Luxor Las Vegas

Coordinates: 36°5′43.67″N 115°10′32.94″W / 36.0954639°N 115.1758167°W / 36.0954639; -115.1758167
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Luxor Las Vegas
Address 3900 Las Vegas Blvd South.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Opening dateOctober 13, 1993
ThemeThebes
No. of rooms4,407
Total gaming space120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2)
Permanent showsCarrot Top
Fantasy
Criss Angel Believe
Menopause the Musical
Signature attractionsLAX Nightclub
Cathouse
Ultra Lounge
Noir Bar
Atrium Level
Aurora
Liquidity
Flight
High Bar
Play Bar
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Bodies…The Exhibition
Casino typeLand-Resort
OwnerMGM
Renovated in1998, 2007, 2008, 2009
Coordinates36°5′43.67″N 115°10′32.94″W / 36.0954639°N 115.1758167°W / 36.0954639; -115.1758167
Websitewww.luxor.com
View of the pyramid

Luxor Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The 30-story hotel, which is operated by MGM Resorts International, features a 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) casino floor that includes over 2,000 slot machines and 87 table games.[1][2][3]

In the 2008 to 2009 renovation, it has a new, highly modernized and contemporary design and contains a total of 4,400 rooms, including 442 suites, lining the interior walls of a pyramid style tower and within twin 22-story ziggurat towers that were built as later additions.[1][3][4][5]

The hotel is named after the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt.[6] Luxor is the second largest hotel in Las Vegas (the largest being the MGM Grand Las Vegas) and the third largest in the world.[7] As of 2010, the Luxor has a 4 Key rating from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program, which evaluates "sustainable" hotel operations.[8]

Facilities and attractions

Luxor Las Vegas includes 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) of convention space, four swimming pools and whirlpools, a wedding chapel, Nurture Spa and Salon and 29 retail stores.[7][9][10][11][12] Luxor is also connected to the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino through The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, a 310-foot (94 m)- long retail sky bridge with retailers such as Urban Outfitters, minus5° Ice Lounge & Lodge, a Guinness Store and a Nike Golf store.[13][13]

The Luxor is home to four shows which consist of "Criss Angel - Believe", "Fantasy" (a topless revue), comedian Carrot Top, and "Menopause the Musical".[14] Luxor's most recent live show is "Criss Angel - Believe", a collaboration between illusionist Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil that began in Halloween of 2008.[15] The hotel also hosts “Bodies...The Exhibition,” an educational display on the human body, and “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”.[16][17] From 2000 to 2005, the Luxor Theatre was the home of the performance-art show Blue Man Group, which has since moved to The Venetian.[18]

On August, 31 2007, LAX Nightclub officially opened at a party hosted by Britney Spears.[19] A number of other celebrities, including Christina Aguilera, have also hosted events at the club.[20] The two-level, 26,000 sq ft (2,400 m2) venue contains 78 VIP tables and Noir Bar, which according to the Las Vegas Review Journal is an “ultra-elite bar” that is a reservations-only establishment.[19] Additional nightlife destinations within Luxor include CatHouse, Aurora, Liquidity, Flight, High Bar and Play Bar.[21][22]

Restaurants within the hotel consist of TENDER steak & seafood, T&T, Pyramid Café, MORE the Buffet, Rice and Company, and the Backstage Deli. There is also a Food Court on the Atrium level which contains a McDonald’s, LA Subs, Nathan's Famous, Bonanno's Pizzeria, Blizz Frozen Yogurt , and Starbucks Coffee.[23][24] Since July 21 a new Asian-Fusion restaurant has been opened in the Luxor called "Rice and Company" serving Chinese and Japanese dishes and including a Sushi Bar.

Design

Designed by hotel architect Veldon Simpson and interior designer Charles Silverman,[25] the Luxor has received recognition as being among the most recognizable hotels on the strip because of its unique design. The main portion of the hotel is a 365-foot (111 m)-high, 30-story pyramid encased in 11 acres of dark bronze glass.[5][26][27] The guest rooms are situated on the outer walls of the pyramid and are reached by riding in "inclinators" that travel along the inner surface of the pyramid at a 39-degree angle. The hotel also features a 29 million cubic feet (820,000 m³) atrium, which was the largest open atrium in the world when it was built in 1993.[5][28] The hotel is marked by a 140-foot (43 m)-high obelisk and a 110-foot (34 m)-tall re-creation of the Great Sphinx of Giza.[29] The tip of the pyramid contains a fixed-position spotlight that points directly upward and is claimed to be the brightest beam in the world at over 42.3 billion candle power.[30]

