Luxor vs Excalibur: Which Budget South Strip Hotel Should You Book?

Luxor vs Excalibur is the south Strip’s budget head-to-head: two MGM neighbors on the same free tram, with the same $45 resort fee plus tax and the same $20 daily self-parking for guests (as of October 2026). The real difference is who you’re traveling with. Luxor’s pyramid and tower rooms are bigger and its entertainment skews adult, while Excalibur’s castle has smaller rooms but a water slide, an arcade, a jousting dinner show and a buffet, which Luxor appears to have lost. Our Luxor Las Vegas review and Excalibur Las Vegas review cover each hotel in full.

	Luxor	Excalibur
Location	South Strip	South Strip
Price level	Budget	Budget
Best for	Budget travelers, stadium-goers, gamers	Families, budget travelers, stadium-goers
Pool	Oasis Pool: two large pools with cabanas	Four pools, a water slide and 19 cabanas
Casino	Yes	Yes
Resort fee	$45 + tax per night	$45 + tax per night
Parking	Self-parking $20/day for hotel guests; valet $40/day	Self-parking $20/day for hotel guests; no valet listed
Check-in / out	3 PM / 11 AM	3 PM / 11 AM
Rates	Check Luxor Rates	Check Excalibur Rates

Location: tram neighbors at the south end

Excalibur sits at 3850 S. Las Vegas Blvd., at the Tropicana Avenue corner, where the Excalibur Bridge crosses to New York-New York. Luxor is next door to the south at 3900, between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay.

Are Luxor and Excalibur connected? Yes, two ways. Both hotels’ maps show a walkway between them: Luxor’s labels a “walkway to Excalibur,” and Excalibur’s marks a “walkway to Luxor” on its upper Castle Walk level, though neither says whether it’s enclosed. The free Mandalay Bay Tram also links Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Excalibur’s page lists it from 8 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends, while Luxor’s page says daily from 10 a.m., so don’t count on an early weekday ride. Neither hotel publishes a walking time between them.

Each wins a venue. MGM puts T-Mobile Arena 0.6 mile and 10 to 15 minutes from Excalibur, against 0.8 mile and 15 to 20 minutes from Luxor. For Allegiant Stadium, MGM’s Fan District page puts Luxor less than half a mile away on foot; there’s no published distance from Excalibur, so ride the tram south and walk from there. Compare more stadium options in our guide to hotels near Allegiant Stadium. The nearest Monorail station for both is at MGM Grand, two bridges from Excalibur.

Rooms: Luxor is bigger, Excalibur’s Resort Tower is newer

Room type	Size	What to know
Luxor: Pyramid King / Two Queen	420 sq ft	Slanted pyramid windows; the King lists an oversized shower
Luxor: Tower Premier King / Two Queen	449 sq ft	The King lists a 50-inch TV and a separate shower
Luxor: Pyramid Corner Suite	590 sq ft	Sitting room and soaking tub
Excalibur: Resort Tower King / Two Queen	352 sq ft	Newly renovated; 55-inch TV, personal fridge
Excalibur: Royal Tower King / Two Queen	352 sq ft	Classic castle rooms; 40-inch TV, no fridge listed
Excalibur: Resort Superior King	372 sq ft	Strip views and a deep soaking tub

Luxor’s standard rooms are 68 to 97 square feet bigger than Excalibur’s (420 − 352 and 449 − 352). Book a Pyramid room for the slanted windows and the novelty, or a Tower Premier room for a few more square feet. The catch is age: we found no announced 2026 room renovation, and guests describe some pyramid rooms as dated and stuffy, with windows that don’t open.

Excalibur’s Resort Tower is the newer product. MGM markets every Resort Tower room as “newly renovated,” with a 55-inch TV, a personal-size fridge, granite bathroom counters and a glass-top desk, though it hasn’t published a completion date, and one Las Vegas blog reports the refresh reused furniture from MGM Grand’s main tower. Royal Tower rooms are the same 352 square feet with a 40-inch TV and what MGM calls a “throwback Las Vegas feel.” Book the Resort Tower unless the Royal is clearly cheaper.

The fine print is similar. Neither hotel lists a tub in its standard rooms; Luxor’s FAQ names bathtubs in Pyramid Deluxe rooms among the things it doesn’t offer, while Excalibur’s Resort Superior King and suites have a deep soaking tub. Luxor’s standard rooms have no fridge (rentals are $25 a night), and Excalibur’s Royal Tower rentals are also $25. Don’t expect a coffee maker at either: Luxor’s FAQ lists coffee pots among the things rooms don’t offer, and Excalibur guests mention their absence, along with thin walls. Each charges $35 per extra guest beyond two, and you must be 21 to check in at either.

