Mandalay Bay Already De-Delanoing for W Welcome

Renovations are already underway to transform the Delano into the W Las Vegas, even though the former hotel-within-a-hotel is expected to operate at Mandalay Bay until mid-December. The renovations are expected to last through 2028.

By 2027, all rooms and suites will be renovated to “W standards,” according to an internal MGM Resorts memo obtained and published by Vital Vegas. The entrance, lobby, coffee stand, and front desk will all be remodeled, as will a hallway leading to the W.

Also receiving refreshes will be the Delano Beach Club and the Skyfall rooftop lounge. The beach club will be rebranded as the W Wet Deck, while Skyfall will get to keep its name.

As with the Delano, which opened in 2014 — and THEhotel, which operated in the same tower from 2003 to 2014 — the W will be a nongaming property. Since they’re already located within Mandalay Bay, steps away from its casino, hotels situated here aren’t thought to be at a competitive disadvantage.

Bonvoy Bennies!

The transition marks an extension of the previously announced partnership between MGM and Marriott International, owner of the W brand. Earlier this year, the companies debuted the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, which allows for some MGM properties to be booked on Marriott’s website and via the Bonvoy mobile application.

The MGM memo indicated that the W “will join the MGM Collection so Marriott Bonvoy members can earn benefits for their stay.”

Revealed in July 2023, the licensing agreement covers MGM’s 17 domestic properties, including those on the Las Vegas Strip and the brand’s regional casino hotels.

When the gaming company delivered first-quarter results in May, MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle said the arrangement with Marriott had “surpassed our initial expectations,” adding that the operator expected it to be a “growth driver” this year.

Double W

This will be the second W to open in Las Vegas. The first was a failed attempt at a partnership with Sam Nazarian’s SLS Las Vegas, which controlled the Sahara from 2014 through 2019.

That W operated — also as a hotel-within-a-hotel — in one of the SLS towers from 2016 through 2018. Its closure was precipitated by the property’s purchase by the Meruelo Group, which reverted it back to the Sahara.