text: Standing on the corner of the Strip and Tropicana like the biggest emerald green Mayan pyramid you have ever seen is the MGM Grand Over the many years I have been coming to Vegas I have stayed at said MGM Grand and have watched it evolve from the familyfriendly amusement parkcasino and kitschy museum of all things MGM to the hipper but still comparatively unhip MGM Grand of today This time I was just here to eat drink and gamblein that order nnThe MGM Grand is not a bad place There are tons of great attributes to the place From the eponymously named Jouebl Robuchon to Robuchons LAtelier to Tom Colicchios Craftsteak to Michael Minas Nobhill Tavern and Seablue and offerings from Wolfgang Puck and Emeril the MGMs collection of finedining restaurants is second to none in Vegas The MGM has a stellar Cirque du Soleil show Kuc and the MGM Grand Garden Arena for concerts and fights I do not play poker but the poker room looks to be high quality Heck the pool is not bad either although I am not much for Spring Breaklike parties The MGM is just lacking that quality that ties all of its good things together and makes the whole greater than the sum of its individual parts nnSo what makes the MGM fall short of its potential The MGM Grand likes to tout its Maximum Vegas experience Sometime bigger is not always better The gambling area is sprawling but very vanilla and lacking any energy or excitement The sheer size of the gaming area disperses players and the seemingly desirable energetic din of the crowd of gamblers is lost in the rafters high above the casino floor Basically the place is too big for its own good nnI have not figured out if the MGM is trying to be a quiet relaxing resort experience with spectacular restaurants and worldclass entertainment or does it want to be party central with the hip happening blist celebladen pool party attracting a younger crowd into its casino Regardless the MGM Grands seemingly perpetual identity crisis results in it being a great place to eat and be entertained just an average place play but not a place I would choose to stay