Las Vegas Hotels

Now this is kitsch. One of the largest resort hotels in the world, Excalibur (aka "the Realm") is a gleaming white, turreted castle complete with moat, drawbridge, battlements, and lofty towers. And it's huger than huge.

You know, as much as we might publicly stand in favor of quiet good taste, there is a part of our soul that is secretly thrilled by overblown fantasy locations -- it's so authentically Vegas. And so we just pray that the Lords of Taste never touch Excalibur, and it is allowed to forever run amok with sword and sorcery imagery. Actually, the decorating fairies have already made some quiet changes (the deep reds in the public areas have been switched to creams) but nothing that really sullies the silliness. There are some ominous rumblings in keeping with the rest of Vegas's careening away from the "family-friendly" image -- gone is the animatronic dragon and wizard show out front, and inside there is a male-stripper act, Thunder from Down Under. It's really too bad because, without the excess, this is just another hotel -- a mighty big and chaotic hotel, thanks to a sprawling casino full of families and small-time gamblers, which is located smack dab in the middle of everything, including, naturally, the path between you and the elevators to your room.

Rooms are done in neutrals (a little too much brown for our tastes). They have vague heraldic overtones and, given the price, are perhaps the best bet on the Strip for the budget-minded. Note that none of the bathrooms have tubs, just showers. Guests who have stayed in Tower 2 have complained about the noise from the roller coaster across the street at New York-New York. (It runs till 11pm, so early birds should probably ask to be put in a different part of the hotel.) Frankly, we prefer stopping in for a visit rather than actually settling here, but we know single-minded others (read: Vegas is for gambling, and so is the majority of the vacation budget) who wouldn't consider staying anywhere else.

The second floor holds the Medieval Village, where Excalibur's restaurants and shops are peppered along winding streets and alleyways, a sort of permanent Renaissance Faire, which could be reason enough to stay away (or to come). Up here you can access the enclosed, air-conditioned, moving sidewalk that connects with the Luxor. There are plenty of restaurants, including the Roundtable Buffet, and a pretty good prime rib joint. Excalibur won our hearts forever by installing a branch of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on the second level, on the way to the Luxor walkway. The Tournament of Kings is a medieval-style dinner show, and there's a very loud, claustrophobic casino.

- Frommer's