Luxor Hotel & Casino

The 4,400-room Luxor Hotel Las Vegas is an enormous carnival of a resort, with a main pyramid-shaped structure (built at about 75 percent to scale of the Great Pyramid of Giza) and two additional ziggurat-inspired black-glass towers. Its main building is a 30-story structure that shoots from its peak a beam of light so powerful, it's visible from space. The entrance between the two towers is framed by stone columns that replicate those found at the ancient Karnak Temple Complex, north of Luxor, Egypt. The lobby is modeled after the Abu Simbel temples (also about 75 percent to scale), where two-story-tall statues of Pharaoh Ramesses II overlook the comings and goings of guests. Though quite prominent, the ancient Egypt theme has been dialed back somewhat in recent years in favor of a slightly cooler atmosphere (see: the addition of upscale clubs and bars); much-needed updates were also made in 2017 and 2018. Meanwhile, the Luxor Hotel Las Vegas offers a fairly typical range of Vegas-style entertainments: Cirque du Soleil’s “R.U.N.,” performance art by Blue Man Group, a topless revue by the Fantasy showgirls, and comedy by Carrot Top.

With more substantive features than lower-end theme-driven properties like Excalibur Hotel and Casino, but also a far cry from the luxurious opulence of, say, The Venetian Resort, the Luxor falls into a middle ground on the Strip. The hotel desperately needs to complete a sweeping renovation, but considering the range of amenities, the rooms at affordable rates, decent service, and great location, the Luxor is one of the better values on the Vegas Strip. It’s also trying to modernize in another way: The hotel has received a sustainability certification from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program.

Most Las Vegas visitors want to explore all of the big properties along the densely packed four- mile long stretch of hotel-casinos known as the Strip, and the Luxor, at the southern end, offers easy access to several of them. Hotels near Luxor Las Vegas include Mandalay Bay, Excalibur Hotel, and Tropicana. An indoor walkway and a tram connect guests to the medieval castle at Excalibur Hotel and Casino, which sports kid-friendly activities like an arcade and the Tournament of Kings dinner show; and Mandalay Bay complex (which includes Delano Las Vegas and the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas), which has 30-plus restaurants and the kid-friendly Shark Reef Aquarium.

Because of the extreme heat, traveling up and down the Strip on foot can be a challenge. Cabs are easy to find at any casino's entrance virtually any time of day or night. One less expensive alternative is the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The monorail, which sits behind the hotels on the east side of the Strip, starts at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, about a 15-minute walk  from the Luxor, then stops at Bally's and Paris, Flamingo and Caesars Palace, Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and the LINQ, the convention center, Westgate, and the SLS Las Vegas. Single-ride tickets and one-day passes are available. If you're traveling with at least one other person, an Uber is usually less expensive.

Luxor Hotel and Casino is a seven-minute drive from McCarran International Airport.

Luxor Hotel rooms are mixed between dated and contemporary, with some in desperate need of a renovation due to maintenance issues and unattractive decor. The hotel's original pyramid building holds around 2,500 of its rooms and suites, while the two towers contain the roughly 1,900 or so remaining. Most of the Pyramid rooms need an update. The Tower had 1,700 of its rooms renovated in 2018 with a chic update featuring restful gray-brown tones, power outlets near the bed, and modern geometric carpet. On the downside, Tower rooms are generally further from the casinos and restaurants.

At 420 square feet, Pyramid rooms are slightly below average for space on the Strip. Exacerbating the confined space, the outer walls slant inward, making it hard to fully appreciate the view and minimizing ceiling space above the sitting area. Some rooms are in desperate need of basic maintenance (flickering light bulbs, broken furniture); others just need renovation urgently, with issues like peeling wallpaper. Several guests have wondered if the Pyramid's presumably hard-to-clean exterior is to blame for the occasionally dirty windows. The bathrooms in the Pyramid are fairly well-appointed but far from spectacular, with a decent amount of counter space, tiled floors, and clean showers -- but no tubs.

By contrast, the Tower rooms are larger (450 square feet) and because the walls are vertical, the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows is more enjoyable and the living space more usable. Bathrooms here feature both a shower and a deep soaking tub.

Both types of Luxor hotel rooms do share some qualities. The beds are outfitted with comfortable but not quite luxurious mattresses. Electronics include Samsung flat-screen TVs with cable and in-room movies and radio alarm clocks, but no iPod docks. Blackout curtains, air-conditioning, safes, and irons and ironing boards. There are no coffeemakers or mini-fridges supplied, and use of the latter requires a hefty daily charge. All bathrooms come supplied with eco-friendly toiletries and hairdryers. Extra cribs and infant beds are available for free upon request; rollaways are available for an extra charge. Keep in mind here's a charge added for each guest over double occupancy (regardless of age) and a four-guests-per-room maximum.

