The Luxor has gone from being one of my least favorite hotels to one of my most favorite hotels to now, somewhere in the middle.

The original idea was pretty cool: build a 30-story black pyramid in the middle of the desert and put in hotel rooms and a casino with an Egyptian theme. Cool. Unfortunately the execution wasn't as good as the idea and it came off looking like a tacky theme park, complete with a narrated "Nile" boat ride around the perimeter of the casino. Ummm, yeah.

Apparently a lot of people agreed with me and so Mandalay Resorts (the former owners of the property) threw a few bucks at the place (around 300 million of them) and remodeled from top to bottom. Guess what? It was worth it because The Luxor became one of the most interesting, fun, and appealing hotels in town with the Egypt theme still kitschy but in an amusing "only in Vegas" kind of way.

As of 2008, the hotel is undergoing yet another change as the bulk of the Egypt theme is scrubbed away. Gone are the wacky hieroglpyhics, the talking camels, the King Tut exhibit, and pretty much everything else that made this hotel unique. Yes, the pyramid itself is still there, as is The Sphinx guarding the valet parking and a few other Walk Like an Egyptian details, but for the most part Cairo is gone and bland luxury has replaced it.

The new casino is nice but undistinguishable and the new direction has brought in a totally different crowd - a younger, rowdier, party set drawn to the new nightclubs and restaurants. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are younger, rowdier, and a partier, but for those of us who are not, some of the allure is gone from wanting to spend time in the casino here.

They do still have tons of gambling options, from slots of all denominations to table games of every stripe plus a sports book and more.

Rooms in the aforementioned pyramid have sloping glass walls that make them a bit bigger, and more interesting, than your standard Vegas box. Decor, for now, is Egyptian (of course) but they wisely restrained themselves from going overboard with the whole thing. These rooms are going to be remodeled at some point so expect even that minor theming to go away. Important note: most pyramid rooms only have shower stalls, no baths. Upper level "Jacuzzi Rooms" throw in a whirlpool tub under the sloped glass giving you a romantic, bathing-under-the-stars effect.

Rooms in the newer boxy towers to the north of the pyramid don't have the sloped ceilings but had more art-deco/Egyptian detail work - etched glass sconces and the like. Expect all of that to go away as well.

Of course there are several restaurants, nightclubs and bars, attractions and games, shopping, and entertainment.

I have gotten a couple of e-mails from people saying the service left a lot to be desired but I can honestly say that my experiences have never been anything but positive.

There are a total of five pools out back so you have a lot of choices but shade is at a premium. A luxurious spa offers all the niceties including massages, facials, sauna, steam, workout facilities, and more.

Prices remain relatively low - you can sometimes get in the place for as little as $69 although you'll usually wind up forking over at least $119 and sometimes double that on busy weekend nights.

I am disappointed in the changes at Luxor, but remain mostly bullish on it as a decent, relatively affordable hotel in Las Vegas.

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The entire attractions level above the casino will be completely redone, removing the King Tut exhibit, the IMAX movie theater, and the video game arcade. In their place will be a new exhibition area that will host “Bodies… The Exhibition” and “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” now currently showing across the street at the Tropicana.

The company that runs both of the popular exhibitions has signed a 10-year deal with Luxor and will include not only the attractions but gift shops and a Titanic themed bar/lounge complete with a recreation of the ship’s bow and moving lifeboats.

Construction should start in April with the new attractions set to open by fall 2008.

One other important change at Luxor to note… Company American Bistro, one of my favorite new restaurants in Las Vegas, is scrapping its menu and the chef that went with it. In place of the upscale diner food style menu will be a “bar menu” according to reports and it will be open seven days a week. It should go without saying that until I have a chance to eat there again, you should remove it from my list of “favorite new restaurants” in Las Vegas.