Mandalay Bay Las Vegas Review: Is It Worth It for Families?
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Thinking about staying at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas? Here’s our honest family review covering the rooms, Strip views, pool, restaurants, Shark Reef, location, and whether we’d stay again.
Estimated reading time: 25 minutes
I’m just going to start this review by saying that I really, really liked Mandalay Bay.
And honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to feel about staying at a big Las Vegas casino resort.
My husband and I don’t gamble. We aren’t really drinkers. We were traveling with our daughter. So basically, if you were making a list of the stereotypical reasons people plan a trip to Las Vegas, we probably wouldn’t check very many of the boxes.
And yet? We had a fantastic time.
We stayed at Mandalay Bay for two nights at the beginning of a longer Southwest road trip. We flew into Las Vegas, spent the first night getting settled, had one full day in the city, and then headed out toward Utah for our national parks adventure.
For that kind of trip, Mandalay Bay worked incredibly well.
Actually, I’d stay there again even if Las Vegas itself were the destination.
The resort is beautiful. Our room was huge. We had a fantastic view of the Strip. There are tons of restaurants inside the hotel, one of the best pool complexes in Las Vegas, and even an aquarium.
And one of the things I appreciated most as a mom traveling with a kid was that even though Mandalay Bay absolutely has a casino, the casino never felt like the entire point of the resort.
We could stay there and enjoy Mandalay Bay without gambling once.
Where Is Mandalay Bay?
Mandalay Bay sits at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, which turned out to be one of the things I liked most about it.
For starters, it is really close to the airport.
Las Vegas hotels in general aren’t terribly far from the airport, but Mandalay Bay feels especially convenient because it is down at that end of the Strip. After flying across the country, I really appreciated not having some complicated trek across Las Vegas before we could finally check into our hotel.
It’s also basically right down the road from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
You can literally stand near the sign and see the giant gold Mandalay Bay building behind it.
Which brings me to the building itself.
I love the way Mandalay Bay looks.
It’s this enormous, glistening gold hotel that catches the sunlight, and there is something about it that just feels very Vegas without being completely over-the-top Vegas.
It’s flashy.
But classy flashy.
And I liked it.
One Unexpected Benefit of Staying at the South End of the Strip
There was another thing I liked about the location that I didn’t really think about before our trip.
Because you’re down toward the end of the Strip, you’re also relatively close to normal, everyday restaurants and businesses.
And yes, I am about to talk about Chick-fil-A in the middle of a Las Vegas resort review.
Hear me out.
We lived in Maryland for more than 20 years, where there was basically a Chick-fil-A around every corner. Then we moved to northern Idaho, where there is decidedly NOT a Chick-fil-A around every corner.
So when I realized there was a Chick-fil-A just a few minutes down the road from Mandalay Bay?
You better believe we went there for breakfast.
I was in Las Vegas, surrounded by celebrity-chef restaurants, and I was absolutely delighted to have a chicken biscuit and a Diet Frosted Lemonade.
No regrets.
Obviously, you don’t stay at Mandalay Bay because it’s close to Chick-fil-A. LOL.
But I do think this is worth pointing out because Las Vegas resort food can get expensive very quickly. Staying down toward this end of the Strip gives you some easy options when you don’t necessarily want every meal to be a Vegas dining experience.
Sometimes you want the fancy steak.
Sometimes you just want breakfast.
Our Room at Mandalay Bay
One of my favorite things about our stay was our room.
There were three of us, and at no point did I feel like we were crammed into a hotel room together.
We had two queen beds, plenty of space around them, a desk and dresser area, two chairs with a small table, and enough open floor space that we could actually move around without constantly stepping over luggage.
This was especially nice because we were at the beginning of a big road trip.
We had stuff.
A lot of stuff.
And we still had room.
The beds were also really comfortable, which I appreciated because there is nothing worse than starting a vacation with two nights of terrible sleep.
The room itself felt upscale without being fussy. There were warm wood tones, some fun artwork, and little design details that made it feel like we were staying somewhere nicer than a basic hotel room.
And then there was the bathroom.
The Bathroom Was Fantastic for a Family
This is one of those things that probably sounds incredibly boring until you are actually traveling with other people.
Our bathroom was huge.
We had two sinks, a large soaking tub, a separate shower, and a separate little room for the toilet.
