Our visit to Las Vegas had us testing out the newly signed partnership between MGM Resorts and Marriott Bonvoy. Elite members of both programs are offered elevated benefits from each host loyalty program. Returning to a past MGM Resort flagship property, my return visit to the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino allowed a full experience of all the features under the new strategic partnership. Read on to see what the property is like under the new arrangement.

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This post is one chapter on a weekend trip from Canada to Las Vegas Nevada, United States of America. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – MGM Collection by Marriott, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America

“A past flagship property of the MGM Resorts collection, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino still provides some limited value under the new Marriott Bonvoy – MGM Collection partnership”

This review is of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino – MGM Collection.

For reviews of other Las Vegas properties, please see our reviews of:

• Aria Sky Suites One Bedroom Penthouse – Las Vegas
  • Aria Sky Suites Pool and Resort – Las Vegas
• The Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas
• The Signature by MGM Grand – Las Vegas
• Marriott Grand Chateau – Las Vegas
• Las Vegas Marriott

While looking for a short mileage run for Alaska Airlines MVP status for next year, I needed just under a thousand Alaska Mileage Plan Elite Qualifying Miles. With the current Marriott Bonvoy MGM Collection promotion announcing the new partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Resorts, it made sense to give some properties in Las Vegas another try.

MrsWT73 is a big fan of warm heat. Given that Las Vegas gets great summer weather temperatures in late summer, MrsWT73 wanted to go check out the Mandalay Bay beach and pool. This would mark her first trip to the property and my third trip, having visited several times previously.

About MGM Collection and Marriott Bonvoy:

MGM Collection announced a new strategic partnership between MGM Resorts and Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy Elite Members are entitled to some “light” benefits while staying at MGM Resorts. Whereas MGM Elites are able for a status match into Marriott Bonvoy’s program.

Approaching this from the Marriott Bonvoy Elite side as a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, the Marriott benefits are pretty light in comparison to a regular Marriott Bonvoy property.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Benefits included the following:

• The ability to earn Marriott Bonvoy points
• An elite bonus based on eligible spend (including room rate, in room dining and mini bar purchases),
• a welcome gift of 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per stay or a $15 food and beverage credit, per night
• An enchanced room upgrade based on availability.

While these benefits don’t rival the complimentary breakfast(s), free concierge lounge access and 4 PM check outs usually accessible to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum / Titanium and Ambassadors, in my view, any little bit helps when it comes to staying in Las Vegas.

Practically speaking, we would discover that there was only limited value between the partnership between MGM Resorts and Marriott Bonvoy. Perhaps my expectations were higher than average, but I would end up feeling a little underwhelmed overall during our stay experience.

Booking The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino:

In order to be eligible to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and Elite Qualifying Nights, travellers are required to book through the Marriott Bonvoy Hotels portal, instead of directly on MGM Casino and Resorts webpage. This was of value in order to re-qualify for MrsWT73’s Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status for next year. As a result, we booked direct with Marriott Bonvoy.

On our Wednesday night stay, we were able to locate a AAA Rate for $107 USD, which included a $45 USD Resort Fee.

We ended up booking a basic room categorized as a “Resort, Guest Room – 1 King”.

Despite the inclusion of the resort fee, getting a Las Vegas room for $107 USD a night at a resort property is pretty terrific value.

The $45 USD daily resort fee consisted of the usual junk. It is pretty much just a base rate “add on”. When we got to the property itself, we didn’t even get a sheet outlining what the resort fee actually included.

Per the Marriott website: the resort fee included:

• In Room Wireless Internet Access
• Unlimited local, domestic long distance (the 50 United States and DC) and toll free calls
• Access to Paramount + with SHOWTIME on Demand via in room television
• Airline boarding pass printing
• Digital newspaper and magazine access
• Fitness Centre access for guests 18+
• Amenities, such as fitness centre access are subject to availability and guest demand

For interests’ sake, I did a comparison of the rates available direct from the casino. Without getting into an exhaustive research of multi combination or package rates hidden through various menus on the MGM Casino booking portal, I actually did better with the Marriott Bonvoy AAA rate.

In my experience, on our stay nights, there was no substantial benefit for booking direct with the casino.

Marriott Bonvoy Opportunities:

The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino has variable pricing, dependent if you are travelling during the popular weekend or the softer weekdays. Rates will also vary tremendously based on whether there are special events or conventions occurring at the property.

I have never seen such variability in pricing on a hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy program. The cheapest that I had seen rates for were approximately 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points on a Sunday night, all the way up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points on a Tuesday night, booked two days in advance.

