Mandalay Bay
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox casino Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circus Enterprises and completed at a cost of $950 million. It opened on March 2, 1999, on the former site of the Hacienda hotel-casino. MGM acquired Mandalay Bay in 2005, and the Blackstone Group became a co-owner in 2020. Vici acquired MGM's ownership stake in 2022.
Mandalay Bay has a tropical South Seas theme and covers Template:Convert. It includes a Template:Convert casino and 3,209 rooms. The 43-story tower includes a Four Seasons hotel, which has rooms on floors 35 through 39. It is managed separately from the Mandalay Bay hotel. In 1999, the Four Seasons became the first Las Vegas hotel to win the AAA Five Diamond Award.
Several additions opened in 2003, including the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and a second hotel tower, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. It has 1,117 rooms, and was renamed W Las Vegas in 2024. A shopping mall, Mandalay Place, was also added in 2003. Other features include a House of Blues club, the Shark Reef aquatic attraction, and an events center known as Michelob Ultra Arena. The resort also has an 1,800-seat theater, which has hosted several Broadway shows, including Chicago (1999–2000), Mamma Mia! (2003–2009), and The Lion King (2009–2011). Since 2013, the theater has hosted Michael Jackson: One.
In 2017, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from the hotel's 32nd floor, killing 60 people in attendance at an outdoor music festival nearby. It is the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history to date.
History
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Mandalay Bay was built on the former site of the Hacienda hotel and casino at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. In 1995, Circus Circus Enterprises purchased the Hacienda for $80 million and an adjacent Template:Convert site, directly south, for $73 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That June, plans were announced for a new resort project, tentatively known as Millennium, to replace the Hacienda.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Hacienda closed on December 1, 1996, and was demolished on New Year's Eve.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Details about its replacement were unveiled on the same day; the tropical-themed resort, now known under the working title "Project Paradise", had an estimated budget of $800 million to $1 billion, with completion expected by the end of 1998. The target clientele would be higher-end compared to Circus' prior resorts,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Paradise>Template:Cite news</ref> competing against The Mirage and new properties such as the Venetian and Paris resorts.<ref name=Cadillac>Template:Cite news</ref> It was planned as part of a larger project known as the Masterplan Mile, a complex which would include two other new resorts by Circus,<ref name=Paradise/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> although these never materialized.
Construction on Project Paradise began in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Problems arose during construction in mid-1998, because of excessive and uneven settling of the soil beneath the resort; the core of the building sank by Template:Convert, while one of the wings had settled by only Template:Convert.<ref name=lvs19980820>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rumors about the severity of the issues depressed Circus Circus's stock price.<ref name=lvs19980820 /> The problem was solved by installing 536 micropiles (200-foot-long metal pipes filled with grout, each capped with a hydraulic jack) below the building, at an estimated cost of $8 million to $10 million.<ref name=lvs19980820 /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The damage from the settling was limited to minor cracks in the resort's valet parking facility.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In February 1998, the project was officially named Mandalay Bay,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> after the city of Mandalay in Myanmar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The name was also chosen to evoke the exotic tropical romanticism of the poem "Mandalay" by Rudyard Kipling.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> More than a dozen names had been considered for the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mandalay Bay cost $950 million to build,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> making it the most expensive project to date for Circus Circus.<ref name=Magic>Template:Cite news</ref> The company expected to spend more than $10 million on a print and television advertising campaign in the months leading up to the resort's opening.<ref name=Puppel>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mandalay Bay opened at 10:00 p.m. on March 2, 1999, following a private opening for VIPs earlier in the day that included numerous celebrities.<ref name=Beckon>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Public/><ref name=Wilen>Template:Cite news</ref> Grand opening festivities included the Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, and John Goodman) leading a procession of 200 motorcycles to Mandalay Bay's front doors. Later, they performed at the resort's House of Blues club, as did Bob Dylan.<ref name=Public>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mandalay Bay employed 5,000 people, with 30 percent coming from other Circus Circus properties.<ref name=Puppel/> The company changed its name to Mandalay Resort Group later in 1999, reflecting Mandalay Bay as its flagship property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2002, Mandalay Bay sought approval from the U.S. and Chinese governments to import two panda bears for exhibit at the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The property would build a glass-domed structure for the animals, next to the resort's Shark Reef aquatic attraction and away from the casino floor. The panda exhibit would generate up to $50 million a year, which would be given to the Chinese government to further conservation efforts for the species. Critics viewed the proposed exhibit as an exploitative way to attract casino patrons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ultimately, the resort did not gain approval to import the animals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2003, the resort added a convention center and a second hotel tower.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two years later, the resort was bought by MGM Mirage as part of its acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, Mandalay Bay was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over complaints that the resort failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The property eventually spent $20 million to correct the entry doors of 3,000 hotel rooms, as they were deemed too narrow.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort's first major renovation began in late 2012, and continued into the next year, improving various areas of the property.<ref name=Facelift>Template:Cite news</ref>
