Marriott’s Grand Chateau, a Marriott Vacation Club Resort in Las Vegas [In-Depth Review]

Fabulous Las Vegas. We recently visited as a group of 7 people while 5 relatives visited my wife and me from Brazil. My wife’s brother-in-law was dying to see Las Vegas as an easy hop from our Orange County, California, home. As my wife and I started looking into the best options for taking her sister’s family (with 2 teenagers) and her mother to visit Las Vegas, one thing became clear: Lodging for our group wouldn’t be simple.

After considering places to stay near the Strip, we decided that booking 1 large room we could all share would be our best option — especially since most of our relatives don’t speak English. Enter the Marriott Vacation Club, a timeshare-focused chain that also offers bookings for non-owners. The great news was that I could earn points and stay credits in my Marriott Bonvoy account during our 2 nights at Marriott’s Grand Chateau.

Since this isn’t a traditional hotel, there are some differences from what you might expect at most Las Vegas resorts and casinos. The fact it wasn’t attached to a casino also meant we missed out on something we were actually happy to find lacking during a visit to Sin City: resort fees.

Here’s what it was like staying in a 2-bedroom villa with 7 people for 2 nights at Marriott’s Grand Chateau in Las Vegas.

Booking

You can book rooms at Marriott’s Grand Chateau with Marriott Bonvoy points, cash, free night awards, or a mix of these options. Standard rooms can be priced as low as 35,000 points per night, but 1-bedroom villas can be priced at 40,000 points per night or more.

There are 2 different layouts available for the 2-bedroom villa at this property: king-size beds in both bedrooms plus 2 sofa beds, or a single sofa bed with 2 double beds in 1 of the bedrooms.

We paid cash for our January 2024 stay, dividing it by 7. With a total cost of $1,006.82 after taxes, this came out to $143.83 per person for a 2-night stay — or $71.92 per person per night, which we were pretty happy with, given that we’d only booked 10 days in advance and wanted a room within walking distance of the Strip that could hold 7 people.

Other options we considered would have cost more in the end, thanks to daily resort fees. Marriott’s Grand Chateau is one of the most centrally located properties in Las Vegas that doesn’t charge resort fees.

I put the booking in my name and came away with 2 elite night credits plus 16,540 points in my Marriott Bonvoy account.

A few days after booking, the hotel sent an email to familiarize me with the property and submit any requests we had for our stay.

Hot Tip:

If you want to earn well when paying for a hotel, it helps to pay with one of the best credit cards for travel purchases. Particularly at Marriott properties, you can use one of our recommended cards for Marriott loyalists. Conversely, use a card where you’re working on a new credit card welcome bonus, which is what I did here.

Location

Marriott’s Grand Chateau is just off Las Vegas Boulevard, aka “the Strip,” on East Harmon Avenue. From Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), plan for 10 to 15 minutes to reach the Grand Chateau by car, depending on traffic.

Spotting the entrance was simple, given the large sign on East Harmon Avenue. Despite the smaller sign pointing ride-share drivers to a different entrance, our Uber drivers from and to the airport picked us up near the main entrance to the property. This was the same area where you’d drop off and retrieve your car with the valet service.

Check-In

Though the ceilings were a standard height, the lobby still felt large because of its open layout, abundant lighting, and spacious seating areas. In fact, the seating areas were really handy. We arrived in 2 separate cars, so my wife and mother-in-law grabbed seats near the entrance to watch for the other 4 people arriving while I went to the front desk to check in.

As there was no line, 3 friendly employees greeted me simultaneously. I chose 1 randomly and approached her with my ID. She found our reservation quickly and asked if I understood the differences between this property and a typical Marriott hotel. As I’d read the information and already knew what to expect, check-in was smooth and quick.

After asking how many key cards we wanted (I asked for 4, thinking a request for 7 would seem ridiculous), the friendly employee provided a welcome packet that included not just a schedule of activities but pertinent information like what to do in emergencies and how to connect to the Wi-Fi.

The welcome packet also included a property map highlighting where to find items like the 2 pools and the restaurants.

During our stay, I realized that the employee had left out important information about the poolside restaurants, which I’ll cover later.

Once our check-in was complete, I left with a pass offering a prize for stopping at the concierge desk and instructions explaining that we needed to show our room keys to get past the security guard watching over access to the elevators going to guest floors.

