Excalibur Hotel Casino

Guest review by Justamom, visited October 2006

I wanted to write after taking your advice this weekend about Kid Friendly hotels in Las Vegas and recommend that you revisit the subject, as the Excalibur has dramatically changed since the article was written.

First, they closed the puppet theatre and magic shop to replace them with a lounge and a more adult friendly gift shop. Second, they are closing the pool for renovation starting November 1, 2006. Third, although for parts of the day they have 2 half-hearted actors in medieval costumes posing out front, most of the time they are promoting their "Thunder from Down Under" crew and doing slightly provocative pictures.

The smoke eaters in the hotel do not work nearly as well as any other hotel in the area. The slot machines fill the lobby area with the exception of the bars around the outskirts and the check in area, and you have to take your kids through the casino to get anywhere -- the pool, restaurants, front door, back door (which wouldn't be a problem, but whenever I stopped to talk to my husband about where we were going next, the hotel staff hovered to remind us to 'keep it moving kids can't be in the casino area').

Like many of my friend's homes when I was growing up, the kid zone is relegated to the basement and was little more than a basement rec room meets kids pizza restaurant. They did enjoy the buffet and the fact that there was a Krispy Kreme in the hotel.

I missed having a coffee maker in the room, but the beds were comfortable, the rooms were clean and smelled fine, housekeeping was quiet and came regardless of how late we left and was quick with the extra towel, and noise was nonexistent (with the exception of one 4 a.m. guest who decided to tipsily tell her friend all about her night right outside our door -- but that isn't a hotel issue, and I'm sure that if I'd called they would have solved it quickly). The Bell service was impeccable as well.

The kids LOVED visiting Rio, on the other hand. First, of course, is the seafood buffet ($35 adults, $22 kids) Perhaps my kids are strange, but they love seafood -- they do have alternates, but we didn't try them.

Second, the floors were clearly marked with tile being an 'ok for kids' area and carpet as the casino area. They loved the aerial parade and particularly loved the beads that showered down.

I've also heard from friends that the Hilton just off the Strip is also very nice to stay in with kids. The rest of the list seems pretty accurate (we didn't visit Circus Circus - only because I was there as a teen and it was a little 'loud' in both style and noise level for me). But New York New York really rated much higher with my 6 and 8 year old.

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