Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox casino Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The resort features a medieval castle theme and is named after King Arthur's mythical Excalibur sword. Property features include a Template:Convert casino, a 28-story hotel with 3,981 rooms, and various restaurants.
The $290 million property was developed by Circus Circus Enterprises. The castle theme was conceived by company founder William Bennett, and the resort was designed by Veldon Simpson. Bennett and the design team traveled to castles throughout Europe for inspiration. Construction began in October 1988, and the resort opened on June 19, 1990. It was the largest hotel in the world until the opening of the nearby MGM Grand in 1993.
The Excalibur has hosted numerous shows, including Thunder from Down Under, which opened in 2002 and is the longest-running male revue in Las Vegas. Tournament of Kings, a medieval-themed show featuring sword fights and jousting, is the longest-running dinner show on the Strip.
HistoryEdit
The Excalibur occupies approximately Template:Convert,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> located along the Las Vegas Strip at the southwest corner of the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The property was once the proposed site of the Xanadu, a 1,730-room resort announced in 1975. The Xanadu was never built, as its developers could not secure a deal with the county on the sewer infrastructure such a large project would have required.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Circus Circus Enterprises purchased the vacant site in May 1988,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and announced plans a month later to build a castle-themed resort on the land.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company held an international contest to determine the name of the new resort. More than 180,000 entries were made, and the winning name, "Excalibur", was selected from more than 33,000 names.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is named after King Arthur's mythical Excalibur sword.<ref name=LVS90/><ref name=Furlong/>
Groundbreaking for the Excalibur took place on October 7, 1988.<ref name=Breaks/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Marnell Corrao Associates served as the general contractor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The $290 million resort opened on June 19, 1990,<ref name=LVS90/><ref name=Macy/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> receiving 30,000 visitors on its first day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Excalibur was among new entertainment-oriented megaresorts to open on the Strip, continuing a trend started by the Mirage in 1989.<ref name=Furlong>Template:Cite news</ref>
On March 21, 2003, Josh Ford of Los Angeles hit the largest Megabucks Jackpot to date of US$39.7 million at Excalibur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Circus Circus Enterprises became Mandalay Resort Group in 1999,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and ownership of the Excalibur was passed to MGM Mirage in 2005, after it acquired the company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort's new owner was subsequently renamed MGM Resorts International in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ownership of the Excalibur, along with many other MGM properties, was transferred to MGM Growth Properties in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Vici Properties acquired MGM Growth and its properties in 2022, while MGM Resorts continues to operate them under a lease agreement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
DesignEdit
The medieval castle theme was conceived by Circus Circus founder William Bennett,<ref name=Breaks>Template:Cite news</ref> and the resort was designed by Veldon Simpson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bennett studied old castle renderings, and he and Simpson visited castle sites in England and Germany for design inspiration.<ref name=Macy>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=WaPo/> Simpson's Excalibur design was inspired particularly by Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=WaPo>Template:Cite news</ref> Trademark experts were hired to avoid replicating the castle designs at Disneyland and Disney World.<ref name=Macy/> The Excalibur's medieval architecture includes stone turrets, and a moat and drawbridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Yates-Silverman handled the interior design.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The firm conducted library research into castles and also visited such buildings in Europe, in addition to film studios. According to Michael Erickson, design director at Yates-Silverman: "We were basically looking for the same level of design that you would find in film. If you designed rooms as they literally looked during the traditional period, they would be dark, dingy and dirty. You have to romanticize it a little bit and take more of a theatrical approach."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
FeaturesEdit
Template:Multiple image The Excalibur has 3,981 rooms,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> spread across four 28-story towers built out in a square footprint.<ref name=LVS90/><ref name=Macy/> The resort originally opened with 4,032 rooms, making it the largest hotel in the world.<ref name=LVS90/><ref name=Macy/> This record was surpassed by the 1993 opening of the MGM Grand, located diagonally across from the Excalibur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A hotel remodeling project began in 2006, and was scheduled to conclude four years later. In accordance with guest feedback, the multi-phase project removed castle-themed elements from the rooms in favor of an understated design.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Excalibur's casino measures Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It opened with 2,630 slot machines,<ref name=LVS90/> and more than 100 table games.<ref name=Kerch/> In 2008, the Excalibur removed its live poker dealers and replaced them with automated tables manufactured by Pokertek, through a deal that lasted 10 months. The new tables appealed primarily to a lower-paying clientele and beginners, prompting the resort to bring back live poker, which was preferred by experienced players and those willing to spend more.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Upon its opening, Bennett described the Excalibur as an upgrade from the Circus Circus resort in Las Vegas, while still targeting the same family demographic.<ref name=Macy/> Family friendly attractions included an arcade, an indoor medieval-themed midway, and motion simulator rides taking place in two theaters, each seating 48 people.<ref name=Macy/><ref name=Kerch/>
South of the Excalibur are two other MGM properties, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The three resorts are connected via the Mandalay Bay Tram.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Of the three, Excalibur is considered the low-budget property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
RestaurantsEdit
The Excalibur included 17 restaurants upon opening.<ref name=LVS90/> In 1997, the resort added the Steakhouse at Camelot, which would go on to become a Zagat award winner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At that time, it also included the second-largest buffet in Las Vegas, seating more than 1,300.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1998, the Excalibur announced a partnership with World Championship Wrestling to open a wrestling-themed restaurant at the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The $2 million WCW Nitro Grill opened in May 1999, and operated for 16 months, featuring regular appearances from professional wrestlers during that time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2007, Dick's Last Resort opened an Template:Convert location at the Excalibur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band Lynyrd Skynyrd would also license its name to a new restaurant at the resort.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer opened in December 2011, along with American Burger Works, both managed by the same company. The two restaurants operated for nine months, eventually closing due to financial problems.<ref>Retrieved June 24, 2023:Template:Ubl</ref>
