I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I absolutely hate when hotels/resorts have very specific themes that don’t extend into the rooms themselves. Like what’s the point? If I’m staying in an Egyptian pyramid, I want that to be the entire time I’m in the hotel, not just in the lobby.
Is it lost on everyone that actual pyramids were tombs, and had just enough interior space for the pharaoh and the 'things he would need in the afterlife'? Turning them into a tacky resort is as dumb a thing as we could ever do in this country. Now a historically accurate roman villa would be pretty awesome. And I do mean ACCURATE! Real stone and concrete as it was used 2000 years ago. None of this crap that supposed to look like stone, but is actually some horrendous concoction of OSB, chicken wire, and plaster. And they should do a 100% accurate recreation of the Baths of Caracalla while they're at it. That would be great in the heat of the summer. Ok, that's a bit of a tangent. Sorry. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life.
@@tempest411 The thought of a pyramid is cool. If they made a massive resort to look like a coffin, probably wouldn't attract much of a crowd... 😂 But you're correct. Pyramids, in their heyday, weren't anything other than elaborate coffins with traps to catch grave robbers.
@@chuckoneill2023 That's exactly what I wondered. I figured they were themed at first, and as tastes changed / renovations / making stuff cheaper, the theming went away.
I first went to the Luxor soon after it opened. It was amazing. After watching your video, the place looks dilapidated and a shadow of its former self. My mom asked my 3 year old son what he thought of Vegas when we were there in 1994 and he replied "it was great nanny, they had a pyramid with a giant sphincter outside!"
Isn't gaudy golden fixtures, shiny things everywhere and horrid carpeting what brings tourists here? All the empty glitz and glam is what people think Las Vegas is, but then when you get here you want your hotel to be a historically accurate type of museum. You'll still lose your money all the same in the slot machines
1994 Three year old kid says giant sphincter outside..... 2024 Same kid grown up... goes there for childhood memories... leaves saying Man this whole place is one Giant sphincter
I was fortunate enough to stay at the Luxor back when everything was heavily themed. It was absolutely incredible. Now it's just a normal hotel squished into a pyramid.
Me too! I stayed there in 1994. We got upgraded to the high roller suite because it was all they had left. Freaking incredible!!! Got to do the river ride and the simulator. Fun couple of days, for sure!
This is actually a perfect metaphor of Las Vegas. They promise glitz and glam, but ultimately what you get is stale cigarette smoke, blinding lights and advertisements that eclipse your view, and addiction and shabbiness. It’s fun to walk around in for a day or two, see some cool shows, but it gets old fast, much like the cheap couch in the “luxury” suite…
8:54 A piece of the most famous maritime tragedy in history put on display as a tourist trap surrounded by a burlesque show, a prop comedian from the '90s, and a dingy casino housed inside a gimmicky pyramid perfectly summarizes the fever dream that is Las Vegas.
Seems about right. The Titanic has to be the most stupefying over-exposed historical event bar none. It's absurd how they trot out "Titanic" in one form or another every decade.
I think you are missing the entire purpose of vegas. It's there to make rich people richer. It's just a huge money grab. Everything has advertising, and everything is over priced.
@@Chocolate_dragon, yeah but you usually expect advertisements on things that make sense not a hotel that you are staying at. It’s supposed to be a temporary home
Your comparison of the Luxor’s value against other Strip hotels is also super helpful for anyone trying to choose where to stay!😊 Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive look into this iconic resort! 👏
Hey, I’m the guy at 9:19 In the bad supplementary video and I’m sorry you didn’t like it. I was just a kid working at the (TITANIC) Museum in Orlando. I got paid my day rate to come in and film. No way I was gonna say no to being on a video in Las Vegas. Good video though.👍
I got fired from there for arguing about cleaning the rooms with disinfectant and soap they want you to run the water in the showers for 30 seconds then wipe them down with warm water, they barely change the bedding, they want you to have a room cleaned in 10 to 15 minute's no matter what. most the times rooms get vacuumed once a week the cleaners just pick up debris with their hands.
Good review. I can feel the lowkey depressing energy of a very dated pseudo-theme-park-hotel longing for its former glory days. Seems almost appropriate that it's a replica of an ancient tomb.
Good review, but the video footage was giving me motion sickness. Never understood why anyone would choose 24 FPS in 2024 for a video with a lot of panning shots.
@@Psythik You will get that if you go way up the pyramid and get a higher room and look out the lobby, remembering how you know there's nothing below you physically.
You might be interested in some background facts… The plan several years back was to complete remove the Egyptian theme and even the sphinx. They got about halfway in and decided to stop. That’s one reason it’s so haphazard now. That Titanic exhibition has been floating (hah!) around Vegas for ages. It started at the Tropicana and moves every 5-6 years. The removal of the river ride was due to structural problems with the pyramid - it actually sank several inches. They used the ride space to add more supports and up-jacks and stuff. But if you go into the kitchen of Tender, you can still see some of the original river ride theming. Luxor has had a hard life and its shape makes it really hard to do much about it. The inclinator manufacturer went out of business ages ago, there’s no cargo elevator - which makes changing out the furniture hugely challenging - it’s just a shit show, and MGM won’t spend a dime on the place. Technically, MGM only operates its hotels now - they don’t own the physical property anymore. Even Bellagio has neglected issues :(
Jake, this is an unironic suggestion: you need to stay in the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis and make a video about it. I need to know how it compares to the Luxor. I need to know
@DBVintage There's a lot more than bodily fluids that floresce under UV light, like bleach and detergents. Using UV to check for stains is practically useless because you don't know if you're looking at spit or puke or Oxyclean, but boy does it look scandalous in a video!
I will never get over the Vegas "Resort Fee". A fee that every guest must pay every night they stay there under all circumstances. Like how is that not considered simply lying about the price and false advertising?
In most other cities, hotels will accept a package for you as a courtesy. In LV they run a reverse shipping store - they measure and weigh every package received and charge a receiving fee that is often comparable to the shipping feel. Three cheers to Body Gaing that waived the fee for me when I had a very large amount of boxes of medical supplies I needed to travel at the time.
Lots of hotels here in Florida have a room tax levied by local governments (city and county). Can’t be avoided. I agree that if the resort fee isn’t a government thing it’s even worse…
This is actually one hotel where our oppinions likely differ a fair amount and yet I think everything you say in the video is correct and I even pretty much agree with it all, too. For me the building itself is just...*cool* even though I do agree the advertising diminishes it a lot...but then again that is *so* agressively Vegas that I'm almost not upset by it. I do think the cleanlyness and the quality of the rooms genuinely detract from the experience a fair bit but again as you say you really do get what you pay for. I was very impressed with how the room looked on first look and again I think it's because I find the idea of a pyramid building just very enticing generally, and I'm a fan of that general layout and how much space there is, even if a lot isn't usable, is just very pleasing to my eyes. Then to top it off, looking down at the interior is stunning to me as I find 'structures within a structure' pretty captivating espetially when it's a gigantic pyramid (other polyhedrons may also apply). I think this is exactly the kind of place where I'd love to stay *once* and then I'd be done with it, but I'd likely feel it was a worthwhile and good one off stay, so for me in terms of 'is it any good?' the answer would be yes in terms of the experience, though I really do wish the theming was as good as it used to be or even just extended to the room like others have siad, and it'd likely make a a huge difference pushing me firmly into the 'would come back and experience it lots of times' camp. However, if I compare it to other hotels I pretty much end up with a score just like yours maybe with one or two extra points here and there. I guess for me this is exactly one of those places where 'the experience' is a huge subjective factor for me that overrides how I might otherwise feel. Also I think your blend of background, making it like your main chanel, and actual travel coverage is really pretty great in these though I *am* a sucker for longer videos and tend to want as much detail as I can possibly get you probably strike the right balance for YT. The production value of your content here has only continued to rise and your B-roll shots have always been fantastic. I'm always left wanting more vids here but then again them being part of your actual travels and you being invested in the locations really makes these 'work' so I guess it's a good thing! Looking forward to the QM2 video for sure, it'll be interesting to see how you feel about it compared to other cruise reviewers I've watched and I encourage you to put your full opinion out there even though I suspect it might not agree with that of others
I agree with you on this. Its one of those, love to stay there atleast once. We stayed there in 2023, in a regular Queen/Kings room, and well, the room was quite average. But still, it was the Luxor, the pyramid hotel. We're heading back in 2025 for a two-night stay, and looking for a new hotel, looking at Excalibur, which due to age probably has the same issues, but its a freaking castle. We are looking at others as well, but...
When I was 4 years old I lived in the Luxor for a year and a half... yea I just said that, crazy right? My dad was the director of photography (lead camera man) for Mindfreak, the Criss Angel magic show on A&E. He actually started the show with Criss, and stayed as his DP until 2009. Instead of leaving his family in New York while he worked on the show, he took us all with him. In hindsight, it was one hell of a crazy experience as kids to live here. I don't remember a ton, but I definitely remember quite a bit. This was in 2007-2008.5 for reference. The rooms were about exactly the same as in this video, it was decent decor for the time but is obviously wayyy out of style today. Cleanliness was sort of always an issue, I remember our room had bed bugs at one point. I vividly remember the pool, buffet, and the arcade that was there. Overall though, as a kid I thought it was cool, and I'm in a few episodes of Criss Angels show along with my other family members. My mom held Criss' feet in the episode where he was sawed in half, and my siblings and I are the kids at the table in the "Criss Angel OJ trick" where he turned my sisters orange juice into an orange bird. Pretty wild experience, I always get a kick out of seeing RUclips videos about the Luxor or Criss Angel because it was basically the first parts of my life that I can remember.
We stayed there in 1994 when I was 11. To me it was magical. I had always loved ancient Egypt and this themed hotel was full of artifacts. The waitresses and other employees all wore Egyptian themed uniforms. They had a Gondola on the main floor that you could ride in. A magic carpet ride where you sat on a giant moving platform in front of a huge screen (quite the experience). It truly was an amazing place.
Never ceases to amaze me how fast the cycle moves for these resorts in Las Vegas. I can remember visiting the Luxor in 1994 and it was one of THE places on the strip. Only thirty years to go from a prime destination to old, tired, and outdated.
That's because every single one of the Vegas hotels are just money laundering fronts. Whether it has a casino or not. It's a thing they can dump money into and wash it and then who cares if it gets run down. In fact, even better if it does because they can demolish it and start the cycle over. If you're wondering how that works, just imagine all the sneaky ways you can fudge the numbers on large mega projects. So much easier than trying to hide financial shenanigans in some rinky dink operation. Whenever I see some ginormous corporate boondoggle or pet project that you just know is a money loser, there's something suspicious going on there that makes total sense if they're trying to hide some cash in the cracks. Big movie projects that spend millions of bucks on a total loser, for example. I don't think for a second that all the money they say they spent on it is actually going into the project, and yet they can count it as a loss afterwards, maybe get themselves a tax break along the way, etc.
I was surprised when he mentioned that they did a renovation only 3 years after opening the hotel. Maybe that's normal for hotels, I don't know. But removing a major attraction after only 3 years sounds insane.
@@Jehty_Same here! When he mentioned that I was like, WTF!!! Such a waste in engineering, architecture and personnel logistics. - James D Watkins artistic director of Phoenix Productions.
Was there in 1994 as well. Could tell even then that they didn't know really what to do with the space above the casino. Most of the time I just stayed at the Imperial Palace, which was even older but had a good vibe to it. Easy to get around the hotel and on the middle of the Strip. Maybe Bass Pro Shops will buy it and turn it into a resort. They did a good job with the Memphis pyramid. The inside is quite nice.
My memories of the old Vegas, when I was a kid, is still etched in my head. Old worn out rooms, lobbys looking frayed, Pearl Baily was playing at the Dunes, and BB King precious memories.
This basically says the building is more useful as a billboard than a luxury hotel. They don't care about customers seeing out their windows, or having nice pictures of the pyramid. They're getting paid.
