Please ADD your own Las Vegas Trip Report. Date of Trip: October 05, 2003 to November 30, 1999 Hotel Stayed At: MANDALAY BAY Report by: KTINCA <> From: CALIFORNAI

This was an unusual trip for us because it included my sister, who was celebrating her 50th birthday by visiting Las Vegas for the first time. She spent the first 3 nights with us and then went to see her daughter in DC.
There is no better time to visit than the first 2 weeks of October, the weather was perfect between 85 and 90 every day.

We flew in Sunday morning on SWA. The minute we stepped on the plane we qualified for a new set of free tickets, so at current value we started our trip around $600 ahead.

Arrived at Mandalay Bay around 10:30 am. I knew our choice of rooms might be limited due to our early check-in and the Hollyfield fight held here the night before.

Asked for a room in the Fiji tower facing the strip for my sister (explained it was her first visit) and a room with a pool view for us. We really enjoy the MB pool view, especially on the weekend. Mandalay Bay’s wedding chapel is just up from the pool area, and with this view my wife gets the chance to see some of the wedding parties heading to the chapel.

My sister was given room 17229 (4 or 5 doors from the end of the hall. In this wing the further down the hall the better the view) and we were given room #17226. Note: I did provide a $20 tip on check-in. I don’t know if this helped then, but it might have helped later (see Tuesday night).

I am going to describe MB’s standard room, only because I haven’t seen it done in a TR, and some may be interested.
As you enter the room, there is a short hallway and on the right is the armoire. The armoire has 3 large drawers for clothes but it’s real purpose is to hold the TV. Past the armoire is a desk and chair. Still on the right wall there is a floor lamp next to a large chair and ottoman.
This brings us to the back wall. The back wall consists entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows. This, of course, is the real centerpiece of the room, and provides magnificent views. In front of the window is a table & 2 chairs.
The left wall consists of the king bed and 2 nightstands with drawers.
The front wall has double French doors opening to the bathroom. On each side of the French doors is a closet (his & hers). One has an iron & board (hers) and there is also a safe.

The right wall of the bathroom has a marble counter around 8ft long, with 2 sinks and separate areas. Above the counter is a mirror the length of the wall. There is also a lighted make-up mirror.
The back wall has a separate room for the toilet and a glass shower.
The left side has the marble tub. All fixtures are marble & gold colored. This bathroom has to be seen to be appreciated.

After getting settled, we took my sister to the pool area for a tour and then to Raffles Café for lunch. Then like any good tourists we started to walk down the left side of the strip. First stop was the 9-11 display at NYNY, and picking up tickets for Rita Rudner. We stopped to look at the front of Monte Carlo and then went on to Bellagio. We spent some time taking pictures in the Conservatory and she had a chance to see her first fountain show. She was impressed and I promised her we would return after dark.

Walked down to Mirage, looked around and stopped at Ava Lounge for a well-deserved drink and a little rest. We were kind of surprised nothing had been set up for Roy yet by the hotel, but it was just too soon.

Crossed over and went to the Venetian for a tour of the shops. Reached the gondolas around 5pm and bought tickets for 6pm.
BTW: Three in a gondola is a bargain at $12.50 per ticket. It costs $50 for a private gondola for two.
Two pictures, souvenirs for my sister and her daughter cost $20, remember we are tourists this trip.

My sister wanted to try one high-end buffet, so the next stop was Paris for dinner. I know everyone loves Paris for breakfast, but I strongly recommend trying dinner. Price is now $24.95 per person, but considering the unusual menu selection and the quality, it is worth it. Also if you like crepes, they make desert crepes to order with the dinner buffet.

After dinner it was back to Bellagio to catch a couple of fountain shows. Then the walk back to Mandalay Bay. 80 degrees with a slight breeze at 9:30pm. You have to love Las Vegas in October.

Both ladies retired to soak in their respective tubs.

Monday October 6th.
After coffee and a muffin we head to the pool area around 9:30. My sister absolutely falls in love with the river, and sees no reason to leave. I offer her a day at the spa, but she decides she’s happy right where she is.
Around noon we grabbed lunch at the Surf Café near the beach. Food was OK, selection what you would expect salads & sandwiches.