Stunt performer Andy Lewis achieved a new slacklining record at Mandalay Bay in 2013, walking 360 feet across a loose rope situated 480 feet above the property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In January 2020, Mandalay Bay was named the pre- and post-game venue for the Las Vegas Raiders, a football team which plays at the Allegiant Stadium directly west of the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That month, MGM Resorts also announced that it would sell Mandalay Bay to a joint venture consisting of MGM Growth Properties and The Blackstone Group. MGM would own 50.1 percent of the joint venture, and Blackstone would own the remainder. Mandalay Bay would be leased to MGM Resorts, which would continue to operate the resort.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The deal was finalized in February 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Vici Properties bought MGM Growth in April 2022, and then bought out Blackstone's stake in Mandalay Bay in January 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2017 mass shooting
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} On October 1, 2017, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire from his room on the hotel's 32nd floor. He targeted concertgoers attending a music festival, located diagonally across from the resort. He killed 60 people and wounded approximately 867 others, before killing himself as authorities approached his room.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The incident is the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history.<ref name="deadliest">Template:Cite news</ref>
Mandalay Bay remained open following the shooting.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Staff>Template:Cite news</ref> Hospitality experts believed the massacre would have only a minimal impact on the resort's revenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several hundred workers, out of 7,400, were laid off as a result of decreased visitation due to the shooting. MGM had also paused its marketing of the resort after the incident, which contributed to profit losses.<ref name=Staff/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Finances gradually improved,<ref name=Footing>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with a near-full recovery in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Resort security was increased as a result of the shooting,<ref name=Footing/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while MGM announced that it had no plans to rent Paddock's suite out to future guests.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Floors 31 through 34 were renumbered as 56 through 59.<ref name=renumber>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=renumbering>Template:Cite news</ref> Numerous lawsuits were filed against MGM by the shooting survivors, alleging inadequate preventative measures at Mandalay Bay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company and plaintiffs eventually settled for $800 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Features
Template:Multiple image The Mandalay Bay complex occupies 120 acres.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The resort includes a Template:Convert casino.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It initially opened with Template:Convert of gaming space, featuring 122 table games and 2,400 slot machines.<ref name=Main>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2006, the casino had one of the largest sports books in Las Vegas, with a wall of 31 television screens.<ref name=Harrison/> The casino floor was renovated in 2013, with new carpeting and chairs added.<ref name=Facelift/> The sports book was updated in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mandalay Bay has a tropical South Seas theme.<ref name=Paradise/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Water features, including numerous fountains, are present throughout the resort.<ref name=Cadillac/> The hotel lobby features a two-story aquarium containing 12,600 gallons of water.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort also has an aquatic attraction known as Shark Reef, which includes a Template:Convert aquarium. The $40 million facility opened on June 20, 2000,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and contains the largest aquarium on the Strip,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> featuring mostly sharks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center opened on April 10, 1999,<ref name=Apr99>Template:Cite news</ref> and was renamed the Michelob Ultra Arena in 2021. It has hosted numerous entertainers as well as sports games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Construction on another facility, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, began in 2001. Work was temporarily stopped due to the economic impact of the September 11 attacks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It eventually opened in January 2003, and is among the largest convention centers in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Convention business makes up a significant portion of the resort's revenue.<ref name=Facelift/><ref name=Footing/>
When it opened, the resort included the Treasures of Mandalay Bay Museum, which had a rare currencies exhibit worth more than $40 million. Exhibit items included two $100,000 bills, among only a handful known to still exist.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Luxor and Excalibur resorts, also built by Mandalay Resort Group, are located north of Mandalay Bay. The term "Mandalay Mile" was created by company president Glenn Schaeffer in reference to the three resorts,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which are connected via the Mandalay Bay Tram.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hotels
Template:Multiple image In addition to Mandalay Bay's primary hotel, the property also includes two others: W Las Vegas (formerly THEhotel and later, Delano) and a Four Seasons hotel. Four Seasons shares a tower with Mandalay Bay, and W is operated in a second tower.
