Luxor Las Vegas

Luxor Las Vegas is a 30-story hotel and casino situated on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The hotel is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International and has a 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m2) casino with over 2,000 slot machines and 87 table games.[1][2]

Luxor Las Vegas
Location Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Address 3900 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Opening dateOctober 15, 1993 (October 15, 1993)
ThemeAncient Egypt
No. of rooms4,407
Total gaming space120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2)
Permanent showsBlue Man Group
Carrot Top
Fantasy
Signature attractionsTitanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Bodies: The Exhibition
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerMGM Resorts International
Renovated in1996, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2009
Coordinates36°5′43.67″N 115°10′32.94″W
Websiteluxor.com

The casino opened in 1993 and was renovated and expanded several times.[3] The 1998 renovation work modernized the design of the property and raised the hotel's capacity to 4,407 rooms, including 442 suites. The hotel's rooms line the interior walls of the main tower, which has a pyramid shape, and other recent 22-story twin ziggurat towers.[2][4][5]

The hotel is named for the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt.[6]

History
View of the pyramid also showing the east ziggurat tower

The resort was announced by Circus Circus Enterprises on November 14, 1991. Known temporarily as "Project X", the pyramid-shaped resort would cost $290 million, and would be built on the Las Vegas Strip, on land located south of the company's Excalibur Hotel and Casino.[7] Groundbreaking took place on April 21, 1992, with the project now known as "Luxor", after the Egyptian city of the same name.[8][9][10] Veldon Simpson was the architect,[11] and Perini Building Company was the general contractor.[12] Waltek, a Cincinnati-based company, provided the metal-and-glass exterior for the pyramid. Standing 30 stories high, the pyramid was one of the largest metal-and-glass projects ever.[11] The pyramid was topped off on July 9, 1993.[12] The Luxor would compete against two other upcoming resorts, MGM Grand and Treasure Island. All three resorts had a family oriented focus.[7][12]

The resort officially opened at 4 AM on October 15, 1993, to a crowd of 10,000 people.[13] When it opened, the pyramid, which cost $375 million to build, was the tallest building on the strip and contained 2,526 rooms and a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) casino.[4][14][15] The resort was financed by "petty cash" earned from other Circus Circus Enterprises properties and did not include any outside financial investors.[16] The hotel's pyramid is similar in size to the Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid of Egypt. When the hotel opened, it was the tallest structure on the Strip and featured the world's largest atrium, which has since been surpassed.[3]

A $240 million expansion occurred in 1996, and included an IMAX theater.[17] A theater and two additional towers totaling 2,000 rooms were added in 1998 for $675 million.[4] When the resort opened, it featured the Nile River Tour which was a river ride that carried guests to different parts of the pyramid and passed by pieces of ancient artwork on a river that encircled the casino.[18] The casino also featured King Tut's Tomb and Museum, a duplicate of King Tutankhamen's tomb as found in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt.[16]

On May 7, 2007, a vehicle exploded in a Luxor Hotel parking garage due to a homemade pipe bomb which left one dead.[19] Local authorities believe the victim, a 24-year-old employee at Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was the intended target. The hotel was not evacuated, operations continued uninterrupted, and the parking structure as well as the casino were undamaged.[20][21] Two men were found guilty of the bombing, and in 2010 were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

In July 2007, owner MGM Resorts International announced plans to thoroughly renovate the Luxor, spending $300 million to remodel 80% of Luxor's public areas, removing much of the ancient Egyptian theme and replacing it with more adult-oriented and modern lounges, restaurants and clubs.[22]

Amenities

Facilities

Luxor Las Vegas includes 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) of convention space, four swimming pools and whirlpools, a wedding chapel, Nurture Spa and Salon, and 29 retail stores.[23][24][25][26][27] As of 2010, the Luxor was designated as a 4 Key rating from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program, which evaluates what is known as "sustainable hotel operations."[28] The hotel features inclined elevators which travel up the side of the building on a 39-degree incline.[29]

Shows

The Luxor is home to two shows which consist of "Fantasy" (a topless revue), and comedian Carrot Top.[30] The hotel also began hosting in 2009 Bodies: The Exhibition, an educational display on the human body, and Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, replacing their three-story arcade.[31][32] From 2000 to 2005, the Luxor Theatre was the home of the performance-art show Blue Man Group, which then moved to the Venetian Las Vegas.[33] Blue Man Group returned to the Luxor Theatre starting November 18, 2015.

Inside the pyramid was an IMAX-Cinema, operating from 1996 to 2008.[34] At time of the opening it was one out of 20 IMAX screens.

Clubs

On August 31, 2007, LAX Nightclub officially opened at a party hosted by Britney Spears.[35] A number of other celebrities, including Christina Aguilera, have also hosted events at the club.[36] The two-level, 26,000 sq ft (2,400 m2) venue contains 78 VIP tables and Noir Bar, which according to the Las Vegas Review Journal is an "ultra-elite bar" with a reservations-only policy. LAX Nightclub was closed on April 1, 2017 and was transformed into an esports venue, Esports Arena Las Vegas.[35] Work on the Esports Arena began in July 2017 and completed in March 2018. Additional nightlife destinations within Luxor include CatHouse, Aurora, Liquidity, and Flight.[37][38]

The Atrium

Luxor Las Vegas has the largest atrium in the world (by volume) at 29 million cu yd (22 million m3).

