Why My Luxor Stay Fell Short: A “HOT” Night in Las Vegas”
Our recent trip to Southern California included a brief stopover in Las Vegas, courtesy of a budget-friendly flight. With a comped night at the Luxor—somewhere we hadn’t stayed in years—we decided to give it a shot, even though Mandalay Bay is usually our go-to. After our experience, though, it’s safe to say we won’t be staying at the Luxor again.
We left Minneapolis in the evening and landed in Las Vegas around 7 PM. By the time we grabbed our luggage, ordered a Lyft, and made our way to the Luxor, it was close to 8 PM. The Lyft driver dropped us off at the designated Lyft area instead of the main entrance, which wasn’t a big deal, but it was a sign of things to come. I had checked in using the mobile app, and it assured us we could head straight to our room, located in one of the towers rather than the pyramid itself.
This is where the trouble began. Nowhere in the app or on the confirmation did it specify which elevator to use. The Luxor color-codes its elevators, but without any guidance, we were left guessing. We decided to stop by the front desk for directions, only to find a check-in line about 50 people deep. With no desire to wait, we tried the mobile check-in kiosk to print a key. The instructions were confusing, telling us to insert the key card into a non-existent slot on the top of the iPad. After a bit of frustration, we noticed a small sign instructing us to tap the card on the back of the iPad instead.
With key in hand, we were still clueless about which elevator to take. It would have been so much simpler if the check-in text had included this information. Taking a gamble, we headed to the silver elevator and hoped for the best. Thankfully, our key card worked, and we were on our way.
We finally reached our room just before 9 PM. Despite the challenges, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the room was. After a quick tour, we dropped off our luggage and headed out for the night. Before leaving, I turned the AC down as low as it would go, expecting to return to a cool, comfortable room.
Unfortunately, when I laid down later that night, I realized the AC wasn’t doing its job. The room was stuffy, with little to no airflow. The layout of the room didn’t help—the only vent was blowing air directly against the window, not into the main area. I struggled to fall asleep, needing the room to be cool to get any rest. After tossing and turning, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I noticed that the only air movement was near the window, so I moved the furniture out of the way, dragged the mattress across the room, and set it up on the floor in front of the window. It was slightly better but still far from comfortable. With an early flight to Orange County, I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in the uncomfortable heat.
The room itself was decent, and without the AC issue, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in one of the tower rooms again. But with this experience, it’s hard to overlook the discomfort. While I could have requested a new room, it was already 2 AM by the time we returned, and the last thing I wanted was to deal with another hassle. This stay was a reminder that sometimes, even the smallest details can make or break a hotel experience.