I thought them using that beautiful, iconic building as a Doritos ad was down-right sad. What a shame and, you’re right, it screws up the guests’ views from their rooms, too.
Tbh, the Luxor is honestly my go to spot in Vegas. It’s perfect for me and my friends to go, we all get separate rooms, and we just walk over to Mandalay Bay. There was a review I read before I stayed there the first time. It read something along the lines of “if you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the room, go somewhere else. If you need a place to crash after stumbling to your room drunk, it’s great. Need a tall place to jump from after losing your life savings? Also great!” Sums it up near perfectly.
Saw the aftermath of that once in 2014. The body was gone but the security and cleaners were there, mopping up the biggest blood splatter I'd ever seen.
I’m trying to visualize what would happen if you jumped from the top of a pyramid… Would it just be a very long and violent tumble down the side to the bottom?
Seeing Emmy's frown after the pizza really hit home. I know folks say even bad pizza is still usually "good", but lets be real: being overcharged for subpar food is ALWAYS a crime... *Edit* How on earth did this hit nearly 1000 lol. Emmy, hope you see how much we love ya and hate seeing you sad on camera 🤣🤣
@@JonoKnewt Right?! Im used to Emmy just having a generic grin since she always seems to be happy lol, which hey, i would be too if i travelled as much as these guys. But her frown here....like i FELT it.
@@hgman3920 So, ive never even heard of this, was this actually a thing? Or are you just implying that they had no real food to eat so their version of pizza wouldve sucked?
My parents moved to Vegas just after the Luxor had opened and when we visited them, we stayed there and it was really nice. the rooms all had theming and were very clean, and we got to do the boat ride which toured a replica of King Tut's tomb. The theming was extremely well done all over the resort, but as times changed, many of the themed resorts there removed their theming and just got very generic. When we visit now we usually stay at the Linq, and you're correct that it is much nicer and has more amenities. Hope to see more reviews from you on Vegas in the future.
It's one of the things that makes me sad about Vegas. It used to be nuts, with these incredible themed experiences. Now it's increasingly just glass buildings. I get it, people want a specific thing and usually that's a large room with modern furniture. But Vegas should be an insane experience, and a massive pyramid a replica of a castle and a recreation of New York is still an experience you can't really get anywhere else.
@@ian9outof10totally agree. The city itself was something to look forward to. The lights and shows on the strip were amazing to me. Treasure island used to have shows in front. Billagio first had that water thing and caesars used to have boxing fights in the front. Circus circus wasn’t a shit hole. It’s where the kids went and played video games while the parents gambled.
Acshully…no, seriously, there are natural pyramid-like structures. Certain mountain ranges all over the globe are considered natural pyramids (like in Antarctica or in Bosnia). Even Nevada has one such site.
@@bartlett2335 But they are considered pyramids, so no one is confused here. Pyramid is a shape, not just a structure (just like cylinder is both an object and a shape). And pyramids are not limited to one form. Some structural pyramids are actually not pyramids in shape (the oldest egyptian ones I think don’t fit the bill), while some have bizarre features (Nubian ones).
It's not a miracle. Those ACs were made in America. 100% by well paid union workers. Not a single part was made in China. Most from the same factory. All in America. That's why they have lasted 30+ years with regular maintenance.
All of Vegas is a dump now. You’d have to be insanely wealthy to enjoy it because you certainly don’t get your moneys worth anymore. It’s overpriced, dirty, the service is terrible, table minimums always high. It’s just a terrible experience.
I have to say, I really appreciate your inclusion of archival footage, both here and in other travel reviews. It really adds a sense of context to the review that I feel would otherwise be lost. Plus, in this case, that river ride just looks cool, and I think its a bit of a shame it was so short-lived. Also, that giant Doritos ad on the side of the pyramid is insanely tacky. I mean, I'm not a fan of plastering ads all over the place in general, but that takes it to another level. Same goes for the BetMGM ad, especially since it screws up the view out the windows.
reminds me of the time when the NYCMTA told Sikhs who worked for the nyc transit system to stick a mta badge on their turbans. their turban is a religious article. similarly, a pyramid is a temple for Egyptians. if following the theme, respect that theme. they pretty much have zero respect for what they are emulating
Super excited for your transatlantic QM2 review!!! That’s my dream trip as a fellow oceanliner fan. Have a great time and enjoy! I look forward to your video on it 👏👏
As someone who has lived in Vegas now since 1995, this town had gone down hill fast and is circling the drain at this point. I used to recommend that friends and family move here for the low cost of living and the great housing prices, and that is all but gone(cost of living and home prices are insane now). Sadly once a hotel reaches a certain age, ownership just won't spend the time and money to keep it up unless it is a prime location(or great brand name). And you would think having so many options would make for better deals for the public, NOPE. They just all treat you like shit and if you don't like it, oh well, the casino across the street is just as bad. The best places you can stay when visiting is off strip properties that cater to locals and those visiting who don't like the fast pace of the strip(and those places still have free parking).
I concur. My first experience with Vegas (work related and sadly I will have to go back next year) was not that great. I was actually disappointed. I had a nicer time traveling outside the city proper and into the surrounding area.
I was gonna defend the snowglobes, until I realized the ship is sitting in front of an ice berg for every one of them. That's like having an asbestosglobe of the twin towers with the plane in the background edit: the number of people who actually want to buy this is...interesting, maybe Titanic is on to something
Naming the pizza place Bonanno's got a chuckle out of me. The Bonanno crime family was part of an investigation where drugs were sold out of pizza parlors around New York City and New Jersey. The "Pizza Connection Trial" was big news for a while.
My Noni used to say something to us kids when we were being silly like "you Johnbananas!" I wonder if this is what she was saying - Joe Bonnanos? Why? Why Noni?!
@@donnagelina8548The head of the the family, Joe Bonanno was called Joe Bananas (usually not to his face). Fun fact - my mother was Christened in one of Joe Bonanno’s children’s Christening dresses somehow. I think it was his youngest son Joseph Jr’s. That happened through her uncle, my great uncle, who literally sounded like Frank Pentangeli from The Godfather Part II, with the raspy voice when he talked, but everyone swore he wasn’t “connected” in any way. Just friends with some guys who were, apparently.
@@tridoc99 LOL you must be from New Jersey. Yes they really respected mob affiliation. Not that they were IN the mafia, but if they knew someone in the mafia it was something to be proud of(?) I guess. My Noni (who died at 104 in 1999) talked about a relative in Italy, her grandfather maybe? (probably around 1890) who was a "Don" and we had a picture of him but that's all I know. My brothers used to recite whole diaglogue from the Godfather movies. Especially with Pentangeli.
Awesome video. I stayed in the Jacuzzi Corner Suite a few years back, sweet lord, what a mistake. Bloody tissue behind the TV, curtain held on by a plastic trash bag knot, Air filter was DISGUSTING, but worst of all the smell. Oh God the smell. Apparently Luxor is plagued with bad plumbing, and the smell would make you gag when you walked in. But for $62 or whatever I paid, it was nothing more than a place to crash after a night of partying. It's unfortunate MGM has let this property rot, and that the strip as a whole has abandoned themed casinos in favor of milking tourists with $10 pizza slices.
Can confirm. Stayed near the strip for work a few years ago and everything just looked so sad and has-been. My two coworkers who prided themselves on getting literally puss drunk didn't seem to mind though.
Will agree with this. Went twice in one year. The first was for a friend's birthday. Was eh. Mostly obligation. The second was for a con, but was MY choice. _THAT_ was a blast. My point is Vegas is only worth it if you have a reason to be there. It's not really worth it on it's own if you're not there to eat, party, or gamble.
@@AmbuBadger I've stayed at both as well. They were cool when they first opened in the 90's and I was like 8 years old, back when Vegas was going for the family friendly vibe. I stayed at Excalibur like 10 years ago for a last minute, cheap, vegas trip and I swear the room was the same as when I was a kid.
We went to the Luxor on our honeymoon. It had only be open about a year and still had the river that ran between the elevators. It was absolutely amazing. I hope that, unlike most Vegas hotels, it won't be demolished but remodelled. The basic pyramid core is an architectural wonder and should be preserved.
I think the Luxor needs more archeological theming to attract more customers. Also, I do believe that the Luxor does have potential in getting the public more interested in archeology.
Let's be real, it will almost certainly be demolished. Even if they were to do a totally cost inefficient gut renovation, you're still left with a building shape that is not conducive to stuffing the maximum amount of rooms, slot machines, restaurants and shops into.
In the late 90s, my girlfriend’s mother could not stop talking about the Luxor & how she loved staying there & all that BS. A couple years later when I was 21, I got to go to Vegas on a boys trip. I had to go & see what this loudmouth kept yapping about, & the second I walked in, the pieces all fell together. The whole place matches her personality & style perfectly. Cheap-looking & gaudy as f*ck. I don’t even think I got a full breath of air before I turned around & walked out.
I dunno, if you had been there when I was there you would have wanted to call it 'The Big Absolut'... They have used the side facing the strip as a giant billboard for at least 20 years now, one product after another.
I stayed with my parents there in 1994, I was 9 and wow was I impressed. I can remember so many things, even an incense smell when walking around the main floor that I still think about how sweet it smelled. Glad I have those memories when it was new and shiny. Thanks for sharing this!
I vaguely remember staying in a room as a kid. It looked cool back then cause well I was kid. I recently went as a grown 30 year old to Vegas, stayed at the LINQ, but walked through the Luxor just to see how it is. My goodness it felt like a ghost town where people were just walking through to get to different location. It’s like a relic stuck in time. It does feel nostalgic to walk through but it feels like there’s not much This building offers. Like an old mall that only old people go to for their daily walks.
The whole approach and purpose are so ‘dinosaur’ like that it just died away I suppose, the times have long changed. Even by looking at it here on yt, gives a feeling of a time capsule that no longer holds any relevance.
Wow! It's been 25 years since I stayed there. It used to have the best sushi restaurant ever. Looks like hell now. Shocked that it isn't being kept up.
I would LOVE a bigger series on Vegas hotels. All of the strip's hotels are so famous but the quality is so radically different across them I think it'd make for a great series of reviews!
I stayed an extended weekend in Chicago one year in the Hotel Intercontinental. We had requested a non-smoking room but when we entered the room it was obviously not. When the bellboy brought up the luggage we mentioned it to him. He told us not to unpack and he called the front desk. The hotel manager was in the room in a matter of a few minutes, apologizing profusely. She promised to make it right for us. I really didn't expect much. I thought maybe a comped dinner or something similar. She hustled us out of that room and into a suite on the top floor of the hotel with a great view of the lake! This was above and beyond anything we expected. It was unbelievable! Couches and tv's, private bedrooms. I thought that's the reason they are one of the best hotels in the world, they know how to take care of people. I will never forget that weekend! Thank you Hotel Intercontinental!
I had a similar experience in a hotel in downtown Chicago called the Drake. My room stunk of smoke and the front desk moved me to a suite that was renting for something like $600/night. It was huge and luxurious. Too bad I was only able to sleep and wake up early to attend a business function. But they did earn my continuing business. It is now a Hilton property.
That's pretty much the direction all of the themed resorts in Vegas have gone. They were built during the kinda short "family-friendly" era of Vegas which is now long gone. Treasure Island has gone through a similar experience with the original sign being gone and the pirate show having been gone for a long time now. While the stuff for that is still there it's all just an afterthought now. Same goes for Excalibur and Circus Circus which are both incredibly bad now.
@@lonesoul663 It was a time period where Vegas was trying to market itself as a place to go for a family vacation and it just kind of fizzled out. Pretty much like most themed places/attractions from the mid-90s to early 2000s.
Excalibur is a time capsule. They STILL have the exact same arcade games I remember from two decades ago. Ironically, these themed hotels are a microcosm of why we don’t have ornate buildings. The people who can maintain them die off… or it’s just really hard to integrate them. Not a problem in Europe, for sure.
I knew a lawyer in Vega who told me the Luxor started to sink just after they opened. They had to close the river ride because water was always leaking. The elevator (incline) was having problems due to the shifting of the building and could not reach the top floors. The remodel done soon after opening was to help correct the problems.
