When you’re flying into McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, take a look out of the window as you’re coming in to land. If you do, you’ll see the Las Vegas Strip rising out of the desert like some magical wonderland – it’s an incredible sight. There are so many enormous hotels laid out below you, each with its own distinctive character. It will truly blow your mind.
Luxor brings a little bit of Egypt to Las Vegas
By far the most impressive of these from the air is the Luxor Hotel. The massive pyramid reaches up from the desert towards the sky, and you can see the soaring obelisk and massive Sphinx outside the hotel right from your seat on the plane. It’s even more impressive at night – the blindingly white Sky Beam at the tip of the pyramid drills upward into outer space, drawing attention from miles around. In fact, on a clear night, you can see the beam from a plane flying over Los Angeles – that’s 270 miles away.
When you arrive at the Luxor, it is even more striking. Close up, it towers over you – the pyramid is 30 stories high and covered in no less than 11 acres of dark bronze glass. When you walk inside, it’s equally amazing. The core of the hotel is completely open – at 29 million cubic feet, it’s the world’s largest atrium. Of course, the interior of the hotel is adorned with Egyptian artifacts and statues, and yet it also gives you this overwhelming feeling of contemporary sophistication.
You might wonder how the hotel can fit any guest rooms inside a pyramid, especially when the entire interior is hollow. Well, the guest rooms line the walls of the pyramid in a technical engineering feat that has to be seen to be believed. It’s also hard at first to figure out how you are going to get up to your room, given that the walls slope inward. However, you will quickly discover that the Luxor has something that they call the inclinator, which slides effortlessly up the overhanging walls.
Aside from having great architecture, the Luxor is a great place to take in a show. The marquee show there is Criss Angel’s Believe, a stunning combination of magic, illusion and acrobatic grace. Not only will you see the great magician, but you will also feel the incredible energy of performers from the Cirque du Soleil as they move about the stage. There are also a number of other great shows at the Luxor – for instance, check out the fabulous Jabbawockeez dance troupe. For a change of pace, take a stroll down to the hotel’s Titanic Museum – this has more than 250 authentic artifacts from the fated ship, and has been seen by more than 25 million people.
Luxor is nothing less than spectacular inside and out, with a little something for everyone.
Finally, the food at the Luxor has to be tasted to be believed. Try out TENDER, one of the top steak and seafood restaurants in Las Vegas, where you can enjoy intimate dining and sample the extensive and excellent wine list. To experience some of the best modern Chinese and Japanese cuisine, drop into Rice & Company for a casual dining experience. Or, just make your way to the Luxor buffet – it’s one of the best in Vegas.
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