Description: THE HOTEL AT MANDALAY BAY.
THEhotel at Mandalay bay is a 1,117 all-suite hotel that is slightly different in as much as it does not have a casino in the building but shares the casino with its sister hotel the Mandalay bay. The one disadvantage of the hotel is that it is right at the Southern end of the strip making it feel slightly isolated from the main drag of Las Vegas Boulevard or what is more commonly known as ‘The Strip’.
It has been opened since 2003 but this year they have decided to rebrand the hotel and from spring 2013 they have decided to renovate and rebrand the hotel calling it the Delano hotel and should re open in 2014.
From the outside of the hotel it is quite distinctive in that it is covered in gold from top to bottom and can be seen glistening in the Nevada sunshine. It is linked by a walkway from the Mandalay bay all the way through to the Luxor and Excalibur hotel by a shopping mall. It is also linked by a tram system that plies between the Excalibur and the Mandalay bay with one of the routes stopping at the Luxor. This is quite handy and helps tired aching feet if you have been pounding the strip as it saves a mile walk through the two adjoining hotels.
The Lobby.
The lobby area is composed of a very grand hallway that is very high and lit with subdued lighting. Check in area can be quite busy when there are a lot of people to be checked in but the queues are dealt with quite quickly and efficiently. There are two sets of lifts four serving the lower floors and five serving the higher floors and the roof top Mix bar cum restaurant which gives interesting views of the neon clad Las Vegas strip. The hotel lobby is quite tastefully decorated in a minimalist fashion and there are massive vases containing flower arrangements that are replenished on a daily basis.
The suites.
The rooms are quite spacious and once opening the door of your suite there is a small toilet in the corridor which is quite useful if you have visitors as they do not have to traipse through the bedroom to your private bathroom. Inside the lounge there is a wet bar where you can make coffee or help yourself to the in room bar however as is the norm most of the contents of the mini bar are very expensive and best avoided. It is best not to touch or move anything from the mini bar because as soon as you touch something it is triggered as having been used and you will be charged for it even if you have only picked it up to have a look at it.
The lounge is furnished with a sofa and arm chair, coffee tables, lamp tables, a writing desk and chair, a massive 50 inch flat screen television on the wall within a wall unit.
The Bedroom.
Inside the bedroom there is either a massive king size bed or two queen size beds. There is a chest of drawers and a large his and hers set of mirrored wardrobes the central cupboard contains another television and an in room safe. The linen is quite luxurious and the beds are covered with a mattress topper making the beds even more comfortable than an ordinary bed. The floors are carpeted throughout the lounge and bedroom area with some tasteful carpeting.
The main Bathroom.
The bathroom is quite large and contains a walk in shower and a massive bath. There are his and her sinks in marble and granite and another toilet. There is a small wall mounted television in the bathroom. The bathroom toiletries are provided including shower gel and shampoo, body lotion, shower cap, a sewing kit. There are ample supplies of towels and flannels for guest use.
Criticisms.
My three criticisms of THEhotel is that the lighting in the hotel is very poor and I found it far too dark but that is the case with a lot of rooms in Las Vegas. I guess it is a ploy to keep you out of your rooms and on the casino floor where you are not able to comprehend what time of day it is as there is a constant level of lighting and no clocks at all to give you an indication of what time of day it is. The second criticism I have is that there is a distinct lack of security and any member of the public can access the guest lifts and floors plus there were several hookers plying for trade near the guest lifts on a couple of nights we were there. Finally the other criticism is the underwhelming entrance to the hotel. It is right beside the hotel car park and does not make it feel very special in anyway at all. I think that this area could be revamped and made to look a bit more special even by placing some boxed topiary near the doors would make it look a bit more classy.
Staff.
The main asset of the hotel is the staff. Every member of staff we encountered was extremely helpful and friendly. The check- in staff were super-efficient and really went the extra mile to make all requests made possible. The rooms were clean and the team were very efficient in cleaning and making up the rooms daily.
Facilities.
Although apart from the mix bar at the top of the hotel and a coffee shop, a bar and THE Café on the ground floor most of the facilities are shared with the neighbouring Mandalay bay hotel where you can find the casino, numerous eating outlets including the house of blues where there is a gospel kind of brunch and lunch served on a Sunday. The hotel also hosts shark reef entry is $18 dollars and you can expect to spend about an hour there. It is quite a walk to get to shark reef approximately 10-20 minute walk from the casino depending how fast you walk. There are loads of different types of eateries there including diverse eating places that are not particularly cheap and with about mid-range prices. There is also a buffet and adjoining the hotel there is the four season’s hotel with some high class dining venues. There are large swimming pool areas as the theme of the hotel is Hawaii and covers an area of over 11 acres. The hotel also has a massive convention centre where there are lots of dining opportunities but these are only open when there is a convention taking place. There is also a massive concert venue where boxing matches and concerts take place. The hotel can become really busy and may not be to everyone’s liking if you do not like crowds.
Although it was a comfortable hotel it is not somewhere I would stay again as it is too far off the main strip and just too far away to get to the main facilities and other hotels on the strip without a half hour or so trek.
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