Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Resort - Page 1

My wife and I decided to "upgrade" our hotel lodging arrangements for our after-Thanksgiving trip to Vegas, thinking that the Mandalay Bay would easily accomodate such wishes. Having taken advantage of one of their fall specials and looking at the hotel/package on the website, this only reinforced our thoughts that the stay was going to be great. Needless to say, we were wrong.

While the outside/lobby decor iof the Resort hotel is great, the Suites at the Mandalay Bay do not hold even a portion of a candle to the rooms at the Signature-MGM Grand ---- supposedly, a hotel slightly lower in grade to that of the Mandalay. While the rooms were clean and the bathrooms were very nice, there was nothing else of major note to the room outside of the flat-screen TV. The paint job in the room was very dull, and it looked like there was one coat of paint on the walls. The hallway decor also appeared somewhat run-down, which makes the hotel appear older than it may actually be. Further, the suite did not even have a microwave or coffee maker (basic amenities at most regular hotels), and the view that we were given was terrible. The customer service individual who checked us in was not the most professional individual in the world, as well. Regarding dining, the Bayside Restaurant serves a substandard breakfast in terms of taste, at best. The few positives of the entire facility: the Raffles Restaurant (24-hour dining establishment located in the casino) was GREAT --- A+++ in food (you MUST have their buffalo wings!!); the Bathouse Spa and Mix Lounge 64th floor facility (both located in THEHotel portion of the Mandalay) were both very nice facilities - the Spa treated my wife great with respect to Spa services), and the Casino itself, whose craps tables were $5 - $10 all weekend long, including nights.

Overall, if you can get a good weekend deal and stay a couple nights at one of the "five-star hotels" for, say, $300 total for two nights, by all means, pursue other options before deciding on this one. The Signature at MGM Grand is a better buy, absolutely. We won't make the same mistake again.

We have just returned from a two night stay at Mandalay Bay. I was a little concern as we headed down the hallway to our room as the carpet was pretty dirty and not the best smell in the hallway. But when we opened our door, it was a delightful room on the 23rd floor over looking the strip. Very clean and smelled good. Large tub I really enjoy. Bed was comfortable but a little slanted.

We ate at the Raffles. Employees very friendly. Enjoyed the casino. I would definately return to this hotel.

I work at the mandalay bay and recently they tld all employees to park on the 5th and 6th level. I looked all over each floor, circled it three times and could not find any parking because non-employees were parking on those floors. I had no choice but to park on the 4th level and I got a citation from security for it. What do they expect me to do? With the price of gas no one can aford to circle around for a parking space. Two parking levels are not big enough to fit all the employees' cars so they need to extend the employee parking or make sure ONLY employees park on the 5th and 6th level.

construction quality of rooms are very sub-par. stayed for three nights and was awoken every night at 4 or 5 a.m. with people in the hallways closing doors and in the next room over. Then in the morning you could hear people again closing doors, etc. Not that you suppose to sleep in Vegas but you need at least a few hours of sleep but don't count on it staying at Mandalay. never had such a problem before with thin walls and loud doors slamming at all hours. also, playing poker one night and part of ceiling (large/heavy piece of tile) came falling down and slammed onto our poker table...nearly hit someone in the head. Seems like the whole place is poorly constructed.

restaurants were good and recommend the Burger Bar for a good burger and beer at a reasonable price but a long walk to get to it.

the mandalay bay hotel is awful. it is 5-star delusional.

the driveway is narrow, and directional signs are too scarce to be effective when there is heavy traffic, as there was last sunday, june 29.

after inching our way up the driveway (and switching lanes at the last minute along with other cars because we were told that only hotel guests could use valet parking), i dropped off my husband in front of the main lobby so he could wait in relative comfort for our friend who was billed at the hotel. my husband is diabetic and had just recovered from a bout of flu, and i did not want him walking out in the heat in case i did not find parking soon enough. i did end up at the very far end of a circuitous driveway, past the four seasons hotel and close to the mandalay convention center. i had no choice - the only other turn would have led me out into the street and farther away towards the freeway. the walk back to the lobby was insufferable, with nothing to count on as shade even though the place was replete with trees. but that was nothing compared to what was waiting at the main lobby.

the place looked like an air-raid shelter after a major bombing. people were all over the lobby, lines to the check-in counters were so long, and there was NOT A CHAIR in sight. people were seated on the floor, or standing around impatiently. my poor husband could only lean on a table as he waited for me.

the nearest rest room was down the escalator - what kind of a hotel does not have accessible rest rooms from its main lobby? what kind of a hotel lobby is not inviting nor relaxing?

worst of all, what kind of a concierge would tell a guest to join the long line at check-in if he wanted to complain about all these discomforts? such was the rude reception that my husband got when he walked up to the desk closest to the casino, right where golf reservations are taken. simply unbelievable!

we just happened to be picking up a friend that day. we were not looking to be impressed but that doesn't mean we are not 5-star habitues. nor do we fail to spot lifestyle pretentions that court big bucks but fall way below the levels of satisfaction sought by the truly discriminating.

keep up the hellish ambience and ill-mannered personnel that we witnessed , and mandalay bay will soon be a third-rate favorite of no more than the impressionable wannabes of high society.