Location and the kind of traveller it suits
Excalibur is the castle at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, the south-Strip crossroads. Pedestrian bridges connect it to New York-New York and MGM Grand, an indoor walkway leads to Luxor, and the free tram runs from Excalibur through Luxor to Mandalay Bay, so four resorts are reachable without crossing a street. The centre Strip is a long walk or a short ride; the airport is ten minutes by car.
It suits families on a budget, groups who want a cheap base near the south-Strip arenas and stadium, first-timers who care more about location than luxury, and anyone whose plan is to spend the day elsewhere and sleep cheaply. It does not suit people who want a stylish lobby, a calm casino or a great restaurant downstairs. The area and its attractions are covered in our destination guide, and the family angle in best family hotels.
Resort Tower versus Royal Tower: book the right one
Excalibur has two large towers and the difference between them is the whole game. Resort Tower rooms are the renovated stock: neutral modern décor, updated bathrooms, better beds and flat-screen televisions. Royal Tower rooms are the older category and, depending on the phase of renovation, can be dated, with older carpets and bathrooms. Renovation programmes roll through the property periodically, so check the official site for what is currently described as refreshed before assuming either label.
Pay the small premium for a Resort Tower room; it is usually only a few dollars more and the gap in comfort is wide. Within the tower, higher floors facing the Strip give a view of New York-New York and the coaster and are the ones to request. Rooms facing the pool are lively in summer; rooms facing the parking garage are the quietest. Suites exist but the property is not a suite destination, and a Resort Tower king on a high floor is the sensible ceiling for most bookings.
Resort fee and parking costs
Excalibur charges a budget-Strip resort fee, roughly $35 to $45 plus tax per night as of 2026; confirm on the official site because it changes. On the cheapest midweek nights the fee can exceed the room rate, which is why the advertised prices look impossible until you see the total. Wi-Fi and fitness centre access are included.
Self-parking runs roughly $18 to $30 a night under MGM's current policy, with valet higher. MGM Rewards Pearl status and above has generally included self-parking, and the sign-up is free, so do it before you arrive. The garage is on the west side of the property and the walk to the Resort Tower elevators is manageable. Full detail on what the fee buys and when you can ask for a credit is in our resort-fee explainer; current garage rates are in the parking guide.
Two pools and a summer crowd
Excalibur has two pools set in a sunny, plain deck between the towers and the garage, with a shallow area, plenty of loungers, a bar and rentable cabanas. It is unpretentious and family-friendly, which is precisely the point: children are welcome, there is no dress code and the drinks are cheaper than at the big beach clubs. Summer weekends are crowded, and the deck runs out of shade by late morning.
Season is roughly March to October with shorter hours in the shoulder months. There is no lazy river or wave pool; Mandalay Bay Beach is a tram ride away but is not open to Excalibur guests without a paid pass on the days passes are sold. For a family pool comparison see best pools for families, and for the full Strip ranking best resort pools.
Gym and spa
The Royal Treatment Spa is a small, inexpensive spa with steam, sauna and a short menu of massages and facials. It is fine for a basic treatment and unlikely to need booking far ahead, but it is not a reason to choose the hotel; guests wanting a proper spa day walk or ride the tram to Mandalay Bay or Delano and pay accordingly. Hours and prices change, so check the current spa page.
The fitness centre is next to the spa and is included in the resort fee. It is a modest room with cardio machines and some weights, adequate for a maintenance workout and busy early in the morning during conventions. If gym quality matters, the Mandalay Bay fitness centre is a better use of the tram. Our resort spa guide explains which nearby spas are worth the extra money.
Food on the property
Excalibur's dining is aimed at value. The Buffet at Excalibur has been one of the cheaper Strip buffets when open; buffet operations and hours have changed several times in recent years, so check the official site. Dick's Last Resort is the loud, deliberately rude bar-restaurant that groups either love or avoid. Camelot Steakhouse is the property's sit-down option, and a food court and casual counters cover pizza, burgers, coffee and late-night snacks. Restaurant line-ups change; treat any list as a snapshot.
Tournament of Kings, the jousting dinner show, is the famous meal on site and remains a family favourite, eaten with your hands while knights fight below. Beyond that, the honest advice is to eat elsewhere: New York-New York across the bridge has a broader casual range, and Mandalay Bay by tram has the serious restaurants.
The casino, the queues and the check-in desk
The casino is large, busy and geared to low limits, with cheap table minimums by Strip standards, a big slot floor and a sportsbook. It is loud and smoky, and a good deal of the crowd is young groups on a budget. Families should note that the route from the main entrance to the elevators crosses the floor; a lower level houses the arcade, the Fun Dungeon, and the show entrances.
Check-in is mid-afternoon and checkout late morning. Because the hotel is enormous and cheap, the desk queue on Friday and Sunday afternoons can be long; online check-in with a digital key through the MGM app is the way around it. Early check-in depends on housekeeping and is sometimes offered for a fee; late checkout is usually available for a fee or included with MGM Rewards status. Ask for a Resort Tower room at the desk if the booking did not lock one in.
Using MGM Rewards at the cheapest MGM property
Excalibur is an MGM Resorts hotel, so stays earn MGM Rewards points and tier credit. The maths favours status here more than anywhere in the MGM portfolio: Pearl has historically waived self-parking and Gold and above has waived the resort fee, and on a $50 room those two waivers can roughly halve the nightly cost. Higher tiers add priority lines, later checkout and room discounts. Tier names and benefits are revised from time to time, so check the current programme.
Excalibur is also the hotel most often offered free or nearly free through MGM promotions and casino offers, so if you have any play history with MGM, check your account before paying a public rate. Midweek dates and offer codes combine well. Tactics are in how to get a hotel deal, and the wider budget picture is on our cheap Strip hotels page.
Pros and cons, prices and our verdict
- Pros: usually the cheapest MGM room on the Strip; renovated Resort Tower rooms are genuinely fine; tram to Luxor and Mandalay Bay and bridges to New York-New York and MGM Grand; two family-friendly pools; low table minimums; close to the airport and Allegiant Stadium.
- Cons: Royal Tower rooms can be dated; loud, smoky casino; weak dining; resort fee is a large share of a cheap night; long walks and long desk queues at peak times.
Rates as of 2026 have run roughly $35 to $80 midweek and $110 to $220 on weekends before the resort fee, with jumps for stadium events and big conventions.
Verdict: the most defensible budget base at the south end, provided you book the Resort Tower, get MGM Rewards status if you can and plan to eat elsewhere. For a comparison with the neighbours, see our Luxor guide and the rest of the stay-guide index.