"The Strip's cool kid. Best dining collection in Vegas, the only balconies on the boulevard, and a casino floor that was literally designed to keep you from gambling."
Overall Rating
The Cosmopolitan opened in December 2010 and immediately became the resort that every other resort on the Strip wished it was. Two glass towers — the 52-story Boulevard Tower and the 65-story Chelsea Tower — rising from a narrow 8.5-acre parcel wedged between Bellagio and the CityCenter complex. It cost $3.9 billion to build, making it the most expensive standalone resort ever constructed on the Strip at the time. And then it promptly lost money for years.
That is the Cosmo's origin story in miniature: ambitious, gorgeous, slightly dysfunctional. Deutsche Bank ended up owning it after the original developers defaulted. Blackstone bought it in 2014 for $1.73 billion, poured over $500 million into renovations, and then flipped it in 2022 for $5.65 billion. MGM Resorts now operates the property. The transition has been mostly seamless — the Cosmo still feels like the Cosmo, though the MGM Rewards integration means your Identity card now works across the entire MGM ecosystem.
What makes the Cosmo the Cosmo is hard to pin down in a single sentence. It is the dining — arguably the best collection of restaurants under one roof in Vegas. It is the rooms — oversized, residential-feeling, with actual private terraces where you can smoke, drink, and watch the Bellagio fountains from your own balcony. It is the Chandelier bar — three stories of crystal-draped cocktail lounge that is somehow never not impressive. And it is the vibe — younger, more design-forward, more "I live in a city and have opinions about restaurants" than "I am here to play penny slots."
The Cosmopolitan is the only resort on the Strip with private balconies and terraces in standard guest rooms. Book a Terrace room in the Boulevard Tower with a fountain view. You will watch the Bellagio fountains from your own private outdoor space with a drink in hand. It never gets old.
The Cosmo cost $3.9 billion to build and was unprofitable for years after opening. The original design put the casino on the ground floor but all the restaurants, pools, and retail on the upper floors — meaning guests could eat, drink, and swim without ever passing through the casino. For guests, this is actually a win — it means less casino-floor congestion between you and your dinner reservation.
Walk to Level 3 of the Boulevard Tower. Find the hallway lined with vinyl record covers. Follow it to the end. There is no sign. The pizza is New York-style, available by the slice, open late, and genuinely good. Go after midnight when the line is short.
Marquee Nightclub operates Thursday through Sunday with top-tier DJs. If your room is on a lower floor of either tower facing the pool deck or Las Vegas Boulevard, you will hear bass until 4am on weekends. Request a higher floor or an interior-facing room if you are noise-sensitive.
In July and August when it is 110°F+, the covered walkway to the Shops at Crystals and the Aria Express Tram is a lifesaver. You can get from the Cosmo to Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, or Park MGM entirely through air-conditioned corridors and a climate-controlled tram without ever stepping outside.
The $55/night resort fee covers Wi-Fi, fitness center access, and phone calls. You already have Wi-Fi on your phone. You probably will not use the fitness center. And you have not made a landline call since 2009. Budget for it as part of your room cost, not as a separate line item.
Cosmo rooms are among the best on the Strip, period. All 3,033 rooms were remodeled by 2018 with contemporary finishes, 65-inch Samsung TVs with streaming access, in-room tablets, and improved lighting. The rooms feel residential rather than "hotel" — clean lines, statement wallcoverings, functional work areas. The Boulevard Tower rooms are generally considered more desirable because of the fountain views and terrace access, though Chelsea Tower rooms on higher floors offer excellent Strip views. Noise can be a factor. If your room is on a lower floor of either tower facing Las Vegas Boulevard, weekend noise from the Strip sidewalk and Marquee Nightclub carries. Request a higher floor or a room facing away from the boulevard if you are a light sleeper.
