Nothing to do here but gamble - This was what I was told before myself and my girlfriend left for a recent stay in Las Vegas, but then it did come from the type of person who would likely find the negative in tripping over a large pot of Gold and who would find enjoyment in telling little kids there’s no Santa!

So I’ll start by immediately clearing that up – There’s plenty to do in Vegas. Yes there are a lot of ways to lose your money, sorry, let me try to put a little more perspective on that….There are ‘’A LOT’’ of ways to lose your money, but unless you’ve been living in a cave all your life then we really all know that before we even book the trip. In fact for some it is the very reason to book the trip, and fair play to them as well, because it can be a lot of fun on the way to those empty pockets.

So that being said, in this review I’ll try to paint a picture of Vegas itself for those that have not been before, as well as a critique of the hotel we actually stayed in. It’s a lengthy ditty though and I have a penchant for waffle, just can’t help myself. But this way both those thinking about a first time visit to Vegas, as well as those who’ve been before but not to the Luxor itself, will hopefully find something of value….Emphasis on ‘hopefully’!

My first tip if you’re flying into Vegas would be to try and get a window seat, because whether its day or night, flying in for the first time and seeing the strip stretch out beneath is one of those sights where you just can’t help but feel a cheesy smile creep across your face. We’ve all seen that view on TV or in movies and when you see it in the ‘flesh’ (so to speak) for the first time it does ignite the excited inner child in you and is frankly pretty cool…..Especially if you’re a big kid at heart like me. We were lucky enough to fly in at sunset on a fairly quiet internal flight, so got a great view of the whole city in all its lit up, neon, psychedelic glory. So I’d whole heartedly say it’s definitely worth putting your complimentary peanuts down for and taking a look out that window.

Arriving at the Luxor Hotel is almost equally as cool as the flight in. The world’s only pyramid hotel really is quite a striking and impressive sight, even more so when you spot the laser beam piercing the night sky from its summit as you’re pulling up underneath its life size replica of an Egyptian Sphinx. To elaborate one thing that Vegas does really well and makes no apologies for (nor should it) is big, over the top, in your face architecture and eye candy. All the Hotels are in competition for your business, striving to outdo one another with their themes, lights, size or sheer luxury, but this actually ends up with them complementing one another in many ways, as well as adding to the sheer plethora of sights and experiences to be had. If you step out onto the strip and now realise you’ve forgotten to bring your camera you’re really NOT going to be popular with the wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/etc (delete as appropriate) at all.

The lobby area at the Luxor is huge, be prepared to queue for a little while but progress is fast given the number of staff present. Once at the front you’ll be processed pretty quickly and likely get offered an upgrade if available. I’m not sure whether it’s just me, or whether it’s this hotel or whether it’s a common scenario in Vegas, but many of the hotel staff, whilst being nice, can seem a little robotic – Unless the question/conversation complies with a pre-determined answer you struggle to get any meaningful engagement, it all seems just a bit too much hard work sometimes, a little ‘computer says nooooo!’ Don’t get me wrong, all staff are helpful and not all are like this – But sometimes the smiles and conversation are just a bit too ‘Disney’ for me, rather than 4 star hotel. Whilst this can be perplexing it really isn’t much of anything more though, as interaction with hotel staff is actually quite minimal, it’s pretty hands off most of the time. Most interaction is with bar or restaurant staff (whether it actually be inside a hotel or outside) who are far more prepared to have a pleasant, decent and often worthwhile conversation….Especially if you’re a heavy tipper!

Our room was on the 25th floor of the main pyramid, the hotel has two more recent towers with better rooms, but we were actually pleased to be staying in the pyramid, it was part of the reason we chose the hotel. Getting to your room via the Luxor ‘inclinator’ can take a while, especially if nobody has told you that you need to insert your room card into a slot located beneath the floor selection panel to get it to work – I just love standing in lifts pressing buttons and looking like a dork who’s never worked one before! So if you’re planning to visit this hotel for the first time, now you can look like a regular and slip your room card into the lift slot like you’ve done it a million times before.

If your room is on a high level like ours you’ll need a head for heights, as the corridors are quite narrow and the barrier between you and the atrium level below is a partition wall just over waist height – The first time you look over the side can be…..Interesting - If you’re suffering from any sort of depression I’d recommend the ground floor!