Luxor Sky Beam
The light of the Luxor low view

At 42.3 billion candela, the Luxor Sky Beam is the strongest beam of light in the world, using curved mirrors to collect the light from 39 xenon lamps and focus them into one intense, narrow beam. On a clear night, the Sky Beam is visible up to 275 miles (443 km) away by aircraft at cruising altitude, such as over Los Angeles.[39][40]

Each of the 39 lamps is a 7,000 watt[41] Xenotech fixture[42] costing about $1,200. When at full power, the system costs $51 an hour to operate, with $20 per hour of that just for its 315,000 watts of electricity.[41] The beam has operated reliably since first enabled on October 15, 1993.[39]

The lamp room is about 50 feet (15 m) below the top of the building and serviced by a staff of two workers during the day.[43] The room's temperature is about 300 °F (150 °C) while the lights are operating.[44] Since 2008, only half the lamps are lit as a cost and energy saving measure.[45]

Location

Luxor is located on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip.[46] The resort is flanked by the Mandalay Bay to the south and by the Excalibur to the north; all three are connected by free express and local trams,[47] as well as by walkways, with The Shoppes of Mandalay Bay, a boutique shopping centre built on a bridge over Mandalay Bay Road, directly connecting the Luxor with the Mandalay Bay resort to the south. All three properties were built by Circus Circus Enterprises, which in 1999 became Mandalay Resort Group, which was then succeeded by MGM Mirage in April 2005 (now named MGM Resorts International).[48][49]

This destination hotel is often viewed as a prime example of 1990s Postmodern architecture, and appeared on the cover of architecture scholar James Steele's book Architecture Today.[50] Since opening in 1993, the hotel has appeared in numerous films including the 1996 film Mars Attacks! (in which a major character is depicted as an employee of the hotel, dressed in Egyptian costume),[51] and the film 2012.[52]

In Up in the Air, George Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, is asked to take a picture in front of the Luxor hotel. The Hotel was also seen in the movie The Hangover.[53] The hotel has also been featured in the television shows Fear Factor, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Great Hotels, and CSI.[51][54] A replica of the Luxor, named "The Camel's Toe", appeared in the Las Venturas area of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and another replica appeared in the Las Vegas area of the 2000 video game Driver 2.[55] The Luxor Las Vegas also appears in Futurama episode, "Viva Mars Vegas". It also appears in Vegas Vacation starring Chevy Chase. Tupac Shakur also stayed in The Luxor in September 1996 when he was gunned down on the strip after a Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight on September 7, 1996. Will Smith filmed the 1998 video for "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" in the hotel's lobby.

Comparison of approximate profiles of the Luxor Las Vegas with some notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data are available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article.
  • View from McCarran International Airport
  • Great Sphinx of Giza and the Luxor Sky Beam, exterior view
  • Luxor Las Vegas obelisk
  • Luxor Sky Beam from across Las Vegas Boulevard
  • One of the four swimming pools at the Luxor

See also
  • Cathedral of light
  • spectra (installation)
  • A Symphony of Lights
  • Tribute in Light
  • List of tallest pyramids