Mandalay Bay has 3,209 rooms, excluding the other on-site hotels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Mandalay Bay tower is built out in a Y-shaped layout.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rows of gold neon tubing run up the tower's sides, in between mirrored, gold-colored windows.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although the tower is 43 stories, the top four floors are numbered 60 through 63.<ref name=renumber/><ref name=renumbering/> Four Seasons occupies the 35th through 39th floors.<ref name=Cadillac/><ref name=Main/> The 40th through 42nd floors contain suites which are managed by Mandalay Bay.<ref name=Main/> A club known as the Foundation Room operates on the top floor.<ref name=Double/>
W Las Vegas originally opened in December 2003, as THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was renamed Delano in 2014,<ref name=SLS/> and became part of the W Hotels brand in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Like the Mandalay Bay tower, W is also 43 stories.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It has 1,117 rooms,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> all of them suites.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is marketed as a separate hotel.<ref name=SLS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Mandalay Bay hotel rooms were upgraded in 2006, after MGM acquired the resort.<ref name=View/> A $100 million renovation of the rooms took place from 2015 to 2016,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=View/> and further room renovations took place in 2023, ahead of the property's 25th anniversary.<ref name=Morris2023/>
Four Seasons
In June 1996, Circus Circus Enterprises announced its partnership with Four Seasons Hotels, which would manage a hotel connected to Mandalay Bay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Four Seasons hotel opened along with the resort on March 2, 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It marks the first Las Vegas location for Four Seasons Hotels,<ref name=Posh/> a luxury hotel company which, for years, had wanted to open a property in the area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Four Seasons was built to compete with a growing number of upscale Strip resorts such as Bellagio.<ref name=Challenge>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Four Seasons includes 424 rooms, and has various amenities – including restaurants, lounges, a spa, and a health club – which are located in a two-story facility on the south side of the Mandalay Bay property.<ref name=Posh>Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the amenities at the Four Seasons are inaccessible to guests of Mandalay Bay.<ref name=Challenge/> The hotel excludes gaming, although Mandalay Bay's casino and other amenities are open to guests of the Four Seasons.<ref name=Posh/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Four Seasons has been favorably received by guests.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since 1999, it has been a repeat winner of the AAA Five Diamond Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was the first hotel in the Las Vegas Valley to win the award,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in 2000, it became the first in the area to add a permanent kosher kitchen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The hotel received a $30 million renovation in 2012,<ref name=Facelift/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and was renovated again in 2023.<ref name=Morris2023>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Restaurants and clubs
Template:Multiple image Mandalay Bay originally had 15 restaurants,<ref name=Wrinkle>Template:Cite news</ref> 11 of which were leased out.<ref name=Cadillac/> Most of the restaurants opened with the resort, while three others debuted later in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Hall/>
Among the restaurants was Aureole by chef Charlie Palmer, named after another restaurant of his in Manhattan.<ref name=Celebrity>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Hall>Template:Cite news</ref> The Las Vegas Aureole was designed by Adam Tihany and included a four-story wine tower made of glass and steel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It could hold 10,000 wine bottles, which were retrieved by harnessed workers,<ref name=Hall/><ref name=Stevens>Template:Cite news</ref> referred to as wine angels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The tower is surrounded by stairs descending into the restaurant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Aureole closed in April 2023,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> making way for Retro, a new restaurant by sibling chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Retro features a 1980s and 1990s theme,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Aureole's wine tower was retained, serving as an exhibit space for various pop culture items.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mandalay Bay also included Trattoria del Lupo, the first Italian restaurant by chef Wolfgang Puck.<ref name=Stevens/> Other celebrity chefs include Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, who opened Border Grill.<ref name=Celebrity/><ref name=Stevens/><ref name=Brunch>Template:Cite news</ref> A Russian-themed restaurant, Red Square, featured a 16-foot headless statue of Vladimir Lenin at its entrance.<ref name=Stevens/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It also included a walk-in vodka freezer with a bar top made of ice.<ref name=Hall/><ref name=Stevens/><ref name=Mancini>Template:Cite news</ref>
The resort also featured several Asian restaurants, including The Noodle Shop,<ref name=Hall/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Shanghai Lily. The latter was designed by Tony Chi,<ref name=Stevens/> and eventually closed in 2011.<ref name=View>Template:Cite news</ref> The entrance to another restaurant, China Grill, featured a moat and working drawbridge, which could be lifted to provide privacy for reserved parties.<ref name=Stevens/> The adjacent China Grill Cafe and Zen Sum served dim sum on a conveyor belt counter, while robot carts with camera sensors brought food to diners elsewhere in the restaurant.<ref name=Hall/><ref name=Stevens/>
