A Plunge Pool, a View and a Butler: My Weekend in a Bungalow Suite at Cosmopolitan

Lounge area on the first floor of the suite

TL;DR

Pros: The Bungalow Suite is an extraordinary space for a luxurious, relaxing vacation in, and would also make for a great space to have a small party in, although there is only one bed so guests would have to stay elsewhere. The outdoor spaces would be better utilized in warmer weather. 

 

Cons: The butler service was a letdown and not worth the expense. The views were not as advertised, nor were they as brilliant as less expensive rooms.

Package options

Pre-game Experience

After booking the room, I received an email asking me which of three packages I would like. I discussed it with my new beau as we made plans for the weekend, and we agreed on the Wine & Champagne package. The email also directed us to check in at the Autograph Lounge which, when entering the lobby from the Chelsea Tower parking, is just to the right of the main front desk. We were able to bypass a really extensive line by doing, although there was still small line in the lounge. There was a Starbucks coffee machine in there and we were given complimentary bottles of water.

The Space

The first floor of the Bungalow consists of a bar area, full bathroom, a lounge area with TV and a small outdoor patio. The bathroom has a shower with a large overhead rainfall shower head, a sink and a separate toilet room, as well as a small coat closet. While I realize I more than paid for them, the frugal part of me really appreciated the large and plentiful toiletries.The lounge area was spacious and had plenty of seating on the curvy built-in couches which conveniently had some flat surfaces behind them which I utilized to put drinks on. I was also able to find a power outlet on the floor right next to the chaise-like end of the couch so I could charge my phones while still using them on couch. I will say, though, it wasn't super comfortable and my beau and I struggled to cuddle comfortably while watching TV. The bar area includes a sink, a microwave and a small fridge which was partially stocked, but our butler reassured us that it was not weight sensored so we could move things to make room for leftovers, etc. The first floor patio used to overlook the pool but had since been walled in, so it was a convenient little space for my beau to smoke but that's about all it was good for. Especially given the better outdoor spaces on the third floor… 

 

Second floor (vanity)

The second floor could be considered almost a walk-through master suite. In the area with the stair cases leading to the first and third floors, there was a funky little sofa and a large vanity.

Bedroom with partially obstructed view of Dayclub

On one side of that center room was the bedroom which overlooked the pool area and still retained visibility to the party going on during the day there - and our butler told us they can see in so if we want privacy, best to close the curtains with the iPad that runs the whole place. There was a spacious closet and two luggage racks, and the closet light turns on when the door is opened. A bit hilariously, the TV was mounted on a partial wall which could swing out to provide better visibility or put back to have more space in the room. Behind that swinging TV wall was a small nook with drawers and the safe.

 

Third floor patio with view of Bellagio fountains

Going up one more floor, there wasn't much of an indoor space - although given the cool temperatures around the time of our visit, that became a very important little indoor space for me. It was merely a small tiled area with no furniture, and two doors leading to the outdoor spaces. One space was the rooftop heated plunge pool with whirlpool jets. Again, it used to overlook the main pool but given the time of year and cool temperatures, the main pool had been covered with a tent to keep the warmth in, and that cover largely blocked our view, although a small part of the pool area could be observed at just the right angles between the building and the cover. The other outdoor space was a generous balcony featuring many seating options, a TV, and what I believe to be the most spectacular view in Las Vegas - overlooking the fountains of Bellagio, with many of the Las Vegas icons and lights visible beyond that. The seating included one sizable sofa, two armchairs and a dining set. There was also a counter with a sink, and a large ottoman that could double for a coffee table. Had the weather been warmer, I would have spent much more time up there watching TV and/or reading.

The Butler Experience

Wine & Champagne presentation

As mentioned a few times already, the room came with 24 hour butler service, which was not clearly explained so I got the deets for you here. When checking in, we were asked if we wanted the butler to meet us there in the Autograph Lounge, presumably to escort us through the hotel to our rooms, or if we wanted him to meet us in the room. I felt confident I could navigate the hotel, having stayed there many times before, and didn't really want to wait anymore, so I opted to have him meet us in the room. We were given great directions and were on our way.

