MGM Grand vs Caesars Palace: Which Las Vegas Resort Should You Book?

MGM Grand vs Caesars Palace is really a choice between two parts of the Strip. MGM Grand is the south-Strip mega-resort at Tropicana Avenue, with main-tower rooms remodeled in 2025, a lazy river and its own Monorail station. Caesars Palace holds the center-Strip Four Corners, with bigger rooms in its best towers, the Garden of the Gods pools, The Colosseum and the Bacchanal Buffet. Caesars costs more in fixed extras, and your tower choice matters more there. Our MGM Grand review and Caesars Palace review cover each resort in full.

	MGM Grand	Caesars Palace
Location	South Strip	Center Strip
Price level	Mid-range	Upscale
Best for	Pool lovers, show-goers, families	First-timers, pool days, shows
Pool	Grand Pool Complex: four pools, three whirlpools, waterfalls and a lazy river	Garden of the Gods: seven pools, cabanas and swim-up blackjack
Casino	Yes	Yes
Resort fee	$50 + tax per night	$54.95 + tax per night
Parking	Self-parking $20/day for hotel guests; valet $40/day	Paid self-parking and valet; free for Caesars Rewards Platinum and above
Check-in / out	3 PM / 11 AM	4 PM / 11 AM
Official rating	Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star: SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand	AAA Four Diamond
Rates	Check MGM Grand Rates	Check Caesars Palace Rates

How we checked: we compared MGM’s and Caesars’ official room, pool, fee and parking pages (read in October 2026) with Caesars’ August 2026 fact sheet, Monorail route data and local news through Nov. 4, 2026. Our review method explains the process.

MGM Grand vs Caesars Palace at a glance

	MGM Grand	Caesars Palace
Location	South Strip, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S, at Tropicana Ave	Center Strip, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, at Flamingo Rd
Rooms	6,488, counting 1,728 suites at The Signature	3,980, including the 182-room Nobu Hotel
Official standard room sizes	Studio King 350 sq ft; MGM King or Two Queen 446	Colosseum King 350; Palace 525; Octavius 550; Augustus 550–650
Pools	Grand Pool Complex: 6.5 acres, four pools, three whirlpools, lazy river	Garden of the Gods: about five acres, seven pools, swim-up blackjack
Pool status heading into winter	Oct. 9: complex 9 a.m.–6 p.m., lazy river 10–5; Splash Pool and Private Reserve closed for the season	Visit Las Vegas: complex largely shut November–February except Venus
Resort fee (October 2026)	$50 + tax	$54.95 + tax
Guest self-parking	$20 per 24 hours	Paid; rate not published by Caesars
Check-in / checkout	3 p.m. / 11 a.m.	4 p.m. / 11 a.m.
Monorail	MGM Grand Station, inside the resort	Flamingo/Caesars Palace Station, across the boulevard
Buffet	None since May 31, 2026	Bacchanal Buffet

Location: the Tropicana corner vs the Four Corners

MGM Grand fills the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. A pedestrian bridge crosses the boulevard to New York-New York, and from there The Park leads to T-Mobile Arena, which MGM puts 0.4 mile and about 10 minutes away on foot. The Monorail’s southern terminus sits inside the resort. Across Tropicana Avenue, the old Tropicana corner is now the Athletics’ ballpark construction site, and Clark County’s bridge map shows both bridges to that corner closed.

Caesars Palace sits at Flamingo Road, the Four Corners. Bridges connect it with Bellagio, The Vanderpump Hotel (the former Cromwell) and Horseshoe, The Forum Shops connect indoors, and the High Roller and LINQ Promenade are across the boulevard. The nearest Monorail stop, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, is behind Flamingo Las Vegas on the far side.

You don’t need a taxi to move between them. The Monorail route map lists two minutes from MGM Grand to Horseshoe/Paris and two more to Flamingo/Caesars Palace, so the ride itself takes about four minutes. A single ride costs $5.75 online or $6.25 at the station, and a one-day pass is $13.95 online (as of November 2026). Our Las Vegas Monorail guide lists hours and passes.

Winner for location: Caesars Palace for walking the center Strip; MGM Grand for arena nights and daily Monorail rides.

Rooms: remodeled 446 square feet vs a tower lottery

Room type	Resort	Official size	What to know
Studio King	MGM Grand	350 sq ft	Studio Tower; two guests maximum
MGM King / Two Queen	MGM Grand	446 sq ft	Main tower, remodeled in a $300 million project finished in November 2025
Executive Suite	MGM Grand	675 sq ft	Up to four guests
Colosseum King / Two Queens	Caesars Palace	350 / 475 sq ft	Renovated; Strip views; 65-inch TV
Palace Premium	Caesars Palace	525 sq ft	Described as newly renovated
Octavius Premium	Caesars Palace	550 sq ft	Laurel Collection, near the pools and lobby
Augustus Premium	Caesars Palace	550–650 sq ft	Laurel Collection; spa tub

MGM Grand’s rooms are the more predictable product: the main-tower remodel covered 3,969 rooms and suites. Skip the Studio Tower unless it’s clearly cheaper, since its Studio King sleeps only two.

