At the southern end of the strip, sat between the Luxor and New York New York, the Excalibur is yet another of those Disneyesk hotels I hate, its fairy tale castle design with the odd Knight thrown in for good measure didn’t impress me much. On entering the property you realise you are visiting a slightly up market Circus Circus just with even more lost teenagers milling around. The check in desk was moving fairly quickly but I have to say the staffs weren’t that helpful and I felt like I was just getting in the way.

Room prices vary but you shouldn’t be paying much more than $120

Rooms:

The rooms are not that big and are cheaply furnished, the beds are comfy and if you just want somewhere to lay you head then they are adequate, if you want to try and get a room that is a little more up market about a quarter of them have been refurbished and boast flat screen TVs, but I’m not so sure they are worth the extra. The bathrooms are neat and tidy but if like me you enjoy a soak after a hard day out and about, forget this place as they only have showers, even in the refurbished rooms. Freebies were also in short supply, you get the usual shampoo and conditioner and a moisturiser but that’s about it.

Casino:

Excalibur has a large casino covering around 100,000sq ft but it still felt cramped, it looked tired to say the least and smoky, even for a seasoned smoker like myself. They have plenty of tables, maybe too many and you’ll find every game under the sun; the minimums start at $5. There are also stacks of slot machines; you can play from a penny upwards. Cocktails and the cocktail service is terrible, they definitely need some more staff to help with the demand and maybe some training for who ever it was that was mixing them.

Dining:

I didn’t eat in any of the restaurants in the Excalibur, but I was warned off the buffet by more that one guest, the Tropicana seemed to be the place most where heading for. Dick Last Resort didn’t get a much better marks from the guest either, apparently it is wacky, wild and messy, it has live bands on nightly. Regal Italian Eatery does a wide selection of pasta and pizza and is open until late. Sir Galahad’s Prime Rib House had a better reputation and the Rib is carved at your table set in this Tudor style restaurant. The Steakhouse at Camelot looked great and they have a live pianist, but the prices were sky high, I felt you could eat better elsewhere.

Overall:

A Family hotel with reasonable prices, if it’s a bit of luxury you after try elsewhere.