Luxor Las Vegas

30-storey black-glass pyramid with the world's brightest sky beam

Address 3900 Las Vegas Blvd South

A 30-storey black-glass pyramid topped by the brightest spotlight on Earth, Luxor opened in 1993 and remains one of the Strip's most recognisable buildings. The hotel rooms run along the slanted walls — elevators travel at a 39-degree angle on "inclinators" to reach them. The atrium below is the largest in the world by volume.

The Egyptian theme has been gradually dialled back; what was once a full immersive walk through faux-ancient Egypt is now a more generic casino with a few sphinxes still in place. The pyramid itself remains the draw. Inside you will find the long-running "Bodies: The Exhibition" and a Titanic artefact exhibition that includes a 15-tonne section of the ship's hull — the largest piece ever recovered.

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The Luxor Sky Beam is the brightest beam of light on Earth — 42.3 billion candela, visible from aircraft 250 miles away. Bats and birds congregate inside the column to feed on the insects it attracts, and you can sometimes see owls hunting them.