MGM properties check-in issues

[Ballin]

Stayed at the MGM Grand a couple of weeks ago - first time at an MGM property. It was a good 30+ minute process of arguing to make the people at check-in honor our reservation of two 2-queen bed suites for 4 guys. I know there is the disclaimer on reservations that room types aren't guaranteed, but they wanted to stick the 4 of us in a two bedroom suite (two king beds total) and roll in two cots.
Not wanting to deal with the risk of going into a room type I wasn't familiar with, and preferring to stick to the newer renovated suites we reserved (and allowing each of us to have our own queen bed), it was literally an issue of standing ground and fighting every rebuttal to get them to finally agree to give us the rooms we reserved.
After all that I refuse to stay there again. However I was able to advance a couple of tiers on mLife and was offered a decent discount on my next MGM property stay. So in a couple of weeks we're giving THEhotel at Mandalay a try. Should I prepare to fight the same battle at check in there? Any advice on combatting these types of things in an efficient way?

[Chuck]

Ive stayed at many of the MGM properties and have never had that kind of situation. That said, i typically give the person two chances to make it happen then just ask for a manager. That goes for any business Im dealing with.

[WT661]

Nope, never had issues at check in. I'm sure it happens but most check ins are smooth.

[truth]

I've stayed at MGM a couple of times. I had no issues, once was with a large group with 4 room reservations and none of us had any issues.

[kman90]

BTW, MGM has checkin at the airport right before baggage claim....maybe you should check in there, no lines, no crowds and you might be able to better manage it there.

[Jhaulotte]

Never had problems myself and once again the Mirage check-in was fast and Zero problems.

[Matt93]

I've never had problems checking into the MGM Grand other than they haven't accepted my $20 sandwich in 3 tries

[kman90]

Ditto on the sammich rejection...didn't work for me either but only at MGM.

[gamepube]

IMO MGM is run like shit. It's just too big and disconnected and the people at the front desk always seem overwhelmed.
Mandalay on the other hand is run very well, and I have never had a problem checking in to MB or TheHotel.

[Maximus]

I've stayed at MGM countless times, never really had issues. Until this trip, just last week.

The systems were down on Tuesday night, and when we got in on Wednesday, they were still down. They were checking people in by handwritten notes, and taking poor carbon copies of credit cards. It was a mess. We had about 4 rooms at MGM, and many days/early mornings, our keys stopped working, and we had to be issued new keys. No one was able to charge anything to the room from Tues night-Sat night.

We were going to the Gold lounge at Aria on Friday night, and as we walked in, we realized the problems at MGM were happening at all of their properties. The lineup was easily a few hundred people deep to check in, and was backed up for about 50 meters beyond the stanchions where the usual lineup would be at the front. It was ridiculous.

Met some people who were staying at Bellagio, and they mentioned problems there last week as well.

I realize not the same problem as the OP, but still, it really reflected poorly on MGM-Mirage.

[Ballin]

Yeah I'm thinking my originally posted experience at the MGM Grand was because that weekend was the Billboard awards and they were probably all sorts of overbooked. But either way, the way the handled the situation and tried to strong arm me into something I didn't want was ridiculous and not what I was expecting to have to deal with on my first arrival.

I'm expecting things to be much smoother at THEhotel later this summer.

[JWalkSC]

I've stayed at MGM countless times, never really had issues. Until this trip, just last week.

The systems were down on Tuesday night, and when we got in on Wednesday, they were still down. They were checking people in by handwritten notes, and taking poor carbon copies of credit cards. It was a mess. We had about 4 rooms at MGM, and many days/early mornings, our keys stopped working, and we had to be issued new keys. No one was able to charge anything to the room from Tues night-Sat night.

We were going to the Gold lounge at Aria on Friday night, and as we walked in, we realized the problems at MGM were happening at all of their properties. The lineup was easily a few hundred people deep to check in, and was backed up for about 50 meters beyond the stanchions where the usual lineup would be at the front. It was ridiculous.

Met some people who were staying at Bellagio, and they mentioned problems there last week as well.

I realize not the same problem as the OP, but still, it really reflected poorly on MGM-Mirage.

Yeah, not sure whose bright idea it was to update their reservation systems a few days before EDC. I checked into THEHotel on Friday around 1 pm and the line wasn't bad. Took maybe 15 minutes and another 10 to get the reservation sorted out. They had to call someone for my check-in details and do a manual copy of my credit card.

The guy at the desk said that the line was much longer the previous day and much worse at MGM. Apparently security had to be brought to the MGM lobby on Thursday as people were starting to get out of hand and the lobby was completely full with people trying to check in. I know a guy who checked in on Thursday and he got a bottom floor room because they were putting people in rooms starting at the bottom and going up. Also read that Bellagio check-in took up to 6 hours. My only slight issue is the guy offered 2 queen beds and we only got 1 king (though the 1 king was on the initial reservation).

[aria]

MGM and I have had some issues. Long story short, they had put us in a different room than was listed in the database (20009 instead of 20010), I was harassed by maids every hour saying this room should be empty, and got to walk in to two men in suits with clipboards going through all of our things and taking inventory of our stuff, even after the "database error" was supposedly remedied. I fought long with the manager, and only managed a free meal and a late check out. The maids ended up taking my robe, thinking it was the hotel's, and even after filing a claim with the hotel never saw that ish again. I haven't stayed there since.

However, Aria and Mirage I have never had a problem. I think MGM itself is just a bad property when it comes to customer service. Mirage, I couldn't have been more thrilled with my stay. I would stay there every trip if I could. Aria was easy to check in, but the power went out and our whole room was offline for quite awhile. Everything in Aria is connected electronically, so we couldn't open the blinds, use the ac, turn on any lights. It was shitty, but they gave us a late check out and something else I was too drunk to remember for that.

[redbullvodka]

Haha MGM is notorious for the bait and switch. However I've gone back many times because I like to be close to wet and been to concerts, UFC there, they have a monorail station and they keep giving me deals. Last time we booked a 2 bedroom suite and they didn't have it so they gave us two standard rooms comped for 4 days. Plus resort credits. They always overbook there and if you go as a couple they try to put you in the west wing. When the line gets long before 3:00pm check in time they just say the computers are down and everyone leaves. I'd never book there if my group is relying on a certain room or bed setup. When you go up you just have to confident and know what your taking about and then they'll let you and try to switch rooms on the newbs.