Las Vegas again
 

Your suggestions please. Which is preferable, the Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay or THEHotel Mandalay Bay and is the Mandalay Bay really far from the rest of the strip? This is a special birthday trip and I would like it to be a memorable experience. I don't plan to get a car as most people sem to think the bus/monorail is a better way to get around.

As a frequent visitor to Vegas I think Mandalay Bay is too far from where I want to be (Center Strip) but for some I am sure it is fine. It's up to you.

In my opinion the Monorail is useless. It runs too far behind the major strip hotels to be convenient (i.e. cut down on walking). The bus (called Deuce) is a double-decker bus that runs on the Strip (or crawls if traffic is bad). It stops at the major hotels and if you do not mind being packed in like a saradine (most of the time) and/or creeping along then it's ok I guess. Personally I prefer walking, it's faster.

A rental car is usefull if you are going to be going on day trips, but you have to deal with traffic in Vegas itself. It can take 45 min. drive to get from Mandalay Bay down to Venetian (for example)sometimes. Like I said, it is faster walking :-) Parking is free at all the hotels, either self-park or valet parking. Be aware that it can take awhile to get your car from the valet when things are busy. Taxi's are plentiful, but it does add up...very convenient tho, taxi lines are in front of all the major hotels.

There is a free tram between Mandalay/Luxor/Excalibur. There is also a free tram between the Mirage and Treasure Island.

There's a similar discussion at this thread...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

I just got back from Vegas and stayed at the regular 'ol Mandalay Bay. It's at the end of the strip, but I personally didnt think that was that big of a deal. There is a free 24/7 monorail that takes you to Excaliber. We don't mind walking, so we walked from there up to Ceasar's Palace. Cabs are plentiful. It cost us under $10 to go from MGM (kiddy corner to Excalibur) to the Venetian.

ooops try this:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34898960

It depends on where you want to be, what you want to do, what you like and what you want to spend amongst other details.

Never been to Vegas? This is the wrong location.

Want to hang out at 1 property and your room is a priority? This may be good for you.

You talk about "getting around." What do you want to see and do?

More help is available with additional detail.

The hotels at Mandalay Bay are nice, sure, but I really, really, REALLY hate the location. I'm just someone who likes to be Center Strip.

For a memorable birthday, I'd hit one of the five-star properties: Bellagio or the Wynn. The former gets my nod for consistently superb service; many posters on this site love the Wynn because it's The New Thing, shiny and spectacular, but the service varies from competent to snotty to amateurish. Granted, it got its five stars, so service must be improving.

The best thing about Center Strip is that you won't need a car or bus or monorail to go casino-hopping; walking around becomes much less painful (and besides, I drive everywhere at home-- I wanna walk the Strip!!).

I guess getting around to me means looking at the other hotels, going to some really nice restaurants and seeing a couple of shows. In particular I want to get tickets for KA at the MGM. So possibly it would be best to book a hotel in the center of the strip.[Long walks are not an option for me]
Thanks milemarker0,I did look at the previous discussions and every piece of information helps to make up my mind.

If we consider the corner of the Strip and Flamingo to be "Center Strip" (Bellagio, Ballys, Caesars, Flamingo Hotels).

Then you have quite a walk to the MGM. Mandalay to MGM is much closer. MGM is on the corner of the Strip and Tropicana Ave. along with Excalibur, NYNY, Tropicana and Monte Carlo hotels.

I guess it depends on where you plan on spending your time. Count on using a cab now and again no matter what.

Really everything in Vegas is a long walk because the hotels are so darn huge. Just getting from one to another is a trek, and then getting to the actual hotel from the sidewalk is another trek.

In terms of the Four Seasons vs. theHotel, it really depends on what you want. Pick the Four Seasons for the best service you'll get at any hotel in Vegas. Pick theHotel for a luxurious room with modern furnishings.

And, really, if you can afford either of these places, then you can afford taxis to get you wherever you like.

I'm with placeu2 and the center strip hotels listed. Or close to center like Paris & Alladin.

