If you are going to Las Vegas for a conference it is almost impossible to avoid the Mandalay Bay. While that doesn't mean you have to stay there, when we were offered a $169 conference rate we suspended our better judgment and decided to stay at Mandalay. You see, back in 2005 we had one of our worst ever hotel experiences at Mandalay Bay. Needless to say we had low expectations this go round. So what happened? The Mandalay Bay Resort renovated! Our full report along with a some before and after room shots is your reward for clicking more.]]> markj 2007-04-06T14:02:17-05:00 36.092152 -115.17665 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/4/5/134343/5649 <![CDATA[<p><i>You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/">HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool</a>, or by <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">sending the photo along to us</a>. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.</i><p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/madalay_early_view.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> Sure their are plenty of roof-filled anti-views in Vegas, but this markj 2007-04-05T13:52:35-05:00 36.092152 -115.17665 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/1/2/163320/7430 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/ritz_beach_chairs.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>Smart Money</i> runs the numbers at five big resorts--and it's not a pretty picture.<p><p>You know the scene. You sleep in late since it's vacation, eating a leisurely breakfast and then sauntering out to the hotel pool to relax and read a book. Only one problem: there's not a lounge chair to be found. <p>At far too many resorts, this is the norm, not an exception. The January issue of Smart Money, which is not online yet, runs a whole feature story called "Musical Chairs," with tales of guests at $600 resorts not being able to find a place to lounge and stories of people lining up at Mandalay Bay in Vegas before 8:00 a.m. so they can get Tim L. 2007-01-03T09:00:01-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/