When we were in Las Vegas over July 4th weekend, we splurged and had dinner at Joel Robuchon, which had just reopened. The couple next to us was dressed to the hilt. He had on what looked like a solid-gold Rolex and she was dripping in diamonds. They were talking about the "mansion" at MGM Grand where they were staying. Where and what is this "mansion"?
This "mansion" is called The Mansion at MGM Grand and it’s one of the most exclusive lodgings in the world. The hotel-within-a-hotel contains 29 villas ranging from 2,500 to 15,000 square feet. They’re reserved for the highest of high rollers and up until a few years ago, staying there was by invitation only, but now they rent to the public for $5,000 to $20,000 on a normal night.
The Mansion occupies a completely separate building from the 5,005-room MGM Grand mother hotel; it’s built on property reclaimed from the unsuccessful MGM Grand Adventures amusement park. The well-heeled guests enter through a one-ton solid-bronze gate inlaid with Austrian custom-beveled glass, which accounted for a full percentage point of the Mansion’s total cost. In the common area at the entrance they can smoke a cigar, sample exotic fruits from the welcome basket, or sip a glass of champagne. They can also examine 200-year-old French vases, antique Moroccan lamps, and abstracts by name artists, and listen to Mozart. Discerning guests might even notice the subtle aroma of bitter orange wafting through the air.
Each of eight garden villas has two to four bedrooms (two villas can be combined for a six-bedroom megavilla), a private garden, and an indoor pool. Asian guests are placed in the villas with fountains stocked with water lilies and koi. Separate service entrances admit the villa butler and housekeeper, and chefs stock the pantries.
We don't know the current numbers, given the cutbacks in business and staff, but before the shutdown, the Mansion had upwards of 150 full-time employees, with a substaff of 43 butlers who speak upwards of 15 languages among them. Every member of the staff must sign a confidentiality agreement, ensuring that no one says nothin’ ‘bout nobody. The Mansion is an extremely secure enclave in the midst of the largest hotel in the world and there’s plenty of privacy from the hoi polloi, but not from the Mansion staff. They get to see intimate personal details of these people’s lives and sharing any of it could cost them their jobs. And for most, that's not an option, since it's one of the best places in the global hospitality industry to work and again, as of March 2020, more than 20% of the employees had been there since day one: May 1999.
When the guests check out of the largest of the villas, the crew that descends consists of four to six villa attendants who make up and refresh the rooms; a floral team that replenishes the fresh flowers; a maintenance team that conducts routine inspections of the lighting, air-conditioning, electronics, and facilities; a landscape team that checks on the ponds, fountains, and greenery; and a water-quality team that treats the private pools.
Special, private, and intimate events are held in the Mansion's lush 125 foot-high glass-domed Atrium. Tony Bennett, for example, performed for 175 guests there in February 2019.
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CLIFFORD
Jul-21-2021
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Sandra Ritter
Jul-21-2021
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Sandra Ritter
Jul-21-2021
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rett98
Jul-21-2021
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Nellisned
Jul-21-2021
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O2bnVegas
Jul-21-2021
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Bob Dancer
Jul-21-2021
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Donzack
Jul-21-2021
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Roy Furukawa
Jul-21-2021
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[email protected]
Jul-21-2021
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James Mason
Jul-21-2021
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AL
Jul-22-2021
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LonW
Aug-09-2021
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