Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

Mandarin Oriental's entry is in a bamboo-filled, surprisingly peaceful courtyard. Guests take a quick elevator ride to the 23rd floor, where a view of the Strip serves as the backdrop for the Sky Lobby. I was greeted with a cool towel and a warm scented cup of tea, and admired the Tea Lounge, one of only three places on the Strip where high tea is served.

Don't forget to pack: your American Express Black
Nice extras: a TV in the bathroom mirror, complimentary in-room bottled water, luxe bath salts
What you'll love: the privacy, the spa
Wish they had: complimentary tea bags

Everything about the hotel whispers discretion and security. The peace in the courtyard outside the main entrance is surprising because of what's just outside the walls: the multi-lane entry to CityCenter's underground parking on one side, and the Las Vegas Strip, complete with an over-the-top neon McDonald's sign, on the other. Despite the air of solitude, the location is so convenient; it's just a five-minute walk to the Monte Carlo/Crystals CityCenter tram, and across a short walkway to Crystals.

From the Sky Lobby, another set of elevators leads to guest rooms, which are on the lower floors (above are the Residences). The red velvet bench in each elevator is a luxurious touch, and welcome if you (as I) do a lot of walking in Las Vegas.

Departure the following day was also a pleasure. After checking out in the Sky Lobby I was escorted downstairs, where I was chauffeured to the airport in the hotel's complimentary town car (SO much nicer than a taxi).

My room was a King with a view of the Las Vegas Strip. The room was equipped with the same high-tech touchscreen control pad I had so much fun with at Aria, plus the same sheers and blackout curtain controls on the wall. I love the decadence of rarely having to leave the comfy bed for anything: curtains, room temperature, TV controls, music, even dimming or brightening the lights could be adjusted from the bedside touch screen. I especially enjoyed playing with the bedtime settings (arranging for the room to turn off the TV, close the curtains, change the temperature and turn off the lights at a certain time of night) and the wake-up program (lights on, curtains open, TV tuned to the Today show).

The bathroom, separated from the bedroom by a frosted glass partition, was stocked with goodies. Orchids and bath salts flanked a deep freestanding tub, and next to the double sinks were just about anything you'd need: sewing kit, nail file, body lotion. I am a sucker for TVs built into the mirror, and this bathroom had it, viewable from both the bathtub and the shower. A large separate shower and "potty room" rounded out the well-stocked bathroom.

In the entryway, an impressive closet niche held my favorite feature, a valet cabinet for hotel staff to leave you something (like a morning newspaper) or you to leave something for staff (like shoes for a complimentary polish). A drawer held a large safe, which sported built-in plugs; I could charge my laptop and Kindle while they were locked safely away.

During my whirlwind stay, I unfortunately didn't get to dine at Twist, Pierre Gagnaire's first restaurant in the United States, or savor high tea in the Tea Lounge. I enjoyed breakfast in hushed MOzen Bistro, where the waitstaff indulged my every whim with extra hollandaise for my Eggs Benedict, a bowl of fresh berries, and lots of lemon for my tea - then apologetically explained the hotel's inexplicable policy of bringing only one tea bag for an entire pot of hot water. Extra tea bags? $9 apiece.

The spa is held in high regard (Anitra Brown calls it the "Sexiest spa on the Strip"). Exercise classes like yoga and Pilates are held in a wedge-shaped room with glass walls. I read through the spa offerings with as much anticipation as I would a fine restaurant's menu; it was easy to make a list of body treatments and aromatherapy massages for my next, hopefully longer, visit.