ARE YOUR SHOES COMFY?
One bit of advice is bring really good walking shoes. And if you can, upgrade to the spa suite. Great way to relax those muscles. A great photo opportunity is at night go thru the main entrance, walk up to the shuttle platform past the valet, go as far towards the tram as you can without running smack into the glass and turn around. You will see the light in all it's glory. Great view. I am on my iPad but when I get home I will send you some more Vegas tips and tricks. First things first you are in a great location for your first stay. Luxor literally has everything and anything you need...almost like a little city.
SHOWS
Las Vegas is a wonderland of fun stuff to do. Carrot Top puts on a hilarious show. I plan my Vegas trip around seeing his show. Criss Angel's BeLIEve is an amazing show too. I am also a fan of Phantom Of The Opera. Even if you are not sure about seeing a Broadway play, as I was, this is a must see. I have not seen it yet, but I have heard very good things about Menopause. I may need to check it out next time I go. For a relaxing time for reflection, the Titanic exhibit is an eye opening look at that fateful night. I saw documentaries on Bodies and will probably check that out the next time we go as well. Check with Luxor on specials on pricing. I do not want to comment on ticket prices because I am not affiliated with them, just someone who loves Vegas. But they do have all kinds of special deals.
There are some places in Las Vegas where they say you can get tickets half off or free. Most if not all of these are time share and are a royal pain in the butt. Plus, it is always safer to buy tickets for the shows that you want to see directly from the hotel box office.
FOOD
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best steak house in this country is Tender...hands down. Even though their in house steak sauce is amazing, the steaks do not need it. MORE buffet is a no brainer if you are on a budget and love to eat. They have a 29.99 all day...yes...ALL DAY pass. The weekends are a little more, 34.99 but still well worth it. This is the one place the house will lose it's advantage with me. In fact, a pit boss offered me 5K in chips if I would leave the buffet. Only kidding, joke credit to John Pinette.
Pyramid Cafe is your comfort food location. Even with large crowds, we never really had to wait too long to eat here. Personally, I really like their pizza. Similar to a Tombstone but better.
T&T Tacos was nice. Well seasoned. Wish the tacos were a bit bigger though. Great atmosphere here, nice high ceilings, almost like you are outside.
If you like deli style sandwiches that are too big to eat, then the Backstage Deli is a good bet.
On the Atrium level there is also a food court that has all the staples that your local mall would have. McDonalds, Quiznos, They also have a Nathan's Hot Dog. BOO YEAH!!!!
Another thing about food in Vegas is that if you are on East Coast time, and you normally have dinner at 6pm, it is 3pm in Vegas so if you keep on ET, you will be beating a lot of crowds.
GAMING
I liked the dealers at Luxor. They were informative and made my gaming experience a memorable one. All around Las Vegas you will see my 2 favorite words. GAME KING. TIP...check the payout of each game. Play the machine that has the higher payout per level. I.E. Look at the payout of a Full house on several machines. You will see a variant. MYTH the machine I am playing is hot....those slots are looser during the week vs the weekend. Slots and video poker are 100% random. In your room, there is a channel that plays tricks and tips on table games all day. This is where I learned how to play Black Jack. Also, there is a hilarious video with Carrot Top and Lee Lorren that plays in the room as a tour of the hotel.
When you are playing, the offer you free drinks. There is also ladies who sell cigarettes, cigars, etc...
TIPS
I cannot tell you how much you should TIP someone, but be prepared to TIP just about everyone that helps you to include but not limited to Valet, food servers, bar tenders, concierge, taxi cab driver, and dealer.
POOL
I really liked the pool at Luxor. I grew up in Florida so I really liked the Palm Trees. Also enjoyed sipping on pina coladas by the pool too. The servers were very friendly and quick too.
OUTSIDE THE LUXOR
Las Vegas has a lot to offer. All the hotels have a different theme to them. Check them out.
There is a tram that goes between Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur. You can also access both hotels inside the Luxor. Between Luxor and Mandalay Bay is a mall that has a lot of cool boutique shops. My wife likes the soap one. Which brings me to my next item...
GETTING AROUND VEGAS
BY CAR
If you feel like renting a car, McCarran International Airport has a very efficient system for picking up and dropping off your rental. In addition there is a Dollar Rent A Car located inside Luxor at the front desk. Luxor also offers free self parking and valet. You should tip the valet so I guess you could say valet costs a tip. The valet service was always fast and efficient too.
