My frequent trips to Las Vegas over the past few years have awarded me the chance to visit several casinos on the Strip.
... Including MGM Grand, which now rates near the very top of my list.
This destination has provided entertainment and gaming for its patrons for over three decades.
Through the years
However, before the current MGM Grand existed, the site was the home for the Marina Hotel, which opened in 1975. Prior to this, the property was home to the Tropicana County Club and the Golf Club Hotel. Both opened to the public in the 1960s.
MGM Grand opened under its current name on December 18 1993. Planning for the resort began nearly four years earlier, under the iconic direction of Kirk Kerkorian, who had developed another hotel on the Strip in 1973.
At the time of its opening, MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world and offered more than 5,000 rooms. The destination was also the largest casino at the time of its opening.
MGM Grand had an attached theme park when it first opened, called MGM Grand Adventures. The park occupied 33 acres northeast of the resort.
Three years after its grand opening, MGM Grand launched a renovation project, which involved four phases during a 30-month period. The Wizard of Oz theme, which was part of the resort when it opened in 1993, was changed during this renovation.
Where is the MGM Grand now?
Today, MGM Grand has nearly 170,000 square feet of gaming floor space, plenty for its more than 2,500 slots, table games options, poker room and BetMGM Sportsbook.
MGM Grand's high-limit room offers guests slot play in $5, $10, $25 and $100 denominations.
The casino is also known for having a slot machine other destinations on the Strip do not - Cherries Jubilee.
Avid players, social media slot influencers and novice slot fans can only find this game in Vegas at MGM Grand.
While visiting this casino, I made sure I stopped and played Cherries Jubilee for this reason. It was on my list of things to do while visiting Sin City for the recent Global Gaming Expo this year.
Cherries Jubilee is known among players as a game that often pays out well. Landing three of the game's namesake symbols awards the grand jackpot. And depending on the denomination, this can mean walking away with at least $1,000.
Did it ring true for me as well? Not this time. But not landing the grand jackpot gives me at least one reason to run back to this casino.
Our verdict
But even without this game, MGM Grand is well worth the visit. The space is organized well, and I especially appreciated how easy it was to find dining, guest services, games and other entertainment options in this space. The venue has an open concept and wide walkways once patrons enter the main resort area.
Those looking to do some shopping will have no trouble finding stores at MGM Grand. The venue features shops that sell fine jewelry, men and women's fashions, gifts and souvenirs.
Along with plenty of shopping options, the resort offers several restaurants that serve a variety of cuisine options, including American, Asian, French, Italian. Steakhouse dining is also available in this casino.
I appreciated the resort providing dining with several price ranges. Spending less on food means it can add that expense to my bankroll for additional play, which is always a win in my book.
The MGM Grand had everything I wanted to do while visiting a casino resort all contained in one space. And as someone who prefers a "one-stop" experience, this was grand.
The MGM Grand has played host to numerous high-profile boxing matches over the years, including Mayweather vs Pacquiao in 2015