That separate toilet room is such a small thing, but when three people are trying to get ready in the morning, it makes a huge difference.
Someone can be showering.
Someone else can be brushing their teeth.
Someone else can use the bathroom.
Nobody has to stand outside dramatically asking, “Are you almost done?”
These are the glamorous details nobody tells you about family travel. LOL.
I didn’t end up using the bathtub, but it was a really nice, deep tub. The shower was spacious, and overall the bathroom just felt much more generous than what you normally get in a standard hotel room.
Between the bathroom and the actual bedroom space, we never felt crowded.
Pay Extra for the Strip View
We decided to pay a little more for a room on a higher floor with a Strip view.
I would absolutely do that again.
During the day, we could look straight up the Strip toward the other resorts.
But at night?
That was when it was really worth it.
Las Vegas completely changes after dark.
From our room, we could see all those lights stretching up the Strip, including the hotels farther north from us. It was one of those views that made you want to stand at the window for a while before going to bed.
And because we were higher up, the room also felt surprisingly peaceful.
Vegas was happening down below us.
We could see it.
But we weren’t sitting in the middle of the noise.
For me, that was kind of perfect.
If the price difference between a standard room and a higher-floor Strip-view room isn’t crazy when you book, I would seriously consider paying for the view.
Especially if this is your first trip to Las Vegas.
There is something pretty magical about turning off the lights in your room and looking out over the Las Vegas Strip.
I Also Loved the Hotel Layout
This is another thing I noticed because we were traveling with our daughter.
You don’t have to walk straight through the middle of the casino just to get to your hotel room.
The guest elevators are near the lobby and check-in area, so once we were ready to go upstairs, we could head toward the elevators without wandering through rows of slot machines.
I really appreciated that.
Now, if you want to get to many of the restaurants and other attractions inside Mandalay Bay, you will walk through part of the casino area.
But even that felt very manageable.
There was basically a clear walkway through the casino that led toward the restaurants and other parts of the resort, so we never felt like we had to weave through people gambling just to get somewhere.
Our daughter got to see a Las Vegas casino.
She saw the slot machines.
She saw the tables.
And then we kept walking toward dinner.
It just wasn’t a big deal.
I also noticed that the casino didn’t feel nearly as smoky as I remembered Las Vegas casinos being when I visited years ago. I definitely noticed a particular “casino” smell in the air, but it wasn’t something that bothered me or made me want to leave.
That was another pleasant surprise.
Because I’ll be honest: I had wondered whether staying in a casino hotel with a kid would feel weird.
For us, it really didn’t.
Mandalay Bay felt much more like a gigantic resort that happened to have a casino than a casino where somebody stuck some hotel rooms upstairs.
And that distinction made a huge difference.
There Is So Much to Do at Mandalay Bay Without Gambling
This is probably one of the biggest reasons I would stay at Mandalay Bay again.
You do not have to gamble to enjoy this resort.
At all.
There are so many restaurants, the pool area is fantastic, Shark Reef Aquarium is right there, and even just wandering around the resort feels like part of the experience.
That worked really well for us because gambling was never going to be part of our trip.
We wanted a comfortable place to stay, good food, things to do, and a location that made sense for the rest of our trip.
Mandalay Bay checked all of those boxes.
The Restaurants at Mandalay Bay
One thing Mandalay Bay definitely does not lack is food.
There are a ton of restaurants inside the resort, ranging from casual spots to much nicer sit-down restaurants.
We ate at three different places during our stay, and they all had very different vibes.
Libertine Social
We ate at Libertine Social our first night.
I remember being tired from traveling, so this was one of those meals where I was just happy to sit down somewhere nice and eat.
The restaurant itself has a really fun atmosphere.
It feels modern and a little funky, with huge orange light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and lots of artwork on the walls.
It definitely felt very Vegas.
But not in a ridiculous way.
We had a good meal there, and I would absolutely consider eating there again. I don’t remember what we ordered… and I forgot to take photos. Sorry… but it was good. I am fairly certain we ordered the Bavarian pretzel and my daughter definitely ordered the salmon. She loved it.
STRIPSTEAK
We also ate at STRIPSTEAK, which was definitely our splurge meal.
And yes, it was expensive.
Very expensive.
But the steak was really good.
This was one of those meals where I definitely noticed the difference in quality. The restaurant felt upscale, the service was good, and the food was worth the splurge for us.
