I had an opportunity to visit Las Vegas a few weeks ago after getting my COVID-19 vaccine. After doing some research, I booked the Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations after considering the location, price, and the fact that it is part of the Hilton portfolio. I favor Hilton hotels due to the perks I receive from my diamond status and the consistency in quality standards I have experienced over the years. Many of the elite benefits have really suffered since the pandemic. This is somewhat expected and understandable. Many Hilton restaurants are still closed–so no free breakfast, no bars, and no fitness centers–depending on the state of your stay.
Location
The Elara is located in the Miracle Mile Shops. You literally walk out of the hotel lobby right into the mall which has an abundance of stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. Super convenient. The hotel itself is located in the heart of vegas where you want to be, but just off the Strip by a few hundred feet. Access to everything was easy. No complaints.
Booking
I booked three nights for early April directly on the Hilton website. I always shop on third-party websites (Expedia, Hotels.com, etc…) to compare prices, but book on the Hilton website directly if the price difference is negligible. Booking directly on the hotel website ensures that I receive Hilton Honors points and all the perks from status with them. If the room rate differs significantly, then I go with the cheapest option.
Note: Whenever you book your hotel on a third-party website, you will likely not receive any hotel loyalty points or perks you ordinarily would be entitled to.
The total for my stay came to $495 for the three nights, including the annoying ‘resort fee’ for hotels on, or near, the Strip.
Check In
The check-in area was humongous. It was empty when I was there, but I imagine it can get crowded during peak times. They have ropes and signage to control crowds and maintain distancing.
The front desk person was friendly and informative. Unfortunately, I was told a room upgrade wasn’t available. I’m not sure if this was actually true. The hotel didn’t seem that busy, and my hunch is that upgrades aren’t offered as a normal practice of management or lack of effort trying by the front-end staff. Just my experience particularly when I stay domestically. I usually get upgrading in Europe without even asking, but rarely upgraded in the States. Annoying.
The restaurant, bar, pool, and room service were still closed because of COVID. There was a Starbucks in the lobby, but it was closed for construction for my entire stay. No one’s fault–just bad timing.
Room
My room was on the 24th floor. There were dedicated elevators for the lower floors and higher floors. The room was clean, modern, and offered a nice view with a floor-to-ceiling window. There were plenty of power outlets, light switches, and a small kitchenette area. It was a great room for the price.
Food/Amenities/Service
As expected due to the pandemic, most extras in the hotel were closed. No food, bar, or pool. The gym was open, but I didn’t have an opportunity to use it this trip.
The pool looked awesome and must be a highlight of the hotel during normal times. It was huge and had at least one bar for drinks and snacks. I had mixed feelings about the parking situation. The hotel touts that it offers free parking. Wow, free parking for a hotel on the Strip. That’s unheard of, but there’s a small catch. The hotel has a ridiculously small parking lot at the main entrance dedicated for guests—like maybe 40 parking spots for a hotel with several hundred rooms. Almost impossible to find a spot. However, because the Elara is located in the Miracle Mile Shops, a huge parking garage is attached to the mall where hotel guests can park for free. The issue is that this parking garage is the only free parking in the heart of the Strip. It’s very busy. The parking garage was a little seedy. I felt comfortable accessing my car during the day, but you definitely need to be aware of your surroundings at night.
One feature that might be a factor when considering a stay here is that this hotel does not have a casino or gambling on site. Highly uncommon for Vegas. You get bombarded with slot machines as you exit the plane at McCarran International Airport. Although this may be a drawback for most people, it should be noted that access to gaming is just a 5-minute walk through the Miracle Mile Mall to the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel. You also have the option to bounce around to any other popular casino hotels on the Strip relatively easily.
The Elara is a Hilton Grand Vacation property. That means that, although it is a hotel, it is also a timeshare. The lobby has desks to the side, where a concierge would commonly be located, staffed with salespeople trying to sell vacations to guests. I’ve read some reviews that their tactics can be a little aggressive, but I no issue with them whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t approached at all during my entire stay. The only drawback I experienced during my stay here was that room doesn’t get cleaned daily, and towels don’t get replaced so you need to hang them after showering instead of throwing them on the floor. Not a big deal. You can opt-in for traditional daily room cleaning at a ridiculous rate of $100 per day. That’s insane for someone to vacuum and replace your towels.
Overall Impression
Overall, the Elara was great. I paid $165 per night total, including all the fees. The room was great, and the hotel was in a prime location with free parking. There were a few negatives, but most of them were related to coronavirus and not the hotel itself. Would I stay here again on my next Vegas trip? Absolutely.
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