I came here right after it opened (since they had a deal); we asked for the renovated area. Wasn't like a brand new place, but the overhaul was acceptable. The Alladin was old. Everything was fine, and in all honesty, I don't spend much time in the hotel room anyways -- just a little bit of the early morning to recover...
I think the most important thing is to have a good location.
The attached shops are just like any other typical mall.
Anyways, the buffet was average (compared to the Wynn).