Marriott’s W Hotels brand will be expanding to Las Vegas, with the rebranding of an existing property.
In this post:
Delano Las Vegas to become W Hotel
In 2023, we saw Marriott and MGM launch a partnership. Not only does this include reciprocal loyalty perks, but it also includes the rebranding of some properties into the Marriott portfolio. The latest development in this strategy has just been announced.
The Delano Las Vegas is expected to be rebranded as the W Hotel Las Vegas as of late 2024. Marriott actually isn’t explicitly stating that it’s the Delano being rebranded, but it’s pretty obvious. It’s described as an “iconic property on the Las Vegas Strip” that’s “located on the Mandalay Bay Campus.”
Below is the rendering of the W Hotel Las Vegas.
Below is what the Delano Las Vegas looks like.
So I think that doesn’t leave much to the imagination (though I’m curious why Marriott isn’t outright saying it?). Not much else is being revealed for now, though we’re told that additional plans for the property will be announced in the future.
Here’s how Steve Zanella, President of MGM Resorts Operations, describes this development:
“Our relationship with Marriott has far exceeded our expectations, demonstrating the power of its brand portfolio and the strength of their distribution channels. W Las Vegas, the latest hotel to come to life as part of our collaboration, will allow our guests to access a new luxury lifestyle experience recognized worldwide for its distinct personality, dynamic programming and elevated service culture.”
Meanwhile here’s how Leeny Oberg, CFO and EVP of Marriott Development, describes this:
“We’re thrilled to continue working with MGM to bring W Las Vegas to the legendary Las Vegas Strip. This agreement is a pivotal moment in our collaboration, which continues to expand hospitality and entertainment offerings for guests. As a luxury brand rooted in bold design and nightlife, W Hotels is well-positioned to elevate experiences for travelers in this destination.”
This is good news for Marriott Bonvoy members
Las Vegas is of course a unique hotel market, given how heavily dominated it is by brands like MGM, Caesars, etc. So the loyalty collaborations that we see between the major hotel groups and the Las Vegas hotel groups are pretty useful for consumers, especially for those of us who don’t travel to Las Vegas often enough to otherwise rack up useful rewards.
While Marriott Bonvoy members have been able to earn and redeem points for stays at the Delano Las Vegas, there’s no denying that the transition to the W Las Vegas will be good in terms of loyalty. Members will be able to take advantage of more elite perks, will have the ability to earn points for more kinds of rates, etc.
I haven’t been to Las Vegas in years (and have no need to return anytime soon), but back in the day I did quite like the Delano, given that it’s an all-suite property. Admittedly W isn’t my favorite Marriott hotel brand, though I’d still consider this to be a net positive.
Bottom line
The W Hotel Las Vegas is expected to open in late 2024, as a rebranding of the existing Delano Las Vegas. Details are limited as of now, though we should learn more in the coming months. For Marriott Bonvoy members, this is great news, since there should be more upside with a property being fully integrated into the program.
What do you make of the Delano Las Vegas becoming the W Hotel Las Vegas?
So, W is now a conversion brand? Is Marriott licensing/franchising or will they assume management? W has been one of the brands not really franchised or licensed.
I love how cynical the older travel snob crowd is about the W brand (aka this comment section).
The truth is, W properties around the world (we’re talking South Beach, Barcelona, Dubai, Maldives, Bali, Punta Mita) still command high rates and are in fact still quite trendy amongst the younger, wealthier demographic. The newer / more on trend W properties are worlds apart from the W’s of the 2000s like West Hollywood, Chicago, New York,...
I love how cynical the older travel snob crowd is about the W brand (aka this comment section).
The truth is, W properties around the world (we’re talking South Beach, Barcelona, Dubai, Maldives, Bali, Punta Mita) still command high rates and are in fact still quite trendy amongst the younger, wealthier demographic. The newer / more on trend W properties are worlds apart from the W’s of the 2000s like West Hollywood, Chicago, New York, Dallas. But that’s why the brand is renovating or getting rid of older properties.
They tried the W brand in Las Vegas at the former SLS, which was a fantastic Vegas property, but not a great location for its time.
This will undoubtedly attract more people to it, as the Delano was always a great offering (and THE Hotel before it) but if you didn’t really know how nice it was, it was just the furthest south strip hotel connected to Mandalay.
Looking forward to a real Marriott strip property.
I loved The Hotel. Not so keen on the Delano - the decor was too stark for my tastes, and the beds and pillows awfully hard, at least the last time I stayed there which admittedly was years ago. Have never had anything but good experiences at W properties so have high hopes.
The W's have great bedding, so assuming they copy over all of the brand elements, it should be a great option. Waiting to see how they price it... Given how far south on the Strip it is, it's not typically the first choice for someone who's spending more money, so hopefully it's a reasonably priced luxury-ish option.
One wonders how much they'll be gouging customers with the "destination" fee or "resort" fee or whatever useless money grab they implement.
Lucky, there is enough new stuff in Vegas to justify a visit IMO. I enjoyed the Fontainebleau the last time I visited. Resorts World is interesting as well. Down the road, the new Hard Rock will be interesting as well. Vegas has added a good amount of stuff in recent years.
In terms of this hotel I remember when it used to be called Thehotel, before the Delano conversion. The bones of the building are...
Lucky, there is enough new stuff in Vegas to justify a visit IMO. I enjoyed the Fontainebleau the last time I visited. Resorts World is interesting as well. Down the road, the new Hard Rock will be interesting as well. Vegas has added a good amount of stuff in recent years.
In terms of this hotel I remember when it used to be called Thehotel, before the Delano conversion. The bones of the building are nice. It is a bit south of the action these days, but the Mandalay campus is not bad. I would consider it.
The interesting part of the release is MGM and Marriott talking up their partnership. If you read Flyertalk, everyone seems to hate it, but I could see how it could drive additional travel to these properties
Flyertalk is a bunch of entitled, elitist douchebags that complain about everything though.... :D
This is the email I got (as a travel advisor):
Today marks another significant milestone in the long-term strategic agreement between MGM Resorts and Marriott International, Inc. We are thrilled to share that Delano Las Vegas soon will be transitioning to W Las Vegas and soon will be joining the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, which launched in March of this year.
They didn't hide it there.
so it is owned by Vici but operated by MGM but managed by Marriott?
W is a tacky faux-luxury brand, so it's perfect for Vegas. This could become a poor man's Cosmopolitan if executed correctly (it won't be).
It's already executed correctly. At least the hotel rooms. They're some of the best value in Vegas and quite nice. All of Mandalay Bay is actually. If it wasn't so far south on the strip it would have been/be so much more popular. Like if it was where PH or Mirage were.
Big downgrade. Been a regular there for over 20 years (first as THE HOTEL). Too many children there over the last few years. While Martiott is always a model of
standard quality, it's far from a lux
brand.
But the question is whether the property would fall under W brand, or as part of MGM rules? An example is Bellagio is part of Luxury Collection, but follows MGM brand rules.
"Members will be able to take advantage of more elite perks..."
You had me until this line. Bonvoy!