Best Hotel Pool
The wave pool at Mandalay Bay helped push the hotel over the top in the Best Pool category.
MANDALAY BAY
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
The new hotel was bound to make waves -- thanks to its own wave pool -- with a miniature version of Wet šn Wild. Like most hotels, you need to produce a room key to truly take part in the action, but Mandalay Bay at least positioned several restaurants within ogling view of pool patrons, and throws the door open to all paying customers with outdoor summer concerts. The Mirage floated to a distant second.
Our Pick:
HARD ROCK HOTEL
4455 Paradise Road
We were afraid last year's expansions would compromise the Hard Rock Hotel, but for once bigger is better. The Hard Rock's pool only got more fun with the addition of a Polynesian grotto bar, lazy-river canals, more sandy beachfront property and even swim-up blackjack. Restaurant patrons share the view here as well, while the Hard Rock's weeknight summer parties for locals offered quirky surf bands such as Los Straitjackets.