The Cosmo's Pool District includes three distinct pool areas: Boulevard Pool (Level 4, main guest pool, open seasonally March–November, DJ sets on weekends); Chelsea Pool (Level 14, quieter, Strip views, better if you want to read a book); and Marquee Dayclub (separate party pool, cover charges apply, big-name DJs, cabana pricing starts in the hundreds). Pool hours vary by season — pools are typically closed November through February. Do not book the Cosmo expecting poolside time in January.
How this resort holds up in peak Vegas summer (June–September)
The rooftop Boulevard Pool gets dangerously crowded in July — arrive before noon or skip it. The indoor connectivity to ARIA via the Crystals mall is a genuine lifesaver in 110°F heat.
The 8.5-acre site was assembled in 2004 by developer Ian Bruce Eichner from parcels surrounding the Jockey Club timeshare. Original plans included a condo-hotel component that was scrapped as the recession hit. Deutsche Bank, which had financed the project, took over ownership in September 2008. The resort opened in December 2010. In 2014, Deutsche Bank sold to Blackstone for $1.73 billion. Blackstone invested heavily in room renovations (all 3,033 rooms remodeled by 2018), casino improvements, and new dining concepts. In 2022, the property sold for $5.65 billion — split between real estate ownership (Stonepeak/Cherng Family Trust) and operations (MGM Resorts International). Before this site? Surface parking lots and the access road to the Jockey Club. No Fallen Flag here — the Cosmo was built on asphalt and ambition.
The Cosmo's crowd skews younger, more affluent, and more image-conscious than most Strip resorts. Couples on anniversary trips. Groups of friends who take dining seriously. Tech workers and creative professionals who want a resort that feels more like a boutique hotel than a convention center. You will see more designer sneakers and fewer fanny packs here than at MGM Grand. The lobby vibe on a Saturday night is basically a well-dressed party — people linger at the Chandelier, drift between restaurants, and generally treat the common areas as an extension of the social experience. Marquee Nightclub brings a younger, louder energy on weekends. Families can stay here, but this is not where you bring the kids. This is where you leave the kids.
One of the top-grossing nightclubs in the country. Multiple rooms, massive DJ stage, and a pool room. Resident DJs include top-tier EDM and hip-hop acts. Lines form early on weekends.
The daytime version of Marquee, operating at the Boulevard Pool. DJ sets, cabanas, and a party atmosphere. One of the best dayclubs on the Strip. Cover charges apply; cabanas start in the hundreds.
Uber / Lyft
Rideshare — fastest option
Taxi (Metered)
Taxis from Harry Reid International to the Strip are metered; no fixed rate. Expect $25–$35 plus tip to Center Strip properties.
Shared Shuttle
Shared shuttles available via Bell Trans and other operators ($10–$15/person one-way). Slower than rideshare due to multiple stops.
The Cosmopolitan is the best overall resort experience on the Las Vegas Strip for the visitor who cares about dining, design, and atmosphere more than casino square footage or pool party headliners. The rooms are exceptional — particularly the terrace rooms with Bellagio fountain views. The restaurant collection is unmatched. The Chandelier bar is iconic. The center-Strip location with indoor walkway connections to half a dozen neighboring resorts makes it one of the most conveniently located properties in Vegas once you learn the network. The trade-offs are real: the resort fee is steep, the monorail is a hike, the nightclub makes lower floors loud on weekends, and the whole experience skews expensive. But if your budget can absorb $350–500+ per night all-in and you want a resort that feels more like a well-designed urban hotel than a theme-park casino, the Cosmo is the answer. It earned its reputation. It is still earning it.
None — built on surface parking lots
MGM Rewards
BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge
Opium (Spiegelworld)
Aria Express Tram (Crystals stop) — 3 min walk
Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam
100,000 sq ft
2018 (rooms), 2022 (casino floor)
The fountains are the reason Vegas exists. The rest of the resort is trying to live up to them — and mostly succeeding.
Vegas's most famous resort is also its most confusing to navigate. The toga party ended in 1990. The labyrinthine casino floor never did.
All-suite rooms, a world-class casino, and a convention center so big it has its own zip code. The gondolas are a gimmick. The Palazzo next door is the better pick in 2026 — but the Venetian is still excellent.