Caesars sells rooms by tower, and the tower decides your stay. An Augustus room is 104 to 204 square feet bigger than an MGM King, while a Colosseum king is 96 square feet smaller. Book Augustus or Octavius by name if space matters, and choose Colosseum’s two-queen layout over its king if you’re sharing. Our Caesars Palace towers guide ranks every tower.

Winner for rooms: Caesars Palace, but only in Augustus or Octavius. If your rate would land you in a Colosseum king, MGM Grand’s remodeled room is the better buy.

Pools: lazy river vs Garden of the Gods

MGM Grand’s Grand Pool Complex covers 6.5 acres with four pools, three whirlpools, waterfalls and a lazy river, and MGM opens it to guests of any MGM Resorts hotel. On Oct. 9, 2026, MGM’s pool page listed the complex open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the lazy river 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the Splash Pool and Private Reserve already closed for the season. MGM hadn’t posted winter dates.

Caesars’ Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis covers about five acres, per Caesars’ fact sheet, with seven pools, 48 cabanas, 65 daybeds and five swim-up blackjack tables at the Fortuna Pool. Entry is free for Caesars Palace and Nobu Hotel guests, up to four people per room key. The Venus Pool is 21+, the Apollo Pool is reserved for Seven Stars members and Nobu guests, and OMNIA Dayclub & Skybar is 21+.

Winter is the catch. Visit Las Vegas, the LVCVA’s site, says the Garden of the Gods is largely shut from November through February except the Venus pool, which Caesars lists as 21+. Caesars’ own hotel page instead names Neptune as its heated winter pool, so families should confirm before counting on a swim.

Winner for pools: MGM Grand for families and anyone who wants a lazy river from spring to fall; see more Las Vegas hotels with a lazy river. Caesars wins for adults who want a 21+ pool, a dayclub or blackjack in the water. From November to February, neither is a pool-first booking.

Dining: the buffet gap and the big-name rooms

MGM Grand has thinned out its casual dining. The MGM Grand Buffet closed on May 31, 2026, and CRUSH followed on Sept. 12. Four Sixes Ranch Steakhouse, a partnership with the historic Texas ranch and “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, is due in the CRUSH space in early 2027. The top end is still strong: Joel Robuchon is Forbes Five-Star, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon is Four-Star, and Craftsteak, Hakkasan and Morimoto round out the list.

Caesars has the deeper bench. Restaurant Guy Savoy holds One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 Southwest guide and Forbes Five-Star status for the 14th straight year, and Peter Luger, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Amalfi by Bobby Flay and Nobu are all on site. The Bacchanal Buffet covers more than 25,000 square feet and serves brunch Friday through Sunday. Caesars doesn’t publish buffet prices on the pages we could check, so look them up for your dates; our Las Vegas hotel buffets guide compares the survivors.

Winner for dining: Caesars Palace, for the buffet and a deeper list of destination restaurants. MGM Grand’s trump card is a dinner at Joel Robuchon.

Shows, arenas and nightlife

MGM Grand is the better base for variety. MGM lists KÀ by Cirque du Soleil, Jabbawockeez (all ages) and Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club (18+), and Now You See Me Live plays the MGM Grand Theater through Jan. 5, 2027, for ages 5 and up. MGM Grand Garden Arena hosts concerts and fights, Hakkasan Nightclub is on site, and T-Mobile Arena is a short walk away.

Caesars is the better base for one big night. The 4,300-seat Colosseum has LISA’s “Viva La Lisa” residency on Nov. 12–14 and 27–29, 2026, and hosts the F1 Business Summit on Nov. 19. Absinthe, an adults-only variety show, plays in a tent out front, and OMNIA Nightclub covers 75,000 square feet.

Winner for entertainment: tie. Pick MGM Grand for family-friendly shows and arena events on both sides of the boulevard; pick Caesars for headliners and a nightclub without leaving the building.

