You Really Can Save A Lot in Camelot! Excalibur, Las Vegas
Written: Sep 11 '02 (Updated Apr 11 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Economical, Well Situated on the Strip, Good for Families
Cons: Not well suited for singles
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a hotel that is inexpensive, but not cheap and that is well located on the Las Vegas strip, The Excalibur is definitely worth looking into.
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| jps246's Full Review: Excalibur Hotel And Casino |
My first impression of The Excalibur a few years ago while I was walking through the casino was of a hotel/casino that catered largely to families and people looking for a good deal in Vegas. It was with that information in mind that my boyfriend and I considered Excalibur when we were looking for a hotel in Vegas with my Mother.
The difference this year was that my partner and I were taking my mother along with us to Vegas, so we weren’t really looking for a hotel that catered more to singles or younger couples without kids and really were most interested in getting the most out of our money and that was within easy walking distance to other hotel/casinos because my mother has trouble walking long distances. He and I were looking for something that was well placed along the strip, had the amenities that we were looking for (a pool and good restaurants). We decided upon Excalibur because out of all the hotels on the Las Vegas strip because not only did it offer the best value, but because it was located close enough to other hotels. Within a short walk, you can be at the MGM Grand, the Tropicana, New York-New York and several other casinos. A short tram ride (or walk on moving side walks) and you are at the Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
We rented a car when we flew into Las Vegas and driving into Excalibur was fairly straightforward. The Excalibur and The Luxor both share an entrance drive, you turn to the right to go to the Excalibur and to the left to go to the Luxor. They have a special parking area for people checking in. Park here and check in and leave your luggage in your car, as it will be easier this way, take my word for it.
Check in was a fairly painless affair. We waited in line for about 15 minutes or so. We were asked about our room preferences (smoking, beds, side of building, closeness to elevator, etc) and they were able to easily accommodate all of our requests. There is a nominal charge for unlimited local phone service. For long distance, the prices are a bit higher. I would suggest bringing your cell phone or a long distance card to save some money there. Once you finish check out, you will know whether you are in Tower 1 or Tower 2 of the hotel.
If you are in Tower 2, like we were, you drive all the way around the backside of the hotel and park right next to the entrance that goes to that tower. For Tower 1, you merely drive to the end of the shared access drive with Luxor and park in the lots to the left, walking down to the entrance for that tower. For all 4 days that we were at the hotel, there were plenty of parking spaces and we never had to park that far from the hotel entrance.
The views out of both towers are fairly good. With some rooms you can overlook the strip, others overlook the inner courtyard and others look out across Highway 15 to the mountains off in the distance. Our room in Tower 2 overlooked the inner courtyard of the hotel (where the castle is) and across to Excalibur. It was an incredible view.
The room itself was good enough and was well worth the money. We had a room with two queen beds. The room was fairly spartan and obviously designed so that you don’t really want to spend time there – you want to be downstairs gambling. The bathroom was huge and as always, those huge mirrors are a bit disconcerting as you step out of the shower. All in all, the room was big enough for three of us to be there and not be walking into one another and we had enough space to unpack all of our suitcases.
The casino floor is quite large and laid out over a large area. Sometimes it’s a bit confusing to get around though, as it is laid out like a giant “+” and sometimes you don’t know which part of that casino you are in. Take some time when you first get there to get acquainted with the layout so you don’t end up walking in circles. Payouts on the slots in the casino seemed to be about the same as the other major casinos on the strip.
The casino floor has a snack bar and a bar, along with the cocktail waitresses walking around filling drink orders. We found that the waitresses could have been a bit more attentive. Sometimes you had to wait quite a while before one would walk by and it would take some time to get the drink after you ordered it.
Upstairs is the Round Table Buffet, along with two sit down restaurants and a food court with a McDonalds, a coffee shop, a sandwich shop and a Krispy Kreme Donuts store. The buffet is reasonably priced and has a good selection of food. If you are looking for fast and cheap, the McDonalds is your best bet. You can get breakfast there until 10 each morning. Krispy Kreme is okay if you have never been there, but it’s not really all that much better than any other donut shop.
The pool is located outside of Tower 1 and consists of two different pools. Both are only about 3 ½ feet deep and are quite large. Generally the first pool you approach is filled with children, the adults tend to congregate at the pool in the back. Both have waterfalls into the pool and the back one has a small waterslide. The best part of the pool is just laying out and enjoying the Las Vegas sunshine.
For anyone that needs last minute items or forgot something on the plane, both Towers have a small convenience store at the base. You can get a toothbrush, shaving cream or anything else you could need. Both are open 24 hours a day, which is very convenient.
I was a little unsure going to Vegas and staying at the Excalibur, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the hotel, the service that they did provide and the amenities that were provided. If you are looking for a hotel that is inexpensive, but not cheap and that is well located on the Las Vegas strip, The Excalibur is definitely worth looking into.
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