As a refresher, If you value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents per point, it only makes sense to redeem points under the right circumstances. For example, it would only make sense to redeem 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a room valued at over $160 USD. If you are redeeming against a room that is 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, then you’d have to have a room rate over when those same points are worth approximately $1,200 USD.

It seems crazy to think of redeeming 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at the Mandalay Bay when the St Regis Maldives is usually around 90,000 points per night and you happen to get a spacious over water villa. While it’s unlikely you’ll get this much value out of your Marriott Bonvoy points at the Mandalay Bay, I suppose anything is possible in the eye of the beholder.

Marriott Bonvoy members get the fifth night free when redeeming five or more day stay. Keep in mind that by redeeming five nights, and getting the fifth night free, will increase the value proposition by lowering the average number of points per night.

Arriving to The Mandalay Bay:

After arriving to Harry Reid International Airport Las Vegas, I took an Uber from the airport over to the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The property commands the south western most location of any Las Vegas Strip Casino. With a large golden tower, the property is unique and memorable.

Mandalay Bay’s southern location is both a blessing and a curse. While MGM Resorts had the opportunity to carve out and design a property with a large beach and with stacks of convention space, the location makes it a little harder to access the central strip areas.

I arrived to a dedicated Ride Share entrance that was one level below the main lobby. I ended up take an escalator up to the main floor.

Checking into Mandalay Bay:

After arriving to the main casino and lobby floor, we headed over to the front counter. Being a casino property, there was a long snake maze line set up. We were arriving at about noon. Most the line was empty, except for those that had missed the 11 AM check out time, or had made alternate arrangements.

We were checked in and assigned our room. The host went through the usual process of check in. We got assigned a high level floor (33rd floor – now renamed as 53rd floor) but there was no room category upgrade that you’d typically find at a regular Marriott Bonvoy flagged property. The lack of upgrade was even on a Wednesday night, with low occupancy.

We were give a verbal caution about the mini bar and snack items being on sensor activated basis. We were cautioned that moving them would result in a room charge after thirty seconds. We were also informed not to store personal items in the mini bar.

We didn’t get any explanation of how the Marriott benefits worked under the MGM Resorts- Marriott Bonvoy partnership. When we questioned the front desk, he didn’t seem to be particularly well trained on what was available or how the food and beverage credit worked.

Without getting any answers, we ended up leaving the front desk. We wandered over to the Priority Guest Check In area for MGM Gold, Platinum and Noir. We ended up finding some fine print underneath the sign showing this as the check in location for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum / Titanium and Ambassador.

We entered the dedicated lounge for Elite check ins. In casino style, this was a small space similar to the dedicated host lounge at The Autograph Lounge at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. With two reception host points, and a small couch and seating area, it was just large enough to function, but hardly a spacious or super luxurious place.

Within the lounge, there was a small snack bar with signs indicating guests could take “only one” snack per person. This was strictly enforced through the hosts.

After a short line, we were able to get a front desk attendant that was fully trained up on the MGM Collection – Marriott Bonvoy partnership benefits. We were explained that the Marriott Bonvoy $15 USD food and beverage credit would be valid provided materials were charged to the room folio. We were encouraged to use the credit on the day of departure; perhaps a subtle way of discouraging use during happy hour or dinner hour.

Regular check out time at Mandalay Bay was 11 AM. We asked for a late check out of 2 PM, consistent with the Marriott Bonvoy benefits provided under the MGM Collection. Despite being a 3,209 room hotel, the latest they were prepared to offer Marriott Bonvoy Titaniums was 1 PM, despite being in a base level room. We still had access to the pool before and after our stay, so this wasn’t a deal breaker.

At both check in areas, we were not given any explanation on the resort fee or it’s inclusions. The Resort Fee was added to the bill without any discussion. While you’d typically expect a sheet with your room key, there wasn’t any handout or description of the fee unless you happened to return to the internet booking portal to look up the features.

The Room: Resort Guest Room – 1 King

The Mandalay Bay hotel recently renumbered it’s floors to eliminate floor #32. The co-located Four Seasons Hotel occupies floors #35 – 39, which is accessible through separate entrance and lobby area. Our assigned Mandalay Bay room was on floor number #58, or actual floor number #33. We found the elevator bank which was located a short walk from the lobby.

The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is spread into a three armed hotel vector with hallways meeting in the middle at the elevator bank. We easily found our assigned room #58 – 313 hallway vector. We were not offered, and did not request, baggage assistance.

I’ve spend quite a bit of time on the road throughout business and leisure hotels. The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino has an upscale upper South Seas theme. Needless to say, after stepping off on the floor hallway, you’re stuck with this theme which is a bit “different” than you may have experienced at other properties.

