Hotel Reviews
Travel Tuesday: Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts Hotel Review
Continuing what has been a tradition for me the past several years, I started 2026 with a visit to Las Vegas for CES. And, in a repeat of last year, I decided to use one of my nights on the Strip to try out a hotel I’ve never been to. This time around, I not only got a chance to finally check out Cosmopolitan but was also able to use my $300 Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts credit for the second half of 2025 on this stay. The credit, which is included on the updated Platinum card, is issued based on when you pay, not when you travel.
So, after all this time, did the Cosmo live up to my expectations? And did my FHR perks deliver? Let’s get into my review and experience.
Cosmopolitan Terrace One Bedroom Suite Hotel Review
My Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts Booking
While there are several Amex Fine Hotel & Resorts as well as Hotel Collection properties in Vegas, I landed on Cosmo for a few reasons. First, as I mentioned, the price was pretty good for the Sunday before CES. Second, since I’d be moving to the MGM Grand after my single night at Cosmopolitan, I didn’t want to go too far up the Strip. And, third, Cosmo’s $100 credit was listed as a dining credit, whereas some other hotels offered a spa credit. Food > massage — no question.
Since the credit was for $300 (and I only had a few days to use it), I upgraded myself a couple of levels just because I could. Also, keep in mind that the resort fee is separate from the room rate so you can’t use a credit for it. Thankfully, Amex Travel does break this out so you can see the actual room rate.
For my one night in a Terrace One Bedroom Suite, the room rate was $304, plus $40.68 in taxes. There was also a $50 resort fee with tax applied to that as well, bringing the grand total to $407.04. That said, the base room was significantly less than that, the $300 FHR credit applied, and I enjoyed FHR perks such as the $100 property credit, so it wasn’t as steep as it may seem.
Before I get to my personal experience, I do want to quickly mention some anecdotes from Reddit. Apparently, Cosmo moved from The Hotel Collection to Fine Hotels & Resorts fairly recently. In turn, some users have pointed out some inconsistencies that would suggest staff weren’t fully aware of the change or what it means. Maybe they’ve received the memo now, because I had no such issues.
Location
Cosmopolitan is found in the City Center area of the Las Vegas Strip. To the north, you’ll find Bellagio, while heading south will lead you through The Shops at Crystals and to Aria. Basically, it’s Center Strip with easy access to plenty of fun.
Check In
I arrived at Cosmo from the airport around 2 p.m. or so. Not only was the line not too long, but my room was thankfully already ready (remember: the noon early check-in is only when available, not guaranteed). Per usual, the front desk also gave me a welcome letter letting me know where I could use my $100 property credit and $60 breakfast credit.
Given my past experiences, I expected the team member to ask if I wanted to use my late check-out benefit. When they didn’t, I decided not to ask about it either. However, the next day, when I realized I really wanted to use it, I called down to guest service and confirmed it. Yay!
Back to check in, though, I wasn’t 100% listening when she mentioned my room upgrade. Therefore, I’m unsure if they changed my view or just put me on a higher floor. Either way, it was more than I usually get. From there, she gave me my keys and sent me toward the Boulevard Tower elevators.
Elevators
I’ve said before that elevators will make or break my Vegas experience. There’s nothing worse than coming back from a long day of walking the Strip and having to wait in line for a ride to your room (often surrounded by drunks, if we’re being honest). That’s why I’m always sure to give my thoughts on this part of the experience.
On that note, I’m happy to say the Cosmo elevators get a passing grade from me. While I was only there for one night, I didn’t have to wait very long at all. Plus, I liked how I could catch the elevator from several different levels (the area right around the Boulevard Tower has several floors of restaurants and other spots).
The elevators were also pretty fast. In fact, since I was on a fairly high floor, I found that I needed to pop my ears during the “EZ” part of the journey, where the car really moves. As you can tell, it was a positive elevator experience, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.
The Room
Entering my room was definitely a “wow” moment. For one, the size of the room surprised me (even though it was billed as a “one bedroom,” which should have been my hint). Beyond that, though, I thought it was nicely decorated and looked as high-end as I would have hoped. Oh, and speaking of high-end (literally), this was one of the rare Vegas rooms with a balcony — but we’ll get there.
One attention-grabbing element is the wall-sized image of a topless woman… although she is facing away from the camera. Across from that was another collection of smaller images displayed on the wall. This is where I should mention that this is not one I recommend to those with kids, since some of the artwork in the room is fairly risque (I’m pretty sure I saw a nipple even).
Before we get to what’s under those photos, let’s talk about the rest of this living room. In addition to a full sofa, there was also a desk and chair facing a television. Next to that was the closet, which I didn’t really use since I was only there for one night.
That brings us to the bedroom, where a king-sized, comfy bed was located. What stood out to me here was that, next to the TV, there was a cutout that looked onto a deep tub. It seems there was a shade that you could put down, but I had to laugh at the idea of watching television and watching someone bathe at the same time.