Elite Benefits

As Marriott’s terms outline, not all Marriott Bonvoy elite benefits apply to stays at Marriott Vacation Club properties. While you can earn and redeem points and receive elite night stay credits in your pursuit of status, many of the benefits you associate with status don’t apply here. That means no room upgrades at check-in, no complimentary breakfast, and no early check-in or late checkout.

To ensure I was aware of these items, the hotel sent me an email 1 week before check-in, outlining which benefits I would and wouldn’t receive as a Titanium Elite member.

Amenities

While you might think of all-night casinos, shows, and a sprawling list of shops and restaurants at most Las Vegas properties, Marriott’s Grand Chateau doesn’t have these. That’s because it’s a timeshare property and focuses on owners who treat the property like a home away from home. Thus, the list of amenities is more modest. You won’t find magic shows, casinos, or an all-you-can-eat buffet here.

Rooftop Pool

There are 38 floors at Marriott’s Grand Chateau in Las Vegas, and the 38th floor belongs to a rooftop pool plus a snack bar. While not large, the pool was a decent size and flanked by lounge chairs (including overhangs to provide shade) and a small hot tub.

I was happy to see that both the pool and hot tub had chair lifts for accessibility. There was also a bin for dropping off dirty towels and a shower stand for rinsing off.

In the other corner, there was a machine for water and ice near the changing rooms.

To access the 38th floor, we had to take the elevator to the 37th floor and then switch to a different elevator to go up 1 additional floor.

Fifth-Floor Pool

There was another pool on the fifth floor, which also had a rooftop feel with an open-air layout. There also was a giant TV screen near the pool, and an employee told me they were planning a massive party here during the Super Bowl (which Las Vegas hosted a few weeks after our stay).

Finding this pool was easy after getting off the elevator on the fifth floor, and opening the door to the pool deck required tapping your room key.

Like the pool on the 38th floor, there were chair lifts for the pool and hot tub.

This pool was larger than the one on the 38th floor and had considerably more lounge chairs.

There was a large towel stand near the door to the pool deck, and a bin for dirty towels sat nearby.

Near the changing rooms, there was a machine for ice and water.

Pool hours may vary seasonally, but summer hours are typically from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Fitness Center

There was a large fitness center on the ground floor, past the elevators. It was accessible around the clock. You got in by tapping your room key.

On one side of the room was abundant cardio equipment, such as treadmills and ellipticals. The other side of the room had weight machines, free weights, and even platforms of various heights for box jumps. All 4 walls in the gym were lined with mirrors.

Activities

As the Marriott Vacation Club caters to families, Marriott’s Grand Chateau wasn’t short on family-friendly offerings. To the right of the front entrance (the opposite direction from the check-in desk) was spacious seating with multiple TVs and a pool table.

The welcome packet I received at check-in also highlighted activities at the property, including those focusing on wellness, kids, and social events.

The welcome packet also folded out to reveal a calendar of activities during our stay and hours for fitness classes in the gym. We could partake in board games, game shows, wine and cheese samplings, crafts, yoga, water aerobics, and more. Activities with consumables, such as the tequila tastings, cost money. The prices were listed clearly next to the activity on the calendar.

Internet

Wi-Fi speeds at Marriott’s Grand Chateau weren’t impressive, but the connection was reliable throughout our stay. Download and upload speeds averaged around 15 Mbps.

Elevators

Past the concierge desk and to the right, a security guard asked to see our guest key cards before we could go into the hallway that led to the elevators and fitness center. Elevators were separated into 2 banks, which were clearly labeled.

The first set of elevators went to guest floors 6 to 25, while elevators in the second bank went to guest floors 26 to 36. Both sets of elevators could access floors 1 to 5, 26, and 37 — floors with facilities all guests might want to access. I loved this elevator plan because we could avoid getting into an elevator that stopped numerous times for guests getting on and off.

The elevators were spacious. Even with the 7 of us, other guests still had room to enter the elevator when it arrived.

The elevators were well-lit, and the brass doors helped them feel even brighter.

A sign inside the elevator, near the button panel, indicated floors for the most popular spots guests might want to visit. Since you didn’t need your key card to operate the elevators, the checks from the security guard made sense.

On the ground floor, the elevator waiting area had a tiled floor. On guest floors, however, the waiting area was carpeted.

