When THEhotel opened a little more than a year ago, a lot of people made fun of the name. Mostly me.

But if you can get past that bit of trendy moniker madness, you'll find one of the best hotels in Las Vegas in its category, worthy of its massive and immediate acclaim, including the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award.

In theory, THEhotel is merely an expansion of Mandalay Bay, the upscale hotel at the south end of the Strip. But the 64-story tower operates as its own entity, complete with a separate entrance and check-in desk, its own elevators, its own restaurants and lobby bar, its own spa and its own valet parking. If you want, you could stay at THEhotel and never step foot in Mandalay Bay.

If you do choose to wander down the long hallway to the Bay, you have a massive casino, more restaurants, shops and entertainment waiting for you. A warning though -- to get there you have to pass the "Mamma Mia!" showroom, so try to avoid it just before and after show times so you don't get caught in the crush.

THEhotel is done in a stark black, white and tan color scheme in the public areas that makes the place look like nothing else you'll find in Vegas, turning what could have just been another room tower into its own universe, completely separate in ambience from the rest of Mandalay Bay.

In the lobby area you'll find a 24-hour cafe serving a wide variety of menu items, a lobby bar with a pool table and a coffee bar serving pastries and the like.

A short elevator ride delivers you to the Bathhouse spa, an eye-popping space with a lot of reflecting pools and waterfalls tucked into surprising places, creating a coolly tranquil ambience. It offers a full range of services alongside the usual hot tubs and saunas, so if you need to pamper your cares away, this seems like a really good place to do it.

If you need to sweat your cares away, there's also a fully equipped, high-tech workout room with all the latest treadmills and exercise equipment. I still don't understand why anyone uses these in Vegas. If you do, you're a better person than I am.

At the top of the tower -- up a stomach-churning glass elevator ride -- is Mix, a nightclub and restaurant offering some unparalleled views of the city. The nightclub is done all in black, while the restaurant is all white, decorated whimsically as if you're inside a champagne bottle.

The 1,120 suites are stunning, done in rich chocolate brown with splashes of orange on the furnishings that look great, but be aware that some of the living room pieces aren't all that comfy for long stretches of sitting, as I am often inclined to do -- especially when there's a 42-inch plasma screen TV in the living room, a 36-inch plasma in the bedroom, and a 13-inch television in the bathroom.

These are honest-to-God suites, with separate living and sleeping areas. There's a half-bath as you enter, a wet bar, a couch and chair, a desk wired with high-speed Internet service, and the aforementioned TV with pay-per-view movies and a DVD player.

The bedroom has a full bath -- big, with a separate tub and shower and lots of high-end spa amenities -- plus an armoire with the other TV, a big, comfy bed, another chair and assorted other furnishings. It's all quite lovely and some touches of whimsy (the rolls in the bathroom are marked THEtp) take the edge off what could be viewed as aggressively trendy.

All this new luxury doesn't come cheap. You'll probably never get a room here for less than $179 a night, and weekends go for well over $300, which is a heck of a lot of money to pay when you could probably get something next door at Luxor for half that.

Whether or not it's worth it is a decision I can't make for you, but I'm inclined to say that if you want to pay these kind of rates, there are very few hotels in this town that do what it is doing as well.

THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(877) 632-7800

Highs: Great rooms, beautifully decorated
Lows: Price

Location: 8 -- Great South Strip neighborhood
Price: 5 -- Very expensive
Value: 9 -- Lots of bang for the bucks
Rooms: 10 -- Top of the line
Casino: 5 -- No casino, really, but points for Mandalay Bay down the hall
Amenities: 10 -- Everything you need
Facilities: 5 -- You have to go to Mandalay Bay for most of the good stuff
Service: 9 -- Very friendly and efficient
Fun: 9 -- Enjoyable relaxation
Bonus: 9 -- A good idea done well

Vegas4Visitors Rating: 79

The Full Story

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