At the pool, parents tend to their water-wing-clad children in the shallow end, and kids flock to the waterslide. The castle motif tends to be a hit with children, who can be seen bustling around the casino floor and the mezzanine-level food court.

You Rule.' (The hotel shows some restraint in staff uniforms, however staffers dress in sports coats and ties, not medieval garb.) Signboards proclaim, 'Welcome to Excalibur. The arches over the cabstand are outfitted with mock wooden portcullises, while suits of armor, stained-glass windows, and medieval-style chandeliers adorn the entrances. It is definitely one of the kid-friendlier options on the Strip, and the 3,981-room hotel is a bit cheesy, with architecture that is themed to the max. Vegas may be best known as a sexy, sinful, adults-only playground, but it can also be a place for family fun, and the Excalibur epitomizes this hybrid. The family-friendly, medieval-themed Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a fortress-shaped hotel-casino on the southern end of the Strip. The Excalibur is typically a more affordable alternative to the New York-New York Hotel and Casino across the street, which has a roller coaster, and the Egypt-themed Luxor Las Vegas.

Like most Vegas hotels, there are no in-room fridges or coffeemakers, and a daily resort fee is charged to cover Wi-Fi and fitness center access. While much of the hotel's common-area decor has a vaguely medieval theme (in a theme-parkish kind of way), the rooms are generic and typical of what one might find in a chain hotel, with flat-screen TVs and dated, but not unattractive, bathrooms with basic toiletries. It was the largest hotel in the world when it opened back in 1990, and has a huge number of features to match, including four pools, a spa, multiple restaurants such as a buffet and steakhouse, live entertainment and - of course - a large casino.

At the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, the 3,981-room, mid-range Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a gigantic casino-hotel with a strong focus on family-friendly features and budget-friendly rates.

Excalibur hotel and casino reviews