The monorail that takes you to Luxor and Excalibur is a different one than the new one, which I agree is almost totally useless. I love staying at Mandalay, and if the weather is warm, their pool area is awesome. That being said, if you can get into the Bellagio or the Wynn without paying an arm and a leg, these are great properties. Bellagio, especially, is dead center of the strip, has great restaurants, The Buffet, the fountains, "O", the conservatory, sportsbook, just tons of things that I would think qualify for the "memorable experience" you're looking for. Plus, you're closer to so many other casinos, since you won't have a car.

We have an annual girls trip, the first year was at the Flamingo, great price, center strip, great pool area. Next Paris, I love the casino and the location-center strip as well.
This past May, I got a great internet deal for Mandalay Bay. We booked it and we were really excited to be at one of the "best places". Well the make up mirror lights did not work, they did not bring the extra pillows we called for numerous times. Those things we could have lived with but when we went to the pool area, it was LOADED with the college/high school crowd.
So after 2 nights we moved bakc to the Flamingo. The location of mandalay Bay also was not as convenient as Flamingo, Paris, Ballys, etc.

I have been to Las Vegas many times, most recently on Labor Day. My husband and I have stayed at Mandalay Bay twice. It was lovely, but I really prefer a more central location. Every trip following the first two stays at MB, we have stayed at Bellagio, Paris, Aladdin, Flamingo or Treasure Island. We much prefer this central location. No matter where you stay in Vegas, there is tons of walking involved. Nothing is as close as it seems. Even the walk to the monorail is a hike. If you are planning a special birthday, I would choose Bellagio. Get a lakeview room (or suite) and you can't go wrong.

Have fun!

How can you stay anywhere other than The Venetian? The rooms are huge, the bathroom is huge, and the restaurants are great. The location couldn't be better either.

If the Venetian is still as nice as it was when I stayed 3 yrs ago, I have to agree, it was pretty special...

Just received a code for great rates in my email at the Venetian now through Jan. 4:

(866) 403-8046 and mention code: GRED72D.

I took my husband to Vegas for his 40th bday - first time there for both of us. We stayed at THEHotel, as did his brothers and our friends. Other friends stayed at the Excalibur so we were all essentially in the same spot. We LOVED theHotel. Yes, everyone says it is far from the center of the strip, and yes, I got home from the weekend feeling that we never saw the strip like you see it on TV, but it was sensory overload even where we were. We could've walked to other hotels but it was over 100 degrees at night, so we took cabs and it was fine. (And there was a big group of us). Twice we were caught waiting for 20 minutes or so for cabs. We went to dinner at the Stratosphere and to Love at the Mirage. As for the hotel, my brother-in-law had a few issues with their room not being ready when they arrived, etc., but every single thing they complained about resulted in a comp for free buffet, reduction in the room rate, etc. My husband and I had nothing to complain about! I would go back in a minute. I cannot speak to staying closer to the strip, but we had a great time at TheHotel. Hope this helps. You'll have a great time no matter what!

Ok, every post needs at least one dissenter - that's me. When I think of center strip - I don't think of the Wynn and the Venetian. Of course, I don't with the mall there either. For me, Ceasars is center strip and the Wynn is just as far from it as THEHotel or Mandalay Bay. And walking in that area seems to me to have WAY more callgirl cards and hookers than walking back towards the Bellagio and MGM. I'd rather stay at Mandaly and go between Ceasars, Bellagio, MGM, New York, Monte Carlo, Luxor, etc than go down to the Wynn and Venetian, neither of which I really like. Just MHO.

"I don't with the mall there either." Hmm, not sure what I was saying except that I don't shop/go there often. The other thing I was going to add is that having foot and knee surgery, I appreciate the wider walks and shorter distances (feels like anyway) from Mandalay to Ceasar, instead of the two person wide walks from Mirage down to Wynn. Frankly anything beyond the Wynn seems pretty trashy to me. I love Red Square at Mandaly, Nine Fine Irishmen at New York,Drais at Barbary, Emeril's at MGM, all of Paris and shopping at Ceasars Forum shops so there isn't much I do north of Ceasars. I enjoy visiting the Venetian and the Wynn but I don't spend much time there. So I'd rather be at the other end of town from Y'all, I guess. I'll take a taxi when I want to visit, leave the crowds down there and stay uptown (downtown?)!