First floor bar area

Entering the room, our butler, Joey, was there preparing the bottles from our wine & champagne package, but stopped what he was doing as we entered to give us a rundown of a few things. He said that we'd have to have housekeeping and to do the spa service (I didn't quite grasp what he said the first time, so I clarified later and it was related to the plunge pool upstairs being a commercially operated pool so it had to be checked/serviced daily), and asked if there was a particular time we wanted to do that. I wasn't in a mental place to make decisions, so he said just to call and schedule it when we knew.

He then took us on a tour of the place, giving us instructions and tips along the way so we knew how everything worked (for example, the lights and shades are controlled on the iPad, and to go out to the plunge pool, you had to hold a button on the wall and push the door open at the same time, and there's a privacy setting if you don't want housekeeping or butlers to enter).

After the tour was complete, I lingered upstairs to take some pictures while Joey busied himself with finishing setting up the bottles for us. Before leaving us upstairs, though, he offered to make dinner reservations for us, which we weren't ready to decide upon yet, and let us know that any time we needed anything, just hit the bowtie on the phone to get a butler.

I didn't make it back downstairs before Joey departed, so we got ourselves settled in a little bit, popped open the bottle of champagne and checked out the restaurant options shown on the TV. We decided we wanted to go to the tapas place, and I realized I still wasn't quite sure what to do with the butler so figured I'd bring him back in to investigate further. It was about 5 pm at this point. So I hit the bowite button and was connected with an operator and requested a butler come to the room. Joey was there in no time, and rang the doorbell before letting himself in and politely checking that he was good to enter. I told him we had decided on the tapas place and wanted him to make a reservation for us, although he wasn't familiar so we had to look it up to get him the actual restaurant name. Once we confirmed the restaurant, he asked what time and I said 6:30 or 7 would be great. He said that we can wait for a phone call to confirm once he gets the reservation.

I then sheepishly admitted I didn't know what butlers could do for us so asked what kinds of things we could ask for, and he explained a bit more that we could have him get things for us or schedule things for us. My beau asked if he could bring us a six pack of Stella Artois, and schedule to have coffee brought in at 8 am, and Joey confirmed yes to both. My beau asked about pricing - especially if it was marked up. Joey said there was a $7 charge per request, so if we want multiple requests, its more cost effective to do them all at once, but that the items we requested would be at cost. He had me sold! We also talked about the spa for massages, and I inquired if we could do a couples' massage which he wasn't sure about, so he said he would check on the pricing and if they could do that. He alluded to some other butler probably being the one who would bring the six pack and that he'd be back bringing coffee in the morning, so I presumed that meant it was the end of his shift and time for the nighttime butler to start.

What followed were a few successive letdowns. First, we got no call confirming the dinner reservation, and the beer took quite a while to get there. Meanwhile, I happened to look at my email and noticed that a massage with couples' massage fee had been booked for us - and at a time that would not work for our plans. But nothing on dinner. I started getting anxious and considered calling to get a status update, but I didn't want to be "that lady". So I refrained, but it started to feel like we were trapped in the room, and I wanted to eat.

Finally, a little after 6:15, the doorbell rang and another butler asked if he could come in. He came bearing both the beer we ordered and good news on dinner when I inquired - indeed we had a reservation at 6:30! I mean, that was good news, but not a lot of notice! He had me sign for the beer - which was much more than the cost of a 6 pack and a $7 fee, it was like a $7 fee plus a few on top of that fee and then other fees and somehow equaled $80 or something ridiculous. He then asked if we wanted him to escort us to the restaurant and I said yes, partially because I wanted to make sure we got there on time and didn't get lost, and partially because, hey, we have a butler, and maybe he can even get us something special if he's escorting us. So he said he'd come back at 6:27 to bring us there, and I went upstairs to change into something a little nicer. When he came back, and he was perfectly on time, as we were walking to the restaurant, I also asked if the massage appointment could be moved to a later time as the time booked conflicted with literally the one plan we had for the weekend - a lunch reservation at Hell's Kitchen.

He walked fast and realized he had to slow down from his normal crazy pace to escort us at a more comfortable pace, and then talked to the hostesses at the restaurant once we arrived. That didn't seem to do much because we still had to then check-in with them, and he left us there. The hostess confirmed we were checked in and indicated to wait for our name to be called. As we returned from dinner, the butler stopped us and advised that there were no other available times for the massage, so I asked him then to just cancel.

