I strongly recommend M Resort.
Your first requirement is great hotel rooms, and you just can't top M. The rooms are very well maintained and modern, and the beds are extremely comfy. For us, it is an added bonus that the elevator to the hotel rooms is just steps away from the casino.
Blackjack is decent at M, though not as attractive as it used to be when most double deck games were hand shuffled. Now, you only get hand shuffled games in the pit where minimum bet is $50. Still, their blackjack rules are among the best you'll find, double down after split, etc.
Free airport shuttle at specified times each day, as well as free shuttle to the Strip!
We like the food options at M . . . the burger bar is outstanding, the deli is fast and consistently decent, the Asian restaurant is fine, the steakhouse really good, the pasta restaurant is decent, and then of course the buffet. I agree with another poster that the buffet has slipped in quality, but we love the fact that you don't lose your cash back points when earning the free buffet (easy to earn free buffet playing VP on weekdays) Also, they have a "Babycakes" 24 hour pastry/coffee shop that will also have salads/sandwiches available for take away.
For us, the biggest reason we keep returning to M as our favorite "locals" casino is the outstanding, rock star of a casino host that we have at M. The host is old school Vegas, and appeared in the Discovery Channel's "American Casino" series when he was host at GVR. He's been at M since the day they opened, and he is truly what a host should be, and more. If you have a dozen or so friends that love to gamble, he is the person to contact, see what he can do for your group.
