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| - I'm convinced that nowadays unless you stay at a boutique or luxury hotel, all rooms are the same. Amenities have been cut (remember the free sewing kit and shower caps?), and the decor is generic and worn. Sadly Excalibur is no exception.
Rooms were worn, and despite being on a nonsmoking floor it was a little stinky. It may be nonsmoking, but it might not have been ten years ago--and I doubt they changed all the wallpaper and carpets since then so the smell remains. Plus, the HVAC system is just recirculating air from all over, I guess. All of our clothes smelled.
I also found that Vegas hotels do not seem to offer free wifi. The $15/day charge is crazy. I think it's all part of the attempt to offer no distractions from gaming.* Wifi would allow me to stay in my room instead of gambling. (Or, in my case, get some work done instead of trekking all over town looking for a signal.)
While check-in/out was quick and easy with friendly staffers, otherwise the front desk was not helpful. I asked for directions to a particular coffee shop and was met with "I don't know." No offer to help me find it. Not even an offer of a phone book or anything. The concierge seemed there only to book reservations or sell tickets, not to help with other traveler requests. Since TSA confiscated my toothpaste, I asked about getting some (remember when they gave little sample packets?). I was directed to the gift shop to buy a trial size for $3.50. I needed it right away, and no one would be able to give me directions to Walgreens or CVS, so I paid it.
A bright spot: the fitness center was excellent. It was clean, machines were plentiful and well-maintained. There were free towels and a water cooler, as well as wipes for the machines. It had a nice view of the pool area (which I didn't use but it looked nice), and it was an oasis of clean air.
In the end, the only time spent in our hotel room was to sleep. I used the food court wifi and the fitness center but otherwise stayed outside the Excalibur during my stay.
*The Krispy Kreme in the food court does offer free wifi and a seating area. I am so grateful to them for that and gladly patronized them during my stay. Sign up for the text deals and you'll get discounts on coffee during your visit! Of course, the air was still stinky and made me cough up junk (ah, the joy of casino air), so I preferred the wifi at Coffee Bean in the Miracle Mile Shops, which let me breathe a bit easier.
Oh, and what's with the gaming floor carpet? Why does a Medieval England-themed resort have carpets with a motif of oyster shells, pearls, ginkgo leaves, and sand dollars? Weird.
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