Pools: Excalibur has the slide, Luxor has the new pool

	Luxor	Excalibur
Layout	North Pool (capacity 577) and South Pool (538)	Four pools, a water slide, a 30,000-square-foot deck
Hours listed Oct. 9, 2026	9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the pool page; the FAQ says 7 p.m.	Complex 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Slide Pool Saturday and Sunday only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cabanas	19	19
Recent changes	South pool rebuilt; reopened to hotel guests around July 4, 2026	Slide moved to weekends-only hours this fall

Which has the better pool? For kids, Excalibur: four pools and a water slide beat two pools without one, but as of Oct. 9 the Slide Pool ran only on weekends, so midweek fall visitors won’t get it. Luxor’s south pool is brand-new after a rebuild that wrapped up this summer, per casinos.com, and its FAQ says there are no seasonal closures, though its pool page already shows shorter fall hours. Luxor’s 21+ Temptation Sundays party is on hiatus until 2027, and Excalibur lists no adults-only pool. For a lazy river or wave pool, look at Mandalay Bay, one tram stop beyond Luxor.

Dining: Excalibur still has a buffet

Luxor vs Excalibur buffet is an easy call: The Buffet at Excalibur is still on the official dining list, while The Buffet at Luxor’s page has redirected to the dining directory since July 2025, so it appears to have closed. Excalibur’s list also includes Buca di Beppo, Dick’s Last Resort, TAP Sports Bar, Johnny Rockets, Drenched Bar & Grill at the pool, a food court, Popeyes, Fatburger and Krispy Kreme.

Luxor’s list is shorter, led by TENDER steakhouse + lounge, which serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday, alongside Diablo’s Cantina, Public House and Pyramid Cafe. Luxor guests also have an indoor walk through The Shoppes at Mandalay Place to Mandalay Bay, with Hussong’s Cantina, Wahlburgers and Ri Ra Irish Pub on the way.

Casino

Neither casino is smoke-free: both allow smoking throughout the casino floor and at stand-alone bars, while rooms at both are non-smoking, with a $300 cleaning fee if you light up in one. Excalibur lists slots from a penny up to $10 and $5 live blackjack around the clock, plus a BetMGM Sportsbook; its poker room has closed. Luxor’s casino covers about 104,000 square feet by MGM’s annual-report count, with its own BetMGM Sportsbook.

Entertainment and nightlife

Excalibur is the family show. As listed on Oct. 9, 2026:

• Tournament of Kings: a medieval jousting dinner show; under-18s must be with an adult.
• The Mac King Comedy Magic Show: an afternoon show from 3 p.m.
• The Australian Bee Gees Show: a tribute concert for ages 5 and up.
• Fun Dungeon: an arcade with more than 200 games, plus the Ultimate 4D Experience and Max Flight Simulator.
• For adults: Thunder From Down Under, a revue for mature audiences.

Luxor is the grown-up option. Blue Man Group plays nightly (tickets required from age 4), the Titanic, Bodies and King Tut exhibitions fill a rainy afternoon, PLAY Playground is open to ages 13 and up until 7 p.m. and 21+ after, and FANTASY is an adult revue. Carrot Top is listed again from Oct. 19 after a late-September hospitalization, so confirm before buying tickets.

Resort fees and parking

The add-ons are the same. Both charge a $45 resort fee plus tax (as of October 2026), about $51.02 with the Strip’s 13.38% room tax ($45 × 13.38% = $6.02), covering Wi-Fi, calls, boarding-pass printing, digital newspapers and the fitness center for guests 18 and over. Neither includes the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME that comes with Mandalay Bay’s $50 fee. MGM Rewards Gold members and above can have the fee waived.

Registered guests at both pay $20 per 24 hours to self-park, and visitors pay $20 Monday through Thursday and $25 Friday through Sunday, so a driver’s fixed cost is $71.02 a night at either ($51.02 + $20) before the room rate. The differences:

• Valet: $40 a day at Luxor. MGM’s terms apply the same rate to all its Las Vegas resorts, but Excalibur’s own transportation page lists no valet, so confirm before you count on it.
• RVs and oversized vehicles: only Excalibur’s lots take them, at $50 per 24 hours (free for MGM Rewards Pearl members and above).
• Stadium nights: MGM sells Prepaid Reserved Event Parking for Allegiant Stadium events at Excalibur, not Luxor.

Self-parking is free for Pearl members and above at both. Compare the Strip in our guides to Las Vegas resort fees and Las Vegas parking fees.

Price positioning

We rate both hotels budget, and with identical fees and parking, any gap is entirely in the room rate. If Luxor costs a little more for your dates, the extra buys 68 to 97 square feet and the stadium walk; if Excalibur’s Resort Tower costs more than its Royal Tower, the extra buys a renovated room. Both home pages also advertise an All-Inclusive Experience, which the Review-Journal described as a two-night package bundling the room, resort fee, meals, a show and parking; price it if you’d eat on property anyway. Rates vary by day of the week, events and season, and our cheap hotels in Las Vegas guide compares more budget picks.

