Description: The Luxor hotel. Las Vegas.
The Luxor hotel is right at the southern end of Las Vegas strip sandwiched between the Mandalay bay resort and the Excalibur hotel. It is a themed hotel based on the pyramids of Egypt. I remember it being built and the opening of the hotel and thinking I have got to stay there one day. I have stayed there on two occasions once in one of the adjoining towers and once in the pyramid itself.
The hotel was built in 18 months from start to finish and opened to the public in 1993. From the outside it is instantly recognisable due to its appearance of being a black pyramid shape. Along each corner of the pyramid a set of lights run up the side to the top where there is a massive light that shines up to ten miles into the sky. At the front of the hotel there is a massive obelisk and a statue of the sphinx. Despite being called the Luxor the pyramids and the sphinx are in reality found in Giza near Cairo.
The Lobby.
Entering the hotel you are confronted by a massive atrium the rooms of the hotel inside the pyramid surround the atrium and to reach the rooms you have to travel in an inclinator which travels up the internal sides of the pyramid at an angle of 38 degrees. Inside the hotel atrium there are statues of Rameses and the theme throughout the hotel is of ancient Egypt. The casino floor is absolutely vast with a mixture of slot machines and gaming tables. Inside the atrium there is a huge permanent exhibition of the relics of the Titanic and also a setup of the tombs of Tutankhamen. There is a food court and the infamous Luxor buffet on the lower floor plus the Luxor café which is right in the centre of the hotel. Around the perimeter of the hotel there are other restaurants and retail outlets.
The rooms.
There are a mixture of 2,526 rooms and suites in the Luxor hotel and a further 2000 rooms are available in the two adjoining towers. If you are staying in the pyramid there is an incline in the front of the room on the outer side of the room. The rooms are quite nicely furnished with an Egyptian style of the furniture there is an armour containing the television and the in room safe, there are twin queen or one king bed and the suites have a separate living room. The rooms in the towers are similar and are less Smokey due to the fact that they are separate from the main hotel where smoking is permitted in the casino which wafts up to the rooms. Being a smoker myself I did not find this particularly unpleasant but I know some people have an aversion to the smell of smoke so may prefer to be in the tower rooms. Each of the bathrooms contain a good walk in shower, bath and his and hers sinks units.
The staff.
This is a massive hotel and one gets the impression that due to the high number of guests and the rapid turnover there is not the same kind of customer service. At times when asking for something I have felt like the staff do not really care whether they help you or not and you feel at times like you are inconveniencing them. On one occasion at one of the restaurants the waitress blatantly demanded a tip which I thought was really rude as we always tip the waiting staff especially if they have provided exceptional service which she had not done so.
Due to its massive size and lack of personal service I doubt if I would stay here again. Not only that the hotel is situated at the end of the strip and although it is fairly easy to reach the main drag it is still far from all the action. It is quite possible to go and stay at the Luxor hotel and not have to leave the resort at all. Everything you could possible need can be found here but I would certainly recommend you do venture out to see what is available around Las Vegas.
The hotel has had several refits over the years where millions of dollars have been spent on doing up the facilities and the casino floor. Most of the work is carried on whilst the hotel is open and causes minimal disruption. The transformations are very quick and work is kept to a minimum causing little disruption.
There are four swimming pools at the back of the Luxor hotel and a massive car parking lot. Overall it is a comfortable hotel in which to spend a holiday in Las Vegas. It depends on whether you want to be nearer the action and variety of the other hotels or you would be quite happy to spend your time here. There is certainly no need to leave the hotel if you did not want to.
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