Las Vegas - Excalibur reviews?

I'm going to be in Vegas the week of March 7-10, staying (at least for now) at the Excalibur. The rate for during the week was insane, just $41 plus tax. I know Vegas is cheaper on the weekdays, but even this seems like a steal. Even some of the normally cheaper places like Imperial Palace, Tropicana, Harrah's, etc. were 70-100 dollars a night. I have not stayed at Excalibur before, and, frankly was not all that impressed the time I walked inside the lobby, saw the casino, etc. It just felt a little..umm..cheap? worn? Something along those lines. What do you guys suggest? Up the ante and pay an extra 30 a night to stay elsewhere? Or be content with the plastic castle since it is so cheap? I'll be going with another mid-20s friend on his first trip to LV and our intention is to gamble a lot, drink, stay up late, etc. I'm almost of the mind that we should just keep it since it is so cheap, but looking for advice. Lastly, a "View" room is only an extra 10/night more than "Standard." Should I at least go for that? Any suggestions are terriffic. Thanks guys.

Welcome to Flyertalk NWSilverFlyer!

Do put a few paragraphs spaces in your posts as it does make them easier for us all to read and respond to ^ .

Looks like a solid mid market property:

http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45963-d97786-Reviews-Excalibur_Hotel_Casino-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

Your modest expectations should not be disappointed, and at that rate it's a steal!

The Excalibur is connected to Mandalay Bay and Luxor via tram which will make it easy for you to get to some clubs at night. And your an easy walk to MGM and NYNY.

As far as the view is concerned - if you are going to be out all night when would you see it? Take your friend up to the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio for the view.

Have a great trip!

Never actually slept in the Excalibur, but on my last trip I visited some friends staying there and got to see inside a room. It was a decent, clean, somewhat small room. You could do a lot worse staying on the Strip (Imperial Palace, Boardwalk, anything north of Treasure Island).

Personally speaking, I just use the room for sleeping so it doesn't really matter what its like as long as its clean and in a decent location. Decide whats important to you.

Here would be my list of pros/cons:

Pros:
- Located on one of the best corners in Vegas. You'll be connected by tram and indoor walkway with the Luxor and Mandalay Bay, and across the street from Topicana, New York, New York, and MGM. This should provide plenty of variety for whatever games/table limits you want to play without having to wander far.
- On site Krispy Kreme
- Cheap prices

Cons:
- The medieval theme. Its not really carried over into the rooms, but it is chintzy and attracts more kids.
- Quite a walk to the north end of the strip (Caesars, Mirage, Treasure Island, Venetian)
- Probably not as many young-adults staying there (although plenty in neighboring properties)
- Not a big hit with the ladies (But the ones that take money probably won't be too discriminating)

Don't know anything about the pool, but in March it probably won't matter.

Be sure to check out Cheapo Vegas (http://www.cheapovegas.com) before making a decision.

I would pay the extra $$ and stay somewhere else. The Excalibur is definately old and worn, and last time I walked through, it smelled like mildew and Krispy Kremes (not a good combo!!).

Luxor has a rate of $79/ night for a pyramid room. If you're gambling, you may even get that rate comped by the casino. Another option is Ballys. They are also showing a rate of $79/ night. Bally's has large rooms and its location is perfect.

Another good review site for Vegas is http://www.cheapovegas.com

I've always felt that a first trip to vegas should be at one of the extremes... either a really lowball dive, or a really nice property. On a weekend... ;)

Excalibur is what it is... a clean, OKish room in a property that I wouldn't want to spend any time in, (and that likely you won't either :p), with a decent enough south strip location.

As for paying extra for a view... I wouldn't, unless the lack of one was an absolute dealbreaker on an impress somebody type trip... in which case I'd definitely be staying somewhere else. I _would_ try asking for a decent view on check-in and maybe mentioning that it's your friends first time... they'll probably do what they can to make you happy.

