"3"^^ . . "13"^^ . "I remember thinking how cool the Luxor looked when it opened in the early 1990's and that it would really be cool to stay here. Well, I think I got over that once my lobotomy kicked in because the place is definitely frayed on the edges now. Now don't get me wrong. I don't think it's at the beer-guzzling, Larry-the-Cable-Guy level of the Excalibur, but it's still no Mandalay Bay. It's in that in-between land of kitsch and klassy, somehow not quite making up its mind what it is. \n\nEven though the black pyramid still has that sleek look about it, there are tell-tale signs of trashiness like having Carrot Top as their permanent comedy attraction. The rooms are average with some faux-Egyptian touches thrown in on the bedspreads and the TV cabinet, but for $80 per night, who am I to complain? Well, truth be told, the ice machine was broken and what really blew was the elevator, you should pardon the expression. Because it aligns with the contours of the pyramid, it goes up diagonally, and your stomach does a downshift when it moves. I can well imagine finding yourself on your knees as it jerks upward and not because you're glad to see me. \n\nThe parking garage is quite a trek probably because they didn't have cars in Cleopatra's time, just barges. Speaking of which, they don't have the Nile River cruise surrounding the casino anymore. I guess the owners must have thought it looked cheesy compared to the canal in the Venetian. Yeah, like having a \"Do Not Disturb\" door hanger featuring Carrot Top is not cheesy. Having just visited the sleek and antiseptic Aria in the new City Center, I kinda missed the cheese. I say you could do worse than the Luxor."^^ . "2010-01-25T00:00:00"^^ . . . "13"^^ . "22"^^ .