@@seascape35It's a very complex construction. That's probably one of the largest indoor atrium spaces in the world without any vertical support columns.
I stayed with my family at the Luxor overnight after visiting family in... probably 2012 or so, and aside from the Doritos ad, absolutely everything in this video is on point with my memories of that. The highlight was going over to the Excalibur and getting dinner from a Pizza Hut literally next door to a completely nondescript heavy beige door marked as a wedding chapel, without any windows or other adornments. Vegas is magical.
We used to go there in the early 2000s when it kept the Egyptian theme. It was great if I recall correctly, the buffet downstairs was referred to as tuts tomb or something like that. But now it’s no different than any other rundown casino in Vegas. Last time we were there was in 2019. Let’s just say the guests were on the lower end of the economic and social behavior spectrum.
Wifey and I continuously stayed at the Luxor for the first decade it was open. It was a unique, beautiful hotel, beautiful rooms, unique shopping, very friendly staff, with FREE parking. Then there was the awesome uniqueness of staying in a pyramid. There were four groupings of elevators, with a security person at each, where all you had to do was show your room key, enter the elevator, select your floor, and then a smooth ride. Don’t remember the resort prices. Don’t remember the dining, since we dined (primarily buffets) at the other resorts. Then they started ‘remodeling’, inside and out, and not in a good way. They added the two towers, which blocked the original pyramid views. Plus, if you were ‘forced’ to stay in one of the towers, it was a very long walk to the pyramid. The big turnoff, for me, was using the revised elevators, which turned into a chore, trying to get to your floor. Then the free parking was abandoned. And on and on. After the first decade, you really noticed that what was once great, started to disappear. Still, that first decade was awesome.
As a Vegas local who works in commercials and TV and has been basically in suite at the top of every single casino on the Strip (for work only never for pleasure) it’s so fun to watch reviews like this!!
The most surprising thing in this video for me is honestly the Carrot Top residency. Like, I was not aware he was still a thing... Also the adult playground themed after Keith Harring's art? Just... what? Why?
Also chiming in with a rec, if you haven't already, you should check out "tasting history." The guy who runs the channel, Max, makes historical dishes while talking about the history surrounding said dish, and has done several Titanic videos, including one very recently. Highly recommend. Oceanliner Designs also helped him with his latest Titanic video (and maybe also others, though I'm not sure).
Photography was very expensive back then so the line contracted pics from Olympic because it was available. They would take pics on Titanic later in NYC, but it never made it.
The luxor is exactly that, a novelty. Ive stayed there a half dozen times, and learned very quickly to stay in the towers. The pyramid was run down twenty years ago. The casino is average, the restaurants are poor. In fact when we’ve had to stay there, we always end up at the mandalay for entertainment. Most may laugh 😅 but the best part of the mandalay is carrot top, whom is shockingly funny and underrated. Vegas in general is a worn out novelty, except now it is ridiculously expensive.
I stayed there in 1995 with my family when I was still a child. For us Europeans, the Luxor with its theming was a hotel like we had never seen before. We told everyone at home about things like the boat trip inside the pyramid. I still remember the little details, like how the shampoo bottles were shaped like Egyptian columns. I went there again with friends in 2015. When booking, I was surprised at how cheap the hotel was, as at least in my childhood eyes I remembered it as being rather luxurious. As soon as we arrived, however, the price explained itself. I was simply disappointed and even embarrassed, as I had told my friends about my childhood impressions and the hotel now presented itself in such a sad state. I think “it's not a good vibe here” sums it up very well and I wouldn't stay there again unless the hotel had undergone a massive refurbishment. The pyramid shape of the hotel is still interesting and charming to me, but in this state you should avoid the hotel.
I heard a comedian tell a joke about a guy who stayed there. He lost all his money gambling, decided to end it all by jumping out of the window, and slid all the way down to the bottom. 😄
Fun fact: there are multiple cases of hotel guests falling to their deaths inside the casino! The inside is in a sense hollow so from the top floor you can jump off the balcony and fall to your death several floors below. Buddy of mine who worked there told me the most recent one they had cleaned up and resumed normal operations 18 hours after they jumped which is actually kind of impressive lol
Nope Circus Circus is owned by Phil Ruffin he also owns Treasure Island. Luxor and most of the other MGM hotels are in that crooked lease the land to a shell company and slowly bankrupt them scheme.
I've been watching that story for a few decades now. Lots of controversy. Court battles over whether that stuff could be salvaged. The early salvage efforts were from the Titanic's debris field, not the ship itself. But then the company decided to remove that big piece that is at the Luxor. That generated a lot of controversy. And of course last year there was that paid dive to the wreck that killed 6 people.
On the Titanic exhibition: I happened to visit on the 100th anniversary of the sinking in 2012. Everyone took part in a minute’s silence at the Big Piece. It was all very respectfully handled and we ended our visit in a very quiet, sombre, reflective mood. As we exited into the gift shop I overheard the staff asking a visitor: “Would you like your photo with or without the ghost of the captain?” 🤦🏼♀️ We stayed in a jacuzzi room but even without a UV light we weren’t dipping a toe in there - almost certainly would’ve caught something!
The world’s best IMAX used to be in that spot. Was five stories tall and locked you in like a roller coaster ride because of the steepness. Saw the Michael Jordan and NASCAR Imaxes there in the 90’s. It was awesome being that close to a 7 story screen and the sound system blasting you out of your seats.
@@Sashazur The amount of jizz in the hot tub water would keep me away. There's really no amount of clean up that can undo that, you know? There's an Airbnb behind my house and it's main draw in the pool and hot tub. They don't clean that hot tub often enough for the amount of use it gets. Shudder.
@@cwshawk was still there when i went as a kid in 2006. Was playing a fighter pilot movie when i went (operation red flag or something like that). Was sad to learn it closed
Wow I found this video at the perfect time planning my first trip to Vegas since turning 21 (I am 36 now...). I stayed at the Luxor as a kid in the 90s and had super happy memories of it. I think we are going with Vdara since the entire hotel is smoke free and it's directly connected to the Aria and the Bellagio. Newer build and every room is a suite!
There is a common trend in a lot of your videos, does not matter if we are talking hotels, cruise ships, shops, restaurants, the list goes one. That trend is the removal of theming and unique decor and the move towards fully generic interiors. The world becomes a lot more boring when every place looks the same.
Unfortunately it's because it's cheaper to maintain. It's easier to find and order supplies and replacement items when you use the same ones as everyone else. When everything's custom, you have to special order replacements and restock for the custom items.
Five years ago I was driving through Vegas on the way home and booked a room in Luxor. When I tried to check in at ten PM after a 12 hour drive I was informed after waiting in line 1 hour with tired 3 and 6 year old girls that they had accidentally overbooked and I could not stay. I tried talking to several employees but they just didn't have a room for me. Ended up on the street with all of Vegas totally booked. No idea what was going on some kinda concert or fight scheduled who knows. They gave me a rebooking number and pushed me out of line. Of course no one would answer the number. Insult to injury I had to pay for parking to be tortured like this. I looked for a room for another hour before driving 6 hours home overnight. Ended up with pneumonia the next day from the stress and sleepless night I am sure. Needless to say I am not staying here again.
@@uh-1flyboy632 read what they wrote again; they were passing through on the way home from somewhere else. 18 hour total drive, with Vegas at the 12 hour mark.
I stayed at the much pricier Caesars Palace and was ripped off in more ways than one, never got notified that my room was ready after checking in, and customer service was terrible overall. You pay all that money to not get any extras, and then they rip you off with that mini bar nonsense. I also got a headache every time I left my room to go to the casino / food area, since it was smokers paradise and it made me sick.
Our flight leaving Vegas got canceled a few years ago, and the Luxor was the cheapest place to stay the extra night. We ate at the Mexican place mentioned in this video, and my husband was up half the night with some sort of food poisoning. Hooray bonus Vegas day.
I work as one of my jobs ( the locals here all have multiple side gigs ) at a place where we serve food. The number of people in the resorts that don't practice proper food safety is worrying. Every time we get a worker who worked there previously, we have to do a little re-training about being vigilant and not cutting corners for expediency's sake. This is covered under their food handler's training (state program and class), but most seem to focus on speed and getting the job done - which is obviously the casino environment and management pressuring them. So the first couple of days we have to get them back up to speed (actually to just.slow.down.) If you follow the rules every time, nobody gets sick.
Watched the video with interest because I stayed there in 2018 and wanted to hear your thoughts. I stayed there as it was cheap and walking distance to T-Mobile arena as I was staying in Vegas for a few days to watch hockey. Had a ball with other fans and the room was fine for the price. Ate at the Mexican restaurant which was also good. Eye opening now to how bad the suites are. I wouldn't stay there again after watching your video but at the time it suited my needs perfectly.
The first time I went to Vegas was with my parents when I was 14 in 1998. We stayed at NYNY which was neat, and back then Luxor still had some really cool little stores with unique stuff in that dead area you talked about heading toward Excalibur. It was sad going back years later and seeing how far the hotel in general had fallen. Somebody also tried to pickpocket my watch right off of my wrist in Luxor's casino. I felt his fingers go up under the band to pull on it and I ripped my hand away, glaring at him, and he immediately ran off. I've worn a cheap Walmart watch every time I've gone to Vegas since and I always have a purse with a short strap that zips up completely, and I keep it tucked under my arm with the zipper facing in front of me just so pickpockets can't fuck with it. Because there are TONS OF THEM in Vegas.
@@randywatts6969 Again, I was 14. The guy was also operating near an exit for a reason. By the time I realized why he had done that, he was already gone.
@@gloriousjohnson1807 ....yes? It's a piece of jewelry. What a ridiculous question. I'd rather not dig in my purse for my phone every time I want to know what time it is.
@@Jehty_ Yet Titanic is single most talked about sinking of a ship in history. There are 3 movies and an annual 3D re-enactments that are surreal to watch.
Man, those slanted windows surely produces a greenhouse effect, which in Vegas would be no joke. I think the advertising may be helping keep the building cool.
I saw it the first time in 1995 when it was new and it was cool in a kitschy way. Now it feels like a pyramid shaped holiday inn express. It's been a cheaper option for years which I assume contributes to the wear and tear. I do miss Vegas of the 90's and early 2000's when they had more themed hotels and embraced the madness. Now the hotels all feel the same.
I will always stick to what I say and no one nor amount of videos about Vegas can prove me otherwise; Las Vegas is just a waste of time and money, an ‘entertainment’ city in the middle of the desert that shouldn’t exist and just a literal waste of resources. People can spend their money better by avoiding that area entirely
I agree, the spectacle wears off after the first time Although I did enjoy seeing the themed hotels, museums, and the surrounding southwestern desert and some of the attractions there (I was not old enough to gambling at the time)
As someone who grew up in NYC I am amazed at how it was possible to be even more tacky than Times Square. Outside of the strip, there's literally nothing but endless strip malls and parking lots. I'd rather live in NYC even if I'm paying double in rent
This was fun, thank you! I stayed at the Luxor in 1994 just after it opened. We did the river ride and the simulator. Pretty ok. The amazing thing was I booked a regular room but because we had a late flight in, the only rooms they had left were the high-roller luxury suites. AMAZING!!!!! It was of course, brand new and spotless, and the suite was HUUUUUGE and the views were incredible. I believe we were on the 28th floor and the room went for $650/night back then. It was 30 years ago though, so my memory could be wrong. We had a great experience, and I'm sad to see how much it has slid since then. Anyway, thanks again for the video. I really enjoyed it!
I wouldn't take it personal, especially from these two hardline liberals who take the smallest shit offensive.. They were just looking for shit to bash, like all other peace loving, kind and accepting liberals (note the sarcasm)
@@AerialEscapelol, dude was a drama queen about everything...saying how he'd rather stay in a generic motel, or his "health" in the room--as if camping and sitting next to a campfire all night (something many ppl do) isn't a thing that exists.