Sales Office

As you would expect, a timeshare sales office was inside the property. It was on the fifth floor, and you could check in as an owner with questions or come to a sales presentation if you were interested in learning more about Marriott Vacation Club. The concierge desk also offered discounted future stays at this or other properties on the condition we attend a presentation, but we declined.

Smoking Area

All parts of Marriott’s Grand Chateau, including the outdoor pool deck, were nonsmoking. The only area where guests could smoke was this patio near the waiting area for valet service. Accessing it required tapping your key card.

2-Bedroom Villa

Our 2-bedroom villa was at the far end of the hallway on the 33rd floor. Hallways were well-lit and carpeted, which helped swallow up sounds in the hallway. I was happy for this, as some of my relatives lack an inside voice, if you know what I mean.

Each guest floor had a trash room. I had expected to find a trash chute into which we could throw our waste. Not so. Instead, there were simply large trash cans and recycling bins.

At the end of the hall, we found this door that led to our room and another room.

After entering the front door, we wound up in this interior room with our door, room 3312, on the right. Inside our villa, I didn’t see any way to connect these rooms without going out the door and passing through this foyer.

Living Room

Immediately inside the door was a small, tiled area with a mirror and a table.

Beyond this, we entered into the living room. There was a coffee table in the middle, a pair of floor lamps, a dresser with a TV on top, and a leather sofa. This sofa opened into the most comfortable foldout bed you’ve ever imagined. My wife and I slept here during our stay and hadn’t been looking forward to it. To our surprise, we slept well on the comfortable foam-top mattress, though the pillows left something to be desired.

In the corner, near the entry, a closet had a vacuum, iron, and ironing board.

Kitchen

As a timeshare/home-away-from-home property, our 2-bedroom villa had a large kitchen with everything you could need for a longer stay. That included incredible amounts of storage space in the cupboards.

Under the sink, we had a small trash can, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.

At the far end of the countertop, we had a phone, toaster, and gambling-themed coasters.

This side of the kitchen also had a small dishwasher.

We had a coffee machine on the counter with a small amount of coffee supplies. If we’d stayed longer than 2 days, this wouldn’t have been sufficient for our stay, but it was enough to get us started — or enough if only 1 person in our group drank coffee. If you don’t know anything about Brazilians and coffee, I’ll tell you this was gone before we went to bed the first night.

On the other side of the sink, we had stainless steel appliances in great condition.

There was a teakettle on the induction stove and a large microwave.

We had a large oven with pots and pans stored inside and in the drawer underneath.

Next to the oven was a full-size refrigerator and freezer, as well as a canister holding spatulas and spoons.

Past the refrigerator, a closet door opened to a small washing machine and dryer. There were even a few small boxes of laundry powder included.

The cupboards and drawers had everything we could need for whipping up meals during a stay. We were only here for 2 nights, so we didn’t cook at all. However, we did buy bagels and cereal for breakfast, and having sets of dishes was nice.

The drawers had full sets of silverware as well as knives and cooking utensils. But we were surprised also to find storage containers and even a blender.

Dining Area

Between the kitchen and living room was a dining area that wasn’t large but did the job well enough.

The large marble table was surrounded by 8 wooden chairs with comfortable padding on the seats.

Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Our 2-bedroom villa had a bedroom on each side of the central living room-kitchen area.

Let’s start with the master bedroom, which was adjacent to the living room.

This bedroom had a king-sized bed with soft cotton bedsheets and 4 pillows.

Each side of the bed had a nightstand with 2 drawers and a lamp. On 1 side was a clock radio with a wireless charging pad; on the other, the nightstand held a phone.

In the corner was a 6-drawer wooden dresser with a marble top.

On top of the dresser, there was a TV. Next to it was a closet with hangers and a luggage rack. We also found the bedding for the sofa bed in here.

Built into the closet wall was a small digital safe.

In the master bathroom, there was a separate shower and bathtub.

The tub had jets and was set on a raised platform.

The walk-in shower had a glass door and showerheads on both sides.

Attached to the wall were pump bottles with Soapbox products. These included shampoo, conditioner, and body wash with an almost imperceptible ocean scent.

At the far end of the bathroom, a toilet sat on the other side of a partial wall, but there was no door to this area.

The master bathroom had ample counter and storage space, twin sinks, and mirrors.

