Luxor Las Vegas

Luxor Las Vegas is a famous casino hotel located on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It stands out with its impressive ancient Egyptian theme, featuring a massive pyramid that rises 30 stories tall. Inside, the hotel boasts the world’s largest atrium by volume, and at the very top of the pyramid, a powerful light beam shines brightly into the night sky—so strong that it is the most powerful man-made light in the world.

The hotel opened its doors on October 15, 1993, after construction began in April 1992. It originally had over 2,500 rooms and cost $375 million to build. Over the years, it went through several changes, including major renovations and expansions. New hotel towers were added, and Nevada’s first 3D IMAX theater opened there. The Egyptian theme was adjusted over time, with some features like an indoor Nile River ride being removed.

Owned now by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International, Luxor has become a popular spot for visitors. It has hosted many famous performers, such as comedian Carrot Top, the Blue Man Group, and magician Criss Angel. In 2018, it made history again by opening the first esports arena on the Las Vegas Strip, showing how the hotel keeps up with new trends in entertainment.

History

Construction and opening

The Luxor Las Vegas was first announced on November 14, 1991, by Circus Circus Enterprises. It was planned as a pyramid-shaped resort on the Las Vegas Strip, and groundbreaking happened on April 21, 1992. The design was inspired by ancient Egypt.

The resort was built by Perini Building Company and cost $375 million. It stands 30 stories tall and was completed in 1993. Luxor opened to the public on October 15, 1993, at 4 a.m., and it became a popular spot with thousands of visitors.

Renovations and ownership changes

A few years after opening, Luxor underwent a major $300 million renovation and expansion, finishing in 1997. New hotel towers were added, and the casino design changed to focus less on the Egyptian theme. The resort stayed successful and profitable.

In 1999, Circus Circus Enterprises changed its name to Mandalay Resort Group and was later bought by MGM Mirage in 2005. In 2021, the hotel rooms were renovated again. Today, Vici Properties owns the building, while MGM Resorts International continues to operate it.

2007 bombing

On May 7, 2007, a homemade pipe bomb exploded in a vehicle in the Luxor parking garage. One man, an employee at Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was killed. The resort was not evacuated, and operations continued normally. Two men were later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Property overview

Luxor is located at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, between Excalibur to the north and Mandalay Bay to the south. Its famous pyramid shape stands 30 stories tall and includes the world's largest atrium by volume. Inside, guests can find over 4,000 hotel rooms and a large casino.

The pyramid’s exterior sometimes shows advertisements, and it features a large recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza. The hotel also has special lighting, including a powerful beam of light called the Luxor Sky Beam that shines high into the night sky. The beam uses many bright lamps to create a narrow, intense light visible from far away.

Attractions

When Luxor Las Vegas opened, it had exciting attractions like the Karnak Lake with fountains and laser shows. These shows used lasers to create pictures on a big screen of water, inspired by ancient Egypt. However, these shows stopped in 1995 because they were too close to an airport.

The resort also had special rides and shows inside, including a tour through a pretend Nile River and a pyramid show called “Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid.” Later, the resort added a large indoor playground for fun activities.

Luxor featured a museum with replicas of ancient Egyptian treasures, including a copy of King Tut’s tomb. This museum closed in 2008, and its items were moved to another museum. The space was then used for other exhibits, like items from the Titanic and sports memorabilia.

The resort had many places to eat, including steakhouses and restaurants with different types of food from around the world. Over the years, Luxor also created spaces for video games and esports, with a big arena that hosted many events for gamers.

Live entertainment

Luxor Las Vegas has hosted many exciting shows over the years. It first had a 900-seat theater called Pharaoh's Dinner Theater, which featured a show about ancient Egypt. Later, a bigger theater opened with many different performances, including a show called Imagine, A Theatrical Odyssey, the Blue Man Group, and a Broadway musical named Hairspray.

In 2008, magician Criss Angel began a popular show called Believe with Cirque du Soleil. After that, Cirque introduced R.U.N in 2019, featuring rock music and stunts. Today, the resort features a variety show with acts from America's Got Talent.

In popular culture

Luxor is often seen as a great example of 1990s Postmodern architecture, and its sphinx was on the cover of a book by architect James Steele. The resort has been in many movies, such as Showgirls (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), and Up in the Air (2009). In Blade Runner 2049 (2017), an abandoned version of Luxor's pyramid appears in a future Las Vegas.

Will Smith shot a music video for "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" (1998) at the hotel. Luxor was also shown on TV shows like Fear Factor and CSI. A copy of Luxor called "The Camel's Toe" appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), and an Egyptian-themed casino inspired by Luxor is in Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013).