@Imperial_Cosmonaut Are you to tell me conservative American would take issue with a real life tragedy being reduced to a snow globe? That is an absurd take.
To summarise: staying there means, shitty hotel room and spending money for gambling, shitty food, shopping and shows. The theme clearly is:”how can me make the most money out of the tourists with the least amount of effort”. I kinda feel sorry for the people who think that this is a vacation.
Why would you feel sorry for people who have lived in middle of nowhere USA their whole life and actually enjoy their stay because they've literally never done or seen anything better? The world is literally how one perceives it and it's possible that these "people who think that this is a vacation" actually have a better time than you will, since you'll be nitpicking the whole time.
You're doing Vegas wrong if you spend enough time awake in your hotel room to complain about it. People stay at Luxor because it's super cheap so they have more money to spend elsewhere.
I was there in 1994 to visit it. It was beautiful and we were proud to be staying there with our family. It used to have a river running through it with little canoes. Our experience then was great! Over the years, sadly it went downhill! I don’t know what happened but it is sad to see it the way it is. I’ll just remember it in my heart the way it was and keep that experience in my heart along with the memories. We also went down the street at the time to where they had live pirate themed shows at (I think) Treasure Island…good memories❤️❤️
I once "stayed" (we left after 30 minutes lol) at a Rodeway Inn in Charlotte NC. It was unbelievable. We are talking about: bloodstains everywhere, doors damaged from police forced entry, fresh shaved hair in the sink, forms of insect life that have not yet been documented by science, and no refund. I'll take the Luxor.
That's 30 minutes longer than I would've stayed lol. I had fire ants crawl over me at a motel near Yosemite once, and I darted out as quickly as I possibly could! 😅
My family booked a night at a chain also in Charlotte and got the same but toned down vibes. Also the shuttle never arrived when they said it did. Lasted all of 10 minutes and we booked at another hotel down the road.
Opinion on the Titanic view: I am a firm believer that history and historical artifacts should be preserved when possible. Truth is everything down at the Titanic wreck site is going to decay and get destroyed. The ship itself might be almost completely gone in less than 100 years and the only things that might remain are bits of glass, brass, and porcelain buried in the muck. Any human remains vanished long long ago - all the organisms that survive off "whale fall" (dead whales that sink to the bottom of the ocean) would have done the same with any humans who sunk to the bottom nearly a century ago. If the price for preserving the items and letting people see them is they get displayed in a casino as opposed to them being sequestered in some billionaire's basement or being buried in crab excrement, I think that is the lesser of those "evils".
There is a nautical museum in Halifax Nova Scotia that has a section about the titanic since the titanic itself is offshore from there. It is very respectful, listing all of the people lost that day and explaining the history of the ship. The entire section is quiet, no music playing or anything and it has a lot of artifacts in it as well.
I stayed there a few years ago and some drunk guys near the top floor started throwing furniture off the balcony into the middle of the hotel. We could hear the sounds of the wood crushing on the stage and floor. One lady was hit by a chair and taken to hospital, it was a wild experience!
So I searched 'Egyptian Chrysler building', and apparently the Chrysler Building is one of the most iconic examples of Egyptian Revival / Egyptian Art Deco architecture, which would explain why it's in the atrium town!
Okay but Fr the Egyptian theme is a fantastic one I cannot believe it hasn't expanded or renovated extensively to have intricate themeing throughout the whole dang thing
It Did have lots of Egyptian themes. I stayed in 1998, it was full of things to look at. The rooms had gorgeous lotus style wallpaper, the bedding mayched. I studied ancient Egypt and loved it there. It's definitely gone downhill.
Hotels/Casinos aren't what you think. These are money making projects where everything is weighed on a cost/benefit scale and amortized out. The reason you see run down hotel rooms is because you catching them at the end of their amortization cycle. They'll get renovated, and prices will go up, and the cycle will repeat itself until someone wants to build something there, at which point it gets sold, torn down, and something else takes its place. The brilliance behind this is, you can take a high end hotel, and then slowly cheapen it, attracting less and less discerning customers over time, until the bottom falls out and you replace it, so the condition of your asset, which determines the price/market, changes, but it makes money the entire time.
man, i remember when the luxor first opened in the early 90's. my mom is from vegas and all of my family on her side still live there. we would go out to vegas 2-3 times a year from the time i was born until i was in my early 20's. i was about 7-8 years old when the luxor first opened. it was an awesome experience back then when we would go
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titanic had snowglobes back then they would make it, grow up buttercup.
It is the 3rd largest man made pyramid, not the 12th.
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I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I absolutely hate when hotels/resorts have very specific themes that don’t extend into the rooms themselves. Like what’s the point? If I’m staying in an Egyptian pyramid, I want that to be the entire time I’m in the hotel, not just in the lobby.
Totally agree
It was better themed, previously. The theme was removed, bit by bit, during various cost-cut refurbishments.
Is it lost on everyone that actual pyramids were tombs, and had just enough interior space for the pharaoh and the 'things he would need in the afterlife'? Turning them into a tacky resort is as dumb a thing as we could ever do in this country. Now a historically accurate roman villa would be pretty awesome. And I do mean ACCURATE! Real stone and concrete as it was used 2000 years ago. None of this crap that supposed to look like stone, but is actually some horrendous concoction of OSB, chicken wire, and plaster. And they should do a 100% accurate recreation of the Baths of Caracalla while they're at it. That would be great in the heat of the summer. Ok, that's a bit of a tangent. Sorry. I now return you to your regularly scheduled life.
@@tempest411
The thought of a pyramid is cool. If they made a massive resort to look like a coffin, probably wouldn't attract much of a crowd... 😂
But you're correct. Pyramids, in their heyday, weren't anything other than elaborate coffins with traps to catch grave robbers.
@@chuckoneill2023 That's exactly what I wondered. I figured they were themed at first, and as tastes changed / renovations / making stuff cheaper, the theming went away.
The pyramid being turned into a giant dorito almost seems like some type of satire of consumerism and commercialization.
On brand for Las Vegas, though.
They probably make more off the ad than the guests.
Can’t blame Doritos, though. I mean…. It’s literally the perfect Doritos billboard. 😂
Idiocracy. It’s cliche but sadly true. The movie is scary to rewatch.
Idiocracy
Visible stains? You mean visible clean spots, because the entire sofa was stained.
MGM management is more concerned with revenue,than their guests.
lol I just spit out my coffee hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@smcaz68 On the sofa, no doubt.
A beige vanilla girlie in a beige room…. HORROR!!!!
Say, wasn't the Luxor a standout spot for Diddy's Freak Out Parties?😮
I first went to the Luxor soon after it opened. It was amazing. After watching your video, the place looks dilapidated and a shadow of its former self. My mom asked my 3 year old son what he thought of Vegas when we were there in 1994 and he replied "it was great nanny, they had a pyramid with a giant sphincter outside!"
😄
Sometimes small children have the best observatins
Giant sphincter!!!!!! ☠️☠️😂😂
Isn't gaudy golden fixtures, shiny things everywhere and horrid carpeting what brings tourists here? All the empty glitz and glam is what people think Las Vegas is, but then when you get here you want your hotel to be a historically accurate type of museum. You'll still lose your money all the same in the slot machines
1994 Three year old kid says giant sphincter outside..... 2024 Same kid grown up... goes there for childhood memories... leaves saying Man this whole place is one Giant sphincter
I was fortunate enough to stay at the Luxor back when everything was heavily themed. It was absolutely incredible. Now it's just a normal hotel squished into a pyramid.
The nile river boat ride?
The dinosaurs and the Nile river boat ride
Same!
Me too! I stayed there in 1994. We got upgraded to the high roller suite because it was all they had left. Freaking incredible!!! Got to do the river ride and the simulator. Fun couple of days, for sure!
Yeah I stayed there about 6 months after they opened and it was fantastic. Haven't been back since but yeah it doesn't surprise me
This is actually a perfect metaphor of Las Vegas. They promise glitz and glam, but ultimately what you get is stale cigarette smoke, blinding lights and advertisements that eclipse your view, and addiction and shabbiness. It’s fun to walk around in for a day or two, see some cool shows, but it gets old fast, much like the cheap couch in the “luxury” suite…
Best post on this thread!
Well written. Thank you.
@@hubriswonk Right on!
Perfectly described this is exactly my take on Vegas
Downtown Vegas is somehow even more tacky than Times Square. I don't even know how that is even possible
8:54 A piece of the most famous maritime tragedy in history put on display as a tourist trap surrounded by a burlesque show, a prop comedian from the '90s, and a dingy casino housed inside a gimmicky pyramid perfectly summarizes the fever dream that is Las Vegas.
Yup!
Gotta read some Fear amd Loathing in Las Vegas. Seems like not much has change of the American Dream
@@tristanblake1843 As your attorney, I strongly advise that you do.
Did I mention you can leave Las Vegas probably the best option 🤣🤣🤣🤷♂️
Seems about right. The Titanic has to be the most stupefying over-exposed historical event bar none. It's absurd how they trot out "Titanic" in one form or another every decade.
How badly must they be hurting to agree to deface their pyramid with a giant Dorito? Good Lord that's pathetic.
I’m hoping it’s not permanent. Because it’s so bad. Just tacky and ugly.
Nothing screams ancient Egypt like Doritos!
C'mon, man. Doritos are great! You can't tell me that the Pharaohs weren't munching on some cool ranch.
Puking cheese at 3am, looking up and seeing what you just puked as an Egyptian monument! 😅
Heard they were the Pharoah's favorite!😊
fun fact: you can make a pyramid with 4 carefully placed Doritos
I heard you can mummify a cat with Dorito dust. Seems lore accurate to me
Oh, man... do not break out the UV light!
Be careful jake, Dan will claim he invented that idea first
@@manyyoumas What happened to him? He used to do those great dirty room vids with that guy, Rick I think it was?
@@Majax2 I miss those videos so much even though they were terrifying.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas
@@bradydacloud including bedbugs....
Putting a massive banner over your window, blocking out your light and view, just to advertise a company is absolutely scandalous.
$50 for a pizza?
I think you are missing the entire purpose of vegas. It's there to make rich people richer. It's just a huge money grab. Everything has advertising, and everything is over priced.
@@Chocolate_dragonI think you are missing the point of a hotel bedroom.
@@Chocolate_dragon, yeah but you usually expect advertisements on things that make sense not a hotel that you are staying at. It’s supposed to be a temporary home
Sellout status is so not sexy….
Your comparison of the Luxor’s value against other Strip hotels is also super helpful for anyone trying to choose where to stay!😊 Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive look into this iconic resort! 👏
Hey, I’m the guy at 9:19 In the bad supplementary video and I’m sorry you didn’t like it. I was just a kid working at the (TITANIC) Museum in Orlando. I got paid my day rate to come in and film. No way I was gonna say no to being on a video in Las Vegas. Good video though.👍
yeah no one likes it friend and nobody is gonna feel bad for you either.
not judging you for the hustle
You are a Jerk, Sir.@@jacqpliffs
Someone commenting here said he used to do ghost tours with you, did you see that?
Haha I thought it was funny when I was there and saw it. I figured it was something like that sort of situation lol
I got fired from there for arguing about cleaning the rooms with disinfectant and soap they want you to run the water in the showers for 30 seconds then wipe them down with warm water, they barely change the bedding, they want you to have a room cleaned in 10 to 15 minute's no matter what. most the times rooms get vacuumed once a week the cleaners just pick up debris with their hands.
Yikes. Not even a quick swab of bleach. Jeez I think I'll stay at Treasure Island vs sandy land...
You should have reported them to the City’s Health Department!
I'm sure Circus Circus corporate officers own the Dept of Health.
Sounds like you dodged a bullet there, friend!
@@oneshoeshort that's no Lie
Good review. I can feel the lowkey depressing energy of a very dated pseudo-theme-park-hotel longing for its former glory days. Seems almost appropriate that it's a replica of an ancient tomb.
