Excalibur

Excalibur review

The jury's still out on whether or not this caricature of a castle will become the next generation's Circus Circus. MGM Mirage has been too busy transforming the pirate-themed Treasure Island and the Polynesian-tilted Mirage into hipper versions of their former selves, leaving Excalibur to fend for itself. However, there have been a few changes of note, in particular the addition of dining and entertainment options that eschew the family-friendly theme: a biker bar, the silly Dick's Last Resort, and the 'edgy' comedy of everyone's favourite fat guy, Louie Anderson. Identity crisis, anyone?

Accommodation
Housed in two towers behind the castle façade, the small rooms have none of the elegance of the hotel's adjacent sister resorts, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. But a handful of spacious Parlor Suites have guest bathrooms, dining and living areas; with bold colours, dark wood furniture and wrought-iron fixtures, they're nowhere near as drab as those at Circus Circus.

Eating & drinking
The Steakhouse at Camelot serves decent cuts, while Regale dishes out pastas. At biker-themed Octane, flair bartenders serve up such cocktails as Blood, Sweat & Gears and Tailpipe Wind; also new is Dick's Last Resort, a playfully tacky watering hole that serves massive cocktails and finger foods by the bucket. There's also a children's menu at the 24-hour Sherwood Forest Café and an extensive Round Table
Buffet.

Entertainment
The medieval (and still child-friendly) orientation extends into the night with the entertaining Tournament of Kings , which features jousting, pyrotechnics and a surprisingly decent game-hen dinner. The Fantasy Faire Midway keeps children busy with two Magic Motion Machine film rides, medieval-themed midway games and an arcade. Comic Louie Anderson and hilarious male revue Thunder from Down Under provide adult-oriented fare.

Gambling
Neon knights slay neon dragons in the casino, one of the few in town where photography is allowed. Visitors are surrounded by images of playing-card kings and queens, but the table games are affordable for any commoner. Thousands of slots jam the joint; video poker is scarcer. When you're done throwing coins in machines, toss a few in the moat for good luck: they'll be donated to local charities.