Mandalay Bay Virgin Question

Hello, I've been to vegas a bunch of times and normally stay at MGM but my first stay at MB is coming up early next month. Going with 2-3 friends on a guys trip. We are in our very early 40's and plan on visiting the Foundation Room and Moorea pool.

Where is the best place to watch the Saturday night football game or week 1 NFL games? Is there a great bar or restaurant to watch the games in? We don't want to park someone in the sportsbook saving seats for the others till game time (Ohio state vs Virginia tech)

What other suggestions/recommendations do you have for MB first timers?

Bars? Restaurants? Any must do's?

How are the craps and BJ tables?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

In thinking of MB restaurants for FB I'd think some of the places out in Mandalay Place , the attached mall, might be better. RiRa, burger bar ( great place) or huessongs cantina. The sports book is Huge and pretty much empty every time I've walked by it, and there is an Evening Call right there for drinks.
What not to miss:
The pool
The craps tables are great, there typically is a live band all evening in the myzitha lounge very close to the craps tables.
Eye candy is a nice lounge for a little drinking and dancing with no cover charge.
The variety of slots can't be beat.
Micheal Jackson One is incredible for someone our age- I've seen it twice. Use your Mlife card and VIP services to get better seats.
I love Fleur for small plates and nice drinks. Boarder grill is wonderful as well but more difficult to find.
I love Mix but I hear it maybe closed so foundation room may be your best bet. There are often people hanging out around the MB elevators during the day handing out coupons which give you access to foundation room and drink discounts. Elevators are slow and often full around check out- leave extra time.
Be sure to find the free tram to Luxor and Excalibur to get you closer to midstip faster and with less sore feet.
Have a great time!

 

Welcome. I'll respond in inverse order.

The craps and BJ tables are both great. For good rules expect $25 BJ. The craps minimums vary between $10-25.

For Bars, I love the Foundation Room and Red Square. The 1923 Bourbon and Burlesque Speakeasy is also a great time, it offers the shows on Friday and Saturday nights.

For restaurants, I like Citizen's for a healthy breakfast, Border Grill for Mexican (try the brunch), RM Seafood for Oysters, and Charlie Palmer's Steakhouse . Charlie Palmers has an incredible deal called Cut of the Week, which is three courses with a steak entree paired with unlimited wine for $48. Cannot beat the value. Both Aureole and Fleur are good as well. For sushi, I'd recommend going over to Luxor and Rice and Company. Foundation room restaurant is also great. Get the chacuterie. In the mall between MB and Luxor, the best restaurants I've been to are Burger Bar and Ri Ra.

Pool is definitely a must do. Three guys into Moorea are probably going to get charged a cover but you could go to the big main pool for free if you like. You've already mentioned Foundation Room--remember that hotel guests shouldn't be charged cover. I also recommend the Bourbon and Burlesque for your group, cigars, bourbon, and pasty covered boobs seem like a good fit for a guy trip.

For first timers, I'd say ask for a high floor strip view of whatever you're booked into. I've always been upgraded at least that with $20. Also, make sure to bring pool clothes, as it is great to chill down there.

I'd just watch the NFL games in the sportsbook. Plenty of room in there every time I"ve seen. Even during the U.S. soccer game there were places to sit. Otherwise, there are TVs in most the bars and casinos.

 

Foundation Room is awesome - the bartenders mix strong drinks, both the lounge food (small plates) and the full menu fare in the dining room are yummy. Don't miss the outdoor patio (behind the long bar in the lounge) for great views - sunset (and sunrise) is awesome, and the night view looking up the Strip is very pretty.
Moorea is my favorite topless pool on the Strip. Will you be there on Labor Day weekend? If so, you may want to consider getting a cabana at Moorea.
We always watch sports at the MB Sportsbook (if you decide to do this, ask for Terri - she is an amazing CW). Also, the bar at rm Seafood, and Burger Bar (both in the Mandalay Place shops between MB and Luxor) have plenty of TVs.

Have a great trip!

 

At the Bourbon and Burlesque bar, do they allow you to bring your own cigars or do you have to purchase them there?

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the great responses. We are going the weekend after Labor Day. For the cabana's do you get food and beverage credits in the price of the cabana? We have been known to blow over $300 on beer buckets and Jell-O shots in an afternoon at the pool. How much do the cabanas run?

 

prices vary by day, and there are many different types of cabanas. However, none of them include food and beverage credit.

 

This is correct. I've seen them from $250 all the way up to $4k. Depends what you want and what day it is. That late in the season they should be more affordable.

If you get a cabana I recommend the fresh fruit tray. Another trick is to get the sampler of shots of Naked juice. Then ask your cabana host for a glass of straight grey goose. They usually bring out a full glass of goose for $14, which you can then mix with the juice. It's pretty much bottle service for cheaper than the beer buckets.

 

The larger cabanas are about 350 and come with Free soda and water. All other food/liquor is purchased off the menu. We had a group of 7, 3 of which were minors and our bill was $800 for the day with lunch and drinks and cabana. that was before tip. we are going with just the two of us this trip and getting the same large cabana because we love that location (east lagoon). But we have $100 cabana credit and a resort credit as well, so it's quite affordable and it's nice to have the reprieve from the sun occasionally in Aug.

 

Thanks for all the responses we will definitely look into the cabana idea, do we do that at the concierge or through my host (sorry never done a cabana before) also where are the best places for pizza and chicken wings?

 

Host would be best, but you could go through concierge.

 

For cabanas, host is always best, eapecially for properties that only rent out cabanas through waitlists. I believe MB actually does take reservations and does not do the waitlist, so you should be good with concierge or host. But, if you have a host, i say use him/her.

 

You can actually book the cabanas online if you like as well, that is s nice way to get a handle on the options.

For chicken wings try the House of Blues restaurant near the casino. On Friday nights they do a live band/karaoke thing. Very fun.

For pizza, I think there is a place called slice of Vegas in the mall between MB and Luxor. Never been there myself.

 

We like the pizza at Lupo ( a Wolfgang Puck restaurant on restaurant row in Mandalay Bay). We haven't tried Slice of Vegas, so can't provide a comparison.

 

I absolutely love StripSteak at Mandalay. A must-go for me. Burger Bar is also fantastic. Those are my two favorites. Definitely good blackjack vibes there; I've never had great luck at craps at MB.

On a related note, really happy to hear they're going to be doing room renovations in 2015.

 

Slice is quite good in the Mandalay Shoppes, as is Burger Bar. When I've been there, craps tends to be $15 minimums at night. Only place I haven't found $10 tables.

 

Questions about moorea beach club: if the price of the cabana is too expensive.

How crowded does it get?
Do you need to be there when it opens to get a lounger? Is one included with price of admission?
Is there any shade or do you cook out in the heat?
Can you bring your own beer or do you need to order from their menu?
If you can byob is there a cheap place near by to buy it?

Sorry for all the questions, trying to plan ahead 9 days away!