We stayed at the Mirage on our recent trip to Vegas. Overall we had a very positive experience. There were maybe a few things we would have changed, but for the most part it was a good trip.
What did we like? First of all, the pool area was very nice. A lot of space in the water, busy chairs around the pool but that is to be expected. The hot tub by the dolphin bar and was usually wide open. Pool towels were readily available and plenty of places to put them away. The waitstaff was friendly and generally available.
MLife fit our "like" category. We were able to gain a lot of points by charging to our room at any of the MGM properties, which also simplified the payment process. Clearing our card with a points card we like to use allowed for a double dip. It worked well for them as well because we tended to stick to those properties.
The room -- from the size to the view and the efficiency of the elevators, this was a win all around. Our king bed room had extra space, a decent closet, and a lot of drawer space. Good size bathroom and shower as well. I stayed at the Grand a while back and the room was tiny in comparison. We had a nice view looking south at the pool and the strip, and the shape of the hotel likely affords nice views to the majority of rooms. The multiple elevator lobbies worked well also -- we rarely needed to wait and only once chose not to use a down elevator due to it being packed when arriving at our floor.
The things I would tweak? First off, how about a smoking section around the pool? I get the Vegas is the one place the vilified smoker can attend and feel like they gain equal treatment, but with a beautiful tropical feel, couldn't we have the smoke symbols come up from one section only? Let them marinate in their foul smell together while the rest of us marinate in the sun.
Some of the pricing was tough to stomach. $15 for 16 ounce pool mixed drinks is excessive, but what really caught my eye was a $5 basic coffee in the pantry restaurant that featured breakfast. That seems almost unfair to those that require the black stuff to kickstart their day.
The location is fairly central in a general sense but a bit separated from the other MLife properties that are nicely grouped further south.
For the most part, the downsides were just "part of Vegas", and not a big deal, but a smoking section at the pool seems doable and common sense.
Bottom line, we'd stay here again no questions asked. I'd just get my coffee elsewhere and use Walgreens or CVS for some of the other drink needs (soda or water).