TAXI
Each hotel has a taxi stand. most of which are by the main entrance and are all labeled very well. Besides having a rental car, taxis are the quickest way to get around. If you have special needs like need a van vs a car, just tell the person manning the taxi line and they will accommodate you if there is one in. Kinda looks like a taxi pez dispenser. Taxi fares can add up on you with waiting times so budget accordingly.
BUS
The bus system is the most cost effective way of traveling around Las Vegas. HEADS UP...the bus can get very crowded. The bus runs just about every 15 minutes or so and runs 24/7. The strip has a bus called The Deuce. This is a fun bus to ride. There are 2 different routes on the strip. One that stops at just about every hotel and another, Downtown Express that stops every 1/4 mile or so. This is a great option if you are trying to get from one end of the strip to the other without hitting every stop.
You can buy bus passes from self serve terminals all around the city.
TRAMS
There is a tram right outside of Luxor that takes you from Luxor to Mandalay Bay, and Excalibur. And it is free.
You can also pick up the monorail at MGM that runs to; M-Thur 7am-2am Fri-Sun 7am-3am Price is $5 per ride, $14 all day and $30 for a 3 day pass.
- MGM Grand
- Ballys/Paris
- Flamingo/Caesars Palace
- Harrah's/Imperial Palace
- Las Vegas Convention Center
- Las Vegas Hilton
- Sahara
The Bellagio - CityCenter-Monte Carlo Tram 8am-4am Daily every 15 minutes
- Monte Carlo
- Mandarin Oriental
- Crystals
- Bellagio
The final one runs between Mirage and Treasure Island
And of course you can walk every where if you choose. There are over passes so you don't have to walk across Las Vegas Blvd.
SHOPPING
When staying at Luxor, you will have everything you need in house. Everything from food, Coffee...I think there are at least 3 Starbucks inside Luxor. Across from Registration, in the casino, and in the food court on the atrium level. You can also get souvenirs, t-shirts, mugs at several different stores within. Even a kids store. Criss Angel has 2 stores, Mindfreak and BeLIEve. You can buy alcohol, sodas, snacks, and more throughout the entire hotel. I know their alcohol infused whipped cream is a hot seller.
Also in Vegas there is are a few outlet malls. My wife liked the one to the South of Luxor. They had a Coach store...and there went my winnings. Also on the strip is the Fashion Show Mall. To me, just another upscale mall that reminded me of Mall Of Georgia or Mall Of America.
GOLF
There are many different golf courses in Las Vegas to chose from.
WATER SHOW AT BELLAGIO is fun to watch. Great photo opp as well. I think it goes every 15 minutes or so. Also, the Mirage has a cool "Lava" show. Again, this is on continuous rotation.
FREEMONT STREET EXPERIENCE
This is something that all people who come to Vegas need to do at least once.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
If you are a shutter bug like I am, bring your camera. Las Vegas is my favorite place to take pictures on this planet. BUT...do not take any pictures inside a casino. Big no no. Also check with hotel security if you have any questions on if you can take pictures within the hotel areas.
But, outside the Luxor, there are some really cool spots. One of my favorite is the walk way going towards the employee parking. If you look up towards the pyramid you will see a neat angle right up the side of the building.
If you walk through the front exit and go straight past the valets and go to where you will pick up the trams...go as far as you can forward without hitting the tram doors. Then turn around and you will see a nice view of the pyramid with the sphinx in the foreground. Do this at night too to see the light.
The top floor of the parking garages in all the hotels is a great place to get a shot of the strip from different angles.
In front of the Bellagio for the water fountain show, the Mirage for the "Lava" show. The mirage also has the dolphin exhibit with is very relaxing to watch them do their thing. The MGM has a very cool lion habitat. There is even an area where the lions can sit above you...with very strong plexiglass of course...I hope. But it is Vegas and it's a gamble.
Redrock is a very nice place to take pictures. With each turn, you have a different colored dessert to look at.
Inside of your room you will find several different local magazines, and other around town guides. They are all full of great information and some have coupons.
Speaking of your room, be sure to book your stay directly with the hotel. Avoid third party bookings at all costs. The Luxor will have all up to the minute specials and deals that the online sites and travel agents will not have access to.
I hope this helps you. And I hope that you have a great time in Las Vegas and come home richer than you got there.
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