Good review, but the video footage was giving me motion sickness. Never understood why anyone would choose 24 FPS in 2024 for a video with a lot of panning shots.
@@PsythikSorry you can’t hang
@@HoolyDooly-si2zz So an accurate representation of Las Vegas.
@@PsythikI guess you don’t watch movies.
@@Psythik You will get that if you go way up the pyramid and get a higher room and look out the lobby, remembering how you know there's nothing below you physically.
You might be interested in some background facts…
The plan several years back was to complete remove the Egyptian theme and even the sphinx. They got about halfway in and decided to stop. That’s one reason it’s so haphazard now.
That Titanic exhibition has been floating (hah!) around Vegas for ages. It started at the Tropicana and moves every 5-6 years.
The removal of the river ride was due to structural problems with the pyramid - it actually sank several inches. They used the ride space to add more supports and up-jacks and stuff. But if you go into the kitchen of Tender, you can still see some of the original river ride theming.
Luxor has had a hard life and its shape makes it really hard to do much about it. The inclinator manufacturer went out of business ages ago, there’s no cargo elevator - which makes changing out the furniture hugely challenging - it’s just a shit show, and MGM won’t spend a dime on the place. Technically, MGM only operates its hotels now - they don’t own the physical property anymore. Even Bellagio has neglected issues :(
Jake, this is an unironic suggestion: you need to stay in the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis and make a video about it. I need to know how it compares to the Luxor. I need to know
Yes!!! I highly recommend this! We stayed there last summer. The rooms are amazing 😁
I stayed there. Totally agree he should go there
Wait, there's a hotel in the Tomb of Bubbahotep?!
@@ZGryphon 10th tallest pyramid in the world
there is no comparison
Rule #1 in staying at any hotels.
Do NOT pull out the UV light.
Ignorance is bliss.
😂😂😂
Booty juice 🚪🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♀️
Yeah, you’re liable to find the end result of people screwing .
@@DBVintage It's Las Vegas, that's what people cum for! 😜🤪😝 💦
@DBVintage There's a lot more than bodily fluids that floresce under UV light, like bleach and detergents.
Using UV to check for stains is practically useless because you don't know if you're looking at spit or puke or Oxyclean, but boy does it look scandalous in a video!
Let it stay in Vegas. (People never pull out the UV light at home...)
I will never get over the Vegas "Resort Fee". A fee that every guest must pay every night they stay there under all circumstances. Like how is that not considered simply lying about the price and false advertising?
In most other cities, hotels will accept a package for you as a courtesy. In LV they run a reverse shipping store - they measure and weigh every package received and charge a receiving fee that is often comparable to the shipping feel. Three cheers to Body Gaing that waived the fee for me when I had a very large amount of boxes of medical supplies I needed to travel at the time.
Parking is not included either.
Lots of hotels here in Florida have a room tax levied by local governments (city and county). Can’t be avoided. I agree that if the resort fee isn’t a government thing it’s even worse…
@@markiangooley Those will be broken down in the bill apart from a resort fee.
It is just a means to generate tax income for the County/State as they continue to offer rock bottom or no income tax to locals.
This is actually one hotel where our oppinions likely differ a fair amount and yet I think everything you say in the video is correct and I even pretty much agree with it all, too. For me the building itself is just...*cool* even though I do agree the advertising diminishes it a lot...but then again that is *so* agressively Vegas that I'm almost not upset by it. I do think the cleanlyness and the quality of the rooms genuinely detract from the experience a fair bit but again as you say you really do get what you pay for. I was very impressed with how the room looked on first look and again I think it's because I find the idea of a pyramid building just very enticing generally, and I'm a fan of that general layout and how much space there is, even if a lot isn't usable, is just very pleasing to my eyes. Then to top it off, looking down at the interior is stunning to me as I find 'structures within a structure' pretty captivating espetially when it's a gigantic pyramid (other polyhedrons may also apply).
I think this is exactly the kind of place where I'd love to stay *once* and then I'd be done with it, but I'd likely feel it was a worthwhile and good one off stay, so for me in terms of 'is it any good?' the answer would be yes in terms of the experience, though I really do wish the theming was as good as it used to be or even just extended to the room like others have siad, and it'd likely make a a huge difference pushing me firmly into the 'would come back and experience it lots of times' camp. However, if I compare it to other hotels I pretty much end up with a score just like yours maybe with one or two extra points here and there. I guess for me this is exactly one of those places where 'the experience' is a huge subjective factor for me that overrides how I might otherwise feel.
Also I think your blend of background, making it like your main chanel, and actual travel coverage is really pretty great in these though I *am* a sucker for longer videos and tend to want as much detail as I can possibly get you probably strike the right balance for YT. The production value of your content here has only continued to rise and your B-roll shots have always been fantastic. I'm always left wanting more vids here but then again them being part of your actual travels and you being invested in the locations really makes these 'work' so I guess it's a good thing! Looking forward to the QM2 video for sure, it'll be interesting to see how you feel about it compared to other cruise reviewers I've watched and I encourage you to put your full opinion out there even though I suspect it might not agree with that of others
I agree with you on this. Its one of those, love to stay there atleast once. We stayed there in 2023, in a regular Queen/Kings room, and well, the room was quite average. But still, it was the Luxor, the pyramid hotel. We're heading back in 2025 for a two-night stay, and looking for a new hotel, looking at Excalibur, which due to age probably has the same issues, but its a freaking castle. We are looking at others as well, but...
When I was 4 years old I lived in the Luxor for a year and a half... yea I just said that, crazy right? My dad was the director of photography (lead camera man) for Mindfreak, the Criss Angel magic show on A&E. He actually started the show with Criss, and stayed as his DP until 2009. Instead of leaving his family in New York while he worked on the show, he took us all with him. In hindsight, it was one hell of a crazy experience as kids to live here. I don't remember a ton, but I definitely remember quite a bit. This was in 2007-2008.5 for reference. The rooms were about exactly the same as in this video, it was decent decor for the time but is obviously wayyy out of style today. Cleanliness was sort of always an issue, I remember our room had bed bugs at one point. I vividly remember the pool, buffet, and the arcade that was there. Overall though, as a kid I thought it was cool, and I'm in a few episodes of Criss Angels show along with my other family members. My mom held Criss' feet in the episode where he was sawed in half, and my siblings and I are the kids at the table in the "Criss Angel OJ trick" where he turned my sisters orange juice into an orange bird. Pretty wild experience, I always get a kick out of seeing RUclips videos about the Luxor or Criss Angel because it was basically the first parts of my life that I can remember.
Cool! Thanks for sharing this unique perspective!
That’s sick
Bro must have seen some stuff living in Vegas hotel for that much time
We saw criss angel june 2023 and man oh man does that guy need to retire just like the Luxor.
What an 'amazing' advertisement for your clearly floundering channel.
We stayed there in 1994 when I was 11. To me it was magical. I had always loved ancient Egypt and this themed hotel was full of artifacts. The waitresses and other employees all wore Egyptian themed uniforms. They had a Gondola on the main floor that you could ride in. A magic carpet ride where you sat on a giant moving platform in front of a huge screen (quite the experience). It truly was an amazing place.
Don’t forgot the giant Sega Arcade they had. Loved old Luxor
It still is, but some people make their $$ from their critique They must find something & anything to bitch about 😂😂😊
I went in 04 it was great now it sucks
The gondola ride is at the Venitian hotel, not Luxor
@@MrCleansweep Would've loved to see that as a kid during the 90s.
Never ceases to amaze me how fast the cycle moves for these resorts in Las Vegas. I can remember visiting the Luxor in 1994 and it was one of THE places on the strip. Only thirty years to go from a prime destination to old, tired, and outdated.
We arrived there only 2 years after you and the hype was already over and they were tearing it apart lol
That's because every single one of the Vegas hotels are just money laundering fronts. Whether it has a casino or not. It's a thing they can dump money into and wash it and then who cares if it gets run down. In fact, even better if it does because they can demolish it and start the cycle over. If you're wondering how that works, just imagine all the sneaky ways you can fudge the numbers on large mega projects. So much easier than trying to hide financial shenanigans in some rinky dink operation.
Whenever I see some ginormous corporate boondoggle or pet project that you just know is a money loser, there's something suspicious going on there that makes total sense if they're trying to hide some cash in the cracks. Big movie projects that spend millions of bucks on a total loser, for example. I don't think for a second that all the money they say they spent on it is actually going into the project, and yet they can count it as a loss afterwards, maybe get themselves a tax break along the way, etc.
I was surprised when he mentioned that they did a renovation only 3 years after opening the hotel.
Maybe that's normal for hotels, I don't know. But removing a major attraction after only 3 years sounds insane.
@@Jehty_Same here! When he mentioned that I was like, WTF!!! Such a waste in engineering, architecture and personnel logistics. - James D Watkins artistic director of Phoenix Productions.
Was there in 1994 as well. Could tell even then that they didn't know really what to do with the space above the casino. Most of the time I just stayed at the Imperial Palace, which was even older but had a good vibe to it. Easy to get around the hotel and on the middle of the Strip.
Maybe Bass Pro Shops will buy it and turn it into a resort. They did a good job with the Memphis pyramid. The inside is quite nice.
My memories of the old Vegas, when I was a kid, is still etched in my head. Old worn out rooms, lobbys looking frayed, Pearl Baily was playing at the Dunes, and BB King precious memories.
This basically says the building is more useful as a billboard than a luxury hotel. They don't care about customers seeing out their windows, or having nice pictures of the pyramid. They're getting paid.
I thought them using that beautiful, iconic building as a Doritos ad was down-right sad. What a shame and, you’re right, it screws up the guests’ views from their rooms, too.
It wasn't like that in the beginning.
They can probably still see out the window, but it blocks out a lot of the light.
MGM just milks Luxor and Excalibur, they invest the bare minimum into running them and rake in the profit they generate.
At those room prices, they probably make more money from the advertising than they do the guests lol.
Tbh, the Luxor is honestly my go to spot in Vegas. It’s perfect for me and my friends to go, we all get separate rooms, and we just walk over to Mandalay Bay. There was a review I read before I stayed there the first time. It read something along the lines of “if you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the room, go somewhere else. If you need a place to crash after stumbling to your room drunk, it’s great. Need a tall place to jump from after losing your life savings? Also great!” Sums it up near perfectly.
Saw the aftermath of that once in 2014. The body was gone but the security and cleaners were there, mopping up the biggest blood splatter I'd ever seen.
I’m trying to visualize what would happen if you jumped from the top of a pyramid… Would it just be a very long and violent tumble down the side to the bottom?
@@brooks12197 The jumpers jump from inside the pyramid.
The building is super dry. Don’t jump in the summertime. All your skin will come off from the heat.
@@aSkylandVegasAngelRadiIf you’re gonna jump from a pyramid I think that would be the least of your concerns
Seeing Emmy's frown after the pizza really hit home. I know folks say even bad pizza is still usually "good", but lets be real: being overcharged for subpar food is ALWAYS a crime...
*Edit* How on earth did this hit nearly 1000 lol. Emmy, hope you see how much we love ya and hate seeing you sad on camera 🤣🤣
You beat me to it. Her frown was the saddest part of the whole video.
People who claim that even bad pizza is good clearly never got to "enjoy" East German "pizza" before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Just an fyi. Awesome NY style pizza in the food court of Caesar’s palace for about the same price.
@@JonoKnewt Right?! Im used to Emmy just having a generic grin since she always seems to be happy lol, which hey, i would be too if i travelled as much as these guys. But her frown here....like i FELT it.
@@hgman3920 So, ive never even heard of this, was this actually a thing? Or are you just implying that they had no real food to eat so their version of pizza wouldve sucked?
Nacho cheese Doritos were Ramses' favorite.
which dip tho?
My parents moved to Vegas just after the Luxor had opened and when we visited them, we stayed there and it was really nice. the rooms all had theming and were very clean, and we got to do the boat ride which toured a replica of King Tut's tomb. The theming was extremely well done all over the resort, but as times changed, many of the themed resorts there removed their theming and just got very generic. When we visit now we usually stay at the Linq, and you're correct that it is much nicer and has more amenities.
