The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection [In-depth Review]

Key Takeaways

• The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a luxury resort located on the southern end of the Strip, offering spacious accommodations with private terraces.
• The property features a variety of dining options, a vibrant nightlife scene, a casino, and pools overlooking the city.​
• As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, members can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for stays. Rates range from 73,000 to 106,000 points per night.

In October 2022, Upgraded Points hosted a reader meetup in none other than fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.

I was thrilled at the opportunity to meet some of the amazing UP community and also to meet some of my coworkers who I hadn’t yet met in real life. And, I hadn’t been to Las Vegas in years, so this was a win-win-win!

After I booked my flight, I turned to my hotel search. Vegas has a lot of great hotels, but unfortunately, rates were extremely high during the weekend we would all be in town, so I turned to using points to bail me out of a very expensive weekend.

I had my eye on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection. I had stayed once before when I was in college. I remembered loving it back then and wanted to see if that memory would hold up. And luckily, award nights were available, so I booked it with points.

Read on to find out what it’s like to stay at this gigantic Las Vegas Strip resort!

Hotel Location

The Cosmopolitan is located toward the southern end of the Strip, near other resorts including Bellagio Las Vegas, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Vdara, and more.

Being right on the Strip, the area surrounding the hotel is predictably crowded with people meandering up and down the famous thoroughfare — so if you’re expecting quiet and tranquility you may want to pick a property off of the Strip.

The hotel is about 3 miles, and less than a 10-minute drive, from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). The Ubers I took between the airport and “The Cosmo” cost me $25 to $30 each way.

Booking

Unfortunately, even on points, rates were steep for my 2-night stay, but I gladly forked over 189,500 Marriott Bonvoy points instead of paying $859 per night for my room.

Since Marriott Bonvoy ditched its award chart, award rates vary. Taking a look at the award calendar, rates range from 73,000 points per night all the way to 106,000 points per night. Cash rates vary more wildly, though. You can find nights for as low as $140 and as high as $800.

On top of the points, I had to pay a total of $159 in taxes and fees, which included the nightly $45 resort fee and an unspecified nightly $25 charge.

Speaking of the resort fee, it included:

• Unlimited local, toll-free, and domestic long-distance phone calls (I can’t believe a hotel in 2022 includes that as a “perk” of the resort fee)
• Fitness center access
• Tennis court access
• Complimentary self and valet parking

I put down my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card for incidentals to earn 6x points per dollar spent on charges I made at the hotel.

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A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $700

Annual Fee

$650

APR

19.74%-28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
• 3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• Steep annual fee of $650 (rates & fees)
• 6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Earn up to 21X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 50% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Platinum Elite status.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• A Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
• Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®, such as Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Paris. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy^® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
• With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,200 airport lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• Trip Cancelled or Interrupted? If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• $650 Annual Fee.
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• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Hot Tip: Even though The Cosmopolitan is owned by MGM Resorts, it remains part of Marriott Bonvoy and is not eligible for MGM Rewards.

Checking In

I arrived at the hotel mid-morning on a Friday and was greeted with moderate lines in front of the numerous check-in desks. I was expecting a long wait, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was helped in under 10 minutes.

I was also happy to hear that my room was ready early. The stated check-in time is 3 p.m., but my room was ready before noon — score!

I was told that, thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status, I could utilize the Autograph Lounge for check-in and checkout, but considering that I was already at the front desk when I was made aware of that, it didn’t help much.

Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite members staying at The Cosmo are entitled to the following benefits:

• 50% bonus points on stays
• Autograph Lounge access
• 1-tier room upgrade at check-in (depending on availability)
• 1,000 points or $10 food and beverage credit
• Priority seating at Wicked Spoon Buffet restaurant
• 15% discount for up to 4 people at Wicked Spoon, excluding alcohol
• 15% discount at Sahra Spa, Salon, & Hammam

I chose the $10 food and beverage credit over the 1,000 bonus points and didn’t really use any of the other benefits offered. It’d be incredible if the hotel offered Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite members free breakfast at Wicked Spoon, but it’s an expensive and elaborate affair, so I see why that’s not a perk.

Finally, I was informed of the property’s $45 daily resort fee — always a bummer, but not much of a surprise these days, especially for Las Vegas.

Lobby

It had been a long time since I had last been in Vegas, so I forgot just how massive the hotels are — and The Cosmo is no exception.