Would I eat there every night?
Absolutely not.
My wallet would stage an intervention.
But for one nice dinner during a Las Vegas trip, I thought it was a great choice.
Citizens Kitchen & Bar
We also ate at Citizens Kitchen & Bar for a more casual meal.
I had a teriyaki-style chicken dish with rice and vegetables, and it was good.
Not life-changing.
Not something I am still thinking about months later.
But good.
And honestly, I appreciated having an option like that inside the hotel.
Not every meal needs to be an event.
Sometimes you want to sit down, eat something decent, and move on with your day.
Citizens worked perfectly for that.
And Yes, We Still Went to Chick-fil-A
Because apparently this has now become an important part of my Mandalay Bay review.
LOL.
I already mentioned this earlier, but it is worth repeating.
There is a Chick-fil-A just a few minutes away from Mandalay Bay, and yes, we went there for breakfast.
And yes, I was thrilled.
If you live somewhere that has Chick-fil-A everywhere, this probably sounds ridiculous.
But when you do not have one anywhere near where you live, suddenly a chicken biscuit becomes a tourist attraction.
So there you go.
Fancy steak one night.
Chick-fil-A breakfast the next morning.
Balance.
The Mandalay Bay Pool Complex Is Amazing
Okay.
This is one of the biggest reasons I would stay at Mandalay Bay again.
The pool area is huge.
Like, really huge.
It feels more like a tropical resort than a hotel pool.
There are palm trees everywhere, multiple pools, lots of lounge areas, cabanas, and a lazy river winding through part of the complex.
And this is not one of those sad hotel lazy rivers where you float in a tiny circle for 45 seconds.
It is actually a substantial part of the pool area.
We did not swim during our stay, which I kind of regret now.
We were only there for two nights, and we already had other things planned.
But I walked around enough to know that if we stayed at Mandalay Bay again during warm weather, I would absolutely build pool time into the trip.
Especially if I were traveling with kids or teenagers.
Honestly, this may be one of the strongest reasons to choose Mandalay Bay over some of the other Las Vegas resorts.
If your family actually wants to relax at the hotel and not spend every second running around the Strip, this pool complex gives you something substantial to do without leaving the resort.
And it is beautiful.
Palm trees.
Blue water.
Cabanas.
Lazy river.
Vegas sunshine.
It feels like a vacation inside your vacation.
Shark Reef Aquarium Is Right Inside the Resort
Another really fun thing about staying at Mandalay Bay is that Shark Reef Aquarium is basically part of the resort complex.
You do have to buy separate admission.
It is not included with your hotel stay.
But I loved the convenience of having a major attraction right there.
You do not have to get in the car.
You do not have to figure out transportation.
You do not have to make some elaborate plan.
You can literally walk from your hotel room through the resort and go to the aquarium.
I am going to do an entire separate review of Shark Reef because I have a lot more to say about it, but I definitely think it adds value to Mandalay Bay as a family-friendly resort.
Especially if you have younger kids.
Or teenagers who are still happy to look at sharks.
Or adults who are still happy to look at sharks.
Which is me.
Because sharks are cool.
The Resort Feels Almost Like a Small City
This was another thing that surprised me.
Mandalay Bay is enormous.
Once you start walking past the casino and restaurants and heading toward the other parts of the resort, it starts to feel like its own little world.
You have restaurants.
Bars.
Shops.
Entertainment.
The aquarium.
Pool areas.
Convention space.
And then different connected parts of the property.
You could honestly spend quite a bit of time here without ever needing to leave.
That is especially useful if you are using Las Vegas as a stop at the beginning or end of a bigger road trip.
If you are tired, you do not have to go chase entertainment.
You can stay put.
Eat.
Swim.
Walk around.
Go to the aquarium.
Call it a night.
That was exactly what we wanted.
Getting Around From Mandalay Bay
The biggest trade-off with Mandalay Bay is location.
It is not in the middle of the Strip.
If your dream Las Vegas trip involves walking out of your hotel and immediately being surrounded by Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Paris, and all the other central Strip attractions, Mandalay Bay is not going to give you that experience.
You are farther south.
But for us, that was not a dealbreaker at all.
There is transportation connecting Mandalay Bay with nearby resorts, and of course you can use rideshare or taxis to get farther up the Strip.
