Resort- Mandalay Bay

Mandalay Bay
By Expert, Sal Rizza

Overall, Good
I’ve stayed at the Mandalay Bay twice. Overall, Mandalay Bay is my favorite place to stay because I really enjoy the vibe of the casinos, the restaurants and amenities, and the pool complex, That isn’t to say that other resorts aren’t nicer. Everyone has their “Mandalay Bay.” The biggest issue with Mandalay Bay is location. With the resort being located on the very end of the south side of the strip, it is more expensive to take cabs around the strip, walking takes forever and access to the monorail is inconvenient. Additionally, Mandalay Bay has terrible elevators. They simply don’t have enough to accommodate their guests when the resort is at full capacity. I’ve stayed at Mandalay Bay on a UFC weekend and I waited as long as 20 minutes for an elevator and during a slow season you may still find yourself in line waiting for an elevator for 5 minutes.

Service, Good
The rooms are cleaned well and, for the most part, in a timely fashion. The staff is pleasant and provide the type of service expected.

Room, Good
The rooms are very nice and, if placed in the right room, offer great views of the strip. As silly as it sounds, the bathrooms have televisions which both my wife and I love! Getting ready to go out at night and turning on the TV while shaving is just a nice little touch.

Casino, Good
I’ve seen some people win and have had some success myself. As a low roller, I enjoy the fact that I can find a $5 black jack table. What I like best about the casino is the layout. You can set yourself up at a slot machine and listen to the house band play at Mizuya Lounge. The floor is nicely lit which is nice in comparison to some of the dark and gloomy casinos.

Restaurants, Excellent
Mandalay Bay offers such a great array of restaurants from premier five-star places like Aureole and Michael Mina’s Strip Steakhouse to more casual and affordable dining like the House of Blues and The Burger Bar (best burger in Vegas). The Buffet is mediocre and their 24 hour café, Raffles is above average but nothing amazing.