I felt quite burned by the cost of the 6 pack and the time it took to get, and the fact that the massage had been booked without my consent, so I decided I was probably pretty close to done using this butler service. I mean, I guess the assumption is people booking this room have money to burn so it would be fine, but to me, the room was one thing but the service was just not worth it. I knew the coffee was still scheduled for the morning and decided to let that be, but dreading seeing how much that was going to set me back.

Indeed, very timely, Joey came just before 8 am, and let himself in while we were still in bed. He set up the coffee pot with the requested creamer and sugars and the works, along with that lovely bill. I think it was about $40. We mulled about and I checked my email and saw one massage appointment was cancelled but nothing on the second or the couples' massage fee.

So, later that morning, since we had our lunch reservation at 11:45 at Hell's Kitchen, I used the bowtie to call and first ask about canceling the other massage - to which the operator thankfully said she had noticed that and had already confirmed both were cancelled - and then to confirm that they could come do the housekeeping and spa maintenance around that time since we'd be leaving for lunch.

As we walked down the hall leaving for lunch, the housekeeper asked if she could go in now and I confirmed yes we were out for a while.

We didn't realize the butler would bring coffee the second morning, but he did, and just in time because my beau was about to call for it anyways.

So on the butler thing, I would say, things were not very clear, I was not happy with the speed or communication and feel quite burned by what I was told and what actually happened. If you don't care about wasting hundreds of dollars, it was convenient to have someone to go get things - I imagined sending them off to get my frozen Baja Blast with tequila at the Taco Bell Cantina across the street and getting a pie from Secret Pizza so we don't have to stand around and wait for it - but to me it just wasn't worth it.

Experiencing the Amenities

I've already put some commentary into my description of the space, so here I'll just do some highlights and lowlights. 

Bathtub filing from ceiling

Detail of bathtub

On the plus side, I fell in love with the bathtub in the master bathroom - and I am a self-proclaimed connoisseur of bathtubs. It was the perfect shape, and very easy to move around and get comfortable in, even for someone of my (larger) size. While my beau didn't join me, it seemed like there was plenty of room for two to sit on opposing sides and intermingling legs, and that would be very comfortable, even with the water running since the water filled from the ceiling in the center of the tub. The only drawback was that I never got the jets to work, I ended up turning on the steamer by accident trying to get the jets going - steamer was cool but was unequivocally not the jets I was hoping for.

Massive shower

I also thoroughly enjoyed the shower in the master bathroom. Again, with room enough for two (or more, my goodness), it had not one but two massive rainfall shower heads, and then a handheld sprayer in the middle, along with a spacious bench, and a steamer/sauna feature. I turned it all on and had a glorious shower, even using the bench to shave my legs not because I really needed to shave but because I wanted to see how comfortable it was to do so, and it was absolutely perfection. The water was plenty hot and I had to turn it down from scorching, and eventually made the water cool as the steamer warmed up my body. I think it is probably the closest thing to a perfect dream bathroom that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing or even seeing.

Plunge pool with obstructed view

On the downside, I guess the plunge pool is really just a heated pool and not really a hot tub per se. The timer only went up to 30 minutes and anyone who knows me well knows I can spend hours and hours in a hot tub or bath, so a 30 minute timer meant I had the leave the relative warmth to brave the cold and wind to turn it back on again. And when my beau joined me, he pointed out that it really wasn't that hot - it was warm enough to be comfortable but it was so cold outside that the relative warmth wasn't enough to keep all of our bodies warm when parts were sticking out. The view was very boring, I wish we could have been more a part of the party at the Marquee Dayclub like the website advertised. Not a single person seemed to have spotted us, given the large tent that blocked 95% of the view, and more importantly, we couldn't watch unless we were at just the right angle, but we were subjected to the music in the tub and in the room.

View of TV and fountains from couch

The other upstairs outdoor space was quite nice, as I mentioned earlier, I would have spent more time there had it not been so cold. But given that the bungalows are all on the 17th floor, we couldn't see the new Sphere like I could from my favorite (much more affordable) rooms with the fountain view. Additionally, the furniture wasn't oriented to view the fountains so I had to move things around to get the right view. It was cool that there was a TV out there.