By 2001, a new fine dining restaurant had opened as "3950", named after the resort's address. It served steaks and seafood, and included a lounge area with live cam footage of the Shark Reef. The restaurant was designed and managed by Mandalay Bay, unlike most of the others at the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Chef Hubert Keller opened Fleur de Lys, a French restaurant, in 2004. It operated for six years, before being remodeled and renamed as simply Fleur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2011, the restaurant began offering a $5,000 burger, which included a bottle of Petrus wine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chef Fleur eventually departed Mandalay Bay in 2021, and the resort took over ownership and operations of his restaurant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
As of 2006, Mandalay Bay had 23 restaurants.<ref name=Harrison>Template:Cite news</ref> That year, chef Michael Mina opened his first steakhouse there, StripSteak. It also serves seafood, and includes a 70-seat bar and lounge area, serving more than 600 types of wine and more than 100 Scotch malts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Numerous restaurants were added in 2013, as part of ongoing renovations.<ref name=Facelift/> Two decades after Mandalay Bay's opening, four of its original restaurants remained in operation, including Aureole, Lupo, and Border Grill.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Red Square closed later that year,<ref name=Mancini/> and was eventually replaced by the S Bar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A restaurant revamp began in 2023,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and included the closure of Fleur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mina replaced it with a second restaurant in 2024; known as Orla, it serves Mediterranean cuisine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Puck closed Lupo and opened a new Italian restaurant in its place known as Caramá,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which also debuted in 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rumjungle
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Rumjungle, a restaurant and dance club,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> opened with the resort. The three-story Rumjungle included the world's largest rum bar and offered more than 100 varieties of rum. Guests would enter through an opening in a wall of flames.<ref name=Stevens/> Rumjungle, which leased its space from the resort, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2010, to prevent its eviction. It alleged that Mandalay Bay broke its contract agreement, which stated that Rumjungle would be the sole nightclub at the resort; in 2008, Mandalay Bay opened a lounge venue known as "eyecandy", and Rumjungle stated that its profits suffered since then.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort countered that Rumjungle's financial problems were due to the latter's outdated facilities and the Great Recession. Mandalay Bay eventually prevailed in litigation and evicted Rumjungle in August 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A new nightclub, Light, opened in its in place in 2013, in partnership with The Light Group and Cirque du Soleil.<ref name=Facelift/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Eclipse>Template:Cite news</ref> It closed in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Swingers, a three-level golf and entertainment complex, opened in the former club space in 2024. The Template:Convert attraction includes four nine-hole golf courses, as well as bars, dining, and carnival games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
House of Blues
Mandalay Bay opened with a House of Blues music venue and restaurant, marking the chain's seventh location.<ref name=Out/> The two-story House of Blues includes capacity for 1,800 people during concerts.<ref name=Mixed/><ref name=Double/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It also has a Template:Convert retail store.<ref name=Out>Template:Cite news</ref> The Las Vegas House of Blues would compete against the Hard Rock Hotel, which was known for hosting rock performances at its Joint venue.<ref name=Mixed>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Double>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> House of Blues had wanted to open a Las Vegas location for years, and partnered with Mandalay Bay after discussions with the Las Vegas Hilton failed to produce an agreement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The venue has hosted numerous entertainers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including Carlos Santana, who began a residency in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He has performed there for more than a decade, and extended his residency to May 2026.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two live albums were also recorded there: House of Yes: Live from House of Blues by Yes (2000),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Live in Las Vegas by Macy Gray (2005).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
House of Blues also operates the Foundation Room, an upscale private bar and dining club on the hotel's top floor. It targets wealthy individuals, such as casino VIPs, corporate executives, and celebrities. Club membership is acquired through annual dues.<ref name=Wilen/><ref name=Double/><ref name=Out/> In 2014, MGM agreed to pay a $500,000 fine after undercover police officers, during a sting operation, were provided with drugs and prostitutes at the Foundation Room by its employees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, the club removed a statue depicting Mahavira of the Jainism religion. Religious leaders had objected to the statue, calling its presence in a casino club inappropriate and disrespectful.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mandalay Place