Hope to see more reviews from you on Vegas in the future.
I also stayed there during the theme period. I couldn’t get Steve Martin’s “King Tut” from constantly playing in my head
It's one of the things that makes me sad about Vegas. It used to be nuts, with these incredible themed experiences. Now it's increasingly just glass buildings. I get it, people want a specific thing and usually that's a large room with modern furniture. But Vegas should be an insane experience, and a massive pyramid a replica of a castle and a recreation of New York is still an experience you can't really get anywhere else.
@@ian9outof10totally agree. The city itself was something to look forward to. The lights and shows on the strip were amazing to me. Treasure island used to have shows in front. Billagio first had that water thing and caesars used to have boxing fights in the front. Circus circus wasn’t a shit hole. It’s where the kids went and played video games while the parents gambled.
1:00 “The 12th largest man-made pyramid”?
How many pyramids are there that aren’t man-made??
I love that that's what you picked up from this 😂
That was my question. Are we not including alien made pyramids?
Acshully…no, seriously, there are natural pyramid-like structures. Certain mountain ranges all over the globe are considered natural pyramids (like in Antarctica or in Bosnia). Even Nevada has one such site.
@@DrAhzek I'm aware, but the idea someone would confuse a mountain shaped like a pyramid with a pyramid, the structure, is a bit silly
@@bartlett2335 But they are considered pyramids, so no one is confused here. Pyramid is a shape, not just a structure (just like cylinder is both an object and a shape).
And pyramids are not limited to one form. Some structural pyramids are actually not pyramids in shape (the oldest egyptian ones I think don’t fit the bill), while some have bizarre features (Nubian ones).
As someone who works on R&D in HVAC, I can tell you that those ACs are for sure older than the hotel itself. It's a miracle they work at all
It's not a miracle.
Those ACs were made in America. 100% by well paid union workers. Not a single part was made in China. Most from the same factory. All in America.
That's why they have lasted 30+ years with regular maintenance.
@@michaelcooke7123he said the A/C did NOT work in the main room - I’ll still put my faith in the Japanese
All of Vegas is a dump now. You’d have to be insanely wealthy to enjoy it because you certainly don’t get your moneys worth anymore. It’s overpriced, dirty, the service is terrible, table minimums always high. It’s just a terrible experience.
Luxor has all the mystique, class and prestige of a mall food court.
And the mall food court probably has better food.
Every major casino there is basically a mall food court at least the Venetian is pretty to walk around in
@@McLNarfvenetian isn't the only nice one, God you people are so negative wow
That's basically all of Vegas
america too lol.
Bro. The vibe inside the hotel KILLED my spirit!!! You’re a survivor. Glad you made it out.
I have to say, I really appreciate your inclusion of archival footage, both here and in other travel reviews. It really adds a sense of context to the review that I feel would otherwise be lost. Plus, in this case, that river ride just looks cool, and I think its a bit of a shame it was so short-lived.
Also, that giant Doritos ad on the side of the pyramid is insanely tacky. I mean, I'm not a fan of plastering ads all over the place in general, but that takes it to another level. Same goes for the BetMGM ad, especially since it screws up the view out the windows.
reminds me of the time when the NYCMTA told Sikhs who worked for the nyc transit system to stick a mta badge on their turbans. their turban is a religious article. similarly, a pyramid is a temple for Egyptians. if following the theme, respect that theme. they pretty much have zero respect for what they are emulating
Super excited for your transatlantic QM2 review!!! That’s my dream trip as a fellow oceanliner fan. Have a great time and enjoy! I look forward to your video on it 👏👏
As someone who has lived in Vegas now since 1995, this town had gone down hill fast and is circling the drain at this point. I used to recommend that friends and family move here for the low cost of living and the great housing prices, and that is all but gone(cost of living and home prices are insane now). Sadly once a hotel reaches a certain age, ownership just won't spend the time and money to keep it up unless it is a prime location(or great brand name).
And you would think having so many options would make for better deals for the public, NOPE. They just all treat you like shit and if you don't like it, oh well, the casino across the street is just as bad. The best places you can stay when visiting is off strip properties that cater to locals and those visiting who don't like the fast pace of the strip(and those places still have free parking).
I concur. My first experience with Vegas (work related and sadly I will have to go back next year) was not that great. I was actually disappointed. I had a nicer time traveling outside the city proper and into the surrounding area.
@@Not_Always stop by the underfreeway flood tunnels...another "hole" city
Agreed completely. Lived there for three years
NYC is way better.
Las Vegas is like a 'party city.'
It's also dangerous.
Las Vegas didn’t change. The people did.
I was gonna defend the snowglobes, until I realized the ship is sitting in front of an ice berg for every one of them. That's like having an asbestosglobe of the twin towers with the plane in the background
edit: the number of people who actually want to buy this is...interesting, maybe Titanic is on to something
They'll be doing that in a century, probably.
Lol that’s the first thing I thought of too! (9/11 globes)
I’d buy that right now
Or a Chernobyl snowglobe.
@@ay-dionne I’d totally buy one of those
Naming the pizza place Bonanno's got a chuckle out of me. The Bonanno crime family was part of an investigation where drugs were sold out of pizza parlors around New York City and New Jersey. The "Pizza Connection Trial" was big news for a while.
My Noni used to say something to us kids when we were being silly like "you Johnbananas!" I wonder if this is what she was saying - Joe Bonnanos? Why? Why Noni?!
Las Vegas has a huge history with the Mafia, so it's probably an intentional nod.
All over Vegas are sketchy Siegal Suites that was originally started by Bugsy Siegal. Crime lore is at the foundation of Vegas
@@donnagelina8548The head of the the family, Joe Bonanno was called Joe Bananas (usually not to his face). Fun fact - my mother was Christened in one of Joe Bonanno’s children’s Christening dresses somehow. I think it was his youngest son Joseph Jr’s. That happened through her uncle, my great uncle, who literally sounded like Frank Pentangeli from The Godfather Part II, with the raspy voice when he talked, but everyone swore he wasn’t “connected” in any way. Just friends with some guys who were, apparently.
@@tridoc99 LOL you must be from New Jersey. Yes they really respected mob affiliation. Not that they were IN the mafia, but if they knew someone in the mafia it was something to be proud of(?) I guess. My Noni (who died at 104 in 1999) talked about a relative in Italy, her grandfather maybe? (probably around 1890) who was a "Don" and we had a picture of him but that's all I know. My brothers used to recite whole diaglogue from the Godfather movies. Especially with Pentangeli.
What a place of shamble, I do hope they don't tear it down though as it still has potential for renovation.
Awesome video. I stayed in the Jacuzzi Corner Suite a few years back, sweet lord, what a mistake. Bloody tissue behind the TV, curtain held on by a plastic trash bag knot, Air filter was DISGUSTING, but worst of all the smell. Oh God the smell. Apparently Luxor is plagued with bad plumbing, and the smell would make you gag when you walked in. But for $62 or whatever I paid, it was nothing more than a place to crash after a night of partying. It's unfortunate MGM has let this property rot, and that the strip as a whole has abandoned themed casinos in favor of milking tourists with $10 pizza slices.
This might explained why we couldn't stand everything inside the building. Weird energy. Weird smell. Weird everything. So, we left after ten minutes.
To be fair, Sbarro pizza in convenience stores out in town (of Las Vegas) are just as expensive. You are going to pay $20 for a meal there.
Ayo its the greatest technician that's ever lived💀💀
You got what you voted for..hate to break it to you, but $10 pizza slices (among quite a bit of other things) are a thing everywhere.
"Tacky and not worth your time" describes basically all of Vegas, not just the Excalibur.
Can confirm. Stayed near the strip for work a few years ago and everything just looked so sad and has-been. My two coworkers who prided themselves on getting literally puss drunk didn't seem to mind though.
I’ll change planes there, that’s it.
Haha, the only two times I went to Vegas, Instayed at the Excalibur and Luxor. This was back in the early 2000's.
Will agree with this.
Went twice in one year. The first was for a friend's birthday. Was eh. Mostly obligation.
The second was for a con, but was MY choice. _THAT_ was a blast.
My point is Vegas is only worth it if you have a reason to be there. It's not really worth it on it's own if you're not there to eat, party, or gamble.
@@AmbuBadger I've stayed at both as well. They were cool when they first opened in the 90's and I was like 8 years old, back when Vegas was going for the family friendly vibe. I stayed at Excalibur like 10 years ago for a last minute, cheap, vegas trip and I swear the room was the same as when I was a kid.
We went to the Luxor on our honeymoon. It had only be open about a year and still had the river that ran between the elevators. It was absolutely amazing. I hope that, unlike most Vegas hotels, it won't be demolished but remodelled. The basic pyramid core is an architectural wonder and should be preserved.
I think the Luxor needs more archeological theming to attract more customers. Also, I do believe that the Luxor does have potential in getting the public more interested in archeology.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Let's be real, it will almost certainly be demolished. Even if they were to do a totally cost inefficient gut renovation, you're still left with a building shape that is not conducive to stuffing the maximum amount of rooms, slot machines, restaurants and shops into.
They were getting ready to close and implode. Bigger place was coming in. But it all might be on hold now.
In the late 90s, my girlfriend’s mother could not stop talking about the Luxor & how she loved staying there & all that BS. A couple years later when I was 21, I got to go to Vegas on a boys trip. I had to go & see what this loudmouth kept yapping about, & the second I walked in, the pieces all fell together. The whole place matches her personality & style perfectly. Cheap-looking & gaudy as f*ck. I don’t even think I got a full breath of air before I turned around & walked out.
I will, from now on, only call the Luxor "The Big Dorito"
Yea why’s that even on the building that’s so stupid
I dunno, if you had been there when I was there you would have wanted to call it 'The Big Absolut'... They have used the side facing the strip as a giant billboard for at least 20 years now, one product after another.
Whoever came up with that idea should be fired. Not everything needs to be ad space...
I stayed with my parents there in 1994, I was 9 and wow was I impressed. I can remember so many things, even an incense smell when walking around the main floor that I still think about how sweet it smelled. Glad I have those memories when it was new and shiny. Thanks for sharing this!
I vaguely remember staying in a room as a kid. It looked cool back then cause well I was kid. I recently went as a grown 30 year old to Vegas, stayed at the LINQ, but walked through the Luxor just to see how it is. My goodness it felt like a ghost town where people were just walking through to get to different location. It’s like a relic stuck in time. It does feel nostalgic to walk through but it feels like there’s not much This building offers. Like an old mall that only old people go to for their daily walks.
Ha, freedom walks. The elderly having to go a shopping centre just to feel safe while taking a walk.
Good Ol' US of A.
Those areas reminded me of videos of ghost malls.
The whole approach and purpose are so ‘dinosaur’ like that it just died away I suppose, the times have long changed. Even by looking at it here on yt, gives a feeling of a time capsule that no longer holds any relevance.
Wow! It's been 25 years since I stayed there. It used to have the best sushi restaurant ever. Looks like hell now. Shocked that it isn't being kept up.
I would LOVE a bigger series on Vegas hotels. All of the strip's hotels are so famous but the quality is so radically different across them I think it'd make for a great series of reviews!
This is a demonstration of concept/ advertisement vs. reality. That concept art and videos from what it looked like before seem freaking amazing.
I stayed an extended weekend in Chicago one year in the Hotel Intercontinental. We had requested a non-smoking room but when we entered the room it was obviously not. When the bellboy brought up the luggage we mentioned it to him. He told us not to unpack and he called the front desk. The hotel manager was in the room in a matter of a few minutes, apologizing profusely. She promised to make it right for us. I really didn't expect much. I thought maybe a comped dinner or something similar. She hustled us out of that room and into a suite on the top floor of the hotel with a great view of the lake! This was above and beyond anything we expected. It was unbelievable! Couches and tv's, private bedrooms. I thought that's the reason they are one of the best hotels in the world, they know how to take care of people. I will never forget that weekend! Thank you Hotel Intercontinental!