The ladies decide they are happy where they are, but I can only take sitting in the sun so long. So I head up to the room, shower, and go down to wait for them at the poker room. MB has $4-$8 hold-em, so I sit down to kill a couple of hours. Nothing very exciting, I leave after 4 after winning $63.

Meet the ladies and we decide to walk down to the Mirage to sign a card for Roy and see the memorial that is starting to take shape.

My sister loves the Cheesecake Factory so we decide to have an early dinner at Grand Lux Café. No wait at 6pm and the quality is good as usual. She did order a dish she has frequently at CF and was a little surprised that it was prepared differently, but it still met her approval.

On to NYNY to see Rita Rudner. What we had heard about the showroom was true, it was very small with uncomfortable seating. I would recommend going if you like her humor, as she does put on a good show.

Tuesday October 7th. My sister’s birthday.

After a breakfast of muffin & coffee, once again we head down to lay by the river(you may notice a pattern here).

We had lunch at Border Grill. Hadn’t eaten there in about a year or so, it was really great. I had the rock shrimp, which was good, and my wife had chicken quesadilla, which was really terrific. The chicken was marinated & grilled and it tasted like the whole thing was soaked in butter. Probably a million calories but definitely worth it.
After lunch the ladies decided to leave the river (reluctantly) so we could start our day. Always nice to start your day around 2pm.

We headed down to Barbary Coast to catch Big Elvis. Of course it was her first time so she was duly impressed. Unfortunately, Pete has put on more weight and you have to be a little concerned about his health. He sits more during the show now and the sets are shorter, particularly the last one. So if you want to catch his show, make sure you get there around 2:30 to get a seat for the 1st show.

Went back to the hotel to change for dinner. Her birthday dinner was at Hugo’s Cellar. We left a little after 6 so we could walk around downtown and catch the 7pm FSE show. Dinner at 7:30pm, Hugo’s was great as usual.

When you enter all ladies are given a rose, which is put in a vase at your table and then wrapped in foil for you to take when you leave. We were given the furthest booth in the back for privacy.
After salad made at your table and a sorbet comes the main course. I had veal in a Dijon sauce, my wife loves their prime rib, and my sister had herb crusted rack of lamb with a raspberry sauce. All were excellent.
After dinner fruit dipped in chocolate is served, and of course we had coffee. The coffee is served with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and cinnamon sticks on the side. They also brought a complimentary piece of chocolate raspberry cake with a candle for my sister (no singing which pleased her).

Unfortunately, dinner ran a little past 9:00, so we could not catch another FSE show without waiting another 45 minutes. So we got a cab to head back to Mandalay Bay. I told the driver not to take the freeway, but to drive down Las Vegas Blvd. This way my sister would get to see the entire strip at night.

My sister had to leave around 6am for her flight to DC, so we said our goodbyes.

During the day my wife had suggested it might be nice to have a room with a strip view for a couple of nights. So we decided we would ask to take over my sister’s room when she checked out.

So at 10:30 Tuesday night we went to the front desk and explained that we would like to move into the other room for our last two nights to enjoy the strip view.
The clerk apologizes and says the room is already assigned for the next day. I know these rooms are in demand but didn’t realize they were assigned in advance.
She took a look at our hotel bill (which was pretty sizable considering the meals we charged and all the pina coladas ordered by the river at $9.50 each) and asks us to wait a few minutes while she checks with her supervisor.
She returns and says they can not give us that room, but that the Executive Suite at the end of our hall is available and we were welcome to spend our last couple of nights there as a free upgrade.

Good news to help us sleep.

Wednesday October 8th.
We basically had no set plans for the rest of our trip other than to relax.

I went down to the Orchid Lounge and picked up our usual muffin & coffee for breakfast. Around 9 we went down to lay by our river, where by now we have our own favorite spot.