The Luxor also offers several different types of suites with one or two bedrooms, separate living areas, and additional quality amenities. Suites are available in both the Pyramid and Tower buildings, with the most luxe being the massive Tower Two Bedroom Penthouse Suite.

Note that the hotel has introduced a non-smoking policy, but some guests have complained of their rooms retaining the residual smell of smoke. Also be aware that dogs are allowed under certain conditions for a daily fee.

Pro tip: If you’re staying in the Tower Rooms, check-in is easiest in the North Lobby.

With several sit-down restaurants and a mall-like food court, there’s a wide variety of Luxor Hotel restaurants to choose from. You won't find any celebrity-chef restaurants, but there are a steakhouse, a standard Mexican joint, Asian eatery with sushi, and a New York-style pizza place. The 24-hour deli is great for midnight snacks, and the Starbucks provides a caffeine fix.  Skip the Luxor hotel buffet breakfast, which, while offered until early afternoon on the weekends, is expensive and unexceptional. Nevertheless, The Buffet at Luxor is open all day and has all-you-can-drink mimosas.

While not the main focus or standout of the hotel’s offerings, the Luxor also has five bars and nightlife spots, including ones that offer bar-top gaming, drinks in the casino, and a ceiling based off the Northern Lights. Room service is available 24/7.

The Luxor's four outdoor swimming pools sit on a 125,650-square-foot pool deck. That's a lot of real estate, but with cement decks and standard plastic lounge chairs, the pools don't distinguish themselves much from those at Excalibur or Planet Hollywood. One nice feature: The massive main pool sports cement islands, where guests sun themselves or deposit beer bottles. A team of attentive cocktail servers bring drinks from the Oasis Pool Bar. Guests have to pay for anything else that enhances the pool experience. For a daily fee, padded lounge chairs and daybeds are available via an online reservations system; both come with towel service, a raft, and a bucket of water bottles. Cabanas are also rentable, and include a refrigerator, bottled waters and Gatorades, bowls of fruit, newspapers, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, phones, and rafts.

During the summer, the North Pool comes particularly alive with Temptation Sundays, an adults-only, 21-and-over gay pool party, complete with a DJ and go-go boys.

Luxor Hotel Las Vegas renovated its 120,000-square-foot casino floor in 2014; it now contains more than 1,100 slot and video poker machines, a VIP room and 60-plus table games. Race and sports book is also available. The casino's overhead atrium is reportedly the largest in the world. Note that smoking is allowed on the casino floor.

After its 2014 renovation, Nurture Spa isn't Vegas-style top-of-the-line, but it's pleasant, with men's and women's steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, and meditation lounges. Access to facilities like the saunas (as well as robes, slippers, and juices) is available for an additional daily charge. The spa also offers services like deep-tissue and hot stone massages, facials, aromatherapy, and reflexology services. The small 24-hour gym, located next to the pool, is large, well-lit, and stocked with Cybex cardio machines (elliptical trainers, exercise bikes, treadmills), a full set of free weights, strength machines, and Pilates balls.

As with all MGM resorts, guests have access to the private Shadow Creek Golf Course, about a 20-minute drive from the Strip. The greens are only open to resort guests, and MGM offers a personal limo from the Strip and caddie service.

The array of services at the Luxor mirrors that of many low- to mid-priced Strip mega-resorts. The staff fulfills small requests with speed and efficiency, but it doesn't proactively engage guests to offer help. The bell staffers stand ready to hail a taxi for departing guests, but don't run up to new arrivals to take bags, as they do at more upscale places like the Wynn or Bellagio. The high volume of guests means that check-in can take as long as 25 minutes. So many people try to get their rooms at the same time that the Luxor set up multiple rows of velvet rope running the length of the huge front desk to help handle the crowd.

The Luxor hosts more families than average Vegas properties, which isn't surprising given the huge pools, the Disney-like ancient Egypt architecture, and the Bodies and Titanic artifact exhibitions. The hotel advertises its own Fantasy topless revue -- but, of course, parents will be hard-pressed to find a flesh-free zone anywhere in Vegas.

Wi-Fi is provided as part of the daily resort fee, which is charged at most Vegas properties. Self-parking and valet parking are available for an hourly or daily fee, though it’s free for some M life Rewards members. Wedding services are available, too.

There are multiple nightlife spots on-site, with various performances at its Atrium Showroom like Carrot Top, while the Blue Man Group performs in its own theater. R.U.N. by Cirque du Soleil is another popular show available here. Plus, the hotel has also turned to another kind of gaming: e-sports. It added the HyperX Esports arena in 2018, which is a 30,000-square-foot gaming video gaming stadium.