Long time reader of the knot, first time poster!
FI and I just returned from a scouting trip in Las Vegas. We want an in-suite reception with a quick, secular ceremony (hopefully in the room) followed by cocktails, apps, and buffet/stations for dinner. We're expecting 25-30 guests and want to make sure there is room for everyone to be comfortable. We ended up ruling out a lot of hotels that just didn't seem to have suites with large enough living areas to accommodate us (or when guest services balked at 30 in a suite...Wynn...). I'm going to review what we looked at and I would love any reactions/thoughts from more experienced ladies!
Four Seasons: Gorgeous brand new hospitality suite. There aren't many pictures online but there is a floor plan. We also saw a ballroom with a terrace that is nice but not what we were looking for. Pros: The suite is just stunning. Exactly our taste, contemporary with a blue/green/silver color scheme and great space for entertaining. There is a room for catering storage, etc. that is out of the way. Coordinator Nicole is included, she seems great and the FS really prides themselves on personalized service (they took us out to lunch and stressed how hard they would work to make us happy). Catering/bar is through FS but their menus are extensive and flexible. Cons: There's no bedroom, so our room that night is extra, and you only get the suite from roughly 6-11 PM on the day of. The view is not great (who wants a desert/mountain view at night on the Strip?), and of course, FS does not come cheap.
Mandalay Bay: We were unable to see the Media and Vista suites due to low availability during our trip and our full schedule, so I can't comment on those. We spoke with a coordinator but it felt like she was just handing us pre-arranged packages and expecting us to choose option A or option B. We had told her we wanted an in-suite option but she seemed to have forgotten this by the time we got there. This is probably more a comment on what we wanted than what they offered, so I'll just say we weren't excited about them and ruled them out.
MGM Grand: Really wanted to see the MGM Grand suites, the Signature suites and Sky Lofts but we were there during NFR and the the Pacquiao fight, so no dice. They were very helpful and apologetic about this so I'd consider them in the future if we need to take a second trip before choosing, I just don't feel comfortable choosing a site I couldn't see.
Mandarin Oriental: Very nice hospitality suite and a ballroom that can be arranged for ceremonies. Pros: nice views from the suites and ballroom and absolutely stunning views through floor-to-ceiling windows in the restaurant on the 23rd floor. This space is also available for rent for late afternoon vows. We may use that restaurant for a day after brunch whether we go with them or not! They have suites that include a bedroom and living/dining furniture as well as a kitchen, and also unfurnished ones if you want to customize the space, which is a plus for me. Coordinator Angela was very nice and responsive. Cons: didn't love the furnishings in the suites (a little dated and stuffy for us) and the unfurnished options are on lower floors (like 5th) so the views aren't as great. For us, the suite just didn't feel big enough. Angela assured us we could go up to 45 but it was hard to imagine this being comfortable. The ballroom was fine but we weren't looking for a separate ceremony space and didn't like it as a reception space (just a basic ballroom).
Aria: Saw an executive hospitality suite as well as several sky suites. Pros: Sky suites were very nice (wish I could afford them for every trip!), and had dining/bar/bedroom areas. Hospitality suite was also very nice and spacious enough for our group. There is living area seating, a large conference room area, and seating at the bar. Bedroom is included. Good views of CityCenter area. Aria is also a gaming casino and mid-strip, which are pluses for guests. They said we could bring in our own F&B or use theirs. Cons: The sky suites were not right for our event because of the rather divided floor plan, executive suite was better but I emphasize the executive part. The large dining/conference table definitely feels like a conference room. Maybe this could be changed with decor, but we weren't in love with it. Executive suite also does not have as much or as spread around table space as I'd like for our event. I think we could put food in the conference area but it would be hard to set up stations because there isn't much extra room, and no space for catering or other storage (unless bedroom?). Additionally, we didn't love the look of it. There are photos on line, but it's just kind of business-appropriate and not as chic as you'd expect.
Bellagio: Saw the chapel, but that wasn't what we were there for. It's fine if you like that sort of thing, they have two different size chapels. Lots of nice areas for photo ops around Bellagio. We were supposed to tour a suite but the coordinator "didn't know" they were all being renovated so we weren't able to see any. We ruled them out.
Platinum Hotel: This is off-strip and non-gaming. Pros: It was nice enough, felt a little like an apartment (full kitchen), and we'd need to get the 2BR to have enough room. The floorplan is open. The prices are reasonable and they let you bring in outside F&B if you want. This was the only property we saw with an attached terrace (something I didn't think was hard to come by!), and there was a nice view of the strip. Coordinator Jamie was very helpful and also showed us the in-house restaurant where we could do a farewell brunch. It's right off the pool deck and has a semi-private area with a curtain. Cons: Really, just the location. We walked from the Strip and decided it was too much of a hike for guests. Some might be happy staying on property at the pool but we have a lot of younger guests who are going to want to hit casinos/clubs on the Strip.
So there's my experience. I'm leaning toward Mandarin, Four Seasons, or Aria and am trying to work out the relative cost/value for each. Anyone with experience at any of those three, please let me know about it! if anyone has other reactions or thoughts to help me make my decision, I'd welcome them!