(updated 9/30/2023. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas is permanently closed and is now a Waldorf Astoria property. I have not returned to see what was changed or updated under the new management.)
I tried the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Spa in my quest to try as many Las Vegas Strip spas as possible.
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to use the day spa facilities or even book a service. I’d read about their special Chinese Foot Spa and decided to go ahead and book a treatment for the whole experience. It’s a good thing I did; the treatment was the shining star of the experience. Otherwise my overall impression was that of a nicely laid out facility that was in mild disrepair. Large windows allow in lots of natural light, but the rooftop and convenience store views are an odd counterpoint to what is supposed to be a high-end experience. Here are my notes from the afternoon:
Spray Room
I entered the Spray Room, saw the jets coming from the ceiling and sides and started playing with the settings to see what happened. Choices were:
- Arctic Mist: a superfine, barely-there mist coming from jets in the ceiling.
- Island Storm: cool water from a circular pattern in the ceiling.
- Tropical storm: cold water from the ceiling, warm spray from the side. There was supposed to be thunder and lightening that were not working.
- Body mist: hydrotherapy-type warm spray from 2 sides.
- Cascade: this was simply a cold shower from a single spout. It was neither icy cold nor had much of a punch. It felt like standing under a cold shower at home.
Steam room
Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s spa has a steam room that’s about 50 square feet of marble tile and mosaics. It’s lovely, lit by a constellation of green lights with a few red and orange tossed in for good measure. The air was steamy-thick enough to only barely see the outline of another human in the space. This was my favorite space by far.
Lanconium
The Lanconium is another handsome room with four heated stone benches that are surprisingly comfortable. It’s a great place to relax and stay warm while you cool down from the steam room. The view is of the walled-off tram stop between the window and the Monte Carlo, so close your eyes and relax.
Relaxation lounge
The views of the Strip from this 8th floor room are really a stark contrast to the pared-down, elegantly furnished spa. It’s handsomely appointed room, with 6 beds all facing the windows. You can drink coconut water infused with lemon and berries and munch on banana chips and trail mix while you watch the open-air double-decker Big Bus crawl down the strip past Cold Beer Souveniers One Stop Market $10 or less, Viva Vegas Souveniers and Gifts, Mini Mart Beer Wine, Tour Center Grand Canyon Hiiver Dam. Chilis, Walgreens, CVS, Minute Clinic. It’s not off-putting, but it’s not the normal spa cocoon escape from reality that I’ve experienced in Las Vegas spas.
Treatments
I took advantage of the Mandarin Oriental’s Chinese Foot Spa and booked the Mandarin Oriental Pedicure with Detoxify treatment. It was an epic, splurge for my feet and legs. The Detoxify treatment was a healing modality, not a typical spa treatment, and I recommend it. We all spend so much time on our feet, and traveling gets hard. I certainly felt the effects of such deep foot and leg work; a little light-headed and a passing bout of nausea I chocked up to the release of toxins. Go in on an empty stomach or after a light meal and drink extra water afterwards.
As from the other windows in the spa, you look out as some unlovely views of the strip.
There’s an Experience Room that was out of order the day I was there, as was the jacuzzi. I was
This spa at the Mandarin Oriental spa was not my favorite of the Las Vegas spas I’ve tried. Qua at Caesar’s Palace is bigger and has more to offer. Sahra at the Cosmopolitan is a nicer-looking space with a great Vitality Pool. And Espa at Vdara is more compact but cozier and more welcoming. While the Spray Room was nice and the Steam Room was lovely, I was surprised at the lack of sauna and disappointed at not being warned some of the spa facilities were out of order.