tub combination features the same large showerhead as the master bathroom, as well as bath gel or a body bar (we received one or the other during our visit). Unfortunately, the tub was in bad condition-- next to the tub drain, parts of the tub were peeling off, showing a clear material instead of the white material that covers the tub. This bathroom also lacked a place to hang large bath towels, unlike the master bathroom.
Views from the Penthouse Suite were quite nice, but were obscured thanks to the LOVE advertising, which made looking out the windows for small details a difficult task. Far away, the LOVE wrap wasn't quite annoying, but up close to the window, it was hard to see the view. It's intriguing how the Mirage has been able to get away with this advertising-- the top floors should have the best, unobstructed views, yet this is essentially destroyed with the LOVE advertising!
Unlike the guest room floors, windows cannot be opened at the suite levels: a fire alarm will sound otherwise. We found some inconsistencies here: one label for the windows was of the old variety instead of new, and one label was taped with clear tape --not pretty!
Lastly, as part of the Suite Life package, we received a platter of fruit (two granny smith apples, two red apples, two fuji apples, one korean pear, and grapes), two bottles of Fiji water, and a Tignanello 2007 Toscana Indicazione geografica tipica Antinori red wine. I'm surprised by the choice of wine-- the Tignanello has quite favorable rankings, and is quite expensive for a bottle of complimentary wine-- worth 70+ USD.
Overall, it's a nicely chosen selection for the Suite Life welcome gift! Now only if they provided fruit throughout the visit, instead of just during the first night.
We enjoyed our stay in the Mirage's Two Penthouse Suite. It's a pleasant suite at a great location, only hampered by maintenance issues (no slippers in the room, a mirror was cracked and fixed with showing scotch tape, inconsistent and taped labeling at the windows, a broken tub in the second bathroom). Furthermore, considering we paid extra with the resort fee and Suite Life package, the Wi-Fi, was exceedingly slow--loading a webpage could take minutes! Our suite was also colder in the main living room, while it was quite hot (no matter what temperature we set it to) in the bedrooms. The extremely soft, pillowtop beds and extremely warm blankets for us made for uncomfortable nights of sleep, but that may not be the case for you if you like soft beds.
The Penthouse Suite aims to be "the pinnacle in both luxury and position, set on the top two floors of [The Mirage]" and although the suite is quite at that remark (The Villas at the Mirage are even higher, but I digress), the service, housekeeping, and maintenance could use some uplifting. In other words, the "suite life" isn't quite there yet. Furthermore, some amenities in the toiletries section could be added. Pricewise, don't forget to ask for an AAA rate before booking, if you have an AAA membership (they will not accept the card after you book at a different rate), and look for rates of 300 USD--that's typically the lowest price I've seen for this suite type.
Want the view the suite in yet another manner? Here's a video:
Overall, it's a nicely chosen selection for the Suite Life welcome gift! Now only if they provided fruit throughout the visit, instead of just during the first night.
We enjoyed our stay in the Mirage's Two Penthouse Suite. It's a pleasant suite at a great location, only hampered by maintenance issues (no slippers in the room, a mirror was cracked and fixed with showing scotch tape, inconsistent and taped labeling at the windows, a broken tub in the second bathroom). Furthermore, considering we paid extra with the resort fee and Suite Life package, the Wi-Fi, was exceedingly slow--loading a webpage could take minutes! Our suite was also colder in the main living room, while it was quite hot (no matter what temperature we set it to) in the bedrooms. The extremely soft, pillowtop beds and extremely warm blankets for us made for uncomfortable nights of sleep, but that may not be the case for you if you like soft beds.
The Penthouse Suite aims to be "the pinnacle in both luxury and position, set on the top two floors of [The Mirage]" and although the suite is quite at that remark (The Villas at the Mirage are even higher, but I digress), the service, housekeeping, and maintenance could use some uplifting. In other words, the "suite life" isn't quite there yet. Furthermore, some amenities in the toiletries section could be added. Pricewise, don't forget to ask for an AAA rate before booking, if you have an AAA membership (they will not accept the card after you book at a different rate), and look for rates of 300 USD--that's typically the lowest price I've seen for this suite type.
Want the view the suite in yet another manner? Here's a video:
The Mirage Hotel and Casino
3400 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Other posts about the Mirage:
December 2013:
VIP Lounge (The Mirage Hotel and Casino)- Las Vegas, NV
The Mirage Hotel and Casino- Las Vegas, NV: Public Spaces
Cravings Buffet (The Mirage Hotel and Casino)- Las Vegas, NV
December 2008:
Mirage Part 1: Public Spaces
Mirage Part 2: Rooms
Mirage Part 3: Views from the room
Mirage Part 4: Terry Fator Theatre, Conference Areas, and the Roasted Bean
Cravings Buffet (Photos and Review)- Las Vegas (Mirage)
Cravings Buffet (Videos)- Las Vegas (Mirage)
Comments