Elara By Hilton Grand Vacations

Nice hotel, great location, rooms, gigant projector in the 1 bedroom, everything you need in the kitchen. Water pressure works.. BUT All that is irrelevant due the resort fee of $25+tax everynight. A fee that they dont tell you about when checking in or when booking through RCI is mentioned anywhere.. The fee covers (this is not a joke, eventhough you would Think that in 2019) - Unlimited internet access (something you would get anyway if you have Hilton honors) - unlimited local/ toll-free calls - Domestic Long distance calls (30 min pr day maximum) - unlimited DVDNow movie rentable - Two 16 oz. Cups of coffee or two 16.9 oz. Bottles of water pr day. (By the Way i Got the vouchers for this 2 says prior departure, because I asked about resort fee) The argument for the fee is that: “everybody Else is doping it” - the real reason is that HGVC on just Elara is making $13.000.000 every year by providing nothin for the guests. It is money straignt info the pocket.

We stayed in a studio unit which included a well stocked kitchenette for three nights as a quick getaway. Our check-in went smoothly and we were on our way up to our room in a few minutes. Self-parking was free in the adjoining mall parking lot which was a big plus given how many hotels now charge for parking in Vegas. It was too cold to try out the pool, but it looked lovely. The fitness area and business center are well equipped and work well. The best thing about this hotel (actually a timeshare) is the location. You're pretty much within the heart of the strip next to Planet Hollywood. The Bellagio is pretty much across the street and you can walk to just about anyplace that is worth going (the Wynn was a bit of a hike - but breakfast there is soooo worth it!). If the price was right I'd actually consider buying a unit here and will definitely stay again if given the opportunity.

The Elara is part of the Hilton Grand Vacation Club (HGVC) resort portfolio for members but they also have rooms available for non-members. Members use points to reserve their rooms/condos and do not have to pay any additional resort fees. As a member you get housekeeping service half way through your stay but can request additional towels or assistance at no additional charge. If you want housekeeping services more often they are available for a price. Non-Members have daily housekeeping services and may be subject to a daily resort fee. The hotel is centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip but does not have a casino. However it is attached to the Miracle Mile shopping center which is attached to the Planet Hollywood Casino (so you can go to the Planet Hollywood Casino without going outside and it is about a 5-8 minute walk from the Elara). There is a 24 hour Starbucks in the lobby as well as many restaurants in the shopping center from fast food, casual dining and fine dining. There is security to get to the rooms and you have to scan your room key to get to the guest elevators. Since this is a HGVC facility they will try to get you to sit down for a sales presentation but there is no requirement to do so and if you do go to a presentation it is not a hard sell. They do offer a meal voucher, free show or other enticements if you have the time and desire to hear about their program. We had a suite on the 39th floor which had 2 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen (with dishes, pots, pans, silverware, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave), washer and dryer, jacuzzi, 2 bathrooms 4 tv's and a projection tv and floor to ceiling windows. They have a complimentary DVD retail station in the lobby. The fitness center has Life Fitness equipment and includes 6 treadmills, 3 ellipticals, upright bikes, recumbent bikes, rowing machines, weight benches, free weights, 8 different weight machines, 4 spinning bikes, TV's, towels, water fountains, and Men's and Women's locker rooms with lockers, bathrooms and showers. The business Center/Guest Laundry has 4 computer stations, 2 printers and free use of the washers and dryers. Fabric softener and detergent are available for $1.00 with the vending machine accepting $1 & $5 bills as well as coins. There is free parking in the Planet Hollywood parking deck or valet parking for $15.00 per night. The free parking is a little bit of a walk but the valet parking is on the lower level and very convenient. There is no restaurant in the hotel but they do have room service available. If you have a family or just want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the casino atmosphere but still have access to a casino and shopping, this is definitely a place to try. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely stay here again on a return trip.