Mandalay Hotel & Casino Review May 2023

 For our May trip to Vegas, we decided to split it, staying three nights on the Strip and then four nights Downtown.

It's been a while since we stayed on the Strip, and we choose Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. I've always like the Southeast Asian theme and just the overall vibe of the casino. I also heard amazing things about their pool complex, so I wanted to check that out too.

Here's my review:

Room
I absolutely loved our room. It faced Las Vegas Boulevard and we could see the strip to the North and the airport as we panned South. The room was was filled with light with the floor to ceiling windows and was a little larger than what we typically stay in.

There were two closets, each on opposite ends of the bathroom entrance, giving us ample room to hang our clothing. One of the closets housed the in-room safe, which was a little small. The safe was vertical in size, mounted to the wall and it didn't fit much. You could stand your laptop in it and squeeze in whatever you could within the space.

The bathroom was amazing -- large with dual sinks, a soaking tub, a separate shower and a water closet. It was very roomy and comfortable if two people needed to be in it.

The view from our room was amazing. The pictures just don't do it justice. I could look out the window forever.

Mandalay Bay Beach
Mandalay Bay Beach did not disappoint. Sitting on 11 acres, it includes a sandy beach area fronting the wave pool with a smaller pool area connected to it that didn't get any waves, a lazy river and a separate large pool. The complex offers cabanas and day bed rentals ($$$), but it also offers plenty of free loungers as well. Moorea Beach Club, a separate area on the second floor with a pool and loungers, offers a more upscale experience for people 21 years and older. Sunbathing is "toptional" meaning topless sunbathing is allowed and encouraged.  There is also a separate pool for Delano guests only, although Delano guests can also use the overall complex.

On the first full day (Tuesday after the Memorial Day holiday), we headed to the pool relatively early and it was already filling up with people; but when we visited the following morning, we were surprised at how empty it was. 

The lazy river is super fun and relaxing. You can purchase floaters for $36 or you can bring your own and use the compressor for free. I had read somewhere that they will charge you to use the air compressor, so we didn't buy our floaters in advance, but that was not the case. People were using the compressor for no charge. Using the floaters are optional; people were also walking and swimming through the lazy river. 

You can order food and beverage via the servers who come around regularly or you can order (and sit) and the bar.

The Wave Pool. The waves were barely a ripple. Fronting the wave pool is a sandy beach with day beds you can rent and lounge chairs. 

This section is to the left of the wave pool.

Various views of the lazy river. We went to the pool complex the day before these pictures were taken and it was jam packed, full of people. We were all floating together in groups! What a difference a day makes!

This section contained two waterfalls and it was fun to try and miss the them. The first time I tried to go through them, and I just got stuck under them was was blasted with water and not moving at all!

This is a separate pool that's near the lazy river. Not pictured: The Delano Pool, which is reserved for Delano guests and the Moorea Beach Club, for obvious reasons.

Food Options
There are ton of food options at Mandalay Bay, from fast food, casual dining to higher end. We didn't really eat here much (except for quick breakfasts at Starbucks), so I can't comment on much on the food.

Location
The only con I have about Mandalay Bay is it's location, which is at the very South end of the strip. If you don't rent a car, be prepared to take a while to get mid-to-North Strip. Mandalay Bay is also a bit secluded from any "action". If you walk out to Las Vegas Boulevard, there is really nothing around the area. It is linked to Luxor and Excalibur via tram, and you can also walk to Luxor via the Mandalay Bay Place Shoppes (which offers plentiful dining and shopping options) and then from Luxor to Excalibur via a connecting walkway.

Since we didn't rent a car (Las Vegas Blvd is a mess due to the Formula 1 road paving) or rely on ride share during our stay, we did a ton of walking, even with using the tram. One morning, it took us a very brisk 45 minute walk to get to Paris for our breakfast reservations at Mon Ami Gabi. We thought we would take the tram to Excalibur and then walk to Paris, only to find out that the tram didn't start operating until later on that morning. 

Our usual "route" to mid-Stip was: 1) catch the tram to Excalibur; 2) walk to New York/New York and if we were going to head further North, walk to Park MGM to catch the tram to Bellagio (with stops at Aria and The Shops at Crystals) and then walking more. And then do it all in reverse when going back. So it was definitely quite a hike. Good think I really enjoy walking, although I got a massive blister on my toe!

However, if you are going to Allegient Stadium for any reason (concerts, games), then Mandalay is probably the best place to stay because of it's proximity to the stadium.

In Conclusion
Would I recommend stay at Mandalay Bay? I sure would! If I do go back, I'd probably wouldn't venture out of the area as much as we did and just enjoy all that the property has to offer. Or I suppose we can just rent a car or take ride share.

Have you stayed at Mandalay Bay? What was your experience? Leave your comments below!

Other posts from this trip:

• Bellagio Conservatory
• Vegas Food Diary
• Random Pictures