And honestly, we liked being slightly removed from the most chaotic part of Las Vegas.
It felt easier.
Less intense.
And because we had a car for our road trip anyway, getting around was never a major problem.
Why Mandalay Bay Worked So Well for Us
I think the biggest thing is that Mandalay Bay gave us exactly the kind of Las Vegas experience we wanted.
We could enjoy Las Vegas without having to become “Vegas people.”
We did not gamble.
We did not spend the trip drinking.
We were traveling with our daughter.
And we still felt like we were staying somewhere fun, beautiful, and distinctly Las Vegas.
That is a huge selling point for me.
Because if you are planning a family trip, a Southwest road trip, or even just a couple of days in Las Vegas and you are not interested in the casino scene, it can be hard to know which hotels will still feel like a good fit.
Mandalay Bay did.
The pool alone gives families a reason to stay here.
Add the restaurants, Shark Reef Aquarium, spacious rooms, and convenient airport location, and it becomes a really strong option.
Especially for people who want Las Vegas without needing every second of the trip to revolve around the Strip.
What I Loved Most About Mandalay Bay
There was a lot I liked about Mandalay Bay, but a few things really stood out.
First, the room.
I know I have already talked about it, but having that much space made such a difference. We were traveling with our daughter, we had luggage for a longer road trip, and we still never felt like we were tripping over each other.
Second, the pool area.
Even though we didn’t actually swim, I can absolutely see why families love staying here. If we stayed at Mandalay Bay again during warmer weather, I would make sure we had enough time to actually enjoy the pool complex.
Third, I liked that the resort gave us plenty to do without making gambling the center of our experience.
That mattered to me.
We could have a nice dinner.
We could go to Shark Reef Aquarium.
We could wander around the resort.
We could enjoy the pool.
We could look out at the Strip from our room.
And none of those things required us to sit down at a slot machine.
Honestly, I think that is one of Mandalay Bay’s biggest strengths.
What I Didn’t Love About Mandalay Bay
There really was not much I disliked about our stay.
But there are a couple of things worth knowing before you book.
The biggest one is the location.
Mandalay Bay is way down at the south end of the Strip.
That worked really well for us, especially because we were flying into Las Vegas and then leaving on a Southwest road trip.
But if your entire Las Vegas vacation is going to revolve around Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, The Sphere, and all the attractions farther up the Strip, you are not going to be able to just walk out of Mandalay Bay and magically be in the middle of everything.
You are going to need transportation.
That might be the tram for some nearby resorts.
It might be rideshare.
It might be a taxi.
It might be your own car.
Whatever you choose, just know that you are not staying in the center of the Strip.
For us, that was actually kind of a plus.
For somebody else, it could be annoying.
The other thing is simply that Mandalay Bay is a Las Vegas resort.
That means things can get expensive.
Restaurants can get expensive.
Upgrades can get expensive.
And if you decide you need the nicest dinner every night, the best room category, a cabana, aquarium tickets, and every other extra you can possibly add?
Well.
Vegas will happily take your money.
LOL.
That does not mean you have to spend a fortune.
We mixed things up.
We had a really nice steak dinner at STRIPSTEAK.
We ate more casually at Citizens.
And then we drove down the road and had Chick-fil-A for breakfast.
I feel like that pretty much sums up our travel style.
Is Mandalay Bay Good for Families?
I think it is.
And honestly, I think it is probably better for families than I expected it to be.
Obviously, you need to remember that this is still Las Vegas.
There is a casino.
There are bars.
There is nightlife.
Your kids are going to see adults doing adult Las Vegas things.
But that does not mean the entire resort feels inappropriate for families.
That was not our experience at all.
We stayed there with our daughter and felt completely comfortable.
The guest rooms are spacious.
The pool complex is a huge family-friendly amenity.
Shark Reef Aquarium is right there.
There are plenty of restaurants.
And because the hotel is at the south end of the Strip, it actually felt a little less chaotic to me than staying right in the middle of everything.
I would absolutely stay here again with a kid or teenager.
Mandalay Bay Would Be Especially Good for…
I would seriously consider Mandalay Bay if you are planning a Las Vegas trip with kids or teenagers and want a resort with a fantastic pool.
I would also look at it if Las Vegas is the beginning or end of a Southwest road trip.
This is actually where I think Mandalay Bay really shines.
Las Vegas is such a great jumping-off point for this part of the country.