Mandalay Bay includes a mall known as The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort had 13 retail shops upon opening, with a full shopping mall planned for property between Mandalay Bay and the Luxor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Circus Circus Enterprises and Westcor developed the mall,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Nordstrom was announced as an anchor tenant in May 1999,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the mall's opening scheduled for 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The project was set back when Westcor dropped out later in 1999,<ref name=Lapses/> unable to secure a second anchor tenant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Construction stopped in 2000, after Nordstrom also backed out.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Lapses>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2002, Mandalay Resort Group announced that it would resume construction, with the mall scaled back from Template:Convert to Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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Mandalay Place opened in October 2003 with 41 retailers located along a 310-foot skybridge connecting Mandalay Bay to the Luxor.<ref name=Tenant>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Dunn/> It opened with several retailers not found elsewhere in Las Vegas, in an effort to attract locals as well as tourists.<ref name=Tenant/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Mix/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tenants have also included several restaurants,<ref name=Dunn>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Mix>Template:Cite news</ref> including two by chef Rick Moonen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Among the mall's notable retailers was the Reading Room,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a bookstore popular for its author signings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Closing>Template:Cite news</ref> The store was devised by Schaeffer,<ref name=Closing/><ref name=Weiss>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although the concept of a bookstore on the Strip was met with some skepticism. Schaeffer said, "What could be a more obvious place for a bookstore than a destination that has nearly 40 million visitors a year?"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was the only bookstore on the Strip until it closed in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Weiss/>
Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce, a speakeasy with burlesque 1940s-style dancers, operated at Mandalay Place from 2004 to 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The space was reoccupied in 2014 by 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque, a cigar lounge with a Prohibition-era theme whose primary attractions were performances by Holly Madison and a burlesque troupe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Madison left less than a year later over a dispute with her business partners, and it was renamed 1923 Prohibition Bar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Pool area
Template:Multiple image The resort includes an 11-acre pool area known as Mandalay Bay Beach,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which features 2,700 tons of sand imported from California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> One of the pools includes a wave machine producing six-foot waves. It was designed to host championship surfing.<ref name=Wrinkle/> The pool area also features a lazy river,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and includes a stage for summer concerts, a stable since the resort's opening.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This popularized the concept of poolside concerts at Las Vegas resorts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A topless sunbathing area known as Moorea Beach Club opened in 2003. It is named after Mo'orea, an island near Tahiti.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort's pool area became popular among local families following the closure of the Wet 'n Wild water park in 2004.<ref name=Brunch/> In 2013, The Light Group took over a Template:Convert area of the pool space and converted it into a dayclub and nightclub, known as Daylight Beach Club and Eclipse respectively.<ref name=Eclipse/>
Shows
The resort includes the 1,800-seat Michael Jackson: One Theatre,<ref name=Leach2011>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> originally known as the Mandalay Bay Theatre.<ref name=Main/><ref name=Wrinkle/> Among Las Vegas tourists, entertainment offerings became increasingly popular during the 1990s, in addition to gambling. Circus Circus Enterprises believed that Las Vegas had evolved enough to support a full-time Broadway show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A production of the classic Broadway musical Chicago debuted at Mandalay Bay's 1999 grand opening and ran for one year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Storm, an original production show featuring Latin music, weather effects, and aerialists,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ran from April 2001 to July 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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Both Chicago and Storm failed to achieve wide success. Schaeffer acknowledged that the resort needed "a more forceful and exciting show", prompting the addition of the Broadway musical Mamma Mia! in February 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It had a successful run which ended in January 2009,<ref name=Six>Template:Cite news</ref> after approximately 2,300 performances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was replaced by another Broadway show, Disney's The Lion King,<ref name=Six/> which ran from May 2009 to December 2011.<ref name=Leach2011/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During that time, resort executives realized that the property needed an A-list show, as many guests would travel elsewhere to see live entertainment. In response, Mandalay Bay partnered with Cirque du Soleil to create Michael Jackson: One,<ref name=Facelift/><ref name=Leach2011/> which eventually opened in May 2013. It is a music production show featuring numerous songs by late singer Michael Jackson.<ref name=Leach2011/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In popular culture
Mandalay Bay made its film debut in the 1999 film Play It to the Bone, which shot in several areas of the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first season of Las Vegas (2003) was also filmed partially at Mandalay Bay, which stood in as the fictional Montecito resort. Filming included the casino, lobby, and wave pool.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A 2014 episode of Modern Family, titled "Las Vegas", was also filmed at Mandalay Bay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
References
External links
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- Pages with broken file links
- Mandalay Bay
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- Casinos in the Las Vegas Valley
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- Hotels established in 1999
- Las Vegas Strip
- Mandalay Resort Group
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