Speaking of the bathroom, it was both unique and gorgeous. Once you step past the glass door, there’s a large shower that continues right to said soaking tub. There’s even a towel rack in between. But, as great as this looked, I will say I could have used a tad more water pressure. That was my only complaint, though.
On the other side of the double sink was a toilet room. This is also where another minor annoyance came in, as the door to the bathroom would not stay open on its own and would close with some force. I guess this isn’t a problem if you’re staying with someone else and would close the door anyway, but I was alone and didn’t need to be so discreet — and definitely didn’t need the door to slam behind me.
Back in the living room, under those photos was the minibar. But, there was a surprise to be found in the next cabinet over: a personal minifridge! I’ve bemoned before that Vegas rooms in particular have been doing away with personal fridges or even a single rack to place items in. So having a mini-fridge all to myself was exciting.
Finally, saving the best for last, the view from the balcony was spectacular! I couldn’t help but take videos and panoramic photos whenever I stepped out there. I also took it upon myself to start my day by working out on the balcony for a bit (although the WiFi signal was nonexistent the second I stepped out of the room, so I had to tether from my phone to stay connected). As I said, I’m not sure if this was the view I booked or was an upgrade, but whatever it was, it was well worth it. Easily the best view I’ve had in Vegas.
I’ll also note that there was a window next to that soaking tub in the bathroom. So I could see this being a great view while you relax. This also leads me to suggest that this is a room built for couples. Therefore, as much as I enjoyed my solo stay, I would have preferred sharing this romantic room with my wife.
Dining (Where I Used Credits)
Like many properties on the Las Vegas Strip, the Cosmopolitan is home to a long list of dining establishments. What’s more, the letter they gave me at check-in let me know that I could use my $100 dining credit at participating locations across several MGM hotels. Despite this, I decided to stay at Cosmo itself for my credit.
First, I hit up Lardo in the Block 16 Urban Food Hall area. I got the “Beeria” Grilled Cheese — and, while we disagree on what qualifies as a grilled cheese, this was both delicious and huge. Thankfully, I had that mini fridge in the room to store my other half of a sandwich while I dined on Largo Fries as well. Rounding out my order, I got a bottle of Coke and a bottle of water for later.
Since this didn’t use my full credit, I decided to add dessert. In a bid to see how far I could push the limit of acceptable purchases, I ended up getting a dozen cake truffles from Milk Bar. Don’t worry, I didn’t eat all of these at once. Instead, I ate six throughout my week in town and brought the others home for my wife.
With a little bit of credit left, I did consider getting a slice of Secret Pizza for lunch the next day. But, not wanting to be wasteful, I just decided to eat the rest of my sandwich instead. I did end up getting Secret Pizza a couple of days later, though, so it’s all good.
As for breakfast, I decided to just go to Starbucks. While I was tempted to use the full $60 by perhaps adding a mug or a bag of coffee, I didn’t want to lug those back. Instead, I got two beverages, a breakfast sandwich, and (once again) a bottle of water. This came to a little over $30, but whatever.
Luckily, as one would hope, all of my purchases were removed from my bill without issue. The only charges left (besides my resort fee) were the tips at each of the three locations. So, all in all, I was quite pleased.
FYI, you can find the full list of eligible restaurants on MGM’s site — but here are the Cosmopolitan venues (as of January 13, 2026):
- AMAYA
- Bāng Bar
- BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge
- Blue Ribbon
- Boulevard Pool Bars
- China Poblano
- Clique Bar & Lounge
- District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew.
- Eggslut
- Ghost Donkey
- Hattie B’s
- High Limit Bar
- Jaleo & É by Jose Andres
- Lardo
- LPM Restaurant & Bar
- Milk Bar
- Momofuku
- Naughty Patty’s
- Overlook Grill
- Red Plate
- Scarpetta
- Secret Pizza
- STK
- Superfrico
- Tekka Bar
- The Barbershop
- The Chandelier
- The Chelsea Pool Bar
- The Chelsea Theater Bar
- The Henry
- Va Bene Caffé
- Vesper Bar
- Wicked Spoon
Final Thoughts on Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Amex FHR
Before staying there, I didn’t know what to make of the Cosmopolitan. When I’ve walked through in years past, I had found it obnoxious or gaudy at times. Yet, that’s not how I felt while actually staying there.
My experience at Cosmo turned out to be remarkably positive. From using my FHR perks with ease to the large and luxurious room — to the absolutely stunning view and balcony. As I said, I only wish that I had the chance to visit with my wife rather than wasting this lovely room on myself.
Price-wise, while I think my upgrade was worth it thanks to my Amex Platinum credit, I would be a bit shy about spending that much out of pocket. Then again, assuming you could get a base room with a similar view for less, that may be the move. Overall, I say kudos to Cosmo — a truly Fine Hotel & Resort option.
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