You can fly in, spend a night or two somewhere fun, and then head toward places like Zion, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Page, or the rest of southern Utah and northern Arizona.
That is exactly what we did.
And Mandalay Bay was a really nice way to start the trip.
You get a little dose of Las Vegas.
You get a beautiful hotel.
You get good food.
You get a comfortable night’s sleep.
And then you can get in the car and go explore the Southwest.
Honestly, I think that is one of the best ways to use Las Vegas.
Who Might Not Love Mandalay Bay?
If being able to walk everywhere is your number one priority, I probably would not choose Mandalay Bay.
There are other resorts that put you much closer to the center of the Strip.
And if you are planning to spend most of your trip bouncing between Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, The Sphere, and the other big attractions farther north, you may get tired of going back and forth.
I also probably would not choose Mandalay Bay solely because it has a great pool if you are visiting during a time of year when the pool experience is not going to be important to you.
The pool is such a big selling point here.
If you are not going to use it, that might change the equation.
But for a family visiting during warmer weather?
I think the pool could easily be one of the reasons to book the hotel.
Would I Pay Extra for a Strip View Again?
Yes.
Absolutely.
I would not necessarily pay some outrageous amount of money for it.
But if the upgrade is reasonable?
Do it.
Seeing Las Vegas lit up at night from our room was one of my favorite little parts of staying here.
And I liked being higher up.
It felt quieter.
It felt more peaceful.
And after spending the day out exploring Las Vegas, it was really nice to come back to the room, turn off the lights, and just look out at the Strip.
That was worth it to me.
Would I Stay at Mandalay Bay Again?
Without hesitation.
Actually, I would probably stay longer next time.
Two nights gave us enough time to enjoy the hotel a little bit, but not enough time to really take advantage of everything.
I would love to come back when we could spend part of a day at the pool.
I would absolutely eat at the restaurants again.
I would happily book another Strip-view room.
And I would stay here again with my daughter.
For us, Mandalay Bay hit a really nice sweet spot.
It felt like Las Vegas.
But it did not feel like we needed to gamble or party to enjoy ourselves.
It felt upscale without feeling stuffy.
It felt huge without being impossible to navigate.
And it gave us enough things to do that we could enjoy being at the resort instead of constantly feeling like we needed to leave.
Is Mandalay Bay Worth It?
For us?
Yes.
Definitely.
Especially if you are traveling with kids or teenagers, want an amazing pool, or are using Las Vegas as the beginning or end of a Southwest road trip.
I went into our stay thinking Mandalay Bay would basically be a convenient place to sleep for two nights before we headed into Utah.
Instead, I left thinking I would happily plan another stay there.
And that is probably the best recommendation I can give it.
We did not gamble.
We barely drink.
We were traveling with our daughter.
And somehow Mandalay Bay still felt like exactly the right Las Vegas hotel for us.
Apparently, you do not have to be a “Vegas person” to really enjoy Las Vegas.
Who knew?
And yes.
I would still go back to Chick-fil-A for breakfast.
Planning a Southwest Road Trip From Las Vegas?
One of the reasons I really liked staying at Mandalay Bay is that Las Vegas is such an easy starting point for a bigger Southwest road trip.
If that is how you are planning to use Las Vegas too, here are a few of my itineraries that would pair really well with a stay at Mandalay Bay:
- Utah Mighty 5 Itinerary: A Realistic, Family-Friendly Road Trip — If Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands are on your bucket list, Las Vegas is a fantastic place to start your trip.
- Arizona Family Road Trip Itinerary — This itinerary combines places like the Grand Canyon, Page, Sedona, and other Arizona road trip stops, and Las Vegas can work really well as your fly-in or fly-out city.
- Perfect 7-Day Page and Kanab Family Road Trip Itinerary — If you want a Southwest trip without building the entire vacation around national parks, this is one of my favorite options. Page and Kanab give you slot canyons, Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, sand dunes, hoodoos, and some seriously gorgeous scenery.
- Where to Stay for Utah’s Mighty Five: Real Places We Actually Stayed — If you are heading into Utah after Las Vegas, this guide walks through the hotels and lodging we actually used along our Mighty Five road trip.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite ways to use Las Vegas.
Fly in.
Enjoy a night or two somewhere fun.
Eat some good food.
See a few Vegas attractions.
And then head out into some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
