W Las Vegas Review: What the Delano Rebrand Actually Feels Like
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BOTTOM LINE
W Las Vegas is the all-suite, non-gaming tower attached to Mandalay Bay, and it used to be the Delano. It suits travelers who want a quieter, more upscale south-Strip base with easy Bonvoy booking and a suite as standard. I stayed in a Corner King Suite, and I will give you my straight read on whether the W rebrand is more than a new sign out front.
If you have followed the south end of the Strip for a while, you know this tower has changed names more than once. It opened as THEhotel, became the Delano in 2014, and then flipped to W Las Vegas in late 2024 under Marriott. So the first question I get is a fair one: is it a real W now, or just the same building with a different logo?
I went in curious about that exact thing. What I found is a property with real bones, a location that most people overlook, and a rebrand that is still finding its footing. Here is my full review of the rooms, the pools, the dining, and how to book it on points.
Booking the W Las Vegas
The most important change from the Delano era is that W Las Vegas is now bookable through Marriott Bonvoy. That means you can use points, credit-card free-night certificates, and Marriott elite status here, which was not possible when it lived solely under MGM. For Bonvoy members, this is a useful new redemption on the Strip.
As with every Las Vegas hotel, expect a daily resort fee on top of the rate, so build that into your math on both cash and award stays. If you hold Marriott status, book direct through Bonvoy to line up any elite perks. Given that every room is a suite, the value on a points night can be strong when award pricing cooperates.
Best cards for booking
To get the most from a stay here, the cards I would reach for are the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, and the Amex Platinum.
Location
W Las Vegas sits at the far south end of the Strip, attached to the north side of Mandalay Bay. The signature feature here is that it is a non-gaming tower, so there is no casino floor buzzing inside it and no slot machines lining your walk to the elevators. You reach Mandalay Bay's gaming, its convention space, and its huge dining lineup through a connecting corridor.
That separation is the whole appeal. You get a calmer, more residential feel than a typical casino hotel, then step through the corridor whenever you want the full Mandalay Bay experience. The trade-off is location: the south Strip is a longer walk or a quick rideshare from the busier center-Strip attractions.
Lobby and Check-In
Let me address the elephant in the room first. This tower has lived several lives, and the switch to W Las Vegas is the newest chapter, made official in December 2024 when Marriott and MGM brought it into the W Hotels brand. That move is a big deal for points travelers, because it turned an MGM-only property into one you can book with Marriott Bonvoy.
The truth is that the transformation is a work in progress. Property leadership has said a full renovation is planned, with the near-term focus on the guest experience rather than gutting the building. Check-in carries the new W branding and energy laid over the strong Delano-era bones, so set your expectations for a strong existing product with a fresh badge and you will not be caught off guard. Having stayed here in the Delano days and toured it again now, I can confirm: beyond the signage, a W laundry bag here and there, and the pool being renamed the WET Deck, almost nothing has physically changed yet. The full renovation to W standards rolls out over the next few years — and crucially, they’re not shrinking the gigantic rooms, which were always this hotel’s superpower.
The Room
One of the best things about this tower is that every room is a suite. The building runs 43 stories with more than a thousand suites, so even an entry-level booking gives you a separate living space and generous square footage. That alone makes it stand out from most Strip hotels, where a suite is a splurge.
I stayed in a Corner King Suite, and the corner layout gives you wraparound windows and a real sense of space, with the living area and the sleeping area distinctly divided. The bathrooms carry over the spa-like feel from the Delano days, and the higher floors deliver strong views south over the valley and back up the Strip.
Since the full renovation is still ahead, finishes lean toward the previous era, which I found held up well. Now that this is a Bonvoy property, an elite upgrade here often means a nicer suite category or a better view rather than a jump from a standard room, which is a pleasant way for status to pay off. That’s how my stay went: my MGM Rewards Gold status got me straight to the VIP desk, where a genuinely lovely host hand-picked a corner room for me. One quirk of the MGM-Marriott partnership (RIP the old Hyatt deal): the booking channel matters, so make sure you book the way that actually earns your Marriott elite nights and points.
Pools and Amenities
W Las Vegas keeps its own exclusive pool deck, separate from Mandalay Bay's enormous complex. This pool is the quieter option, built more for relaxing than for a party scene, which fits the tower's whole personality. It is a nice perk to have a calmer place to swim that most day guests never reach.
The bigger win is that your key also opens the door to Mandalay Bay's full pool complex, including the wave pool, the lazy river, and the beach. So you get the best of both worlds: a serene deck when you want peace, and a water-park-scale playground when you want energy. The spa and fitness facilities within the broader campus round things out.
