Is Mandalay Bay Worth It in 2026? Our Honest Take

Is Mandalay Bay worth staying at in Las Vegas in 2026? We spent four nights at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino as part of our search for the best MGM hotel to use as our Las Vegas home base.

00:00 Mandalay Bay & the South Las Vegas Strip
00:25 Our Search for the Best MGM Hotel
01:15 Arriving at Mandalay Bay + Vegas Transportation Tips
02:38 Mandalay Bay Check-In Experience
03:24 Standard King Room Review — 5/5
04:19 Mandalay Bay Casino Review
06:47 Casino Rating — 3/5
07:08 Wave Pool, Lazy River & Pool Complex
07:51 Is Mandalay Bay Good for Families?
08:18 Pool Crowds, Shade & Cabanas
09:12 Tailgate & Moorea Beach Club
11:29 Pool Rating — 3.5/5
12:02 Mandalay Bay Tram & Getting Around Vegas
13:53 Getting Around Rating — 5/5
13:58 Would We Use Mandalay Bay as Our Vegas Home Base?

And Mandalay Bay gave us some VERY different scores.

????️ Room: 5/5
Our standard king room was one of the best surprises of the stay. A large bathroom with separate shower and tub, double sinks, plenty of storage, two large closets and—something travelers will appreciate—actually enough hangers.

???? Casino: 3/5
There were plenty of the video poker games we like to play, including Jacks or Better, but the overall casino atmosphere and surrounding bar/nightlife options didn't match what we've experienced at MGM Grand.

????️ Pool: 3.5/5
Mandalay Bay has one of the most distinctive pool complexes in Las Vegas with a wave pool, lazy river and multiple pool experiences. For families, this could easily score higher. For us, crowds, limited shade and the experience during our stay brought the score down.

???? Getting Around: 5/5
This was a big surprise. Mandalay Bay may sit at the south end of the Strip, but the free tram to Luxor and Excalibur makes connecting with other MGM properties much easier than you might expect.

⚾ And Mandalay Bay's location could become even more interesting for sports fans. It's near Allegiant Stadium, connected to Michelob ULTRA Arena and sits near the future A's ballpark site on the south Strip.

So after staying at MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Park MGM and Mandalay Bay, does Mandalay Bay become our new Las Vegas home base?

Watch to the end for our verdict.

We travel to these hotels ourselves so we can help travelers choose a property based on what actually matters to them—because the best Las Vegas hotel isn't necessarily the same hotel for everyone.

???? Need help choosing the right Las Vegas hotel for your budget and travel style?
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The family/sports positioning in the video is especially timely: Mandalay Bay currently promotes its 11-acre Beach with a wave pool and Lazy River, and Tailgate Beach Club specifically positions itself around sports with the future A's ballpark nearby.