Talk about trying to stand out! The new Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas is one of the few hotels on the Strip without a casino. The 47 story, 392 room property (opened in December 2009) doesn’t have even a single slot machine. There isn’t an all you can eat buffet or schmaltzy lounge act either. What is there? The luxury group’s signature impeccable service, the first U.S. restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire, an afternoon high tea that’ll have you pledging to eat nothing but scones and finger sandwiches for the rest of your life, a 27,000-square foot spa, and a LEED Gold rating. The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas is the first of the 41 properties worldwide owned or operated by the group to receive LEED* certification.
Upon entering Vegas’ new revolutionary City Center and hopping an elevator to the 23rd floor Sky Lobby, it’s apparent the hotel’s discreet status now has an address to match. The gleaming black marble floors accented with exotic carpets in bold Asian patterns exude sophistication in this non-gaming oasis of oriental calm. The interior by Adam Tihany, widely regarded for his preeminent hospitality design in restaurants like Aureole and hotels such the Shangri-la in Singapore is a fitting backdrop for the soaring view. Rooms have subtle oriental touches also. No two are identical, but all share linens that make it a crime to get out of bed, cutting-edge technology (a flat screen embedded in your bathroom mirror), curious objets d’art including lacquered boxes, sculptures and vases, and soaking tubs. Expect dramatic yet understated floral arrangements (a profusion of cambria orchids or a small vase of red tulips) perched near a stack of coffee-table books, too. And behind all this is 34-percent more energy efficiency than is required by national or local regulations.
While you could easily spend all your time in your room, especially if you’re in one of the three Presidential Suites, don’t. Even non-tea drinkers love the afternoon high tea in the 23rd floor Tea Lounge with views both of the bustling Strip and the Spring Mountains. The Mandarin’s staff of perfectionists insure that the tea is perfectly steeped and the steeping time depends on the tea ordered. When they deliver the multi-story tower of fresh scones, jams, sandwiches, cookies, and sweets a moment later you’ll imagine yourself in a kind of contest to eat them all. On the same floor, Twist is the only restaurant in the U.S. where you can enjoy the food of fusion pioneer Pierre Gagnaire whose namesake restaurant, “Pierre,” is at the Mandarin Hong Kong.
The Mandarin Oriental’s spa is hands down the best in Vegas. While I venture this as my opinion and I’m sure some will disagree (after all, there are upwards of 100 spas in the metro area) my argument in favor of it as the best is compelling. Before your treatment (or afterward if you prefer), there are saunas, both dry and wet, experience showers, ice fountains, tepidarium chairs (heated from within), laconiums, and Vitality Spa Pools (a fancy term for a fancy hot tub). Separate men’s and women’s locker rooms are inspired by 1930s Shanghai. What does that mean? Lots of marble, most of it ivory and gray, paintings of beautiful Asian women, sleek furniture, paneled screens, silk upholstery and plenty of plush pillows everywhere.
When it’s time for your treatment, it will be personalized to your mood and physical condition that day based on your completed pre-treatment questionnaire. Treatments range from facials to massages, wraps, and body treatments all combining Eastern methodologies in the Western applications. Seven of the 17 treatment rooms are for couples. The Mandarin’s spa is perhaps the only place in the city that takes care to send you back to the oasis of your room on a cloud of relaxation. Unless, of course, you are there taking advantage of the fully equipped fitness center and yoga studio with Pilates classes as an option.
Whatever the choice the Mandarin Oriental insures that your stay in Las Vegas will channel the perfect balance of yin and yang.
*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System
Mandarin Oriental
3752 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.590.8888