Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino

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Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Facts and statistics
Address 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Opening date March 2, 1999
Previous names Hacienda (imploded to make way for Mandalay Bay)
Casino type Land-Based
Theme Southeast Asia
Owner MGM Mirage
No. of rooms 3,309
Total gaming space 135,000 ft² (12,541.91 m²)
Permanent shows Mamma Mia!
Signature attractions Shark Reef
Notable restaurants Aureole
Fleur de Lys
Years renovated 2002, 2007
Website Mandalay Bay

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a 39-story luxury hotel casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas. It is owned by MGM Mirage. The top five floors (floors 35-39) of the main hotel building are used by the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas.[1] It is connected by free tram to its sister properties, Excalibur and Luxor.

Mandalay Bay has 3,309 hotel rooms and a casino of 135,000 ft² (13,000 ). The adjacent Mandalay Bay Convention Center has almost one million ft² (93,000 m²) of space. In addition, the Mandalay Bay Events Center hosts events including boxing, the UFC's MMA pay-per-views and concerts.

Contents

[edit] Attractions

As of August, 2007, Mamma Mia! was the long-term stage production at Mandalay Bay. Mandalay Bay features the 11 acre (4.5 ha) Mandalay Beach with two heated pools, a wave pool with connecting pool for small children, a European-style pool and a lazy river that features a small waterfall. The wave pool features 1.6 million gallons of water and waves in 90-second intervals with heights ranging anywhere from two to four feet. Because of this, it has a strict 48" height requirement. The European-style pool called Moorea, features its own private bar as well as the allowance of female guests to bathe topless. Because of this, Moorea is separated from the rest of the pool by smoked glass windows and has an over-21 requirement. There are also two restaurants at the Beach. The pool area is considered among the best in Greater Las Vegas, winning the 2006 Las Vegas Review Journal's Reader's "Best Pool of Las Vegas" award for the 7th year in a row.[2]

In keeping with the resort's tropical theme, it features a saltwater aquarium, the Shark Reef Aquarium, which contains the third largest tank in North America. Shark Reef Aquarium contains numerous other exhibits, including two tunnel-shaped, walk-through aquaria. Another popular attraction is the House of Blues, a venue for live music and a restaurant, with a capacity of approximately 1,800. On the top floor of the hotel is the House of Blues Foundation Room, featuring a dining room, private dining rooms, and a balcony looking down the Las Vegas Strip.

There are 24 restaurants and cafés at the resort.[3] Michael Mina, Charlie Palmer, Hubert Keller, Wolfgang Puck and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Too Hot Tamales) are all associated with restaurants on the property.

[edit] History

On December 31, 1996, the Hacienda was imploded to make way for the Mandalay Bay.

During construction engineers discovered that one side of the tower had sunk about two feet (600 mm) stopping construction. Construction was delayed while a solution was designed and tested. Eventually they were able to add material below the structure to carry the weight. Since then, there have not been any reports of this problem recurring.

The resort opened on March 2, 1999, with actors Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, and John Goodman headlining a parade of Harley-Davidson motorcycles through Mandalay Bay's front doors to celebrate the grand opening.

The convention center was added in January 2003. When it opened, it was ranked as the fifth largest in the United States. It also offered the largest unobstructed ballroom in the country, at 100,000 ft² (9,000 m²).

In 2004 a new 43-story tower was opened with 1,120 suites, called THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. The hotel contains 1,117 one-bedroom suites, each at least 750 square feet.

The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that a condo-hotel called THEplace is planned on land across from the hotel belonging to the Luxor.

[edit] Film and television history

[edit] Musical references

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Guest rooms and suites. Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas (June 9, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-15.
  2. ^ Best Pool. 2006 Best of Las Vegas survey. Las Vegas Review Journal (2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-15.
  3. ^ Mandalay Bay dining

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 36°05′30″N, 115°10′29″W