Resort fees and parking: what you add every night

As of October 2026	MGM Grand	Caesars Palace
Resort fee	$50 + tax	$54.95 + tax
With 13.38% room tax	About $56.69	About $62.30
What the fee covers	Wi-Fi, calls, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, fitness center (18+)	Wi-Fi for two devices, fitness center for two guests, local calls
Guest self-parking	$20 per 24 hours	Paid; rate not published
Valet	$40 per day	Paid; rate not published
Who parks free	MGM Rewards Pearl and up, MGM Rewards Mastercard	Caesars Rewards Platinum and up
Incidental hold	$100 a day, capped at $400	$100 a day

The math favors MGM Grand. Without a car, Caesars’ fee costs about $5.61 more a night ($62.30 − $56.69), or about $16.83 over three nights. With a car, MGM Grand’s fixed extras come to about $76.69 a night ($56.69 + $20); Caesars says parking is paid but doesn’t post the rates, so check the garage sign and add it. Our guides to Las Vegas resort fees and Las Vegas parking fees compare the rest of the Strip.

Winner for fees and parking: MGM Grand.

MGM Rewards vs Caesars Rewards

Status can erase most of those extras. MGM Rewards gives free self-parking from the Pearl tier and free valet from Gold, and Gold members and above have the resort fee waived on up to two direct bookings per trip; MGM credits the room rate only on direct bookings. Caesars Rewards gives free self-parking and valet from Platinum, and Caesars’ FAQs say Diamond and Seven Stars members aren’t charged the resort fee. The Fertitta sale changes nothing for guests yet: it still needed regulatory approvals in early November.

Winner for loyalty: whichever program you already hold. Without status, MGM Grand’s bill is easier to predict.

Families vs couples

Families: MGM Grand. The lazy river, Jabbawockeez, Now You See Me Live and Topgolf next door (whose third level is 21+) cover a lot of ages. Rooms take up to four guests, at $40 plus tax a night for each guest beyond two. At Caesars, the winter pool may be adults-only, and OMNIA, Absinthe and the Venus pool are all 21+.

Couples: Caesars Palace. Book an Augustus room with a spa tub, plan dinner at Guy Savoy or Amalfi, and spend an afternoon at QUA Baths & Spa (18+). MGM Grand suits couples on a budget who want a remodeled room and one splurge at Joel Robuchon.

Which should you book?

Choose MGM Grand if:

• You want a remodeled 446-square-foot room without gambling on a tower.
• You’ll ride the Monorail daily or walk to T-Mobile Arena.
• You’re traveling with kids in pool season, or you’re driving and want a posted $20 parking rate.
• You hold MGM Rewards status.

Choose Caesars Palace if:

• It’s your first trip, and you want the center Strip on foot.
• You’ll book Augustus or Octavius for 550 to 650 square feet.
• A Colosseum show, the Bacchanal Buffet or Guy Savoy is part of the plan.
• You hold Caesars Rewards Platinum or higher.

For most first-timers, Caesars’ address is worth the higher fee; for value, families and arena nights, MGM Grand is the smarter base. Prices vary according to travel dates and availability, so compare the same nights at both, and check where each lands in our best hotels in Las Vegas and where to stay in Las Vegas guides.

FAQ

Is MGM Grand or Caesars Palace better?

Caesars Palace is better for a first trip: it sits at the center Strip’s Four Corners, and its Augustus and Octavius rooms measure 550 to 650 square feet. MGM Grand is better for value, families and car-free travel, with remodeled 446-square-foot rooms, a lazy river in season, a Monorail station on site and a lower $50-plus-tax resort fee (as of October 2026).

Which is more expensive, MGM Grand or Caesars Palace?

Neither is reliably cheaper on the room rate, which changes with dates and demand. On fixed extras, Caesars costs more: its resort fee is $54.95 plus tax against $50 plus tax at MGM Grand (as of October 2026), and Caesars doesn’t publish its parking rates, while MGM Grand charges hotel guests $20 a day to self-park.

Can you get from MGM Grand to Caesars Palace without a car?

Yes. Take the Las Vegas Monorail from MGM Grand Station, inside the resort, to Flamingo/Caesars Palace Station. The Monorail lists about four minutes of riding time for the two segments, and a single ride costs $5.75 online (as of November 2026). From the station, cross Las Vegas Boulevard to reach Caesars Palace.

Does MGM Grand still have a buffet?

No. The MGM Grand Buffet closed permanently on May 31, 2026, and MGM had announced no replacement for the space by November. Caesars Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet is two Monorail stops away and serves brunch Friday through Sunday, and Excalibur, two bridges from MGM Grand, still runs a breakfast and brunch buffet. Check current hours and prices before you go.

Which has the better pool, MGM Grand or Caesars Palace?

MGM Grand, for families and a lazy river: its 6.5-acre complex has four pools and three whirlpools, though the lazy river is seasonal. Caesars Palace is better for adults, with seven pools, swim-up blackjack and the 21+ Venus Pool. In winter, Visit Las Vegas says most of Caesars’ complex closes except Venus, so confirm what’s open for your dates.