References
  1. Howard Stutz (21 April 2010). "MGM aims to adopt a new name". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  2. MGM Resorts International (2010). "Luxor Las Vegas Fact Sheet - press kit". Luxor.com. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  3. Benson, Liz (July 22, 2007). "The Luxor's New Threads".
  4. Howard Stutz (12 July 2007). "Farewell to Egypt". The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  5. Caine, Rachel (2003). "The Best Game in Town". Texas Monthly: 73. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11.
  6. "Luxor casino: 30-story pyramid". Chicago Sun-Times. 26 April 1992. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  7. Mulligan, Thomas S. (15 November 1991). "Circus Circus Enters Mega-Resort Race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  8. "Vegas resort named after old Egyptian city Luxor". Associated Press. 22 April 1992. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Co-Op Owners Buy Westchester Land". The Washington Post. 25 April 1992. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  10. "New Las Vegas resort features Egypt theme". Victoria Advocate. May 31, 1992 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Giving a modern pyramid its skin". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 18 August 1992. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Unveiling the Great Pyramid of Vegas". Associated Press. 10 July 1993. Retrieved 19 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Lynn Waddell (15 October 1993). "Resort opens a new era in LV". Las Vegas Sun.
  14. "Imagination Runs Wild at Las Vegas Resorts". The New York Times. 7 November 1993.
  15. Liz Benston (29 July 2007). "Luxor to shed its Egyptian Image". Las Vegas Sun.
  16. Mim Swartz (9 January 1994). "Luxor River cruises, tomb tours and, oh, yes, a casino". Rocky Mountain News.
  17. Calkins, Alison (19 December 1996). "Luxor's new Imax theater gives viewers an eyeful". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  18. James T. Yenckel (2 October 1994). "Giant Resorts Turn Las Vegas Into Desert Disneyland". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  19. "1 dead in casino parking lot explosion". USA Today. 8 May 2007.
  20. "Jury selection complete in Luxor bombing trial". Las Vegas Review Journal. 20 August 2009.
  21. Francis McCabe (1 September 2009). "2 avoid death penalty, get life in prison for Luxor bombing". Las Vegas Review Journal.
  22. "Vegas' pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel to get makeover". USA Today. 18 July 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  23. "Checking In: The World's 10 Largest Hotels & Resorts". Footwear News. 65: 97. 2009.
  24. "BODIES...The Exhibition Now Open At Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas" (Press release). PrimeNewswire. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  25. "2010 Pool Season Heats Up in Las Vegas with Hot New Venues, Cool New Experiences" (Press release). PR Newswire. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  26. Audi, Tamara (2 November 2007). "Las Vegas Goes All Out To Attract Gay Travelers". The Wall Street Journal.
  27. Eliza Hussman (2 May 2010). "Easy to trade in craps tables for massage tables in Vegas". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  28. Vartan, Starre (25 August 2010). "Bellagio, MGM Grand, other hotels earn high ratings from Green Key". Forbes. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  29. Waddell, Lynn. "Resort opens a new era in LV".
  30. Cam Hutchinson (30 October 2010). "Here's to you, Las Vegas; Or, How I learned that travelling with an old guy can make anyone look young". The Vancouver Sun.
  31. Quezada, Zeke (26 December 2010). "Bodies... The Exhibition at the Luxor Las Vegas". About.com Las Vegas Travel Blog. Retrieved 13 January 2011. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  32. Amy Robinson (20 December 2009). "2​1⁄2 miles under the sea; Titanic artifacts exhibit at Las Vegas resort an amazing adventure". Charleston Gazette.
  33. Mike Weatherford (25 September 2005). "Phase Two of Blue Man Group under way". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  34. "Big Movie Zone Luxor Las Vegas". Big Movie Zone. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  35. Jeremy Pond (31 August 2007). "Expect the unexpected when Spears opens LAX". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  36. "Christina Aguilera Hosts @ LAX Nightclub Las Vegas NV". 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  37. John Yellig/Associated Press (17 July 2007). "MGM Mirage to renovate pyramid-shaped Luxor casino in Las Vegas". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  38. MGM Resorts International (2010). "Night Life". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  39. "The G-Force I.E.E. "Beam of Luxor" History". G-Force International Entertainment Corporation. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  40. "Luxor Hotel & Casino". oyster.com. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  41. Knapp, George (July 11, 2012). "The Story Behind the Luxor Light". Las Vegas: KLAS-TV. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  42. "Brightest lights on Earth, Xenotech, makers of the Skytracker system". Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  43. Sonya Padgett (November 18, 2012). "Luxor light serves as beacon for millions of Las Vegas Strip visitors". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-01-26. Retrieved 2013-05-31. A staff of two, supervised by Hayes, maintains the Sky Beam. Every day, Hortizuela and co-worker Nick Mihalic take an elevator 30 floors up, then climb a series of ladders and stairs that lead to the Luxor's light room.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  44. Padgett, Hortizuela and Mihalic work during the day, as it's too hot to work around the lights when they're on. It's also too bright. Just five inches above the surface of the lamp, Hayes says temperatures have been measured at 500 degrees. On the worker's platform 25 feet above the lights, temperatures reach 300 degrees when the lights are on.
  45. Padgett, While the hotel management may have claimed that it was the brightest light on Earth, it has been dimmed considerably. It's not visible to the naked eye but the beam has been shining at half-strength since 2008. As a cost-cutting and energy-saving effort, management decided to use only half of the lamps every night, Hayes says.
  46. "Five of the best". Sunday Mail. 12 September 2010.
  47. Lender, Heidi (1 August 1999). "Luxe Vegas; varied sights of Las Vegas, NV". Los Angeles Magazine. 44: 80. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  48. "Circus Circus Shareholders Approve Company Name Change". PR Newswire. 17 June 1999.
  49. "Hilton to acquire Promus Hotel Corp". The Los Angeles Times. 8 September 1999.
  50. James Steele (2001). "Architecture Today". Phaidon Press.
  51. "Hotel Spotlight: Luxor". The Las Vegas Adventurer. 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  52. "The end is nigh: John Cusack in fight for survival in apocalyptic film 2012". Daily Mail. London. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  53. Mike Weatherford (16 May 2010). "Las Vegas abounds with quirky, pretty and fun souvenir settings". The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  54. Carol Cling (5 April 2010). "Shooting Stars: Local atmosphere keys visits by 'CSI, 'The Odds'". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  55. Misha Davenport (5 November 2004). "Game of the Week". Chicago Sun-Times.
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