With a prime Strip-front placement, the 47-story Mandarin Oriental is the first hotel on the left when entering CityCenter via CityCenter Place. Exuding a refined Asian flavor reminiscent of its corporate origins, the 392-room nongaming boutique hotel provides Eastern hospitality in a Western setting. Half hotel and half condominium, the lower floors are transient accommodations, and the upper half are residences. In the tower’s center is the spectacular 23rd-level sky lobby.
After entering the streetside porte cochere, guests are whisked via elevator to check-in on the 23rd floor. This midtower placement of lobby, bars, and restaurants is distinctive, and the skyline view from the Mandarin Bar is one of the best in Las Vegas. Oriental sculptures, pottery, baskets, prints, oil paintings, and occasional pieces are showcased in the understated public areas. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire specializes in modern French preparations. The intimate Tea Lounge serves traditional high tea along with a mix of exotic and herbal beverages. MOzen Bistro offers international and pan-Asian fare alongside a theater kitchen near the third-floor, glass-walled conference center. 
Merging Asian decor and Western design, the 850-square-foot deluxe rooms have a contemporary look and Eastern zest with dark woods, vibrant red accents, and stylized Oriental patterns. All rooms have walk-in closets and valet privacy closets for room deliveries. Catering to business travelers, accommodations include spacious desks, Internet access, and plug-and-play capabilities with room-control technologies managing the entertainment center, drapes, and lights from one component. Bathrooms highlight the skyline view through an exterior window. Another window with a retractable curtain separates the bathroom from the bedroom. Freestanding tubs are an appealing departure from the usual hotel wall-affixed bathtub configuration, and there is a separate glass shower. Flat-panel TVs are embedded in the mirrors with double sinks underneath.
Swimmers will be keen on the two narrow lap pools on the eighth-level pool deck. Between them is a small center island shaped like a fan—the hotel’s logo. White lounges and private cabanas line the perimeter surrounding the pools, two hot tubs, and a plunge. The outdoor Poolside Cafe serves light meals and snacks. A wind wall shields guests from gusts. The soothing bilevel 27,000-square-foot Spa at Mandarin Oriental is located near the pool on the seventh and eighth floors. A business center and small conference facility assist business travelers. Cell-phone and laptop rentals are available, as well as secretarial services.
The works of two Japanese artists are prominently displayed within the hotel. The entrance showcases Masatoshi Izumi’s Cactus Life—Living with Earth, a minutely carved 16-foot basalt lava sculpture honoring balance in nature. The lobby features three glazed ceramic monoliths by Jun Kaneko. These three rotund pieces of the Untitled Dango Series typify their Japanese name “dumpling.” Inside the Tea Lounge, Jack Goldstein’s fiery 8- by 8-foot acrylic Untitled (Volcano) brings vigor to the quiet setting. In the courtyard near the hotel’s entrance is poised Typewriter Eraser, Scale X. This celebrated work by Dutch pop artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen is a 4-ton, 19-foot fiberglass-and-stainless-steel rendering of a huge red-and-blue typewriter eraser. The connecting walkway area is also a great spot to view two murals by Richard Long, which are visible through the lobby windows of Veer Towers across the street.
Parking and valet service are available at the porte cochere and also beneath the hotel. When entering from the Strip onto CityCenter Place, the left turn to the Mandarin Oriental is in the center of the road and a short distance in. Some parking is also available in the garage south of the hotel with entry from the Monte Carlo access road. Directly in front of the Mandarin Oriental on the Las Vegas Strip is a pharmacy and souvenir gift shop.
The hotel appeals to globetrotters familiar with the extensive Mandarin Oriental name, business travelers, and tourists wishing to experience the Mandarin’s well-deserved reputation for refined Eastern hospitality. With the exception of the occasionally busy sky lobby, the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas is serene and Zen-like.
For more Las Vegas hotel reviews, check out The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas by Bob Sehlinger. If you enjoyed this post, sign up for our newsletter here.
Photo credits
Mandarin Oriental pool by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons|
Mandarin Orienta outdoor view by Tristan Surtel [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
