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| - "Dude, it's a freakin' castle in Vegas! in Vegas! How cool is that?" So what, I was in high school when Excalibur was built in 1990, and the thought still holds the same magic for me. I brought my D&D 20-sided die for good measure.
Excalibur is one of the strip's greatest ironies. The architecture is surely different like every eclectic casino on the strip, but it's "Disney" appearance is both its attraction and distraction. Those looking for a bit of tinseltown might head to MGM, those yearning for a metropolis would venture towards New York New York and those looking for love can find it in gay Pareeee, Paris.
Despite its colored turrets, Excalibur is very in your face unassuming and nondescript. Irony. My room and king bed was amazing - while it wasn't a suite - it lacked the smell of cigarettes - mostly, and allowed me a view of the strip, and at least a 60" flat screen plasmas. Not bad at all.
Given room prices may fluctuate because of certain events going on (SEMA and championship Bullriding) in Vegas at the time, I was able to get a room averaging $130 a night for three (3) nights. Since the hotel isn't in the heart of the strip and just off it, you don't have to fight through that tampon-snug traffic that pervades the strip continually.
This weekend was the first time I cabbed it around Vega$ with some cool Ethiopian cabbies and learned some new shortcuts around town. This was perhaps the most valuable. One Russian cabbie told me he had a Thai wife and loved Obama. I was compelled to say PROST!, but that's a German drinking toast.
I realized later that I never felt too crowded in Excalibur - just busy enough for me. This is not to say the casino wasn't busy, but definitely, a place I'd consider coming back to. I did hear a lot of English accents. Go figure. Why stay in a fake castle when you've got your own historically in Great Britain? I guess the idea is akin to visiting a Starbucks or McDonald's overseas. Irony.
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