With high-profile bars, entertainment and eateries as well as shopping, sharks and golden sand, the massive Mandalay Bay tips the scales of fun to the south end of the Strip.
The vibe
Vast layout, beachy and sharky, one-stop has-it-all (including massive convention facilities)
What we love
This pool area will impress even the snobbiest of beach freaks. Called Mandalay Beach, it spans a whopping 11.5 acres. In addition to three large pools, a lazy river and tons of white sand, there’s a 1.6-million-gallon wave pool where the surf’s always up. During the summer months, you can hear some of your favorite musicians perform out there at night as part of the Beach Concert series. And as if that’s not enough, Mandalay Bay has two dayclubs strictly for adults — Moorea Beach Club, where tops are optional (so men, behave yourselves), and Daylight, where you can party with 4,999 of your friends.
And for diehard shark fans (who doesn’t love Shark Week on Discovery Channel?), there’s Shark Reef Aquarium. As its name suggests, this isn’t your typical aquarium. It’s filled with 15 different species of sharks and other marine predators. Imagine “Sharknado,” except here the sharks are swimming safely inside their tanks instead of flying through the air and raining down around you.
Mandalay Bay is one of the best resorts in town for partying because it’s got so many nightlife venues: Light Nightclub, Foundation Room, eyecandy Sound Lounge, 1923 Bourbon Bar, Red Square, Rí Rá, Minus 5 and more. If one isn’t to your liking, just take a stroll and try something new. You could literally do a bar crawl within the property.
Good to know
Remember that awesome pool we told you about above, well, it closes during winter (usually from November to February).
Being a mid-range, upmarket hotel, you’ll pay more for rooms here…but don’t expect luxury amenities. The standard deluxe rooms are spacious at about 550 square feet and come with a 42-inch flat-screen TV as well as a 15-inch one in the bathroom. But there’s no refrigerator (just a minibar with sensors that charge you if you move anything). Keep in mind if you book a non-smoking room and light up in here, you’ll be charged a hefty cleaning fee at checkout. Your best bet is to smoke downstairs in the casino or neighboring bars.
Guests will be charged $15 per day for self-parking and $24 per day for valet parking. Hourly self-parking and valet rates vary, click here for details.
The cardio room at Mandalay Bay is small for such a huge resort but you’ll get a lot of exercise just from walking around. Try this route: Go from The Shoppes at Mandalay Place to the Shark Reef (trust us, by the time you get there you’ll want to dive in with the fishes to cool off).
Location-wise, Mandalay Bay sits on the southernmost end of the Strip (it’s not in the heart of the action). Many visitors like the remote location, but if you need to get to showrooms and restaurants at other hotels, make sure you leave well in advance. If you don’t have a car, there are Deuce/RTC bus stops in front of the resort. Use those to get anywhere you want to go. There’s also a free tram — as well as a fully enclosed (and air-conditioned) walkway — between Luxor and Excalibur.
Insider tips
OK, we know you’ll do it anyway. There’s a sculpture of giant boobs at shoulder-level on the wall outside Aureole restaurant. We’ve seen every type of pose with them imaginable. So go ahead — snap a pic and check this off your list of wacky Vegas Instagram photos.
Hey, if you’re heading to Mandalay Bay to see “Michael Jackson ONE,” avoid walking through the entire resort by using the valet for Delano Las Vegas. Although the back valet for Mandalay Bay sits only about 25 yards away, the Delano connects right through to the theater so it’s a shorter walk.
We never thought we’d need to suggest that a hotel open another Starbucks, but the two at Mandalay Bay are too few given the resort’s square footage. Since the Starbucks near the convention area has unbelievably long lines when there’s an event, we suggest going to the one in The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
Whenever you get overloaded by the constant craziness of Mandalay Bay, just take an elevator (or stairs) down to the Four Seasons for high tea at Veranda or pop next door to Delano for either a coffee at 3940 Coffee + Tea or a cocktail at Franklin.
Restaurants
Mandalay Bay has the following dining options: Aureole, Bayside Buffet, Border Grill, Citizens Kitchen and Bar, Fleur by Hubert Keller, House of Blues, Kumi Japanese Restaurant and Bar, Libertine Social, Lupo by Wolfgang Puck, Mizuya, The Noodle Shop, Seabreeze Café, Red Square, Stripsteak, Sports Book Grill and a food court in the convention center area. There are also two Starbucks (one near the convention center and one at the entrance to Mandalay Place) and Yogurt In. Additional restaurants located in the Mandalay Place shopping area: The Burger Bar, Hussong’s Cantina, Rí Rá, Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood, RX Boiler Room and Slice of Vegas. In Delano Las Vegas, there is Della’s Kitchen, 3940 Coffee + Tea and Rivea.
Entertainment
Entertainment includes Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil and headliners and concerts in the events center or on Mandalay Beach and three lounges. The House of Blues has live music almost every night.
Nightlife
Foundation Room, Light, House of Blues and eyecandy. There are also two frozen drink stations on the property with Evening Call located near the resort’s show theater. Minus5, Rí Rá, 1923 Bourbon Bar and a Fat Tuesdays are in The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
Attractions
Shark Reef Aquarium, a 1.6 million-gallon aquarium, is home to more 2,000 animals including piranha, jellyfish, giant rays, green sea turtles and rare golden crocodiles.
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