Went back to the room around 12:30, called the front desk but our suite was not ready yet. So we went down to see the new Red, White & Blue restaurant. This is really three eating places in one. Red is a “bistro”, Blue is a deli, and White is a bakery.
After looking at menus we chose Blue for lunch. I had corned beef omelet and my wife had a salad. Food was fresh and the portions were large, but as with all MB dining venues the prices were a little high. What is nice is that the sandwiches are also sold to go, allowing you to have a quick bit in your room. This is something MB has been lacking.
The real find here is White; top quality pastries and cake, which can be eaten there, or taken to your room.

Our suite was now ready, so we had to move down the hall. Not exactly a big chore, we moved from Fiji #17226 to #17233.
This was our first time in an Executive Suite. We had seen the Honeymoon Suites, which we do not recommend.
The Honeymoon Suites are near the elevators, the Executive Suites are much largeR and at the end of the hall. This allows for magnificent views. The end of the Fiji wing gives a direct view north up the strip from MB to TI.

The suite itself is large, with a separate area for entertaining with full sofa and coffee table. There is also a bar with fridge, sink, and cabinets.
The bed and decorations are a little nicer than the standard room, but there is still only 1 TV, unusual for such a large suite.
The bathroom is a little larger with 2 entrances. It has twin sinks and a separate shower. The marble tub, which is in the middle of the bathroom, is a 2 person 8 jet Jacuzzi. The only closet in the suite is in the bathroom. It is a good size walk-in, but we prefer the twin closets in the standard rooms.
The bathroom amenities are the same, which are top of the line.
BTW: I’m sure the women will appreciate the lotions, bath salts, conditioners, etc. They have glycerin soap for your hands and exfoliating sea salt soap for your bath. But as a man, after a couple of days it would be nice to have a soap that actually makes a little lather.

Having completed our move we headed down to Aladdin so my wife could play in the slot tournament. After getting 6000 points (leader had 11000) she took her $10 free play and went in search of a VP machine. She found a quarter machine, played her $10 and ended up with $5.25. Cost of the tournament was $25 resulting in $5.25 cash and #20 food credit.
Does this count as a win?

It was around 6, so we headed to Monte Carlo for some VP. We stay at Mandalay Bay, but they don’t have any decent VP so we don’t play there. Monte Carlo has a few 9/5 JOB machines, and use the MB One Club card so the points earned there do us some good. Played for a couple of hours without hitting much. She lost a little and I ended up a few dollars ahead.

Around 9pm we headed back to MB to eat at the Noodle Shop. We weren’t very hungry and wanted a light meal and the soup there is consistently good.
After that a stop at White to pick up a piece of cake ($5) and a canola ($4).
A soak in the jacuzzi, some dessert, and an early evening.

Thursday October 9th.
Coffee & croissants for breakfast, and back to the river. This is Las Vegas for us. Resting in the morning before it gets too crowded, and then starting our day after lunch.

Went to the buffet at Aladdin for lunch around 2pm. Had read many good things about it on this panel and wanted to try it this trip. Good selection of items. Not equal to Paris or Bellagio, but better than most IMO.

We walked to Barabary Coast to catch the last set of Big Elvis and play a little Pai Gow Poker. My wife enjoys playing, but only if the table has a $5 minimum (MB tables are $25). Barbary Coast is an enjoyable place to play, but after an hour or two we weren’t having much success, so we headed to Monte Carlo for more VP. Again, with no real success to report.
Not hungry, so we had dessert from White in lieu of dinner.

Friday October 10th. Going home.

Breakfast was left over cake. We took our usual 3:00pm flight home. This gives us one more morning by the river before facing the world again.

Observations & Conclusions:

We didn’t have much luck gambling, but didn’t lose much either.

There is no better time to visit Vegas than October. Weather is perfect, kids are in school where they belong, and the crowds are minimal during the week.

Mandalay Bay is a true resort. The suite was very nice, but the standard rooms are so exceptional that I would not pay the higher rate.

This trip reaffirmed our opinion of LV as a great vacation destination. We spent much more time as tourists, and less time gambling than we normally do---and still had a great time.

BTW: My sister did not gamble AT ALL, but enjoyed her 1st LV experience very much. As we know, Vegas is different for everyone.

Hope you enjoyed the rambling report.

KTINCA <> - CALIFORNAI    4173

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