As reported by the Detroit Free Press:

 

Metro Detroiters who visited the new MGM Grand hotel and casino on its opening day had one thing to say: Wow! "It was just so big. It was surprising how nice it was,'" said Diane Wilder, 42, of Dearborn Heights. She plays slots; her husband, blackjack. The two of them were in the first 25 to be allowed on the gaming floor. "It was a real casino! We go to all of them, but we'll go mostly to this one, now. We're going to take our friends back."

The million-square-foot hotel and casino complex opened to the public at 1777 Third Ave. in Detroit at about 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday night. All told, it cost about $800 million to build. Even the employees said they were impressed by the final results. Natalie Schuster is a 29-year-old dealer from Canton, who'd been dealing at MGM in the old location for about a year and a half. "You can just tell they really went all out," she said.