Property
You don’t have to walk through the casino to get to the lobby, elevators, and your room. Amen! Families can choose from 550 square-foot Deluxe doubles (as big as my first apartment) all the way up to 1,500 square-foot XBs (which stands for extra bedroom). Rooms are recently renovated, with all the modern conveniences. Kids will love the property’s four pools, the Shark Reef aquarium, and the House of Blues restaurant. For those who find Mandalay’s location a little isolating, a monorail linking the hotel with Luxor and Excalibur will get you into the heart of the strip in no time.

Location
The south end of the strip in Las Vegas.

Sleeps
2-6.

Highlights
No question, families come here for the aquatic scene. In June of 2007 Mandalay Bay completed a 30-million-dollar expansion of its 11-acre beach area (doubling poolside and beachside seating) which includes a wave pool, a lazy river (floats can be rented), a bona fide white sand beach, and an adults-only pool for those with the luck and foresight to drop the kids at Grandma’s on the way to the airport.

Good to know
Children under 14 free in parents room. Concierge can help arrange babysitting.

Contact
www.mandalaybay.com

March 31st, 2008 | by Jamie Pearson