Food and Drink
Because this is a non-gaming, suite-focused tower, the dining scene inside the W itself is limited. The real depth is next door at Mandalay Bay, which carries a long roster of restaurants you can reach through the connecting corridor without stepping outside. That is where I would plan most of my meals. The walk over takes you past the Michael Jackson One Cirque du Soleil theater, and don’t skip Skyfall at the top of the tower — the lounge concept up there has some of the best views in Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay’s pool complex, wave pool and all, remains one of the best in the city, and it’s all yours as a W guest.
The upside is that you are never far from choice, from casual bites to name-brand sit-down restaurants across the Mandalay Bay campus. If you want a full culinary destination baked into your hotel, this is more of a base than a foodie hub. As the W rebrand matures, I would expect its own dining and bar concepts to keep evolving.
Service
Now that this is a Bonvoy property, Marriott elite members can look for the usual benefits, from potential upgrades to late checkout, subject to availability. With the entire tower being suites, status tends to pay off in a better suite category or view rather than a big room jump.
Because the rebrand is still young and the deeper renovation has not landed, service and the branded experience may still be finding their rhythm. I would go in treating it as a strong Delano-era product with a new Marriott badge, and let any extra polish be a bonus. Manage your expectations that way and the stay tends to overdeliver.
The personality of this tower has always been more grown-up and design-forward than the average Strip casino hotel, and the W branding leans into that energy. You get a lobby and public spaces that feel more like a boutique city hotel than a gaming floor, which is a nice change of pace in Las Vegas. For couples, business travelers, and anyone who wants to sidestep the constant casino noise, that atmosphere is a real draw. Do know the flip side of quiet: this is a dark, almost brooding building with few interior windows — I hope the W renovation brings in the brand’s usual splashes of color — and the decently sized gym gets no natural light. At just 1,117 rooms, though, it’s genuinely tiny by Vegas standards, which is exactly why it stays so calm.
Who Should Stay Here
Great fit if
Look elsewhere if
You want a quiet, all-suite base with no casino floor to walk through
You want to step out the front door onto the busiest part of the Strip
You value Bonvoy points flexibility and room to spread out
You are chasing a big party-pool and casino scene downstairs
You are a couple or business traveler who wants a calmer south-Strip stay
You want a brand-new build with the full renovation already done
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is W Las Vegas the same as the old Delano?
Yes. This is the tower that opened as THEhotel, became the Delano in 2014, and rebranded as W Las Vegas in December 2024 under Marriott. It is the same building, now with W branding and Bonvoy booking.
Does W Las Vegas have a casino?
No. It is a non-gaming tower. You reach Mandalay Bay's casino floor through a connecting corridor, which keeps the W side quieter and more residential in feel.
Are all the rooms at W Las Vegas suites?
Yes. Every room in the tower is a suite, so even the entry-level booking gives you a separate living area and generous space. I stayed in a Corner King Suite with wraparound windows. Every suite gets one and a half baths plus a wet bar and a full (paid) minibar, and mine looked out over the pool complex toward Mandalay Bay. Fair warning on the aesthetics: the rooms are very, very white, and the gold-tinted glass that gives Mandalay Bay its signature glow casts a slightly odd tone over everything inside — not everyone’s style, though the space itself is undeniable.
Can I book W Las Vegas with Marriott points?
Yes, and that is the big change from the Delano era. It is now a Marriott Bonvoy property, so you can use points, free-night certificates, and Marriott elite status here.
Can I use the Mandalay Bay pools as a W guest?
Yes. W Las Vegas has its own quieter pool deck, and your key also gives you access to Mandalay Bay's full complex, including the wave pool and lazy river.
Where on the Strip is W Las Vegas?
It sits at the far south end of the Strip, attached to Mandalay Bay. That location is calmer but a longer walk or short rideshare from center-Strip attractions.
Bottom Line
W Las Vegas is one of the more interesting stays on the south Strip precisely because of what it is not. It is not a loud casino hotel, and it is not a place where a suite costs a fortune. Instead it gives you a quiet, all-suite tower with your own pool, Mandalay Bay's amenities a corridor away, and the flexibility of Marriott Bonvoy.
The rebrand still has room to grow, and I am curious to see the property once the full renovation lands. For now, if you want a calm, spacious, points-friendly base on the Strip, W Las Vegas is a smart under-the-radar pick that most travelers walk right past.