Beam

The light of the Luxor

At 42.3 billion candlepower, the Luxor Sky Beam is the strongest beam of light in the world. Using computer designed, curved mirrors to collect the light from 39 Xenon lamps and focus them into one intense, narrow beam, engineers say that a person could read a newspaper by Luxor’s Sky Beam from ten miles up. On a clear night, the Sky Beam is visible up to 250 miles away to an airplane at cruising altitude, and is clearly visible from Outer Space.[31]

Location

Luxor is located on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip.[32] The resort is flanked by the Mandalay Bay to the south and by the Excalibur to the north; all three are connected by free express and local trams.[33] All three properties were built by Circus Circus Enterprises, which in 1999 became Mandalay Resort Group.[34][35]

History

Ground was broken for the Luxor in 1992 and officially opened eighteen months later at 4 A.M on October 15, 1993 to a crowd of 10,000 people.[28][36][37] When it opened, the pyramid, which cost $375 million to build, was the tallest building on the strip and contained 2,526 rooms and a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) casino.[4][27][38] The resort was financed by “petty cash” earned from other Circus Circus Enterprises properties and did not include any outside financial investors.[28]

A theater and two additional hotel towers totaling 2,000 rooms were added in 1998 for $675 million.[4] When the resort opened, it featured the Nile River Tour which was a river ride that carried guests to different parts of the pyramid and passed by pieces of ancient artwork on a river that encircled the casino.[39] The casino also featured King Tut’s Tomb and Museum, a duplicate of King Tutankhamen’s tomb as found in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt.[28] In July 2007, owner MGM Resorts International announced plans to thoroughly renovate the Luxor, spending $300 million to remodel 80 percent of Luxor's public areas, removing much of the ancient Egyptian theme and replacing it with more adult-oriented and modern lounges, restaurants and clubs.[40]

On May 7, 2007, a vehicle exploded in a Luxor Hotel parking garage due to a homemade bomb which left one dead.[41] Local authorities believe the victim, a 24-year-old employee at Nathan’s Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was the intended target. The hotel was not evacuated, operations continued uninterrupted and the parking structure as well as the casino were undamaged.[42][43]

Usage in popular culture

This destination hotel is often viewed as a prime example of 1990s Postmodern architecture, and appeared on the cover of architecture scholar James Steele's book Architecture Today.[44] Since opening in 1993, the hotel has appeared in numerous films including the 1996 film Mars Attacks[45] and can be seen in the destroyed Vegas in 2012.[46]

In Up in the Air, George Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, is asked to take a picture in front of the Luxor hotel.[47] The hotel has also been featured in the television shows Fear Factor, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Great Hotels, and CSI.[45][48] A replica of the Luxor, named "The Camel's Toe", appeared in the Las Venturas area of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[49]

The Luxor Lightbeam appears in many images of Las Vegas, from films to Computer Games. This is the case even if the Pyramid cannot be seen (such as in Hoyle's Casino by Sierra)

Gallery

Outlines of various pyramids overlaid on top of on another to show relative height
Comparison of approximate profiles of the Luxor Las Vegas with some notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data is available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article.

