The 135,000-square-foot casino floor takes care of all
your gaming desires, with a race and sports book, blackjack,
roulette, craps, baccarat, poker and nontraditional
games like Caribbean stud, pai gow or three-card poker.
Here too the tropical theme reigns with lush green foliage,
island-style architecture and coconut butter-perfumed
air. The island theme is also served with a waterpark
that hosts a popular summer concert series. The Shark
Reef, a walk-through aquarium, is wisely kept in a different
part of the resort.
The tropical paradise theme of Mandalay Bay may be best
expressed at its 11-acre water park, complete with lazy
river, a wide, sandy beach-lined pool with a wave machine,
plus two other pools for just relaxing after a tough
day in the casino.
The restaurants/nightclubs Rumjungle, Bay Side Buffet
and Raffles Cafe reinforce the South Seas vibe, but
every sort of cuisine is represented among Mandalay
Bay's 12 dining options, which comprise one of the most
impressive varieties at any Strip resort. Celebrity
chefs lend their expertise to the Border Grill (Mexican),
China Grill (Chinese) and gourmet spot Aureole. The
young trendy crowd congregates at Red Square. Most of
the restaurants are located in a separate area next
to the parking garage, so guests who are only there
for dinner can get in and out easily without walking
through the casino.
Mandalay Bay, which sits at the south end of the Strip,
boasts elegance and excitement and offers restaurants,
the House of Blues, great entertainment and a beach.
It got it right. Mandalay Bay's entry into the hip high-end
market not only raises the bar but also boosts it into
low orbit. Along with the Hard Rock hotel-casino and
the Palms, Mandalay Bay is one of Las Vegas' most prestigious
spots to see and be seen.
The casino is lush, accented by fountains, sculpture
and fauna. Surrounding it on all sides is L.A.-style
dining, from proletariat bar Red Square (it has a headless
statue of Lenin, comrade!) to the futuristic China Grill;
the nightclub rumjungle boasts go-go girls and a wall
of fire; the Mandalay Bay Theatre boasts the Broadway
smash Mamma Mia!; the House of Blues books everyone
from Bob Dylan to Underworld; an events center features
sports events and arena-sized musical acts and the $40
million attraction Shark Reef houses 100 species of
animals.
Outside, the tropical landscaping seems fresh and familiar,
and a wave pool encourages would-be Point Breakers to
hang 10 in the classic style. And there's much, much
more to see and do.
Mandalay Bay's newest addition, THEhotel, is the perfect
compliment to its already-impressive property. The 43-story
new tower is located at the northwest corner of the
property and features 1,120 suites with separate living
and sleeping areas, 5,000 square feet of conference
space, its own spa and gym, a 24-hour café, a
coffee bar and a relaxing lounge.
With its even mix of cosmopolitan delights and radical,
unexpected change-ups, Mandalay Bay is less a hotel
and more its own, strange and beautiful metropolis.