Personally, I didn’t find the decor to be to my liking. It was a strange psychedelic mash of colours, shapes and decor items ranging from tacky to flamboyant. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be hiring this particular decorator for my home or rental properties.

Entering the Resort Guest Room – 1 King, we found a spacious 550 sq feet, 50 sqm room. The room was larger and more spacious than expected. The space felt larger than many Las Vegas strip hotel rooms that I’ve stayed in the past.

The room offered a plush king size bed, marked by a unique looking headboard and wall accent.

The property was initially constructed in the year 1999. It’s fair to say that the room has likely gone through several evolutions of time since then. This has resulted in some different colour schemes throughout the room. The accent wall was a dark brown, followed by dark blue carpeting, gold wallpaper and blue and green curtains.

The room was accented with two individual occasional chairs for relaxing.

While no one is likely working in Las Vegas, there was a small desk and chair integrated into the cabinet. The flat screen television was smaller than class average at approximately 32 inches.

The room also featured proper wine glasses. I was a bit surprised to see actual glassware in a hotel property featuring three thousand two hundred and nine rooms. I certainly wouldn’t complain.

There were ample mini bar and snack items loaded into the room. Aligned with our caution on not to move items, there was much more prominent signage warning.

The price points for the mini bar items were “over the top”. During our stay, the in room instant coffee was priced at $16 USD a cup. A Rum 50 mL ($19 USD) and Coke ($12 USD) would run you $33.57 USD after 8.3% Nevada state sales tax.

In addition to the pricing, there were personal item storage fees of $65 USD and a Romance Kit for $70 USD for those that were desperate and didn’t plan ahead.

The bathroom itself was much more understated in decor than the hotel room. The bathroom was featured in dark tones with an upgraded mirror featuring embedded lighting.

The bathroom featured a stand up shower that was on the small side. There was also a compact soaker tub that was embedded into the ground.

The toiletries in the bathroom were MGM Resort branded. They featured contemporary combinations; the hand wash was Shea Butter and Chamomile. The MGM Resorts Body Lotion featured Grape Seed Oil and Shea Butter.

The Resort Guest Room featured floor to ceiling windows with views of the Strip, the Mandalay Beach or the Allegiant Stadium. We didn’t experience a terrific strip view like at our stay at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas and our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status didn’t seem to help all that much. Instead, we had a peek – a – boo view of the Harry Reid Las Vegas Airport, and a view of the Mandalay Beach grounds.

In terms of sleep quality at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, the rooms were well away from the noise of the casino. The hallways require key card access from the elevator. As a result, if you happen to get hallway noise, you’re likely extremely unlucky. We didn’t have any hallway noise during our stay. Our sleep was pleasant and uninterrupted.

Despite the property being over twenty five years old, the room was in “above average” but not “very good” or “excellent” condition. There were a few signs of wear and tear throughout the room, consistent with a property that experiences a substantial amount of room turnover.

Around the Hotel Property:

The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino offers heaps of amenities signed to keep visitors gambling. The property is remarkably solid when it comes to it’s features and attractions.

The Mandalay Bay Beach:

One of the primary attractions of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is the 11 acre pool known as Mandalay Bay Beach. The Mandalay Bay Beach features a sandy beach area with two thousand seven hundred tons of sand imported from California, USA.

The Mandalay Bay Beach is accessed from the bottom level of the hotel. Access is through escalators or by using the room elevators to descend to the bottom floor.

After passing through a security inspection that seems to be focused on making sure glass doesn’t enter the beach area, we found ourselves at Las Vegas’ best casino pool area.

The Mandalay Bay Beach offers a large space with an artificial wave machine designed to create waves of up to six feet in height. It’s worth mentioning that you need to be at least 48 inches tall in order to enter the beach area, something parents may want to know prior to visiting to prevent disappointment.

The beach itself has a gradual crest, making it a slightly hazardous shore line to hang around in. Lifeguards are always on scene, encouraging bathers to stay well within the marked wave area and not within the shoreline zone. There is no actual sand in the pool itself with the sandy beach and the pool being completely separated.

The beach seating itself is remarkably high density. While I thought the beaches of Waikiki Hawaii were close quarters, this takes things to the next level.

We didn’t have any trouble finding free lounge chairs when we arrived at 1 PM on a weekday. However, we didn’t get a whole lot of extra space with them. If personal space is important to you, cabanas’ are available on a floating dynamic price point between $300 – $750 USD per day, dependent on supply.

The Mandalay Bay has a lazy river which can be used when visiting the complex. The floating river is nice, but it’s not as nice as the floating river at MGM Grand.