Cool story, bro.
I had a similar experience in a hotel in downtown Chicago called the Drake. My room stunk of smoke and the front desk moved me to a suite that was renting for something like $600/night. It was huge and luxurious. Too bad I was only able to sleep and wake up early to attend a business function. But they did earn my continuing business. It is now a Hilton property.
@Dave-ei7kk
Wow, the Drake is fancy! I've never stayed there but I've been to the Knickerbocher across the street. Chicago has some great hotels.
Wow. What a nightmare!
That's pretty much the direction all of the themed resorts in Vegas have gone. They were built during the kinda short "family-friendly" era of Vegas which is now long gone. Treasure Island has gone through a similar experience with the original sign being gone and the pirate show having been gone for a long time now. While the stuff for that is still there it's all just an afterthought now. Same goes for Excalibur and Circus Circus which are both incredibly bad now.
So apparently adults don't like highly themed and immersive enviroments?
@@lonesoul663 It was a time period where Vegas was trying to market itself as a place to go for a family vacation and it just kind of fizzled out. Pretty much like most themed places/attractions from the mid-90s to early 2000s.
We loved the pirate show, Such a shame its gone!
Excalibur is a time capsule. They STILL have the exact same arcade games I remember from two decades ago.
Ironically, these themed hotels are a microcosm of why we don’t have ornate buildings. The people who can maintain them die off… or it’s just really hard to integrate them. Not a problem in Europe, for sure.
And they got rid of mirage also
I knew a lawyer in Vega who told me the Luxor started to sink just after they opened. They had to close the river ride because water was always leaking. The elevator (incline) was having problems due to the shifting of the building and could not reach the top floors. The remodel done soon after opening was to help correct the problems.
That makes me think that the construction architects and design engineers made some mistakes. Maybe George Constanza was designing the project.
I guess there turns out to be a reason why the other 11 pyramids don't have elevators
Yikes
@@seascape35It's a very complex construction. That's probably one of the largest indoor atrium spaces in the world without any vertical support columns.
The circle of fuckery must remain intact in Vegas that’s how it is
I stayed with my family at the Luxor overnight after visiting family in... probably 2012 or so, and aside from the Doritos ad, absolutely everything in this video is on point with my memories of that. The highlight was going over to the Excalibur and getting dinner from a Pizza Hut literally next door to a completely nondescript heavy beige door marked as a wedding chapel, without any windows or other adornments.
Vegas is magical.
We used to go there in the early 2000s when it kept the Egyptian theme. It was great if I recall correctly, the buffet downstairs was referred to as tuts tomb or something like that. But now it’s no different than any other rundown casino in Vegas. Last time we were there was in 2019. Let’s just say the guests were on the lower end of the economic and social behavior spectrum.
Wifey and I continuously stayed at the Luxor for the first decade it was open. It was a unique, beautiful hotel, beautiful rooms, unique shopping, very friendly staff, with FREE parking. Then there was the awesome uniqueness of staying in a pyramid. There were four groupings of elevators, with a security person at each, where all you had to do was show your room key, enter the elevator, select your floor, and then a smooth ride. Don’t remember the resort prices. Don’t remember the dining, since we dined (primarily buffets) at the other resorts.
Then they started ‘remodeling’, inside and out, and not in a good way. They added the two towers, which blocked the original pyramid views. Plus, if you were ‘forced’ to stay in one of the towers, it was a very long walk to the pyramid. The big turnoff, for me, was using the revised elevators, which turned into a chore, trying to get to your floor. Then the free parking was abandoned. And on and on. After the first decade, you really noticed that what was once great, started to disappear. Still, that first decade was awesome.
Agree!
A resort? No, a LAST resort! The Doritos ad/logo crapola plastered across the face of the pyramid is outrageously classless and downright shameful!
...and extremely over-priced shops and attractions as well! A must to AVOID! Thanks for warning us!
Of course it's classless, it's Las Vegas!
Even actual Egyptians don't like that place. Lol
the emojis 😭👌
Cheesy chip logo for a cheesy tourist trap hotel? Seems just right for Vegas to me.
As a Vegas local who works in commercials and TV and has been basically in suite at the top of every single casino on the Strip (for work only never for pleasure) it’s so fun to watch reviews like this!!
Loved this video Jake! Very well done
Thanks!
The most surprising thing in this video for me is honestly the Carrot Top residency. Like, I was not aware he was still a thing... Also the adult playground themed after Keith Harring's art? Just... what? Why?
A kid's playground themed after Harring art would go hard, honestly... just not at the Luxor.
I’ve seen Carrot Top 3 times and laughed my ass off all 3 times. Great show
@@zman3238 it really is. Carrot Top is the first one amazed that Carrot Top is still a thing.
@@twigcollins8785 how does he say it- “the funniest show you never wanted to see”
@@zman3238props to him being self aware 😅
7:44-7:47 Now I’m just thinking of that joke in Shrek 2 where a bunch of people run out of a Starbucks into another one literally across the street.
I was in Seattle once and there literally was a Starbucks across the street from another one.
@@jeehoonlee5150 Well, what did you expect? It’s Seattle.
I would expect to see Starbucks on two opposite corners and Pete's Coffee on the other two corners😊@@MovieFan1912
I love that you knew the stair photo was from the Olympic! I’d totally watch more ship videos from you!
May I recommend oceanliner designs if you haven’t watched already? Hes great and theyve done a collaboration before ☺️
@@bripez I second Ocean liner designs! The channel is awesome! And don't forget, Mike Brady is our friend :-)
Yup! And those propellers in the top photo are also of Olympic!
Also chiming in with a rec, if you haven't already, you should check out "tasting history." The guy who runs the channel, Max, makes historical dishes while talking about the history surrounding said dish, and has done several Titanic videos, including one very recently. Highly recommend. Oceanliner Designs also helped him with his latest Titanic video (and maybe also others, though I'm not sure).
Photography was very expensive back then so the line contracted pics from Olympic because it was available. They would take pics on Titanic later in NYC, but it never made it.
The luxor is exactly that, a novelty. Ive stayed there a half dozen times, and learned very quickly to stay in the towers. The pyramid was run down twenty years ago. The casino is average, the restaurants are poor. In fact when we’ve had to stay there, we always end up at the mandalay for entertainment. Most may laugh 😅 but the best part of the mandalay is carrot top, whom is shockingly funny and underrated. Vegas in general is a worn out novelty, except now it is ridiculously expensive.
I stayed there in 1995 with my family when I was still a child. For us Europeans, the Luxor with its theming was a hotel like we had never seen before. We told everyone at home about things like the boat trip inside the pyramid. I still remember the little details, like how the shampoo bottles were shaped like Egyptian columns.
I went there again with friends in 2015. When booking, I was surprised at how cheap the hotel was, as at least in my childhood eyes I remembered it as being rather luxurious. As soon as we arrived, however, the price explained itself. I was simply disappointed and even embarrassed, as I had told my friends about my childhood impressions and the hotel now presented itself in such a sad state. I think “it's not a good vibe here” sums it up very well and I wouldn't stay there again unless the hotel had undergone a massive refurbishment. The pyramid shape of the hotel is still interesting and charming to me, but in this state you should avoid the hotel.
What's amazing is that you did not investigate reviews in 2015 about how it had been going downhill for over 25 years at that point.
I heard a comedian tell a joke about a guy who stayed there. He lost all his money gambling, decided to end it all by jumping out of the window, and slid all the way down to the bottom. 😄
Good one
LOL...THAT'S WRONG...BUT A GOOD ONE! LOL
Fun fact: there are multiple cases of hotel guests falling to their deaths inside the casino! The inside is in a sense hollow so from the top floor you can jump off the balcony and fall to your death several floors below. Buddy of mine who worked there told me the most recent one they had cleaned up and resumed normal operations 18 hours after they jumped which is actually kind of impressive lol
after that he could not sit anymore for an entire year....
0:50 Owned by the same company as Circus Circus. Honestly that’s all you have to say to know it’s a total fiasco 😂
Yup. Circus Circus has always been a dump to stay in.
I was gonna say I would love to see him review the Circus Circus but nobody should ever stay in that shithole.
Nope Circus Circus is owned by Phil Ruffin he also owns Treasure Island. Luxor and most of the other MGM hotels are in that crooked lease the land to a shell company and slowly bankrupt them scheme.
CC IS A DUMP BUT I LIKE CIRCUS CIRCUS MANOR
ITS THE BUDGET VERSION OF CC RIGHT BEHIND THE BIG ONE
Oh this hotel is rough. We stayed at the Wynn. But went to Luxor for magic show back in 2016. And it was so bad down there. I didn’t feel very safe.
You must be careful staying the night in a giant pyramid. You might find yourself caught in a giant pyramid scheme.
It’s not a pyramid scheme. It’s a reverse funnel system.
@DisposableSupervillainHenchman if you know 7 people and those people know 7 people and THOSE people know 7 ppl you'll be rich.
Honestly, it's kind of sick how we've made the sinking of the Titanic into such a cash cow.
Yes, they have a temporary exhibition in my city on the East Coast (Boston). I refuse to go.
America is the land of ‘make money on everything, including tragedy and misery’. Although, TBH, they havent tried to monetize 9/11…..yet
Asian tourists don’t care and neither do you
I've been watching that story for a few decades now. Lots of controversy. Court battles over whether that stuff could be salvaged. The early salvage efforts were from the Titanic's debris field, not the ship itself. But then the company decided to remove that big piece that is at the Luxor. That generated a lot of controversy. And of course last year there was that paid dive to the wreck that killed 6 people.
I agree having that museum in that hotel is just weird man.
On the Titanic exhibition: I happened to visit on the 100th anniversary of the sinking in 2012. Everyone took part in a minute’s silence at the Big Piece. It was all very respectfully handled and we ended our visit in a very quiet, sombre, reflective mood. As we exited into the gift shop I overheard the staff asking a visitor: “Would you like your photo with or without the ghost of the captain?” 🤦🏼♀️
We stayed in a jacuzzi room but even without a UV light we weren’t dipping a toe in there - almost certainly would’ve caught something!
Just pop down to the supermarket and get a bottle of Clorox to dump in the tub first!
The world’s best IMAX used to be in that spot. Was five stories tall and locked you in like a roller coaster ride because of the steepness. Saw the Michael Jordan and NASCAR Imaxes there in the 90’s. It was awesome being that close to a 7 story screen and the sound system blasting you out of your seats.
@@Sashazur The amount of jizz in the hot tub water would keep me away. There's really no amount of clean up that can undo that, you know? There's an Airbnb behind my house and it's main draw in the pool and hot tub. They don't clean that hot tub often enough for the amount of use it gets. Shudder.
@@cwshawk was still there when i went as a kid in 2006. Was playing a fighter pilot movie when i went (operation red flag or something like that). Was sad to learn it closed
Wow I found this video at the perfect time planning my first trip to Vegas since turning 21 (I am 36 now...). I stayed at the Luxor as a kid in the 90s and had super happy memories of it. I think we are going with Vdara since the entire hotel is smoke free and it's directly connected to the Aria and the Bellagio. Newer build and every room is a suite!
There is a common trend in a lot of your videos, does not matter if we are talking hotels, cruise ships, shops, restaurants, the list goes one. That trend is the removal of theming and unique decor and the move towards fully generic interiors. The world becomes a lot more boring when every place looks the same.
Unfortunately it's because it's cheaper to maintain. It's easier to find and order supplies and replacement items when you use the same ones as everyone else. When everything's custom, you have to special order replacements and restock for the custom items.
Five years ago I was driving through Vegas on the way home and booked a room in Luxor. When I tried to check in at ten PM after a 12 hour drive I was informed after waiting in line 1 hour with tired 3 and 6 year old girls that they had accidentally overbooked and I could not stay. I tried talking to several employees but they just didn't have a room for me. Ended up on the street with all of Vegas totally booked. No idea what was going on some kinda concert or fight scheduled who knows. They gave me a rebooking number and pushed me out of line. Of course no one would answer the number. Insult to injury I had to pay for parking to be tortured like this. I looked for a room for another hour before driving 6 hours home overnight. Ended up with pneumonia the next day from the stress and sleepless night I am sure. Needless to say I am not staying here again.
