While most of my trips are business related, this jaunt was meant for a little rest and relaxation with a group of friends. What I neglected to think about when booking an R & R spot was that Las Vegas is one of those cities that just doesn't sleep! Feel free to insert "duh..." here. But, with a little ingenuity (and the fact that I lost my cell phone, so people couldn't call it wake me up) I was able to catch a few winks here and there.

Once we arrived at the Luxor, we were taken aback by the immense size of the complex. To put it mildly - it's huge! My best advice: wear comfy shoes - you're going to need them!

Check in: Make sure you arrive and check in at non-peak times. The check in (and check out lines, for that matter) can become extremely long, resembling the lines for TSA checks at the airport. As with every where else, make sure you have your itinerary printed and ready to show the reservationist when you get there.

Rooms: The rooms were clean, but there's nothing very special about them. To be honest, I'd say the rooms are very similar to a Holiday Inn room: beds, side chairs, entertainment center, tv and blowdryer. Refrigerators are available for a fee - or if you happen to have a prescription that needs to be refrigerated, you can get one sent to your room for free (depending on availability). Also, you should note that if you want coffee in the morning, you will have to go out of your room for a cup of brew...there aren't coffee makers in the room, but if you're not a fan of hotel coffee, you'll be just fine! As with most hotels, certain floors are designated smoking or non-smoking floors.

Elevators: Throughout the complex, you will notice the elevators that lead to certain floors. You will need your room key to access the elevators to get to your room, so don't forget that little plastic card back in your room or you'll heading to the front desk for a replacement. If you're feeling as though you need a little excitement or maybe just a small version of a thrill ride, the elevators at the Luxor may be right up your alley. Since the Luxor is a pyramid-shaped building, the elevator is designed to move with the shape - so be prepared for the feeling of being a little sideways and maybe even caught off guard when it first begins it's rise to your floor.

The Pools: Get there early and bring your room key. While the pools are very nice, there's very little shade available.

The Buffet: Several of us attended the weekend brunch, which was wonderful. If you get the chance, I highly recommend it!

Overall Value: It's a good deal. Look for coupons or discounts on the web and you'll save even more money!

Service: We didn't have any difficulty at all with service or security. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, I lost my cell phone, which I thought I would never see again. But low and behold, some kind soul found it, turned it in to security and by the next morning, my phone was back in my hot little hands again! So thank you to whoever it was that was honest enough to turn it in!

Distance to other casinos: Well, this is where the downfall was for us. It's a little farther down the strip than what we would have liked, but for the room rate, I still think we had a great deal.

A wonderful hotel at a reasonable price. From check-in to check-out everything was absolutely perfect. Our room had a beautiful view of the Strip and the mountains. The pool and hot tub were incredible.

I was looking forward to visiting this hotel but found it rather tired looking even though we were staying in the towers which had supposedly been refurbished. Hated the fact that you were pounced upon by people trying to sell you tickets for trips etc. Thought the food court was ok on the one time we used it. No discounts offered to guests to visit the two exhibitions there. Others told us that had you walked down the strip to the ticket booth you could have got tickets half price, so why doesnt the hotel give you a discount. Our room had an interconnecting door and between day 2 and 4 the guests in the other room woke you up when they came in, around 1.30am and getting up on one morning at 4.45. Therefore on my last morning 'i made sure i made lots of noise and banged the coathangers on the back of the wardrobe, no consideration at all for fellow guests by them. but I got some satisfaction.

It’s a big property right on the strip, but once you cross the Egyptian décor on the outside and an average casino, there is not much to write about. The rooms though spacious are rustic and boring. There is an overkill of the Egyptian motifs… the bedsheets, the closet, the desk, so much so that you would believe that there are even mummies hidden somewhere in the room! The bathroom is pathetic & hallways are worse than the worst hotels I have seen anywhere in the world. The ice machine doesn’t work, the beverage vending machine not stocked and the service non-existent. The casino staff is no better, as they are themselves not very sure of how the stuff works. To add to the bad experience is the show –Chris Angel – which is not even a bleak shadow of his TV series, but then I can’t blame the hotel for that. Only saving grace is the bar at casino level and the outdoor pools.

Though the location is fantastic - towards the start of the strip, but isn’t worth spending the money when you can get better rooms around this place at almost half the price.