Full disclosure, I have never, EVER written a review but feel compelled to given my experience recently at the Bellagio on July 26, 2024.

For my mom's 60th birthday, I purchased a two-bedroom penthouse for her for just one night. The plan was for her, my wife and 2 siblings to fly in just for the day of her 60th and leave the next day. One of the things my mom and late stepfather wanted to do before he passed was stay in a suite at the Bellagio as they both loved the Bellagio Fountains. They unfortunately never got to.

So, for my mom's birthday I wanted to take her there. Obviously, the cost of a penthouse is nothing to sneeze at, and, frankly, my family and I work very, very hard for our money.

We PAID for an 11:00 a.m. check-in. I noted that we needed an early check-in - which, again, we paid for - in order for my wife, who had our second child ten months ago to pump breast milk, as well as for my siblings, who are Type 1 diabetics, to keep their insulin in a refrigerator.

Upon arriving at about noon, we were informed that the room was not going to be ready until about 3:00 pm - standard check in time - but that getting the room cleaned was a "top priority". We were more than gracious for the opportunity to stay at the Bellagio and said that would be fine, but we did ask for a place for my wife to pump. We were met with nothing but callus and cold looks and remarks from staff as well as the manager, and were told that she would need to pump in the lobby in front of the thousands of guests! We pleaded with them: Is there any way we could have any room, and we were again met with at best, ambivalence (at best)

So, my wife pumped in the lobby. After pumping, while we waited for our room, we walked by probably 100 different office rooms, none of which were in use.

At 3:30, I then went back up to the front desk and politely pointed out that though this was a' "top priority" here it was 3:30 and the room still wasn't ready. The staff member then candidly admitted that they still hadnt started cleaning the room!

This was disappointing, to say the least. At no point did I ever yell, swear or anything of the like. I was trying like hell to stay upbeat for my recently widowed, kind, lovely, generous mother.

Finally, at 6:00 p.m., they got us into our room.

I asked if there is any way to get some sort of refund given that 1) we got into the room nearly seven hours later than we were supposed to even though we paid for an early check in, 2) that my wife had to pump in the middle of the lobby without anyone even trying accomodate a nursing mother, 3) normal check-in was at 3:00, and it was closer to 6:00 and we were only there for 1 night for my mom's bday.

We were initially told they would grant us a $100.00 meal credit. I explained that I found that unsatisfactory at which point they agreed to give us back $600.00 of the $2,400.00 we spent on the room. At the time, I did not feel like haggling or negotiating as i wanted to celebrate my mother's bday and said in effect "okay, we'll talk about it another time, but, yeah, that would be great - thanks"

The next morning, when we were about to leave, I decided to go to the front desk to check out and confirm that, indeed, the credit was applied. It was not. Upon getting to the front desk, the staff member informed me that she saw me talking with the manager yesterday, and there were no notes in the file, so the manager must not have wanted to give me back the $600.00 back

At this point, I was incredulous - still not yelling or swearing - and explained that after all the indignities, you're now calling me a liar? Upon speaking with another manager and after considerable effort, they did agree to provide me the same $600.00 they did before.

This is a first-world problem - no question about it - and I recognize that I am very fortunate to be in a position to even get to go to a two-bedroom penthouse at the Bellagio, but our experience was absolutely awful.

I will never, ever stay at the Bellagio for the rest of my life and hope Danny Ocean takes every dime from them.