Excalibur Hotel guest rooms have received a makeover
The Excalibur hotel is a hotel in transition, attempting to chunk its family business for a more adult, middle-income market. Although it’s difficult to transform a medieval-themed casino the size of an airplane hanger, Excalibur has succeeded to a remarkable degree. The new hotel lobby, as well as the casino, are tasteful, with dark woods and stylish lighting fixtures. Gone are the cheap plastic look rendered in a Walmart color palette and the ridiculous faux Knights of the Round Table artifacts. There are still vestiges of Ozzie and Harriet’s decorating touch, but the Excalibur no longer assaults the senses like it did in the good old days.
The guest rooms likewise have received a makeover—the medieval theme has been mercilessly exorcised and replaced by surprisingly luxurious rooms replete with plush bedding, dark-wood furnishings, and contemporary baths. Though the windows are not huge, the views are great.
Excalibur’s restaurants and shops are on the top floor of three levels. On the lower floor is a midway-type games arcade (with a zippy SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D ride) and the showroom, where jousting tournaments are featured. Other entertainment offerings include a male strip show and a Bee Gees tribute show. The cavernous middle level contains the casino.
The Excalibur is (for the moment) the ninth-largest hotel in the world and the sixth largest in Las Vegas, and it certainly features the world’s largest hotel parking lot (so far removed from the entrance that trams are dispatched to haul in patrons). If you can get past the parking-lot commute and the fact that most guest rooms have showers only (no tubs), and you do not object to joining the masses, there is good value at the Excalibur. The food is good and economically priced, as is the entertainment. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and you won’t go deaf or blind, or become claustrophobic, in the casino. A high-energy nightclub, several pools, a spa, and a workout facility round out Excalibur’s product mix. If you need a change of pace, a covered walkway connects the Excalibur with the Luxor next door, pedestrian bridges provide direct access to New York–New York and the Tropicana, and an overhead train runs to Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
Also check out our review of The Venetian. Find more information on all Vegas hotels in The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas by Bob Sehlinger.
Photo Credits:
Outside picture of the hotel: By Brian Whitmarsh [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Hotel interior: By Evelyn Proimos [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
