Mandalay Bay or NYNY?

I've been back 5 days already, so I'm starting to review options for my next trip. I've been staying the last several years at Harrah's, TI or Mirage, followed by 2 or 3 nights at the Golden Nugget.

I'm looking to stay at the other end of the Strip for a changeup. Thinking Mandalay Bay or NYNY. MGM is out of the question. Too big, too crowded, too many db's.

How do MB and NYNY stack up to one another, besides the obvious about MB being more expensive, but they do have way the better pool?

 

IMO, MB is better in all respects except location. Better food, better pool, better spa, an actual sportsbook (as opposed to the tiny area at NYNY), and better rooms. It also has a poker room, which I think NYNY lacks (I'm not a poker player, so I can't say that with absolute certainty). I like the energy of the NYNY casino and the layout is a bit more interesting (MB is kind of cavernous). NYNY has a better location to visit other resorts. But otherwise, MB is the place to go

 

MB is way better. Even the location isn't horrible since you can take the free tram to Excalibur and then cross the street to NYNY. They are also doing construction at NYNY and Monte Carlo over the next few months, so depending on when you go, that could be a factor.

 

UK is correct, MB is far better than NYNY rooms at NYNY are pretty small at the standard level. If you are interested in a less expensive option why not look at Planet Hollywood or Monte Carlo. I just booked at Monte's Hotel 32 for next month, it was only marginally more expensive than the regular rooms with a discount I found on their FB page (June post).

 

I'd say thats a pretty dead on assesment. The only thing I'd add to this is the dueling pianos at NYNY never ever disappoints me.

 

NYNY and Monte Carlo are undergoing construction which may make the area less appealing until it's finished:
http://www.vegaschatter.com/story/2013/8/22/205243/881/vegas-travel/At+New+York-New+York+And+Monte+Carlo%2C+Tearing+It+Down%2C+Building+It+Up

But i would choose MB regardless. If you don't want to pay for MB, i would try getting a nice room at Luxor which will be cheaper.

 

I actually consider MB to be too big myself! I think I got a blister just walking from the tram to the Shark Reef lol.

I don't think NYNY pool is supposed to be very exciting. My bff spent some time at MC pool reading one day while guys were gambling. It wasn't big or fancy but she said it was a very nice relaxing pool area.

 

If the pool is that important, skip NYNY. Mandalay's pool makes NYNY's look like a bathtub in comparison.

 

The MB footprint really is a monster. The property just goes on and on. In that respect, its the exact opposite of NYNY. I would guess that NYNY (along with Cosmo) packs more into a small footprint than any other Strip property

 

To be fair, tram to Shark Reef is pretty much the longest possible distance one could travel within the Mandalay Bay property.

Anyway, I would take Mandalay Bay eight days a week. The basic rooms at NY-NY are tiny, and the room I stayed in a few years back (Park Avenue Deluxe, maybe?) had one double-hung window looking out over the parking lot. Restaurants at Mandalay are also much better, although NY-NY isn't horrible; I like the Mandalay casino much better as well, though that's personal preference, especially since the near-total de-themeing of NY-NY (which, I might add, is the only casino where I've ever had a dealer hassle me for tips).

 

Has NYNY been de-themed? I haven't stayed there in a few years. What did they remove? Just curious ....

 

I wouldn't stay at NYNY. It's got very little going for it. Not much character, not the best prices, rooms are kinda shabby, gambling is so-so. MC, Luxor (tower rooms) are both better options, IMHO. Mandalay Bay is nice but overpriced unless you are there for the pool.

 

The biggest thing is that they removed the leafy canopies (the casino was supposed to have a Central Park theme) and replaced them with these stupid color-changing neon things which evoke the same "airport modern" design scheme going on over at Luxor. It's still pretty theme-y as resorts go, at least around the perimeter, but the casino just doesn't do it for me.

 

A lot depends on what you are looking for when it comes to choosing.

If the pool is the primary focus or the rooms itself then definitely MB over NYNY. I really hate the bathrooms in the NYNY rooms. Even if you get one of the larger rooms you still have the same size bathroom which is very small.

With that said we would never stay at MB and out of the two would choose NYNY every time.

Our main objective is location, games and food.

I like that you can walk from MB to Luxor to Excalibur without having to go outside but that is about it. We never had any luck at Luxor and Excalibur seems to be going downhill fast. We haven't been south of NYNY and MGM for probably 2 years. Although we currently stay at PH we still walk to NYNY to play some of their games and usually grab a bite.

NYNY has a great selection of the type of food we like. Nothing overly prices and many options.