Watching TV in bed was very comfortable, and I liked the ability to turn everything off with one button so I didn't feel bad leaving stuff on all night or running up and down the stairs to turn things off.

We were also warned that music from Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub can be heard from inside of the Bungalow, which was absolutely true during the Dayclub - the TV couldn't drown out the sound, but thankfully we really couldn't hear the Nightclub when we wanted to sleep. See the "IMPORTANT NOTE" at the bottom of this post for all the warnings that came with this room.

Another warning was that outside food and beverage is strictly not permitted on the property, which the butler almost immediately refuted and proved to be inaccurate from my experience also, so don't worry about that one.

Conclusion

I love the Cosmopolitan and despite some setbacks, it will still remain my favorite hotel in Las Vegas. I will likely not book this room again in the foreseeable future, but I am glad I did it this one time. The only caveat to that statement is that I will be forever reminiscing and pining for that freaking bathtub and shower - they truly were the stars of the show and made my weekend, as weird as that may sound - at least until I can build my dream house to include a bathroom with those dimensions and amenities almost to a tee. I often joke that I don't care to travel as much these days because my home amenities are so luxurious, and this is one example where that proves to be false, at least when it comes to the master bathroom. If you are going to Vegas to go out and do things, I don't think the room is worth it - this is a really a room you want to be spending your time in, not out.

The butler service was a fun but very expensive bit of an experience, and I guess on the whole I liked it, but in all the ways that I am spendy, I am also frugal when it comes to excessive fees and I felt like they went too far with this one for me to fully enjoy and appreciate it.

Appendix

Is that a thing one does for blog posts? I'm going with it; here are details of the package options and the warnings.

Package A:

LIQUOR PACKAGE
Your choice of two (2) of the following bottles:
- 1 Bottle of Vodka
- 1 Bottle of Bourbon
- 1 Bottle of Whiskey
- 1 Bottle of Tequila

Package B:
WINE & CHAMPAGNE PACKAGE
The Wine & Champagne Package includes all three of the below:
- 1 bottle of Champagne
- 1 bottle of White Wine
- 1 bottle of Cabernet

Package C:
SOFT BEVERAGE PACKAGE
Includes the below, non-alcoholic beverages
- 8 Sodas
- Freshly tapped coconuts
- 10 Fiji Waters
- 2 Fresh Juices


IMPORTANT NOTE:
-Bungalow Suites are located next to the Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, and please note that everyone must be 21 or older to be in the room

-Bungalow Suites do not offer direct access to Marquee Nightclub or Dayclub

-Music from Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub can be heard from inside of the Bungalow during Marquee’s business hours. Please visit their website for current hours of operation

-Incidental deposit of $1,000 per night will be collected at check-in. Any unused portion is refunded at check out

-Outside food and beverage is prohibited in all rooms and suites

-Limit of 10 people inside the Bungalow at a time; Maximum 3 guests for sleeping

-The suite will be provided with Butler Service, and outside food and beverage is strictly not permitted on the property - we would be most happy to provide you with a menu to order appetizers and beverages upon request.

-Please understand there are no exceptions to these guidelines

It's Deric!

The one whom I almost ditched…

I met Deric through the dating app Hinge. As it just so happened, he was the third first date (from Hinge) in a single weekend - something I didn't mean to do but just kind of fell into place. The first date was Friday night with Yusuke, a very Japanese guy trying to make a go of some sort of fashion reselling business. The second first date was Saturday night at my usual swing dance venue in Pasadena - Mike was going to meet me at Lindy Groove the following Thursday for our first date, but I think he got eager and moved it up to Saturday.

Both dates went - well - for the most part. Yusuke was much as I expected - I could see a potential relationship with him but it would take a loooooong time to get there. Mike was ready to dive right in, it was all about me. I didn't like that he didn't want to dance with anyone else, even my friend; we're at a social dance, we should be social, not all intertwined in one another. I let it go on the basis that it was our first date, but made certain to clarify it is absolutely my intention to not just dance with him in the future, and I hope he would do the same.