Vegas is no place anyone should visit
So it took you 12 hours to get there and only 6 hours to get back home ? LOL ! Traffic must have been a beotch !
@@uh-1flyboy632 read what they wrote again; they were passing through on the way home from somewhere else. 18 hour total drive, with Vegas at the 12 hour mark.
@@uh-1flyboy632Read the commenter's first sentence again 😊
I stayed at the much pricier Caesars Palace and was ripped off in more ways than one, never got notified that my room was ready after checking in, and customer service was terrible overall. You pay all that money to not get any extras, and then they rip you off with that mini bar nonsense. I also got a headache every time I left my room to go to the casino / food area, since it was smokers paradise and it made me sick.
Our flight leaving Vegas got canceled a few years ago, and the Luxor was the cheapest place to stay the extra night. We ate at the Mexican place mentioned in this video, and my husband was up half the night with some sort of food poisoning. Hooray bonus Vegas day.
It might have been semen poisoning. Tell him to spit next time.
I work as one of my jobs ( the locals here all have multiple side gigs ) at a place where we serve food. The number of people in the resorts that don't practice proper food safety is worrying. Every time we get a worker who worked there previously, we have to do a little re-training about being vigilant and not cutting corners for expediency's sake. This is covered under their food handler's training (state program and class), but most seem to focus on speed and getting the job done - which is obviously the casino environment and management pressuring them. So the first couple of days we have to get them back up to speed (actually to just.slow.down.) If you follow the rules every time, nobody gets sick.
Watched the video with interest because I stayed there in 2018 and wanted to hear your thoughts.
I stayed there as it was cheap and walking distance to T-Mobile arena as I was staying in Vegas for a few days to watch hockey.
Had a ball with other fans and the room was fine for the price. Ate at the Mexican restaurant which was also good.
Eye opening now to how bad the suites are. I wouldn't stay there again after watching your video but at the time it suited my needs perfectly.
The first time I went to Vegas was with my parents when I was 14 in 1998. We stayed at NYNY which was neat, and back then Luxor still had some really cool little stores with unique stuff in that dead area you talked about heading toward Excalibur. It was sad going back years later and seeing how far the hotel in general had fallen.
Somebody also tried to pickpocket my watch right off of my wrist in Luxor's casino. I felt his fingers go up under the band to pull on it and I ripped my hand away, glaring at him, and he immediately ran off. I've worn a cheap Walmart watch every time I've gone to Vegas since and I always have a purse with a short strap that zips up completely, and I keep it tucked under my arm with the zipper facing in front of me just so pickpockets can't fuck with it. Because there are TONS OF THEM in Vegas.
: People still wear watches?
@@gloriousjohnson1807 Errrm yeah maybe some of us don't want to just ya know have phones for the time
You should’ve decked the guy, and hollered for security! Bums and thieves like that need to be locked up!
@@randywatts6969 Again, I was 14.
The guy was also operating near an exit for a reason. By the time I realized why he had done that, he was already gone.
@@gloriousjohnson1807 ....yes? It's a piece of jewelry. What a ridiculous question.
I'd rather not dig in my purse for my phone every time I want to know what time it is.
Appreciated the mention of Titanic as a mass casualty event.
@@UserName92149Is the death of 1500 people not a mass casualty event?
@@Cheekia2 we generally tend to draw the line at 1501. Anything below that isn't really worth talking about.
@@Jehty_ Yet Titanic is single most talked about sinking of a ship in history. There are 3 movies and an annual 3D re-enactments that are surreal to watch.
@@tek87 I think you're missing the joke.
Man, those slanted windows surely produces a greenhouse effect, which in Vegas would be no joke. I think the advertising may be helping keep the building cool.
I saw it the first time in 1995 when it was new and it was cool in a kitschy way. Now it feels like a pyramid shaped holiday inn express. It's been a cheaper option for years which I assume contributes to the wear and tear.
I do miss Vegas of the 90's and early 2000's when they had more themed hotels and embraced the madness. Now the hotels all feel the same.
I will always stick to what I say and no one nor amount of videos about Vegas can prove me otherwise; Las Vegas is just a waste of time and money, an ‘entertainment’ city in the middle of the desert that shouldn’t exist and just a literal waste of resources. People can spend their money better by avoiding that area entirely
Agree 100%. The whole town seems like a dingy theme park built on gambling and schlock. I’d rather go to a national park instead.
I mean, there's Machine Guns Vegas.
I agree, the spectacle wears off after the first time
Although I did enjoy seeing the themed hotels, museums, and the surrounding southwestern desert and some of the attractions there (I was not old enough to gambling at the time)
As someone who grew up in NYC
I am amazed at how it was possible to be even more tacky than Times Square. Outside of the strip, there's literally nothing but endless strip malls and parking lots. I'd rather live in NYC even if I'm paying double in rent
I guess I would call that an opinion.
This was fun, thank you! I stayed at the Luxor in 1994 just after it opened. We did the river ride and the simulator. Pretty ok. The amazing thing was I booked a regular room but because we had a late flight in, the only rooms they had left were the high-roller luxury suites. AMAZING!!!!! It was of course, brand new and spotless, and the suite was HUUUUUGE and the views were incredible. I believe we were on the 28th floor and the room went for $650/night back then. It was 30 years ago though, so my memory could be wrong. We had a great experience, and I'm sad to see how much it has slid since then. Anyway, thanks again for the video. I really enjoyed it!
I KNOW THE ACTOR FROM THE TITANIC EXHIBIT!!!! 9:21 I used to do ghost tours with him! He’s actually a really cool guy!! He’s a good actor too 😂
I wouldn't take it personal, especially from these two hardline liberals who take the smallest shit offensive.. They were just looking for shit to bash, like all other peace loving, kind and accepting liberals (note the sarcasm)
@AerialEscape what on God's green earth are you talking about? How is this political. Did you reply on the wrong video?
@@AerialEscapelol, dude was a drama queen about everything...saying how he'd rather stay in a generic motel, or his "health" in the room--as if camping and sitting next to a campfire all night (something many ppl do) isn't a thing that exists.
@@Laz7481because their world view colors just about 99% of everything else they talk about, including this--being drama queen snobs
@Imperial_Cosmonaut Are you to tell me conservative American would take issue with a real life tragedy being reduced to a snow globe? That is an absurd take.
The good news is that you got to stay in a Veagas hotel with her! Can't be that bad!
Fun fact: the old faraos in Egypt was also advertising for doritos
To summarise: staying there means, shitty hotel room and spending money for gambling, shitty food, shopping and shows. The theme clearly is:”how can me make the most money out of the tourists with the least amount of effort”.
I kinda feel sorry for the people who think that this is a vacation.
"shitty food" is STILL generous
Why would you feel sorry for people who have lived in middle of nowhere USA their whole life and actually enjoy their stay because they've literally never done or seen anything better? The world is literally how one perceives it and it's possible that these "people who think that this is a vacation" actually have a better time than you will, since you'll be nitpicking the whole time.
@@samudramanthan8645 Yeah yeah. I literally only used it twice though 😂
@@samudramanthan8645 For the record, I literally never used the word "like." Don't mistake me for some blonde bimbo.
You're doing Vegas wrong if you spend enough time awake in your hotel room to complain about it. People stay at Luxor because it's super cheap so they have more money to spend elsewhere.
I was there in 1994 to visit it. It was beautiful and we were proud to be staying there with our family. It used to have a river running through it with little canoes.
Our experience then was great!
Over the years, sadly it went downhill!
I don’t know what happened but it is sad to see it the way it is.
I’ll just remember it in my heart the way it was and keep that experience in my heart along with the memories.
We also went down the street at the time to where they had live pirate themed shows at (I think) Treasure Island…good memories❤️❤️
The doritos logo on the side of the pyramid is hyper capitalism at it's absolute peak
I once "stayed" (we left after 30 minutes lol) at a Rodeway Inn in Charlotte NC. It was unbelievable.
We are talking about: bloodstains everywhere, doors damaged from police forced entry, fresh shaved hair in the sink, forms of insect life that have not yet been documented by science, and no refund.
I'll take the Luxor.
That's 30 minutes longer than I would've stayed lol. I had fire ants crawl over me at a motel near Yosemite once, and I darted out as quickly as I possibly could! 😅
My family booked a night at a chain also in Charlotte and got the same but toned down vibes. Also the shuttle never arrived when they said it did. Lasted all of 10 minutes and we booked at another hotel down the road.
IS THAT THE ONE THAT SMELLS LIKE FEET AND ASS REAL BAD? I BEEN THERE.
@@GOPRepubliklan that is 75% of the motels in the US
Opinion on the Titanic view: I am a firm believer that history and historical artifacts should be preserved when possible. Truth is everything down at the Titanic wreck site is going to decay and get destroyed. The ship itself might be almost completely gone in less than 100 years and the only things that might remain are bits of glass, brass, and porcelain buried in the muck. Any human remains vanished long long ago - all the organisms that survive off "whale fall" (dead whales that sink to the bottom of the ocean) would have done the same with any humans who sunk to the bottom nearly a century ago.
If the price for preserving the items and letting people see them is they get displayed in a casino as opposed to them being sequestered in some billionaire's basement or being buried in crab excrement, I think that is the lesser of those "evils".
There is a nautical museum in Halifax Nova Scotia that has a section about the titanic since the titanic itself is offshore from there. It is very respectful, listing all of the people lost that day and explaining the history of the ship. The entire section is quiet, no music playing or anything and it has a lot of artifacts in it as well.
Yes, most of the bodies recovered from the wreckage were brought to Halifax. I believe the survivors continued on to The U.S.
Every time I see or hear Criss Angels name it makes me laugh so much 😂😂😂
Fun fact - Luxor opened in 1993 with a restaurant called “Manhattan Buffet”, which I suspect that’s why the Chrysler Building is there.
You are correct
have you been to the Titanic Museum in Belfast? now THAT is a museum. absolutely worth the trip.
I stayed there a few years ago and some drunk guys near the top floor started throwing furniture off the balcony into the middle of the hotel. We could hear the sounds of the wood crushing on the stage and floor. One lady was hit by a chair and taken to hospital, it was a wild experience!
So I searched 'Egyptian Chrysler building', and apparently the Chrysler Building is one of the most iconic examples of Egyptian Revival / Egyptian Art Deco architecture, which would explain why it's in the atrium town!
Okay but Fr the Egyptian theme is a fantastic one I cannot believe it hasn't expanded or renovated extensively to have intricate themeing throughout the whole dang thing
It Did have lots of Egyptian themes. I stayed in 1998, it was full of things to look at. The rooms had gorgeous lotus style wallpaper, the bedding mayched. I studied ancient Egypt and loved it there. It's definitely gone downhill.
@@ThePestyHun that definitely seems a lot nicer now it's starting to look tacky
Hotels/Casinos aren't what you think. These are money making projects where everything is weighed on a cost/benefit scale and amortized out. The reason you see run down hotel rooms is because you catching them at the end of their amortization cycle. They'll get renovated, and prices will go up, and the cycle will repeat itself until someone wants to build something there, at which point it gets sold, torn down, and something else takes its place.
The brilliance behind this is, you can take a high end hotel, and then slowly cheapen it, attracting less and less discerning customers over time, until the bottom falls out and you replace it, so the condition of your asset, which determines the price/market, changes, but it makes money the entire time.
Thanks Jake. Great review. I find Vegas to be the most depressing place in the US. Also imagine how dirty that carpet is.
man, i remember when the luxor first opened in the early 90's. my mom is from vegas and all of my family on her side still live there. we would go out to vegas 2-3 times a year from the time i was born until i was in my early 20's. i was about 7-8 years old when the luxor first opened. it was an awesome experience back then when we would go