Buca di Beppo opened at the Excalibur in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A year later, the resort debuted its Castle Walk food court, which introduced several eateries not already on the Strip. At Template:Convert, it was among the largest food courts on the Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Because the Excalibur had an exclusive deal with Pepsi, the food court housed one of the few McDonald's in the world to vend the soft drink rather than its competitor, Coca-Cola. The McDonald's eventually closed in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Johnny Rockets opened in 2014, taking the space formerly occupied by American Burger Works.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later that year, the resort completed a $6 million renovation of its buffet, which seats 610.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fatburger opened its first Strip location in 2022, at the Excalibur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Live entertainmentEdit
Medieval showsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Multiple image The Excalibur has featured two medieval-themed shows since its opening, both taking place in a 900-seat dinner theater. Jousting has been a signature aspect of both shows.<ref name=LVS90>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Performances take place in a dirt arena,<ref name=Longtime/><ref name=Radke2018/> and meals are served medieval-style, without utensils.<ref name=Jackson/><ref name=Action>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The original show, King Arthur's Tournament,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> included 45 actors and 15 horses upon its opening.<ref name=Kerch>Template:Cite news</ref> The show closed in January 1999, after approximately 5,600 performances. It was replaced a month later by a revamped version known as Tournament of Kings.<ref name=Longtime>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Jackson>Template:Cite news</ref> More than $2 million was spent to update the show and remodel the arena.<ref name=Action/> Both shows were created by the French-born producer Peter Jackson, who died shortly before Tournament of Kings was launched. His son, Patrick Jackson, took over as producer.<ref name=Longtime/><ref name=Jackson/><ref name=Milestone>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tournament of Kings incorporates pyrotechnics and various stunt work, including sword fights.<ref name=Radke2018/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2008, the cast included up to 38 humans and 11 horses. The show had a total of 30 horses, kept in an air-conditioned facility behind the resort.<ref name=Fink>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2010, it was the only show in Las Vegas to feature horses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> King Arthur's Tournament had featured female horse riders, although it would not be until 2014 that Tournament of Kings introduced its first female rider.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tournament of Kings is popular among families.<ref name=Fink/><ref name=Family>Template:Cite news</ref> It is the Strip's longest-running dinner show,<ref name=Family/> and also one of its longest-running shows in general.<ref name=Radke2018/> The Excalibur is the world's top buyer of Cornish game hens,<ref name=Milestone/> having served 6.7 million of them through the show from its original opening in 1990 through 2018.<ref name=Radke2018>Template:Cite news</ref>
Dragon showEdit
In 1993, the resort debuted a three-story animatronic dragon, part of a show in which it faced off against a mechanical statue of Merlin. The show took place at the moat entrance, and was performed hourly each night.<ref name=Residence/><ref name=Mirage/><ref name=Worst>Template:Cite news</ref> The fire-breathing dragon was created by Alvaro Villa's company, AVG Inc,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and took nine months to build.<ref name=Residence>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Mirage>Template:Cite news</ref> A six-story dragon had previously been considered.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The dragon and Merlin effects were generally considered underwhelming. In 2002 and 2003, readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal named the show as the city's worst attraction.<ref name=Mirage/><ref name=Worst/> The show ended around 2003,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> although the dragon remains intact, hidden beneath the drawbridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other showsEdit
Thunder from Down Under opened at the resort in July 2002, and is the longest-running male revue in Las Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Klok>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since 2011, the Thunder from Down Under venue has also been host to The Australian Bee Gees Show, a tribute to the original Bee Gees musical group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The venue originally seated 375 people. It was renovated in 2019 and named the Thunderland Showroom, with seating expanded to 425. Magician Hans Klok began performing in the space later that year, sharing it with Thunder from Down Under and the Bee Gees show.<ref name=Klok/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Klok departed the property in 2020, as he felt that pandemic-related restrictions would hinder revenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Magician Mac King took his place in 2021, starring in a comedy magic show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other shows at the resort have included the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions, a group of Lipizzaner horses which performed various maneuvers for spectators during the 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Catch a Rising Star, a chain of comedy clubs, opened a location at the Excalibur in 2001, operating there for nearly three years. The club was added in response to guest feedback.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Louie Anderson also performed comedy acts in the resort's showroom, starting in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He entertained there until 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Fuerza Bruta, a show featuring acrobats, opened in March 2019. It was performed in a Template:Convert on-site tent,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Kats3/> with a standing-only capacity of 950 people.<ref name=Kats3/> The show was signed for a six-month run, but ended a month after its debut,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> due to poor ticket sales; each performance had an average of only 50 guests.<ref name=Kats3>Template:Cite news</ref>
In popular cultureEdit
In 2003 and 2004, the Excalibur was used as a filming location for the television program Fear Factor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features fictional resorts based on those located along the Strip, including a castle-themed property called the Come-A-Lot modeled after the Excalibur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
GalleryEdit
- Las Vegas - Hotel Excalibur - panoramio.jpg
The Excalibur's main entrance
- Las Vegas (41978534702).jpg
Overlooking the main entrance from New York-New York
- 2019.10.11 Las Vegas - 48955402436.jpg
View from a hotel room, looking southwest
- 2019.10.11 Las Vegas - 48955593957.jpg
Same view at night
- Excalibur (4067238057).jpg
Roadside sign along the Strip
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Official website
- "Roy Vegas" - photos showing the Dick's Last Resort promotion that replaced Merlin
Template:Las Vegas casinos Template:Las Vegas hotels Template:Las Vegas Strip Template:MGM Resorts International