Photo by Diane Taylor
We all know about the Luxor Las Vegas with its sky beam seen for miles and its original Egyptian theme. We also know that some of the original Egyptian-themed areas (the Nile River ride, for instance) have been replaced by adult restaurants and entertainment. But have you visited lately? I hadn’t, but a fan asked for a video tour, and I’m always up for such a request.
As I have noted in the past, those of us with MLife credit cards are given players cards that allow us to self-park at MGM properties for no charge, and I have such a card. When I arrived at the Luxor midweek, I had no trouble securing a parking space close to the elevators.
My video tour is attached, complete with my astonishment at viewing the ESPORTS complex. The Luxor opened in 1993, a long time ago in Vegas terms. But the ESPORTS area made its debut this past March, giving the Luxor a very current vibe. I’m not a player of video games, but to think that some visitors to Las Vegas want to sit and play video games with strangers or enter tournaments with first-place prizes being in the $50,000 to $100,000 range is just amazing.
I don’t know whether I had ever seen the Luxor buffet (my post-menopausal memory is not what it used to be), but during my tour I did visit the downstairs buffet and was surprised at the still-themed layout with plenty of private eating spaces. The Luxor and Mandalay Bay have all-day prices for visitors who can eat at buffets at either location for $39.99 or $49.00 a day, a bargain. (A sign says the normal charges can increase on holidays.)
Photo by Diane Taylor
In addition to video games and the buffet, the Luxor Las Vegas has plenty of other non-gambling entertainment options including comedian Carrot Top, magician Criss Angel, the topless review Fantasy, Blue Man Group, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibiton and Bodies The Exhibition. While visiting the Luxor, I did go through the Bodies exhibition. No photos though, per a sign at the entrance. The exhibition is interesting; each display is accompanied by signage. I particularly enjoyed the depictions of the various stages of the development of a baby inside the womb. Of course, upon leaving the exhibition, one MUST pass through a gift shop.
A recent article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal again emphasized the roles played by restaurants, bars, shopping and entertainment in today’s casinos. Yes, gambling is available as well, but as the Luxor tour clearly shows, gambling is not the only reason, these days, to come to Las Vegas.
That Bodies exhibit seems to be a perennial favorite in our city. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to eat before you go, as the sights, although interesting, might be an overly intense experience just before eating lunch.
Hi Dianne!!! Thank you for this superb report. As always, your reports are very thorough and informative plus highly entertaining. You rock!!
Well, not only was I wowed by the EAPORTS Arena, now I find out that gamers must dress the part. Just received a PR mailing with this information:
“Apparel and gear company, Moniker Inc., just launched H4X.gg, a new high-performance esports apparel brand that is tailored to everyone from professional gamers to casual esports fans. With gear created to enhance the experience of players, while still looking good on and off the pro stage, this new line will be the gold standard in esports apparel.”
And hear I thought gamers just sat around in their underwear to play games.
Love your tours. Especially liked the “end”ing on this one – hee hee! I remember when the Luxor opened and did the Nile cruise – was pretty tame. Has changed a lot.