I was least excited about Deric, because of two factors. For one, his messages were strange and confusing, obviously he was bad at English but there was something more. And on the other hand, his profile pictures weren't too flattering so I wasn't sure I'd be attracted to him. I nearly called the whole thing off, but I decided that I always tout the importance of meeting in person to know for sure, so why would this be any different?

Deric definitely got "the rose" for the weekend (to answer what my friend Laura asked), because he surprised me with his good looks and great conversation. Far from what the pictures showed, he was hot! And I understood his English much better with the context of intonation, etc. He was great. When we ended the night with a small kiss, I think he had doubts that I wanted to see him again. But I did!

Since then, I'd gone out with Mike once more and then invited him over for a cuddle session. The second date didn't go much better, in fact, I started to get annoyed with his physical affection, so my thought was that in the privacy and comfort of my home, maybe I'd feel better with him all over me. I did not. I was so annoyed by him, and I think he knew it. We texted once or twice more and I think he got the hint when I wasn't initiating texts anymore.

I’d also invited Yusuke to my house for Halloween, unintentionally, but he got excited about the prospect of learning a new-to-him American tradition. So, he was going to come over and hand out candy to the kids with me and then join me in the hot tub afterwards. But, he was so late that the candy handouts were over by the time he arrived and we merely spent some time in the hot tub before he invited himself to spend the night. I thought that was odd - much more assertive than I expected. We cuddled, made out a little bit, and that was about it. Halfway through the night, neither of us could sleep so he left.

I'd also gone out with Deric twice more, and went to his house a couple times. The last time (prior to this weekend) I had gone to his house was after getting rid of Mike. I was so ick by the whole thing that all I wanted was to curl up with Deric, so I told him I was making hot chocolate and coming over and he was good with that like that's totally normal. Later that week, I treated him to Broken Bit and he came over to my house for the first time. I don't think he was very impressed.

The next day I was gone on a personal trip that segued into a business trip without coming home, so I was gone for a good two and a half weeks. I texted Deric almost daily, and he was sweet and supportive, not needy at all but letting me know he cared and missed me. All I wanted was to be back with him - the last week in Fort Worth was awful.

I got off the plane on Friday and let him know when I was home. He was working but when he was off he invited me over so he could cook for me. I brought my overnight bag anticipating he'd invite me to stay over, which he did. Not only that, but he cut a rose off his tree for me. And, he asked the first/small big question - were we together now? Yes, I wanted him and nobody else. Wasn't that all I had wanted the last two weeks? Yes, absolutely yes.

We clarified some other things about our relationship - not having kids, for one. It was good. We were having a good, adult conversation and readying ourselves for our happy ever after.

Then almost immediately, we had our first fight. He said things that implied he wasn't attracted to me, like I used to be sexy and what happened and why didn't anyone tell me? And then he tried to tell me how to lose weight, like it's so simple, just cut out soda and drink more black coffee. What?!? I got upset, I tried telling him not to push those buttons but he pushed, and I packed up to leave when he stopped me and apologized and said he wouldn't talk about it anymore.

We got tipsy and eventually went to bed. The next morning, we slept in until after 9, and I got up to get some water and heard my phone ding with a text. I figured I'd just check it for a few and go back to bed. It was a family text, and I chimed in. Deric came out and asked if I was up, and started busying himself in the kitchen. I told him I don't drink coffee, so he made me hot chocolate for my hangover headache. We sat and talked for a little bit, both of us quite drowsy still, and I told him we could go back to bed, and he jumped at the chance. We stayed in bed until after 11, or at least I did. At one point I was waiting for him to come back to bed and realized he was probably waiting for me to get up. So I did and he just seemed like a dog happy to its owner kind of happy to see me. He asked if he could take me out to breakfast when I was ready. I got ready quickly and we were off in his cute little BMW.

After breakfast, he agreed to come to my place and hang out - he wanted a lazy day and I wanted to do some laundry so I put on some binge TV and did some laundry and light chores while he hung out on the couch, eventually falling asleep. I put on the ASU football game since he was asleep, but we were losing so terribly, I didn't care to finish it when he woke up.

I absolutely love cuddling with him. He lets me run my hands up and down his chest under his shirt and I am addicted to it. There are definitely things I'm concerned about. I don't know how long it will last, but he is definitely my for now someone. And I almost didn't even meet him.