Which is better for couples?

Luxor. The bigger room, Blue Man Group, FANTASY and TENDER give a budget weekend more polish, and Mandalay Bay’s restaurants and 21+ pool clubs are a walkway or a tram stop away. Excalibur works for couples who mainly want a cheap bed near T-Mobile Arena, but light sleepers should note the thin-walls complaints.

Which is better for families?

Luxor or Excalibur with kids? Excalibur, especially with younger children: the Fun Dungeon, Tournament of Kings, the Mac King afternoon show and a pool with a water slide are all in the building, cribs are free and rollaways cost $35 (as of October 2026). Just check the slide schedule outside summer.

Luxor suits older kids and teens: the exhibitions, Blue Man Group and PLAY Playground. Neither hotel offers childcare. Excalibur’s standard rooms top out at four guests in a two-queen room, so a family of five needs a suite. Our family hotels in Las Vegas guide has more options.

Which is better for nightlife?

Luxor, narrowly. PLAY Playground turns 21+ after 7 p.m., FANTASY and Blue Man Group run at night, and Mandalay Bay’s bars and clubs are one tram stop south. Excalibur’s nights are low-key: live bands at Dick’s Last Resort, TAP Sports Bar and the sportsbook. The tram stops at midnight at both.

Which is better for first-time visitors?

It depends on the group. Excalibur puts you closer to New York-New York, MGM Grand’s Monorail station and T-Mobile Arena, which helps if you want to explore north. Luxor gives a first-timer the more memorable building and more room. Either way, you’re at the south end of the Strip, so budget for rideshares or the Monorail.

Are Luxor and Excalibur closing?

No. As of October 2026, both are open and run by MGM Resorts, which updated both hotels’ reservation terms on Aug. 26, 2026, lists current shows at each and finished rebuilding Luxor’s south pool this summer. Las Vegas Advisor said in May 2025 that the rumor of the two being demolished had no basis, likely an April Fools’ or social-media hoax, and noted that MGM had only a tentative plan for a possible new hotel tower on Excalibur’s surface parking land.

What about New York-New York or Mandalay Bay?

New York-New York, across the Excalibur Bridge, charges the same $45 resort fee plus tax, and its fee includes 2-for-1 passes for The Big Apple Coaster (riders must be 54 inches tall). MGM puts it under 5 minutes from T-Mobile Arena, but its standard Soho rooms are 350 square feet, it has a single pool deck, and its Cirque show, Mad Apple, closed on Sept. 5, 2026. Pick it over both for arena nights and teens; see our New York-New York review.

Mandalay Bay is the upgrade at the end of the tram line: 550-square-foot rooms, an 11-acre beach with a wave pool and lazy river, and a $50 fee plus tax. Our Mandalay Bay vs Luxor comparison weighs whether it’s worth the extra.

Which should you book?

Choose Luxor if you’re adults on a budget who want more space, a Pyramid room for the novelty, Blue Man Group or an easy walk to a Raiders game. Bring patience for older rooms.

Choose Excalibur if you’re traveling with kids, want a renovated Resort Tower room, or want a buffet and a water slide in the building. It’s also the better base for T-Mobile Arena and the only one of the two that takes RVs. Expect a smaller room.

Still deciding? Our best hotels in Las Vegas ranking shows where both fit.

FAQ

Is Luxor or Excalibur nicer?

It depends on what you value. Luxor’s standard rooms are bigger, 420 to 449 square feet against 352, but guests describe some pyramid rooms as dated. Excalibur’s Resort Tower rooms are smaller but marketed as newly renovated, with a 55-inch TV and a fridge. For space, pick Luxor; for a fresher room, pick Excalibur’s Resort Tower.

Which has the better pool, Luxor or Excalibur?

Excalibur, for kids: four pools and a water slide, though the Slide Pool ran only on weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as of Oct. 9, 2026. Luxor has two pools, including a south pool rebuilt and reopened in 2026, but no slide. Neither has a lazy river; Mandalay Bay’s is one tram stop from Luxor.

Are Luxor and Excalibur connected?

Yes, by a walkway that both hotels’ maps show and by the free Mandalay Bay Tram, which also stops at Mandalay Bay. Excalibur’s page lists tram service from 8 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, Luxor’s page says daily from 10 a.m., and both list a midnight finish.

Is Luxor, Excalibur or New York-New York better?

All three charge a $45 resort fee plus tax (as of October 2026), so pick by trip. Luxor has the biggest standard rooms and the walk to Allegiant Stadium, Excalibur has the most for young kids, and New York-New York is closest to T-Mobile Arena, with The Big Apple Coaster for teens.