References

  1. ^ a b Rudd, Denis; Mills, Richard (2010). "Evolution and development of metro-casinos" (PDF). Journal of Management & Marketing Research: 2.
  2. ^ Howard Stutz (21 April 2010). "MGM aims to adopt a new name". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  3. ^ a b MGM Resorts International (2010). "Luxor Las Vegas Fact Sheet - press kit". Luxor.com. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Howard Stutz (12 July 2007). "Farewell to Egypt". The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  5. ^ a b c Caine, Rachel (2003). "The Best Game in Town". Texas Monthly: 73.
  6. ^ "Luxor casino: 30-story pyramid". Chicago Sun-Times. 26 April 1992.
  7. ^ a b "Checking In: The World's 10 Largest Hotels & Resorts". Footwear News. 65: 97. 2009.
  8. ^ Vartan, Starre (25 August 2010). "Bellagio, MGM Grand, other hotels earn high ratings from Green Key". Forbes. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  9. ^ "BODIES...The Exhibition Now Open At Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas" (Press release). PrimeNewswire. 8 August 2008. {{cite press release}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ "2010 Pool Season Heats Up in Las Vegas with Hot New Venues, Cool New Experiences" (Press release). PR Newswire. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  11. ^ Audi, Tamara (2 November 2007). "Las Vegas Goes All Out To Attract Gay Travelers". The Wall Street Journal.
  12. ^ Eliza Hussman (2 May 2010). "Easy to trade in craps tables for massage tables in Vegas". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  13. ^ a b Cathy Stapells (4 November 2007). "Escada, Gucci, Dior, oh my!; Vegas takes shopping to a new level". The Toronto Sun. Cite error: The named reference "MandalayPlace" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cam Hutchinson (30 October 2010). "Here's to you, Las Vegas; Or, How I learned that travelling with an old guy can make anyone look young". The Vancouver Sun.
  15. ^ Phil Gallo (3 November 2008). "Criss Angel Believe Theater review". Daily Variety.
  16. ^ Quezada, Zeke (26 December 2010). "Bodies... The Exhibition at the Luxor Las Vegas". About.com Las Vegas Travel Blog. Retrieved 13 January 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Amy Robinson (20 December 2009). "21⁄2 miles under the sea; Titanic artifacts exhibit at Las Vegas resort an amazing adventure". Charleston Gazette. {{cite news}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |title= at position 2 (help)
  18. ^ Mike Weatherford (25 September 2005). "Phase Two of Blue Man Group under way". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  19. ^ a b Jeremy Pond (31 August 2007). "Expect the unexpected when Spears opens LAX". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  20. ^ "Christina Aguilera Hosts @ LAX Nightclub Las Vegas NV". 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  21. ^ John Yellig/Associated Press (17 July 2007). "MGM Mirage to renovate pyramid-shaped Luxor casino in Las Vegas". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  22. ^ MGM Resorts International (2010). "Night Life". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  23. ^ MGM Resorts International (2012). "Restaurants". Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  24. ^ Heidi Knapp Rinella (22 September 2010). "Don't Let Tourists Have All the Fun". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  25. ^ Ted Johnson (26 March 1993). "Pyramid Scheme; Designer Bets on Egyptian-Themed Casino". Los Angeles Times.
  26. ^ Jessica Seigel (17 October 1993). "A Bit Of Egypt Rises From Desert To Dazzle Las Vegas". Chicago Tribune.
  27. ^ a b "Imagination Runs Wild at Las Vegas Resorts". The New York Times. 7 November 1993.
  28. ^ a b c d Mim Swartz (9 January 1994). "Luxor River cruises, tomb tours and, oh, yes, a casino". Rocky Mountain News.
  29. ^ Alan Edwards (3 January 1996). "Array of Architectural Wonders Helps Statuemaker Gain Stature". Deseret News.
  30. ^ MGM Mirage (2009). "Property Highlights - Stairway To The Stars". Luxor.com. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  31. ^ "Luxor Hotel & Casino". oyster.com. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  32. ^ "Five of the best". Sunday Mail. 12 September 2010.
  33. ^ Lender, Heidi (1 August 1999). "Luxe Vegas; varied sights of Las Vegas, NV". Los Angeles Magazine. 44: 80.
  34. ^ "Circus Circus Shareholders Approve Company Name Change". PR Newswire. 17 June 1999.
  35. ^ "Hilton to acquire Promus Hotel Corp". The Los Angeles Times. 8 September 1999.
  36. ^ "Co-op Owners Buy Westchester Land". The Washington Post. 25 April 1992.
  37. ^ Lynn Waddell (15 October 1993). "Resort opens a new era in LV". Las Vegas Sun.
  38. ^ Liz Benston (29 July 2007). "Luxor to shed its Egyptian Image". Las Vegas Sun.
  39. ^ James T. Yenckel (2 October 1994). "Giant Resorts Turn Las Vegas Into Desert Disneyland". Chicago Sun-Times.
  40. ^ "Vegas' pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel to get makeover". USA Today. 18 July 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  41. ^ "1 dead in casino parking lot explosion". USA Today. 8 May 2007.
  42. ^ "Jury selection complete in Luxor bombing trial". Las Vegas Review Journal. 20 August 2009.
  43. ^ Francis McCabe (1 September 2009). "2 avoid death penalty, get life in prison for Luxor bombing". Las Vegas Review Journal.
  44. ^ James Steele (2001). "Architecture Today". Phaidon Press.
  45. ^ a b Heather (28 April 2008). "Hotel Spotlight: Luxor". The Las Vegas Adventurer.
  46. ^ "The end is nigh: John Cusack in fight for survival in apocalyptic film 2010". Daily Mail. London. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  47. ^ Mike Weatherford (16 May 2010). "Las Vegas abounds with quirky, pretty and fun souvenir settings". The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  48. ^ Carol Cling (5 April 2010). "Shooting Stars: Local atmosphere keys visits by 'CSI,' 'The Odds'". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  49. ^ Misha Davenport (5 November 2004). "Game of the Week". Chicago Sun-Times.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luxor hotel (Las Vegas).
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