What MGM Grand is
MGM Grand opened in December 1993 as the largest hotel in the world, with 5,000-plus rooms, an emerald-green glass exterior, an amusement park out back (long gone) and a lion's-mouth entrance that was replaced in the late 1990s after Chinese guests found walking into a lion's jaws unlucky. Today it has around 5,000 rooms across the main building, the Signature condo-hotel towers and the West Wing, a 171,500-square-foot casino that is among the biggest in the city, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the KÀ theatre, a huge convention centre and one of the best pool complexes on the Strip.
It occupies the northeast corner of the Tropicana Avenue intersection at the top of the South Strip, across from New York-New York and Excalibur, and it is the southern terminus of the Las Vegas Monorail. MGM Resorts, which took its name from the hotel's parent company, runs it as one of its mass-market flagships. The bronze lion statue out front is the largest in the country and a classic photo stop.
Free: the lion, the lobby and the walk-through
MGM Grand's free offering is thinner than its Center Strip rivals; the live lion habitat closed in 2012 and the entertainment now lives behind ticket desks. What is free: the 45-foot bronze lion on the corner, the sweeping lobby with its Art Deco-influenced light installations, the CSI: The Experience entrance area, the Hakkasan facade lighting, and an unhurried walk across a casino floor that takes a genuine 15 minutes to cross. The Underground is a Prohibition-themed bar with a working distillery you can peer into.
Outside, The Park, a landscaped pedestrian avenue leading to T-Mobile Arena, is across the boulevard, and the pedestrian bridges at the Tropicana intersection are one of the best free vantage points on the South Strip after dark. For the full free list, see free things to see on the Strip.
Attractions inside
KÀ by Cirque du Soleil has run since 2005 in a theatre built around a rotating, tilting stage and remains one of the most technically astonishing shows in the city; tickets run roughly $80 to $250 as of 2026. The MGM Grand Garden Arena seats 17,000 and hosts boxing, UFC, and arena concerts; when a big fight is on, the whole hotel fills with the crowd. David Copperfield has performed in his own theatre here for decades and is still the go-to magic show. Hakkasan Nightclub, five levels of it, and Wet Republic dayclub anchor the party side, and the Jabbawockeez dance crew runs its own theatre.
CSI: The Experience and the Topgolf behind the hotel, reached by a walkway from the east side, add daytime options for groups. Full listings and recommendations are in shows and nightlife.
Dining highlights
The top end is serious. Joël Robuchon holds three Michelin stars from its previous ratings era and is the most expensive meal in the city at $250 to $500-plus per person; L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon next door is the counter version at roughly half. Hakkasan does high-end Cantonese, Morimoto Japanese, Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak steak, and Emeril's New Orleans Fish House has been here since 1995. Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is a solid mid-range pick.
For cheaper meals, the MGM Grand Buffet runs roughly $35 to $60 as of 2026 and is average, Tap Sports Bar does wings and screens, and the food court near the West Wing has fast-casual options. The Avenue Café handles 24-hour diner duties. Rankings by budget are in the dining hub.
The Grand Pool complex
This is the reason many people choose MGM Grand. The Grand Pool Complex covers 6.5 acres with four pools, three whirlpools, waterfalls and a 1,000-foot lazy river, the only one on the Strip along with Mandalay Bay's. Tubes rent for around $15 to $25 as of 2026. It is genuinely family-friendly, with shallow areas and shade, and it is big enough not to feel crowded except on holiday weekends. Wet Republic is the separate adults-only dayclub with covers from $30 to $100-plus.
Pools are guests-only with wristbands and typically open from early morning to early evening from spring to autumn; the lazy river and some pools close in winter, so check before booking a January pool holiday. Cabanas run from around $200 midweek to $1,000-plus on peak weekends.
Rooms and who should stay here
The main tower has around 4,000 Grand rooms of about 450 square feet, renovated in 2023 and 2024 in a clean, modern style; ask for a renovated floor. The West Wing rooms are smaller (about 350 square feet) but stylish and often cheaper. Stay Well rooms add wellness gimmicks. The Signature at MGM Grand is three non-gaming, non-smoking condo towers behind the hotel with kitchenettes, balconies and their own pools, reached by a long moving walkway; they are a good pick for families and longer stays. Skylofts on the top floors are the ultra-luxe option.
Rates as of 2026 run roughly $80 to $250 midweek and $150 to $450 at weekends, plus a resort fee of about $45 to $50 plus tax. MGM Grand suits families, pool people, arena event-goers, groups on a mid-range budget and monorail users. It suits fewer people who hate walking (the hotel is enormous and the room corridors are long), fewer luxury seekers and fewer people who want the Center Strip on foot. The hotels hub compares it with its neighbours.
Parking, fees and getting there
Self-parking is in the large garage on the east side of the property off Koval Lane, a long walk from the lobby. MGM Resorts charges non-guests and most guests a daily fee, roughly $18 to $25 as of 2026, waived for higher MGM Rewards tiers and Nevada residents; valet is at the main entrance and the Signature. Expect surge pricing and gridlock on arena event nights; check the MGM parking page for current rates.
The MGM Grand monorail station is at the back of the casino near the arena and is the southern end of the line, with the Center Strip 10 to 15 minutes away by train; fares run about $5 to $6 single or $13 to $16 for a day pass as of 2026. From LAS, a rideshare takes 10 to 15 minutes and costs $15 to $25, making this one of the most convenient Strip hotels for the airport. On foot, New York-New York and Excalibur are 5 to 10 minutes across the bridges, Park MGM 10 to 15, Bellagio 25. The transportation hub has full detail.