I've stayed at Mandalay Bay many times and on our latest trip (May 2008), felt like the service level has really declined. It took forever to check-in, the front desk staff was very complacent and the room very expensive - a weekend in Vegas.

The rooms are very comfortable and nice and they have the incredible restaurants, clubs and pool area - in my opinion the best location for a fun-loving couple or group of friends to stay.

This is an awesome hotel. It's hip and a lot of young people stay here. Especially groups of people. The rooms are pretty standard for Las Vegas but this hotel is close to all the action. There are super hip night club in this hotel and it's centrally located on the strip. Definitely check out the bars/ lounges/ nightclubs/ restaurants at this hotel. They are worth it!

I'm not huge on gambling to I really like that this hotel has a lot of other activities to do. The Shops at Mandalay Bay is nice. Affordable shopping that great, especially in Vegas. There is a great place call the Burger Bar (a sport bar) amongst the shop. They have an AMAZING Kobe beef burger. It's to die for. If you are in the area, definitely go there. When I am there on business, sometimes I just eat there. Being a female and eating at a restaurant by yourself weird so I go to this bar and people leave me alone and I enjoy a fabulous burger.

Everyone has their favorite hotel in Vegas, mine is Mandalay Bay. Here’s why.

First, people are often scared off by it’s location at the end of the Strip. That just means fewer drunken idiots trolling the hallways at night making a ruckus and trying to get into the wrong room. (That happened to me on the last trip.) I just don’t think that the location is that inconvenient. There’s a free tram to run you from Mandalay to Luxor to Excaliber, which gets you closer to center Strip, plus, cabs are a’plenty. Even if you stay in the "heart of the action," the hotels aren’t THAT close to each other. I’d still take a cab between say the Venetian and Paris – especially in heels.

Second, it’s got that luxurious feel without some of the kitsch that the theme hotels put off. It feels very tropical paradise without overtly throwing it in your face. The casino is large and well-ventilated and the lobby is majestic and classy. The rooms are roomy, the bathroom suites are large and if you don’t appreciate the huge flat-screen in combination with the Strip view, why aren’t you at the Motel 6? I’ve read complaints about the service – but I’ve never experienced anything but helpful and knowledgeable folks here. Here’s a tip – if you check in on a peak day at a peak time, of COURSE you’ll have to wait, get over it. I even asked the housekeeping staff to remove the down bedding (allergic) and they took care of it within a few hours.

And can you say BEACH POOL? I still think that hands down, this is the best pool area on the Strip. The wave pool is loads of fun (body surfing anyone?) and the lazy river makes for a cool way to catch a current. In crazy Vegas style, it’s cheaper to buy an inner tube to use on the lazy river than it is to rent one, but my tip is to pack a Wal-Mart one in your bag and blow it up when you get there. Watch out for the waterfall if you don’t want to get soaked! There are other, normal pools around, too, if you want to be bored to dea . . . I mean, traditional.

There are also lots of restaurant choices within the hotel. If you can’t find something to eat here, give it up.

As a five-year veteran traveling with a first-year Vegas virgin, the Vegas virgin agreed that he thought we made the best hotel choice for the best deal. Check the hotel Web site to get the best rates (our package deal was $707 with round trip air from VA).

Runner-Up: If you’re wondering who the runner-up would be for best Vegas hotel, see my entry from my last trip for the Venetian.

We have been to LV many times and stayed many places, Mandalay Bay was very nice. I liked it because it is down the strip and so most of the people in the casino, bars, restaurants where probably staying there. The pools were very crowded, but attendants where able to score us lounge chairs anyway. The casino was really nice and seemed pretty classy compared to alot of casinos on the strip. The Mojito's at Rum Jungle were EXCELLENT and the bartender (Sarah from Tennessee ?) was really nice. The food at Red Square was great. The room was spacious and very nice for how cheap it was ($120). I would definitely stay there again.

Great hotel. It was away from the strip so you didn't have all the lights and what not, but it was close enough to see the strip.