Under one of the sinks, we found tissues, extra toilet paper, trash bags, and a hair dryer.

Second Bedroom and Bathroom

On the other end of the villa, a door led to an entry to the second bedroom and bathroom. This bedroom had 2 double beds, though the resort also has an alternative layout: 2-bedroom villas with king-size beds in both bedrooms.

This bedroom also had a nightstand between the beds, several lamps, a chair in the corner, and a dresser with a TV on top across from the beds. The bedroom also had a closet with hangers and a full-length mirror on the back of the closet door. There also was a luggage rack inside the closet.

The bathroom on this side was smaller, though it was still full-size.

It had a single sink, but there was still a fair amount of counter space.

Under the sink, several drawers provided a good amount of storage space, and both bathrooms had a makeup mirror on a movable arm.

As in the master bathroom, there were Soapbox-brand toiletries, including pump bottles in the shower.

The holes running through the bar of soap were something I’d never seen before.

This bathroom had a shower-tub combo with a shower curtain.

Views

From our villa, we had views toward the Strip and Planet Hollywood from the master bedroom and living room.

From the second bedroom, we had views of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Elara Center Strip Las Vegas across the street.

Food and Beverage

There weren’t a lot of places to eat and drink on-site during our stay, but we could eat at the property. The welcome packet I received at check-in listed how and where.

La Diva

La Diva was off the lobby on the ground floor. It was open from 10:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and offered a full range of drinks, as well as lunch and dinner. La Diva served flatbreads, sandwiches, ribs, pasta, and other dishes that mostly focused on American fare.

Marketplace

Past the pool table on the ground floor, the Marketplace was a coffee shop-meets-convenience store. It sold drinks, light bites, and coffee from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

5th Floor Pool Bar and Grill

There was a large bar and grill by the fifth-floor pool. However, it was closed for the season during our stay. The reception desk employee didn’t mention that during check-in, but after finding it closed, I checked the welcome packet and noticed that it said the grill was closed for the season. I could not confirm a reopening date by asking 2 employees, but the synopsis was that food and drinks are available here from spring to fall.

SkyBar 38

SkyBar 38 was also closed during our visit. This small bar offered a range of drinks next to the pool on the 38th floor. From spring to fall, barring inclement weather, it’s open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Hot Tip:

If you plan to hang out by the pool and want to eat or drink while there, check with the hotel to confirm what’s open during your visit.

Service

As we were in a timeshare property, we had far fewer interactions with staff than at a standard hotel. There was no daily housekeeping, for example. We also didn’t have requests or questions that led us to visit the front desk or concierge throughout our stay.

However, our limited interactions with staff were positive overall. The check-in process was simple and efficient, guided by a friendly employee who thanked me for my loyalty to Marriott Bonvoy.

The security guards who checked for room key cards before we could proceed to the elevators were consistently friendly while performing a thankless job. And the employee we interacted with at the Marketplace was friendly and efficient.

I also stopped by the concierge desk twice. The first time, I asked about my ticket offering a prize. I was directed to speak with a different person, who was talking to another guest. After completing that conversation, he simply walked away. I’m not sure if he had to run to the toilet, but I waited for another 3 minutes and then gave up, as he hadn’t indicated why he was leaving or how long I should wait.

On a later stop at the concierge desk, this same employee offered me 500 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points just for talking to him and then tried to convince me to attend a timeshare presentation. Rather, he started signing me up for it until I said no. While the offers could be nice, I wasn’t willing to lug our entire group (all adults in the party had to attend, even the ones who didn’t speak English) or give up 2 hours during our short visit. I would classify the conversation as friendly meets hard sell.

Final Thoughts

We didn’t have to talk to anyone at checkout. I checked out using the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app, then we dropped our keys in a bin on the ground floor. Shortly after that, I received an email with the final bill while on the way to the airport.

While this isn’t the Las Vegas glitz-and-glam stay many people desire, not everyone wants that type of stay. We opted for a property near Las Vegas Boulevard that could hold 7 people, didn’t have a resort fee, and was cheaper than booking 2 separate rooms on short notice. I also came away with thousands of Marriott Bonvoy points and elite stay credit from this Vacation Club property.

Marriott’s Grand Chateau isn’t ideal for every visitor to Las Vegas, but it was ideal for our big family for 2 nights.