What can I say about the Virgin Hotel that hasn’t already been said? I’ll break my review down by category:
Location: The hotel is close to the strip without all the traffic and noise, about 2 or so city blocks away, it’s seriously in a great location! I came to Vegas for my birthday and to visit a friend who recently moved out here. My friend lives down the street and it was a breeze for her to walk to the hotel to meet us, vice versa. There are plenty of stores, gas stations, and restaurants nearby. No need to drive into a busy area to find amenities away from the hotel. Everything was within walking distance, which is a plus if you don’t drive or want to pay for rideshare.
Checking-In: Initially, my partner and I booked our room for only a few days, Saturday to Tuesday. I was supposed to stay here with him, then he would fly back home that Tuesday, and I was planning to stay the remaining week (until Saturday) but would be staying with my friend. I had TOO much fun at this hotel and extended my stay. We checked in right at check in time but had to wait around 20 minutes for our room. No issue waiting around, we explored the casino and were given the pool access card so we could check out the outside area. We had a few choices of restaurants in the hotel in case we needed to eat right away. Checking in was quick and simple, we didn’t wait in line for too long at the main desk. The best part is that there are front desks at each tower to check in and out at, alleviating the long lines. The desk at the Ruby Tower was right by the parking garage, no need to walk too far to get from one area to another.
Casino: The casino inside the hotel was tons of fun by itself. My friend stated she frequents the casino at this hotel every week with friends and they love the variety of games. It helps that she is within walking distance without having to hit up the strip. This was my first time in Vegas, naturally I had to spend time (and money) at the casino. The wait staff was super friendly, super attentive, and quick to bring you your drinks while you play. Only downside, I wish they had more options for beers and ciders. Overall, they had the basics, and my cocktails were perfect every time! The maintenance staff were amazing as well, the casino was spotless and every machine was in working order. I saw the staff members constantly at the machines cleaning, emptying ash trays, and clearing out drinkware. They also were so quick, you won’t see the staff members in one area for too long. Any issues on the machines were taken care of in a timely manner; I didn’t see a single broken or dirty machine. I signed up for the Cherry rewards; the process was a breeze and the staff managing that area was quick and friendly. I also want to comment on the security team; they were extremely attentive and ready for action. Thankfully, nothing crazy happened, but I noted that security was everywhere and watched the place with great attention.
Pool: Virgin offers 3 different pools, the main pool, the terrace, and 21+. I rented a cabana at the 21+ pool and damn it was worth every penny. I booked online and at first, I wasn’t sure how long I had the reservation for but learned you book the cabana, or day bed, for the whole day from your reservation time to when the pool closes. My group had our cabana from 11am until 6pm only for $95, but we had to put down about $300+ for food credit and the remaining balance was given back. This was great for us since we didn’t have to get a bill at the end and pull out our credit cards. We checked in at the pool, put our card down for the food/drink credit, and we were ready! The cabana was covered with a misting fan inside, mini fridge, tv, and safe. Each cabana has some distance from one another, we felt we had a good amount of privacy for our group, and the cabana had drapes that we could close in case someone had to change outfits. Our waitress was amazing; she kept checking up on us and was so friendly. We ordered calamari, pizza, margaritas, etc. The food was so fresh, the drinks were mixed well, and everything was worth the price.
The pool itself was so much fun to swim in, very clean and spacious. We opted for a 21+ pool to stay away from kids; the tipsy adults were fine to be around. There are several lifeguards posted and keeping close watch, which made us feel safe if anything happened.
Everyone gets a stamp to access the 21+ pool, which washes away easily. But getting a re-stamp was no issue and security was on top of everything.
Later in the week, I visited the main pool and had a similar experience. The pool was clean and spacious; the lifeguards were on top of everything and quickly corrected misbehavior from some kids. I prefer adults-only areas, however the kids at this pool were at least well behaved and followed orders from the lifeguards.
Restaurants/Bars/Shops: I frequently ate at Pizza Forte, their food is great and at a great price! I browsed the menus at the other restaurants but was turned off by the price. It’s Vegas, everything will have an upcharge, the variety makes up for it. The hotel had a Hudson newsstand, which was convenient if you needed anything quick. Yeah, the price was a lot but you’re paying for convenience. The other newsstand, not sure if it was Hudson brand or not, had more variety and souvenirs. The Dunkin’ Donuts on site was pricey, but there was another coffee shop available. You had to walk around the hotel to find everything, but damn the variety was awesome.
Room: Since we were celebrating my birthday, my partner upgraded the room, and we received corner room with a view of the mountains and the strip. Seeing the Vegas lights from the ceiling-to-floor windows was amazing, I can’t imagine how gorgeous it looks when you’re on the actual strip! The room was beyond clean. I generally flip over the bedding and couch cushions to check for bugs; this time I brought a flashlight for better visual and wow everything was seriously spotless! I didn’t expect anything less. The room was very comfortable and suspiciously quiet. I seriously didn’t hear anyone from the next room but did hear a group of people loudly talking close to the vents on another floor. With the A/C and/or TV on, you would never hear anyone, and those people were talking a bit too loud, but it wasn’t an issue for me. I didn’t lose any sleep.
The TVs in the room display an array of information on the hotel and offers a way to control the temperature and lights all from the remote. You can also check your hotel bill from the tv!
My room was pretty expensive and didn’t come with a mini fridge, coffee maker or microwave to use, which I believe is standard. There was a mini-bar, but once you move something you are charged, as stated. However, you can view your bill on the TV, I did jokingly pickup one of the snacks and quickly put it back after seeing I would be charged, I didn’t see any charges to the room after that. I do hope the hotel sees if you actually took something and charges accordingly. I can’t believe a hotel would charge you for moving something despite putting it back and not consuming it (but you’d be surprised). Thankfully, this hotel didn’t charge me for even moving a candy bar like the sign inside the room states.
There is also an additional charge to request a mini fridge emptied out. When booking I did not see this as an option, but I booked via 3rd party app and not through the hotel site. I would think when booking on the actual site it would have that option to have an empty fridge. If you’re looking for a mini fridge and microwave/coffee maker in the room, just know it is NOT standard. I believe the coffee maker is an option you can request.
The huge tub and walk-in shower made up for the lack of fridge and microwave, I admit. I had to chill some drinks in the small ice bucket, but at least the drinks at the casino are free.
As mentioned, I originally was supposed to stay at this hotel from Saturday to Tuesday but decided to stay from Saturday to Saturday. Monday evening, I inquired about extending my stay with a staff member at the Ruby Tower, I believe her name was Laila (hope I’m spelling that correctly). Laila was so helpful and gave me some tips on how to book (using 3rd party site) and how to get the same room. I didn’t have to even leave my room; I secured the same room for a great price! I did move my stuff out in case I didn’t get the same room and left the hotel for a bit so housekeeping could turn down the room. When I returned to check back in the room was again spotless and extremely clean! Big thank you to Laila for helping me extend my stay and keep the same room! It says a lot about a hotel if I extended my stay simply because I loved the entire place.
Overall: the hotel is in a great spot, not too far from the strip, but is some distance from the chaos. The room was so spacious, clean, and quiet. The casino had a wide array of games, was very clean and well maintained. The restaurants offer an abundance of food and drink options, and the hotel offers some shops if you need any last-minute items. The entire staff from the front desk to the waitresses, to the lifeguards to housekeeping were amazing and on top of everything! This was my first stay at the Virgin Hotel and in Las Vegas and wow did everything EXCEED my expectations and more! I had an amazing birthday trip and was so happy to visit my friends and stay at a great hotel. Next time I’m in Vegas I will stay at this hotel for sure! Worth every single penny!
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