Saturday, April 24, 2010

Luxor Tower Room Review and Pics & New Casino Maps

Out of the blue a few weeks back, I got a big glossy mailer from Luxor with a very good offer in it considering I have barely played a dime there in the past few years. MGM/Mirage seems to be sending free rooms for just about all of their hotels if you play in any of them. The deal included 3 nights in a tower room though I only used 2 plus $50 in food and $75 slot credits. With an offer like that, it's pretty hard to pass up.

Even though I have stayed at Luxor quite a few times over the years, it has always been a pyramid room. This time was in the slightly newer tower section between the main hotel and Excalibur. While a bit larger, I didn't really notice it to be all that much different from a pyramid room aside from a nicer bathroom and no slanted glass to bang my head on. It's a standard mid-90s issue Vegas room equipped with basics and little else in the way of modern amenities. The bed was in still sleepable condition but definitely past its prime. The bedding and carpeting were in decent shape but also on the downside of their lifespan and the furniture has seen its fair share of Vegas partying. The bathroom is nicer than the rest of the room with a separate shower (with pressure that could knock you over!) and a deep soaking tub along with a marble single sink vanity.

I did spend a decent amount of time at Luxor during my 2 nights and played a little in casino as well as eat a few meals. The casino is definitely nice enough since its recent remodel but the quality of the games is certainly nothing to rave about. One interesting note, it seems like a larger percent of space is dedicated to tables than most of the new casinos around town. The machines I ended up playing were right across from a bar so the drink service was speedy and often.

A lot of changes have taken place at Luxor but the food court on the second floor still remains with a Vegas tradition of mine, Nathan's Hot Dogs. I often hit this location when I am in town due to its easy self-parking so with me staying there, I would have to go twice. You can never go wrong with a Nathan's Hot Dog. I also had my normal late-night breakfast in the still 24 hour coffee shop, the Pyramid Cafe. There was a short line (which grew longer as the night went on) and every table was full at midnight but once seated the service was fast, the food pretty good and with an only slightly inflated price tag.The highlight of the stay was a trip to the Burger Bar for dinner on my second night. Located in the shops between Luxor and Mandalay Bay, it operates on the "build your own" burger concept. They offer a variety of patties and buns plus virtually everything else you could imagine to top it with from bacon to truffles. While the depth of the topping selection is nice, the quality of the burger is the real star of the show. For a guy who eats his fair share of cattle, I can honestly say it is the best burger I have ever had. This is my third trip and its quickly becoming a favorite Vegas stop.

Over the last few years, a large amount of effort and expense has been spent to shed Luxor of its "Egyptian Theme" and position it to compete with the likes of the Palms, Hard Rock and the half dozen or so other places trying to reach the same 20-something club-going crowd that stopped coming to Vegas when they all lost their jobs. They did a nice enough job in the makeover to turn the casino into a reasonably swanky joint, the only problem... they haven't spent that same effort or cash on the rooms. For what they charge on an average night compared to some other places in town, the hotel rooms should be a whole lot nicer. There is a lot going for Luxor, including plenty to do, see and eat just in it's "neighborhood" with Mandalay Bay and Excalibur on each side. The pool area is huge as is the spa and coolness factor of the pyramid make it an ideal place for a first trip to Vegas. However, if you looking for a luxurious room, you can do much better in the similar price range including the new rooms at Hard Rock or at Planet Hollywood.

Click Here for Room Pics

Ton of New Maps!

During this trip, I did one of the biggest property map runs ever with 10 new maps posted including the first ever Hard Rock Hotel map showing the finished remodel/expansion, which is pretty damn nice BTW. I might have to break my HRH cherry in the very near future.

Click Here for all the new maps!


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