rev:text
| - This was one of my favorite pools Vegas. We stayed at the Delano, so we had access to Mandalay's "pool central" - wave pool, small pool, other small pool, and a lazy river. I really enjoyed our pools...as did 1,342,877 other people, including approximately 537,779 kids.
Garden of the Gods was one of the few pools you could get into without actually staying at the resort itself. We did pay $20 the first time, but we practically had to beg to pay (it was hard finding someone to donate our funds to). The second time...we just walked in. We drank, we ate, and we gambled...so they got their money's worth.
The pool...is split into three different areas.
The first one has a raised platform in the middle that you could swim out to, so you have your own island to hang out on, surrounded by the rest of the pool. Good for: standing, walking, drinking, out of the water experiences. Bad for: running, laying, playing on your phone.
The second is more of a rectangle, and is generally the less crowded one. Good for:
lazy drinks, casual wading. Bad for: serious laps, playing on your phone.
The third is smaller, but has a waterfall and swim up blackjack. I played there for 45 minutes or so and broke even, but I imagine it's just as easy to lose a lot here as it is inside the casino itself. Free drinks are harder to come by, but the ambiance of gambling in a pool makes up for that. Good for: blackjack, waterfall enjoyment, sitting and not being able to hear much besides the falling water. Bad for: enjoying quiet thoughts, getting an even tan, playing on your phone.
There are a lot of waitstaff circulating, so drinks and food were always attainable while laying in the chairs. There is also a few bars you can walk up to and an area where you can go get food yourself. It's not cheap, but it's what you would expect for poolside refreshments.
There is plenty of sun most of the day - so even if you aren't staying here...it's worth a visit. Pay the fee or walk right in, play a few hands, have a drink, and conquer the island in middle of the first pool.
|