I love THEhotel at Mandalay Bay and never thought I would stray....but the Wynn is very hard to resist. We were with a large business group, so I can't evaluate the check-in, but it was quick. We arrived at about 8 pm on a Wednesday night. I had been to the Wynn before (just to eat lunch) so I knew how lovely the lobby was. This year was the Year of the Dragon, and it was decorated in that theme.

The elevator area has a striking flower display that changes almost daily. Huge glass vases (5 feet tall) harbored giant bouquets of red roses the first night. Every day, I curious to see what kind of flower would be honored.

Our room was the epitome of luxury. Want to open the curtains to see the lovely view? Touch the button next to the bed. The lights and a/c were similarly accessed. The bed was very comfortable, the bathroom luxurious. Wynn has its own toiletries which were lemon verbana-scented. Large whirlpool tub and separate glass shower. My only complaint was the lighting, which was horrible. Even the makeup mirror had a useless, meager bulb. The sinks are too far away from the mirrors to lean in and do your mascara or eye makeup (but then again, I'm 5'3".) I wound up going to the window.

The service was impeccable. We did not encounter a surly-- or even indifferent-- employee our entire 5-day stay. All of the employees were very gracious and accommodating. The landscaping was equally impressive. Not a blade of grass out of place. Not a piece of trash to be found. Steve Wynn is supposedly blind so I have no idea how he accomplishes this, but it's a credit to his staff.

My only bone to pick would be the prices for food and the like. Even in the most casual cafe, a glass of orange juice will set you back $6.50. A glass of wine is in the neighborhood of $15. And it's a $14.95 fee per day, per computer, to use the internet. I'm always amazed at how the cheaper hotels offer free wi-fi, but the "luxury" hotels make you pay up the wazoo for it. Doesn't make sense.

But don't let that stop you from staying at the Wynn. It's a beautiful property with outstanding service.