The lobby is gigantic, with numerous check-in desks spanning an entire wall. It almost felt Disney World-esque. I hadn’t been to a hotel this large in quite some time, so this was a little bit of a shock to the system.

There aren’t many places to sit around the desks, but there is the adjacent Vesper Bar if you want to take a seat while someone in your party waits patiently to be helped.

The lobby area blends into the casino floor, which spans just about the entire length of the base of the hotel. More on that later.

This area is dark and covered in glass panels that displayed different images throughout the day.

At other times there were blurry portraits of people presented on the screens, and I’m sure many more images that I didn’t notice.

Amenities

This is a gigantic property, and it’s in Las Vegas, which means there’s practically an endless list of things to experience and enjoy while on site.

There was no way I was going to be able to try it all during my brief 2-night stay — and we had numerous events planned throughout the weekend — but I did my best to hit as much as I could to give you an idea of what it’s like to stay at this property.

Let’s take a look at what the hotel offers:

Parking

The parking situation is a little confusing. Per the hotel’s website, self-parking is free for Identity members (The Cosmo’s proprietary loyalty program) who are Sterling level or higher. Valet parking, on the other hand, is complimentary for Gold Identity members or higher.

Otherwise, the hotel says that you should expect to pay $18 per day for self-parking or $35 per day for valet parking.

However, it also notes that registered hotel guests receive complimentary self and valet parking, and the resort fee specifies complimentary parking as one of its perks, so it stands to reason that if you’re a guest at the hotel and you have a car with you, you won’t have to pay to park it on the property.

I didn’t have a car with me, so I didn’t have to worry about this somewhat confusing policy.

Wi-Fi

I had no trouble with the Wi-Fi signal at The Cosmo. This was a pleasant surprise, considering just how gargantuan the hotel is. I was able to connect — and maintain the connection — in my room and by the pool, and I noticed my phone stayed connected to Wi-Fi as I made my way through the hotel. Internet speeds were relatively fast, too.

Dog-friendly

The Cosmo bills itself as a dog-friendly hotel and allows up to 2 dogs of any breed or size in any room. Note that, per the hotel, dogs are not allowed in “restaurants, food and beverage areas, the casino floor, or gaming areas, and are not allowed in the pool or fitness center areas unless credentialed as service animals.”

Guests with dogs are required to pay a $50 fee per dog per night. Additionally, if you have a dog with you, you’ll want to complete this form and submit it to the check-in agent at the hotel upon arrival.

Pools

This property offers 2 main pools — known as “Pool Districts” — to guests. There’s the Chelsea Pool, predictably located in the Chelsea Tower, and the Boulevard Pool, found in the Boulevard Tower.

Chelsea Pool

Since my room was in the Chelsea Tower, I naturally gravitated toward the Chelsea Pool which was open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I found this pool to be the quieter of the 2, though it is Las Vegas so it wasn’t dead by any stretch of the imagination.

It featured a massive deck with numerous lounge chairs as well as cabanas and in-pool daybeds that were available for rent.

Keep in mind that while there were tons of seating options available, this is a huge property with lots of guests, so you may struggle to find an open spot as I did on my first afternoon in town.

The pool itself has an irregular, angular shape with shallow sections around the perimeter where you’ll find some of the aforementioned daybeds as well as loungers that allow you to stay cool without being totally submerged.

The Chelsea Pool had 2 bars on either end of the pool. The West Bar was constantly busy as it was closer to the center of the action, though the East Bar was notably less crowded.

The staff offered chair-side food and beverage service, and menus were available via QR codes attached to each chair. Scanning the QR code pulled up the menu just fine, but I was not able to complete my food order through it — I received an error message a few times.

I spotted a server in my area, so I was able to place my order that way without issue. The food I ordered at the pool was solid, but more on that below.

Boulevard Pool

The Boulevard Pool, located in the Boulevard Tower, seemed to be the livelier, larger pool area.

The pool itself was similar to the Chelsea Pool, with an angular, irregular shape and shallow areas around the perimeter for lounging.

There are also plenty of chairs and cabanas at the Boulevard Pool, and I preferred the view from this pool, which featured a direct view of Paris Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower replica.

The Boulevard Pool is open seasonally and is currently closed until the spring. You can also take a look at the poolside food and beverage menu.

Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub

The Cosmo boasts one of Las Vegas’ prominent clubs: Marquee. During the warmer months, Marquee Dayclub offers all the experiences of a proper nightclub — but while the sun is shining and with a pool in the center of the action (which you can hop into). Here you can order food, individual drinks, and even bottle service while the music — and the classic Vegas chaos — happens all around you.

When Marquee Dayclub is operating, the space also transforms into a “moonlit outdoor lounge with a DJ” once the sun goes down.

Marquee Nightclub, which isn’t exposed to the elements like the Dayclub, operates year-round.

Fitness Center

This mega-resort has 2 fitness centers available to guests. The Boulevard Fitness Center is open 24 hours, offers just over 2,000 square feet of space, and boasts state-of-the-art equipment and a free-weight area.

The Chelsea Fitness Center, on the other hand, is much larger at about 5,200 square feet and offers — in addition to cardio machines, weight machines, and a free-weight area — a “movement studio,” pickleball courts, tennis courts, and a “Kinesis Wall,” designed for guests of all abilities. The Chelsea Fitness Center is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located adjacent to the Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam.

Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam

The Cosmo features the Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam, which, according to the resort, is inspired by Las Vegas’ desert surroundings. You can book the latest and greatest in treatments, including everything from HydraFacials to scrubs using CBD coffee and Himalayan sea salt.

The hammam boasts a “heated motherstone slab,” whirlpools, steam rooms, and stone lounge chairs, and can be rented for private use or for groups of up to 3 people.

I didn’t have time to even think about heading to the spa this weekend, but if I return I’d definitely consider booking a treatment at the hammam.

Shopping

Any proper Las Vegas resort wouldn’t be complete without a plethora of shopping options, and The Cosmo delivers on that front. But instead of the typical international luxury brands, The Cosmo features a more low-key collection of stores including Britain’s Allsaints, Stitched, which specializes in men’s suits, CRSVR, a sneaker boutique, and more.

Casino

The Cosmopolitan offers an on-site casino for guests and visitors to use. It’s located on the ground floor adjacent to the lobby and stretches all the way to the property’s other entrance on the Strip, positioned optimally to catch passers-by.

I don’t gamble much, so I just passed through as I was entering and leaving the property.

On my few trips through the floor, I saw slot machines, high-limit slots, and a few rooms reserved for high-limit poker.

There’s also a sportsbook with just about every sporting event imaginable on display.

Hot Tip: Check out our list of the top hotels to book with points in Las Vegas!

The Room

I know that hotel rooms in Las Vegas are large, but it had been several years since I visited so I was blown away when I opened the door to my room on the 17th floor of the Chelsea Tower.

Let’s take a tour!

Bedroom

The door opened into a long foyer with the bathroom on the right and a large mirror on the left side.

The room opened up into a spacious sitting area that had a long desk set against a half-wall, a large sectional sofa with 2 small coffee tables, and a chair. I wasn’t expecting this kind of space at all, especially in the base-level room that I booked, so this was quite a nice surprise.

In a wall nook opposite the sofa was a large flat-screen TV.

To the right of that was the room’s bar area, adorned with some pieces of pop art on the wall.

The minifridge was built-in under the countertop and contained a selection of soft drinks (including Gatorade — probably helpful for Las Vegas), beers, hard seltzers, and large bottles of Fiji water.

Plugged in on top of the counter was an iPad loaded with functionality specific to the hotel, including the weather forecast and options to access guest services (including ordering room service) and certain controls for the room.

Past the half-wall was the sleeping area.

The king-size bed was somewhat snugly situated in a nook that featured a decorative wall behind it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the pattern, but I did like the smart-looking gray headboard that had 2 built-in reading lights on either side.

There were night tables on either side of the bed, each of which had a lamp.

The right-side night table had controls for the room’s lights as well as some pertinent information for guests. The lamp had both AC power outlets and USB-A ports in the base, handy for charging devices overnight.

Across from the bed was the closet, which was split into 2 sections and offered 2 robes, 2 luggage racks, an iron, an ironing board, a safe, and even 2 pairs of slippers.

To the left of the bed was the sliding terrace door.

The terrace itself was quite large — I just wish I had a better view. Regardless, it was nice to have a space to get some fresh desert air.

Bathroom

Just like the rest of the room, the bathroom was very large. There was a double vanity with 2 separate oval-shaped mirrors. The vanity area was plenty spacious for 2 people, nevermind just me.

