My trip to Vegas brought on a lot of excitement and anxiety. I couldn't wait to go, and I had read all about the Luxor and just couldn't wait to see it. My lifetime fantasy to go to Egypt has yet to be realized, and I figured this was as close as I was going to get!

I arrived at Luxor only to find they didn't have a room in my name, and had to wait 3 hours to get one. This, of course, afforded me plenty of time to walk around and check out the hotel. It was beautiful. I felt like a kid at Disneyland. I got lost about 3 times trying to find my way around, and couldn't find an employee anywhere to help me out. I finally was escorted back to the front desk by a kind security officer.

I got to my room, and I guess I was lucky because I had heard a lot of the rooms didn't have bathtubs, but mine did. The room really didn't look anything from what I expected, though. The decor was very average, the bathroom was not stocked with toiletries, and the TV only had like 5 channels to choose from. I figured that I did not come to Vegas to sit in my room and watch TV, though, so not a big deal.

The casino was OK. For a first timer, I think it was a little scary. Loud bells going off, and really not knowing where I should start or what I should do. I walked around and watched others for about an hour, and finally decided to give it a whirl. The 5c slots got me nowhere. I was not interested in blackjack or roulette, so I plunked myself down at a quarter slot. I jumped from slot to slot, wanting to try a bunch of them out, and eventually ended up staying at one for about an hour. I ended up leaving with what I started with, which I thought was really great. For someone who had no idea what they were doing, I think the machines pay off very well. I had fun that night and didn't lose any money. That made it a good experience for me.

The drinks they provide are, as expected, watered down. But it was nice to have a few drinks on the house while I gambled.

I was not really overly impressed with the food, either. For the extravagant price, you don't get an extravagant meal. Next night, I went and got some crackers from the little "convenience store" downstairs. I just didn't see spending all my money on food, when there was fun to be had!

They also have this section where it is like walking down a street and there are little "shops" on each side. I loved this. All the trinkets and souvenirs were great, and I think the prices were really good. They even have a toy store where you can get some Luxor/Vegas toys for your kids. My daughter loved the teddy bear pharaoh necklace I got for her. The toy prices were also surprisingly good. There is also an ice-cream shop there you must visit. The ice-cream is really good, but they have homemade fudge there that is to DIE for.

The Luxor is an absolutely beautiful hotel that is a must see even if you are not staying there. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't the "luxurious experience" I was expecting, but it was an exciting one. I loved the look and the feel of the whole place, and the casino was good to me. And it was still as close to Egypt as I've ever gotten.



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