The rooms at the Luxor are spacious, with good bathrooms and very good size beds. I’d say you get value for money and at least what you pay for. The air conditioning is good and quiet, but we didn’t really use it. The rooms are quite dark due to the tinted glass, but this isn’t to say it makes the room too gloomy, with the Sun beating down most of the time in Vegas this can be a welcome escape. Cleaning and maid services attend every day and do a good enough job. The walls in the rooms are a little thin though, so expect to hear the odd alarm, shutting of doors, loud conversation or signs of people enjoying themselves….Or each other!

Like all the hotels in Vegas, you’ll find getting to the casino in the Luxor is easy – getting out not quite so. This isn’t just because masses of bright lights and shiny things will tempt you in with their promise of huge jackpots, prize cars and free drinks on your way to guaranteed success, but because almost all signs in the huge maze-like Vegas hotels lead into casinos but very rarely back out! Therefore it’s pretty easy to lose your bearings even after a few days, and especially after a few drinks – So a useful tip can be to note landmarks in the casino and use them to navigate rather than misleading or infrequent signage. I’ve probably over-embellished a little here, so don’t worry you won’t need Ray Mears or Bear Grylls survival type skills, it’s just a little frustrating passing the same set of slot machines for the third time whilst looking for the hotel pool!

The pool area at the Luxor is nice but catered for the masses, great place to get some Sun, take a dip and relax as long as you’re not expecting it to be too peaceful or tranquil. The pool area does cut out the noise, hustle and bustle of the strip well, but on a hot day (which most are) it will be busy which obviously comes with its own noise. There are waitresses wandering around, but to be honest it’s easier and faster to walk to the bar where you can buy a pretty full range of drinks and snacks.

Just above the casino Luxor has an atrium level. Here you can find ticket booths for the hotel shows, features and a very noisy woman who shouts a lot whilst you are filmed pretending to ride a flying carpet in a small, open green room (should you wish to pay and do this, we didn’t!). There’s also restaurants/food hall and the shopping walkway to Mandalay Bay which does have some good fashion outlets as well as more restaurants and bars. Luxor is sister hotel to the Mandalay Bay and Excalibur, so has walkways and a monorail link to both those hotels.

Eating at the Luxor, or in Vegas generally, can be best summed up as varied and copious! There are the usual American diners, all you can eat buffets, burger bars and fast food eateries, but there are also some very nice fine dining experiences in most hotels and on the strip. We really liked the Peppermill with its kitsch décor, good staff and great food. We also ate in some of the better hotel restaurants which did live up to expectation all round. I also personally liked ‘FatBurger’, purely because in the UK a fast food restaurant called ‘FatBurger’ would be so politically incorrect that Gillian McKeith and Jamie Oliver would have coronaries on the spot! I would’ve got a t-shirt had they sold them.

As well as the good eating (and obvious gambling) Vegas also has a lot more to offer – partying, clubbing, shopping, sight-seeing and touring are all on offer in abundance. Luxor itself houses one of the well established clubs in Vegas – ‘LAX’. It’s popular from Wednesday when it opens through to Sunday when it closes up again for a couple of days. You can also get guest list entrance for other good clubs whilst in Luxor, such as Pure, Christian Audigier, etc. Vegas is also home to a lot of free attractions well worth a visit - The lions at MGM, the fountains at Bellagio and the Pirate show at Treasure Island to name a few. Indeed the individual hotels and their shopping atriums alone are all well worth visiting, the scale just cannot be comprehended until you’ve been here. You pop in for a quick look around and 1 hour later you’re lucky if you’re back out on the strip again, not just because you got lost, but because each hotel is vast, more akin to a theme park than a normal hotel. To get the best out of Vegas you need to be prepared to walk a lot, venture in and out of each hotel and plan for the unexpected rather than stick to a rigid agenda. Walking the strip is great fun and there is a lot to see – We even found Elvis alive and well pushing leaflets for a seafood restaurant just off the strip, at least it wasn’t a burger bar! Las Vegas really is an adult playground, and it’s for this reason I would not recommend it to families with children or even people under 21, everything is geared for adults and big kids, not the littler ones.

To sum up Luxor fits in well in Las Vegas – It mirrors the city itself in many ways. It may be a little dated now in parts and in need of a quick spruce and facelift, which it is definitely doing something about step by step. But it’s also positively big, brash, over-the-top and offers a unique experience as well as a stay. It’s quirky, fun and it makes you smile so you easily forgive and brush over its short-comings. These elements in my book are all good things, especially given the excellent value for money deals that can be had for both Luxor and Las Vegas generally now – Of course should you venture into the casinos just a little too often then that good value can soon disappear, but like I said at the start of my review, that can also be part of the fun to be had here to.