Opposite the vanity was a soaking tub surrounded by tile, which gave away its age a bit. I loved that the wall adjacent to the soaking tub wasn’t transparent, something I always worry about in hotels these days — especially in Vegas.

There was a sizable water closet with 1 wall featuring a woman’s face in the wallpaper, which I could see being jarring if you’re using the bathroom in the middle of the night. On the other hand, it’s oh-so-very Las Vegas.

The shower was large enough for several people and featured shimmery tile walls with a clean, white-marble tile floor.

I found the water pressure and temperature control to be great, and I enjoyed the products from the Five Wits brand.

Food and Beverage

Being a resort on the Las Vegas Strip, you can expect a lot of options for eating. The Cosmo has a truly dizzying amount of food choices — unless you’re spending weeks at the hotel, you’ll simply never try them all.

I had a quick weekend in town, and on top of that, the team had plenty of events scheduled, so I wasn’t on the property all that much. So, we’ll take a look at the food I did sample on the property and then run through the rest of the options that are available.

On my first afternoon, I snuck in a couple of hours out at the Chelsea Pool and wanted to give the food and drinks a try.

None of the menu cocktails spoke to me, so I asked the server for a traditional spicy margarita. She said it’d be no problem and it came back to me just a few minutes later and cost me $18.

By the time I was on my second margarita, I was ready for some food, so I ordered the chicken tenders and fries ($17), which were served with a side of buffalo sauce and celery. I also asked for a side of ranch because I’m a true Midwesterner at heart.

The food was delivered quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the tenders and fries.

The next night, our main event wrapped up and I found myself craving a night of room service. As soon as I got home, I pulled up the menu on my phone (accessed via QR code in the room) and placed an order for a pizza, which came to an eye-watering total of $45 when factoring in tax and tip.

Las Vegas isn’t cheap, and these prices are in line with many of the restaurant options in a similar category. Obviously, prices will increase as you visit some of the higher-end options on the property, which I’ll mention below.

Sadly, that was all I had time to sample while on the property, but here’s a look at the vast array of restaurant options — in addition to the poolside cafes — that are available to guests (each restaurant is linked, and from there you can access menus):

As an added bonus, The Cosmo has a “speakeasy” pizza joint known as Secret Pizza, tucked away on the third floor through the record-laden hallway. You’ll find pizza by the slice, though you can choose to take a whole pie back to your room if you’d like.

Now, let’s take a look at all the bars The Cosmo offers:

Sadly, I didn’t have time to belly up to any of these bars, but I did spend some time admiring the impressive Chandelier bar, which spans multiple floors and features endless amounts of hanging crystals, helping the bar live up to its name.

I also passed by Vesper a few times on trips in and out of the hotel. I caught the end of a University of Michigan football game (Go Blue!) and was pleased to see several other fans watching from there.

Long story short: you will not be hungry or thirsty if you stay at The Cosmopolitan. The property has an overwhelming number of options available for guests and you can find practically anything you could ever want without leaving the resort.

Service

I wasn’t expecting personalized service at a resort of this size, and I didn’t get it, but that’s fine because the hotel operated like a well-oiled machine. Even with lines at check-in and checkout, I was never waiting too long, and there were plenty of staff members around to help (mostly when I was lost and trying to find my way).

There was practically a small army of staff working at the Chelsea Pool which guaranteed I didn’t wait very long for food or drinks.

And the property has a virtual assistant called Rose that can assist with restaurant reservations, hotel information, and more. I utilized Rose’s services to confirm a late checkout, which went off without a hitch.

Final Thoughts

I had a great stay at The Cosmopolitan. I had stayed at the property once before, years ago, so I was interested to see how it’d feel after all this time.

I’m happy to report that The Cosmo’s still got it. It provided a stay that felt modern, luxurious, and sophisticated — all in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

It offers everything you could want in a Vegas hotel including a great pool scene, a casino, large, well-appointed rooms, a premier nightclub, and more food options than you can even wrap your head around.

Taken together, The Cosmopolitan — in my opinion — is one of the best options in Las Vegas, especially if you’re not a fan of the numerous “themed” hotels you’ll find on the Strip. There’s no doubt The Cosmo faces steep competition from newer properties like the trio of Hilton hotels located in the all-new Resorts World complex, but it still manages to hold its own with so much to offer.

On my next trip to Sin City, the Cosmo will definitely be near the top of my list when considering accommodation.