Editor Pick
2nd Best Hotel in Vegas
- August 19, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
SueChef from New Orleans, Louisiana
I'm surprised this gets rated this far down on the list. I've stayed at 12 upper end hotels on the strip and this one is 2nd. Just got back from an extra long weekend at THE HOTEL, Mandalay Bay and was "WOW'd" from the start. I worked for the Ritz Carlton for years and am a pretty picky traveler. So, here's my assessment. THE HOTEL only has suites which makes it the best room for the money "hands down" on the strip for this caliber of hotel. Valet parking is easy to access and puts you really close to the room elevators, no long walks through or around casinos. I'd call down before I left my room each time and my car was there waiting for me. The valets also give you a nice chilled complimentary bottle of water (most others do not).
The room is plush, a TV in each room, wet bar for your snacks, a mini-fridge for your drinks. You can ask them to remove the honor bar items so you can utilize the entire fridge and not be tempted by the pricey snacks. Amenities include terry cloth sandals, chenille robes, primo bath products in apothecary style jars complete with bath salts, to fill the enormous bathtub. The tub is uber- deep, like a Japanese soaker tub, big enough for two people to lie down side by side in. The waterfall like faucet fills the tub in no time. You can watch TV from the tub as well.
Floor to ceiling windows to offer a great view of the strip (had to pay $20 extra a night for that but worth it). Good soundproofing, never heard a thing. Plenty of drawer and closet space. Housekeeping was spotty. If you plan on going out for the afternoon or evening, call down and ask them to make up your room.
The pool gets rated highly but that only makes it the place to go to, meaning....big crowds. Even with the massive pool area and amount of chairs, the place stays packed from the moment it opens its gates. They have a ton of cabanas which are reserved months in advance. If you plan to spend the day out there and are with at least 4 people, pony up and get one, it's worth it to have chairs and a spot to call your own. Plus you can bring your own food and drinks and not pay $8 for a beer. But the place is clean, decent pool food and the wave pool is pretty nice, I have to admit. Bring a water noodle or blowup tube for the lazy river. Theirs are $25 a day and too big to use on the narrow river. Go to Walgreens and get a cheap one you can toss at the end of the trip.
The restaurants range from fair to fantastic, do your homework before you get there. But for the money, I'd opt for one of the restaurants at the Palazzo or Wynn that offer outdoor dining or views.
Room service was boring, nothing special, portions are small (by in-room dining standards). The shop downstairs is much smaller than most other hotels and has a limited selection of food and drinks. There are drug stores up and down the strip that are all open 24/7 for supplies. The coffee shop in the lobby is a must since the Starbucks always has a long line and runs out of items by noon.
Check-in was painless, I never saw any lines. The concierge staff were young and not very experienced. Girls that are size 2 are not going to know where to eat but they will know where to go clubbing.
Yeah, its at the end of the strip but also not in the high traffic areas and easy to get in and out of if you have a car. If you have any doubts, rent a car. Every hotel offers free valet parking, the buses are super slow and taxis are really expensive. One taxi ride up the strip will run you about $25 on a Saturday night. Overall, the only other hotel that is better is the Wynn and their rooms are smaller. This hotel is contemporary, trendy but not too hip and a nice boutique hotel in a big complex
Editor Pick
The Hotel
- May 9, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
spatel from Newport Beach, California
This is a great hotel to stay at for business or just for fun. All the rooms are 2-room suites and are amazing. The service there is great. It's a big hotel but you feel like they are attending to your needs. I am a frequent visitor of this hotel. The design of this hotel is very modern and simply. It has a sexy feel to it.
Each room has 3 flat screen TVs. One is a 64-inch flat screen in the sitting room. It's awesome! Then there is one in the bedroom and a mini one in the bathroom. There are also 1.5 bathroom. This is a GREAT hotel to stay in for more than one person. Ideal for groups or families who want more space. I would actually recommend this place for groups of young people. It's a great value for the space that you are getting.
I have stayed at this hotel more than a few times and I always get upgraded. It might just be my luck but if you complain about anything or ask them to check if you can be upgraded they usually just upgrade you for FREE, if they have space. I once stayed in the penthouse suite for only a little more. Definitely worth they slight bump in price!!!
From journal Las Vegas: What's Hot and What's Not
Every great but check in
- December 27, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
Everything at TheHotel is superior to all the other resorts we have stayed at in Las Vegas over a 20 year peiod. We love the facility, the location and the atsmophere. I was a bit put out at check in due to the hotel placing the wrong first name on the reservation and doubting me when I said I did not know anyone by the name they were requesting identification. With the identity crisis scare raging in peoples minds it was frightening to think someone was using our last name and infringing on our pre-paid reservations. The front desk staff was very accusatory of our right to the reservation and the entire front desk seemed to smirk at your discomfort while questioning me of my validity. When they finally figured out it was a typo error made by their wholesale department they were not genuine in their appologies nor gracious in admitting their mistake. Would I stay there again? Yes. Everything else was great...but be sure you bring your travel documants to prove you are right and they are wrong in case of any mistakes.
Overall a great hotel
- August 12, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I love staying at TheHotel at Mandalay Bay when in Vegas. It's conveniently located (near the end of the strip, but a 5-10 minuites to Lucor and 15 minute leisurely walk and tram ride takes you to the Excalibur and MGM Grand). Spacious and clean rooms, 24 hr room service, very friendly staff, 2 bathrooms per suite, 3 TVs per suite -- this is what a room in Vegas should be! Flat screen TVs are showing some wear (picture is getting pretty bad), and the beds are in desparate need of an upgrade but perhaps that just because I'm used to my Tempur-pedic. I could feel all the springs, and the down pillows were completely non-supportive and almost smothing. I ended up having to use a cushion from the couch this last trip. When you check in, ask for a higher level floor and a room that doesn't look out on the parking garage. Unless you're checking in during a peak season day or time, we've found they'll be happy to oblige! The last time we were there they even upgraded us to a corner suite when we asked (for free)!