Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 5 . WHERE TO STAY
heavier on the Egyptian motif (with huge armoires housing the TVs and closet
space), pleasing in a campy way but not as aesthetically successful. The bathrooms,
however, including deep tubs, are better, so it might be a worthwhile tradeoff.
Regardless of which room you get, these are some of the few rooms in Las Vegas
that stand out. You know you are in the Luxor when you find yourself surrounded
by unique, charming room design, as opposed to the cookie-cutter room decor usually
found elsewhere in town. Especially desirable is a group of suites with glamorous
Art Deco elements, private sitting rooms, refrigerators, and, notably,
whirlpools by the window (enabling you to soak under the stars at night). And we
would love to meet the person who rents the 4,000-square-foot luxury suite at the
top of the tower.
The Luxor’s Pharaoh’s Pheast buffet (p. 167) offers a cool archaeological-dig
atmosphere. The hotel’s high-tech nightclub Ra (p. 269) is a happening nightspot.
Two notable attractions here are King Tut’s Tomb & Museum (p. 180) and the
Luxor IMAX Theater (p. 182).
3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (between Reno and Hacienda aves.), Las Vegas, NV 81119. & 800/288-1000 or 702/
262-4000. Fax 702/262-4478. www.luxor.com. 4,400 units. Sun–Thurs $49 and up double, Fri–Sat $99 and up
double; $149 and up whirlpool suite, $249–$800 other suites. Extra person $25. Children under 12 stay free in
parent’s room.AE, DC, DISC, MC,V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; showrooms; 10 restaurants;
5 outdoor pools; health club and spa; 18,000-sq.-ft. video arcade with the latest Sega games and more;
concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business center; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking
rooms; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataports, hair dryer, iron and board.
INEXPENSIVE
Orleans Value The Orleans is owned by the same company that owns the
Barbary Coast and Gold Coast casinos. It’s a little out of the way, and there is
virtually nothing around it, but with a 12-screen movie complex, complete with
a food court and day-care center, a bowling alley, plus a new 9,000-seat arena for
a minor-league hockey team (but also available for concerts and the like), this is
a reasonable alternative to staying on the hectic Strip. Plus, there is a shuttle that
runs continuously to the Barbary Coast on the Strip. The facade is aggressively
fake New Orleans, more reminiscent of Disneyland than the actual Big Easy.
Inside it’s much of the same. But a bright casino (complete with Cajun and
zydeco music over the loudspeakers) and a policy of handing out Mardi Gras
beads at all the restaurants and bars (ask if you haven’t gotten yours) make for a
pleasantly festive atmosphere.
If the prices hold true (as always, they can vary), this hotel is one of the best
bargains in town, despite the location, though the staff can be rotten, which can
seriously sour a bargain experience. The rooms are nice enough and you’ll find the
largest standard rooms in town, or so the hotel claims. They all have a definite
New Orleans–French feel. Each is L-shaped, with a seating alcove by the windows,
and comes complete with an old-fashioned overstuffed chair and sofa. The beds
have brass headboards, the lamps (including some funky iron floor lamps) look
antique, and lace curtains flutter at the windows. The one drawback is that all
these furnishings, and the busy floral decorating theme, make the room seem
crowded (particularly down by the seating area in front of the bathrooms). Still,
it’s meant to evoke a cozy, warm Victorian parlor, which traditionally is very overcrowded,
so maybe it’s successful after all. There are 1,400 brand-new rooms in a
newly built tower, and these hold to the same surprisingly nice standard.
The hotel has your basic Vegas-type places to eat. Worth noting is the
moderately priced Italian Sazio (p. 132), Big Al’s Oyster Bar, a not unauthentic
Creole/Cajun-themed restaurant, and Don Miguel’s, a basic but satisfying