Hey, thanks for all the tips. As far as impressing goes, that's not what I was going for. If I was, money probably wouldn't be an issue. :) That being said, I was just thinking that we could probably do a little better than Excalibur without breaking the bank. Looking around some more now (and prices seem to have suddenly gone down today, at least in terms of the Luxor) it appears we might be able to spend an extra $40/night for a considerably nicer place.

Here are some of the better deals I've found. Any input/ranking of these would be great:

Luxor, Bally's, and Aladdin-$79
Harrah's-$69
IP-$75
Excalibur (as booked)-$41

I don't have the money for Bellagio or Venetian and the like this trip, but think I could swing something under 100/night. Anyways, thanks again. The advice is great.

Hi,

I have always liked the Luxor. with the tower rooms all very nicely done.

If you are into hotel points ( SPG) you can now earn SPG points at the Aladdin.

The buffett at Mandalay Bay is very good value for money.

Regards

TBS

If you have extremely low expectations, your expectations will be met. I won't go into the Excalibur for any reason, but that's just me.

The Excalibur is definately old and worn, and last time I walked through, it smelled like mildew and Krispy Kremes (not a good combo!!).
To me, it smells like they pump in stable scent. (stable, i.e. the place where you keep horses)

Hey, thanks for all the tips. As far as impressing goes, that's not what I was going for. If I was, money probably wouldn't be an issue. :) That being said, I was just thinking that we could probably do a little better than Excalibur without breaking the bank. Looking around some more now (and prices seem to have suddenly gone down today, at least in terms of the Luxor) it appears we might be able to spend an extra $40/night for a considerably nicer place.

Here are some of the better deals I've found. Any input/ranking of these would be great:

Luxor, Bally's, and Aladdin-$79
Harrah's-$69
IP-$75
Excalibur (as booked)-$41

I don't have the money for Bellagio or Venetian and the like this trip, but think I could swing something under 100/night. Anyways, thanks again. The advice is great.

Of those you mention I like Bally's for the location and the large rooms (in the North tower). This is where we've been staying lately. It's a mixed crowd (old and young but tilts toward older). I like it for the location. It's connected to the Paris via a walkway of restaurants and shops. It's directly accross the street from Belagio and a short walk from Caesars and the Venetian.

Luxor is cool if you can get a Pyramid room. It's has the cool factor of the slanted wall and window. Luxor is connected to Mandalay via a tram and it's a short walk to NYNY and MGM.

Aladdin is good for location and the fact that it is now a Starwood property, so you can get Starwood points for your stay (and possible upgrades if you are Gold or Plat w/ Starwood).

I'm not familiar w/ Harrah's or IP. I know that Harrah's has a loyal following due to many Harrah's locations in the South and other parts of the country. The IP is a little old (and an older crowd), but I've heard they really take care of their regular customers.

Have fun!!

Frankly, I think the best property for a first time visitor is the Luxor. It is one of the best themed resorts on the strip, has cheap rooms and cheap gambling ($5 minimums on blackjack). For larger newer rooms ask for a tower room. If you want the slanted windows, ask for a pyramid room. The biggest drawback is location. Be prepared to do a lot of walking.

Quick summary of the others:

Aladdin - Good location, supposedly nice rooms (probably one notch above Luxor's rooms). Ugly casino, high table minimums.

Ballys - Fabulous location, supposedly nice rooms (notch above Aladdin). Drab casino, higher table minimums, full of old people

Imperial Palace - Great location. Don't stay here.

Harrahs - Very good location, loud casino. Don't have any info on the rooms....

GuyIncognito--Great summary. I've actually stayed at Harrah's both times I've been in Vegas, actually, and had great service. I thought the rooms were pretty nice. Slightly larger than your average Holiday Inn-type room, you might say. Very clean, comfortable, etc. In fact, last time I went (right before Xmas I got a very cheap room) they upped me to a "junior suite." The only difference there was a couch, as far as I could tell though.

