It's hard to imagine Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino existing anywhere else than on the main strip in Las Vegas. The hotel's catchphrase is "untamed luxury", and it fills its brief more imaginatively than you might expect. Standards of service and accommodation are extremely high, but what you'll remember are the more bizarre touches.

The hotel is located on the main strip, but a short drive away from the busiest section. This is what passes for peace and quiet in Las Vegas, and it allows the hotel to function as an oasis of relative calm away from the pounding neon lights. The strange delights of Las Vegas are not too far away, though, and if a casino is all you came for, the hotel is happy to oblige with its own vast establishment where guests play in a tropical setting of flowing water and lush foliage.

The facilities

As well as its casino, one of the best in Vegas, Mandalay Bay offers a bewildering list of entertainment options. The largest of its many pools is an 11-acre sand beach in the middle of the city, and one of its others is a slow-flowing river that guests float down in rubber rings. The venues regularly play host to superstars like Beyonce, Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow, and the stage version of The Lion King has taken up residence. The Shark Reef is home to over 2000 rare aquatic animals, including a whole bunch of sharks. For nightlife, the hotel has no less than eight separate lounges and clubs.

The rooms

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is the 4th largest casino in the world, and its staggering 3,309 rooms are unbelievably luxurious, with some of the suites able to host 25 people. The design is comfortable but visually restrained, to soothe the nerves after having been exposed to Vegas. The baths are large and deep enough for a few people to sink into and watch the flatscreen TV on the wall.