Sarah-Jane M.'s Profile

The barristas here were delightful and my iced coffee was great. I'll be back!

We stayed here for a quick overnight stopover en route to San Francisco from Las Vegas. The lovely British woman at the front desk was warm and friendly and checked us in quickly. Our room was in the Plantation building and was adorable. Very comfy bed, great HD TV with satellite TV and a wonderful stone tile bathroom with comfy towels and Aveda toiletries. We would certainly stay here again should we find ourselves in SLO. Highly recommended!

Arriving at the Mandalay Bay is like a sublime and opulent ode to the southeast Asian tropics. The clusters of green palms, the scent of simulated coconut, vanilla and ocean that fills your nostrils upon entering, the marble everywhere... however, the illusion is quickly shattered by the onslaught of guests walking around in bermuda shorts and flip flops, toting their bud lights and telling obnoxious jokes. Ah well... you are in Vegas, after all.  

The Mandalay is a massive complex - you could have a complete holiday here and never once leave the resort. My only complaints are purely subjective - wish they wouldn't allow smoking in the casino (simu-vanilla and ocean can only cover the scent of smoke so much), and wish everything wasn't so damned expensive... but that applies to all of Vegas. I quite liked the array of restaurants - highlights include The Border Grill for fresh and authentic tacos, Raffles for a satisfying breakfast (my husband referred to it as a glorified IHOP - not a bad thing), and the House of Blues for southern eats. Avoid the Noodle Shop if you are looking for Asian food that is not bland, safe and overly priced, and please, don't order the pizza from room service. Ick.

Some of the attractions at the Mandalay include the beach/pools megazone... great if you're trying to have some sort of MTV Spring Break moment, otherwise, not really my cup of tea. Again, kind of subjective - I'll take an ocean over a bunch of pools in the desert any day. We quite enjoyed the Shark Reef Aquarium... lots of interesting species to observe. Don't let them rope you into a cheesy souvenir photo though!

Overall... compared to the other casino complexes we visited, the Mandalay is your best bet - the decor isn't too over the top, but still feels luxurious, and the guests aren't exeedingly obnoxious. Rooms are lovely and comfortable - can't say no to a TV in the bathroom to enjoy while soaking in your nice big tub!

One final warning, applicable to all Vegas casino complexes - if you are planning on drinking and trying to navigate through the casino back to your room, be sure to make distinct note of landmarks when you're sober... getting back to the room without sufficient navigational skills can be a challenge indeed, even for the mildly tipsy.