As for IP, it seems too drab to stay in, but I surprisingly had a great time playing there. Especially later at night, it seemed like a younger crowd, and (love them or hate them) the "Dealertainers" proved entertaining at least. And the ability to find $5 blackjack tables in abundance was a good perk. Unfortunately when I've stayed at Harrah's, the tables were always 10 and up, and Harrah's didn't seem to warrant those limits, given some of its more prestigious neighbors. :)

As for the location of Ex/Luxor, it does seem like it will require quite a bit of walking. I would certainly want to get up to the Center Strip. At least it won't be August weather...is the Monorail helpful at all? (Provided it doesn't fall apart again!)

I'm leaning more and more towards Luxor now, I think. It just seems like a great hotel, I enjoyed walking through the casino in the past, and for my first-timer friend it would be a good spot with some typical Vegas kitsch. I haven't stayed there obviously but always thought I might want to. And the rate seems good. We'll see, I guess.

Of the properties you've listed, I've stayed a the Aladdin, Luxor, and Excalibur.

For my stay at the Excalibur, I was on my way to Detroit on business, and had the opportunity to stop off in Vegas for 24 hours. I got a room at the Excalibur for $29, and I think I got my money's worth. Of course, I only spent about 5 hours in the room - most of it asleep. The room was very basic - I've stayed in better rooms at a Motel 6, but it was clean and all I was doing was sleeping, so it was fine. There wasn't a restaurant in the place I wanted to try, so I can't comment on the food. I didn't try the pool or gym either. The gambling is o.k. - the craps tables are only 2x odds, but it wasn't hard finding a $5 blackjack table. They have daily Texas Hold 'em lessons which were pretty good - lots of beginners and they teach etiquette along with the game.

The Luxor has become my main hotel when I'm in Vegas. The property is nice, but a bit worn. The pyramid rooms are good for the novelty, and you get to take the inclinator which is an interesting experience, especially if you're inebriated. Pool and gym are good. Best of all, it's a short walk or tram ride to Mandalay Bay, which is a very upscale property - excellent cocktail waitress uniforms.

The Aladdin is a great property. I like it's location next to Paris and right across from Bellagio. The rooms are very good with very large bathrooms. Since it's become an SPG property, I've been looking at shifting my visits there for the points and free upgrades.

If it was just one night, I'd say go for the Excalibur. Since it's longer, I'd lean towards either the Aladdin or the Luxor. Since it's your friend's first trip, I'd actually go with the Aladdin for its location.

You're getting good advice, let me just add that IMO the Aladdin has the best standard rooms of the hotels on your list. Relatively new and modern, decent sized sleeping area, great bathroom with separate shower (no yucky shower curtain billowing against your backside!). $79 is a great rate there, BTW. If it were me, I'd snap it up in a nanosecond.

If you choose the Luxor I don't believe the tram will be a convenience for you. There is a tram that connects Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur - but the strip tram is a long way from the casino's.

The closest station to the Luxor will be at the MGM and if you've taken it years back when it only went as far as Bally's you may recall that it is a block east of the strip. The station is actually across the street from San Remo and a long walk from the Excalibur. Without great weather and energy it is a cab ride in itself from the Luxor.

At the other stations you will also find that it is a long walk from the casino's to the back of the properties where the stations are located. The only exception is the Hilton where the station is directly outside the Star Wars section of the casino.

If you usually stay at Harrah's you may be happiest if you choose to stay there again. It is definitely a different atmosphere than you will find at Excalibur or Luxor. When we've stayed at Harrah's I would walk over to Flamingo or O'Shea's for the lower limit games.

I don't consider $75.00 at IP a bargain - maybe $39.00 would get me to stay there, but I highly doubt it. Of your choices listed I too would choose the Alladin.

I would take Luxor for $79 in a heartbeat. Aladdin and Bally's are also much better than Excalibur. Harrah's is a bit below Bally's and the IP is on a par with Excalibur but in a better location.

QL