While we’ve seen Mandalay Bay previously offer free floating ring use, they’ve since realized that it’s easier to charge $40 USD for a float purchase. A children’s float is $35 USD. If you have time in your schedule, ABC Stores on the Las Vegas Strip by Park MGM offers a similar but less durable Intex floating ring for $4.99 + $1 for inflation.

There are remarkably good views of the Mandalay Bay hotel and it’s sister hotel “The Delano” from the pool area, which added to the South Seas tropical feel of the property.

If you haven’t visited recently, it’s also worth mentioning that MGM Resorts has subdivided a lot of the pool space. They have segregated some of the more minor pools for use on a pay – per – use basis. This means that there’s a lot less pool deck space than when the pool was initially constructed.

Beach Bar and Grill:

While we we’re enjoying the pool, we did use the Beach Bar and Grill cafeteria restaurant that was located in the pool zone. The menu is pretty standard and fairly expensive for what you get.

The food quality was not as good as it should be for the price point. Nevertheless we were able to burn off our $15 food and beverage credit courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status included with our stay.

Mandalay Bay Casino:

In my humble opinion, The Mandalay Bay Casino is one of the nicer casino gambling spaces on the Las Vegas strip. The casino is marked with high ceilings, a spacious feel and lots of room to manoeuvre.

While MrsWT73 found it a little smoky, it was a lot less smoky than some of the other casinos on the strip such as at the MGM Grand. While I didn’t happen to gamble on this particular stay, I enjoyed passing through this area.

It’s worth mentioning that given Mandalay Bay’s extreme south strip location, you’re likely to find yourself gambling here as there are not many alternative casinos nearby.

Food and Beverage:

The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino offers lots of choice when it comes to on property food and beverage outlets. Being Las Vegas, most of the restaurants are anchored by elevated concepts, celebrity chefs and engaging eating spaces designed to deliver some form of excitement.

Most of the restaurants are located towards the rear of the property behind the casino floor near the properties convention space. Mandalay Bay has hosted several legacy restaurants that have previously included Aureole, Fleur, Lupo and Red Square. As a result, most of the current food concepts are new.

While I haven’t covered all the food and beverage outlets, the main ones are listed below.

Caramá by Wolfgang Puck:

Caramá is a modern Italian restaurant anchored by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The space looked appealing and new.

The Caramá restaurant featured the usual Italian themed Mediterranean delights.

The menu featured a salumi bar, a traditional pizzas ranging from Margherita, Pesto, smoked prosciutto, al fungi and vegetariana pizzas. The menu was expansive and further had antipasti , pasta, secondi, carne and side options.

Orla Mediterranean by Michael Mina:

Located across the hall, competing against Wolfgang Puck was Orla Mediterranean by celebrity chef Michel Mina. Orla is located in the place previously occupied by Aureole. Orla is Chef Michael Mina’s brand-new Mediterranean restaurant described as having stunning seafood, charcoal-roasted meats, and bright, zesty vegetables.

The Orla restaurant space also looked contemporary and exciting. It would probably be my first choice of the Mandalay Bay restaurants if pressed to try just one.

The Orla Menu offered a wide and diverse menu. The Orla Menu offered cold and hot mezze options, along with an extensive fish market along with charcoal grilled meats.

Libertine Social Gastropub:

In the fun category, Libertine Social Gastropub offered a “next-generation gastropub” with New American bar food anchored by the renowned chef Shawn McClain.

StripSteak by Michael Mina:

Celebrity Chef by Michael Mina is doing double duty at Mandalay Bay. Michael Mina also offers a StripSteak restaurant in LAs Vegas, complimenting it’s Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, USA location.

The StripSteak menu offered every kind of grilled meat imaginable. It’s hard not to imagine going wrong with well prepared steak at this location.

In addition to these restaurants, there was a location of the Border Grill which I had previously visited.

In summary, there are heaps of restaurants available at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

Bottom Line: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

We had about an “as expected” stay at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The rooms were spacious and wearing well, despite them being almost twenty five year old.

The property offered a few engaging features such as the Mandalay Bay beach, along with a solid number of celebrity restaurants. In exchange for this, you get the privlege of a $16 USD coffee in the room, and hidden prices on most experiences unless you happen to read the fine print.

While the property offered a pretty good stay experience, the MGM Resorts – Marriott Bonvoy partnership is pretty much an “after thought”. The partnership doesn’t offering many real Elite benefits other than the ability to earn points & elite qualifying nights, and a bag of truffle potato chips at check in. The partnership was arguably the most underwhelming part of the stay experience.

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If you have stayed at MGM Resorts – Mandalay Bay did you get value out of the Elite partnership ?

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