Rooms in these four 30-story towers come in nine varieties. Standard rooms have soothing, earth-tone color schemes and are reasonably large. Further up the line, the various types of suites are more stylish and striking, and offer all sorts of fun perks: the 650-square-foot Bungalow suites are fitted with black-and-white Italian-marble bathrooms; slightly larger Celebrity Spa suites add whirlpool tubs with separate showers; and corner Premiere suites (950 square feet!) come with four-person dining areas and two TVs. At the very high end, two-story Terrace suites have 14-foot vaulted ceilings, and the 1,500-square-foot Marquee suites offer a pair of bedrooms and master baths with gigantic mirrored hot tubs done in white marble. Few resorts in the world have a bigger or bolder pool and sunbathing area -- a maze of pedestrian bridges, fountains, river courses, and waterfalls lends a tropical air to these popular grounds. The MGM offers airport check-in from 9 AM to 11 PM.

The superposh Skylofts at MGM Grand(877/646-5638, www.skyloftsmgmgrand.com) occupy the hotel's top two floors. The magnificent two-story lofts have 24-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and come in one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations. Skylofts perks include airport transfers via Mercedes Maybach 62 limos, separate check-in, butler service, Bang & Olufsen stereos, Sony HDTVs, and preferred seating at top restaurants and KÀ (the Cirque du Soleil show). Perhaps the most decadent feature of all is the "Immersion Chamber" bathrooms; they're equipped with steam rooms, infinity-edge Jacuzzi tubs, and Bulgari bath products. Skylofts, with rates starting at nearly $1,000 per night, ranks right up there with any hotel experience offered in Vegas.

The Casino. The biggest of the Las Vegas casinos, the MGM has a staggering amount of gaming space, which includes 3,500 slot machines and 165 table games with high minimums (blackjack and roulette mostly start at $10; you might find a $5 table in the afternoon if you look hard enough). The Strip entrance is slot heavy and at night takes on a fun atmosphere, with videos and music geared to the lines outside the Studio 54 club.

A separate high-roller casino falls in the middle of the long hike to "restaurant row," the Grand Garden arena, and massive sports book (remodeled after the opening of Wynn Las Vegas to stay competitive). You also find symmetrical rows of table games on this end, including poor-odds novelties such as Casino War. It's another good hike from the parking garage to the Casino. However, those in a wheelchair will appreciate the spacious aisles and well-spaced slot machines.

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