By Kate Silver

"Luxor is Vegas, a tribute to its style, creativity and imagination."

A couple of new spots that have recently opened are a testament to the excitement to which Rappaport referred, including Aurora, a new concept in the casino bar named after the Aurora Borealis. Here boisterous guests throw back martinis and laugh amid the "Northern Lights" represented by columns of color-changing glass above the bar. Created by Japanese interior design firm Super Potato, Aurora looks out on the lobby amid the white marble and giant Egyptian statues and is the perfect place to begin or end the night.

Across from Aurora is Flight, a bar also designed by Thomas Schoos, which seamlessly transports the allure of LAX to the casino floor. Here guests can sit in the swanky turquoise chairs beneath the wood-tiered ceiling and have an intimate gaming experience at the blackjack tables.

At the casino's center, get a taste of celebrity at Company, where investors Nicky Hilton, Nick Lachey and Wilmer Valderrama have helped in the creation of Pure Management Group's newest restaurant. Fresh fish and prime cuts of meat make up the menu at this reinvented American bistro. The 10,000-square-foot restaurant designed by New York-based AvroKO will be set apart by its Aspen trees and hurricane lamps surrounding the romantic fireside lounge. Company is set to open in October.

CatHouse may be the most daring ultra lounge on The Strip. True to its name, the restaurant and lounge are designed like a 19th century French bordello, from the dimly lit chandeliers and scantily clad staff to the elevated performers who model CatHouse's own line of lingerie, which is available for purchase. In the kitchen, renowned Chef Kerry Simon creates an array of tapas as tantalizing as the décor. CatHouse will open in late December.

Also set to open this fall is Liquidity, a bar and three separate lounge areas that will sit in the center of the pyramid. Another Super Potato creation, the space will be the new focal point for the casino floor and uses water as the art. This flowing energy will continue onto the casino floor, where new carpeting, wall coverings, wave-patterned columns, and light fixtures in graduating shades from blues to plums carry on the water design element. The vibe will be as sleek and modern as the pyramid itself.

Luxor Steakhouse will undergo a transformation in 2008, becoming another Schoos-designed space filled with rich leather and animal prints. The menu will offer beef as its specialty but fresh seafood, lamb and veal will also be delectably prepared.

"With these additions, we are giving our guests a variety of destinations to hang out, enjoy quiet conversation, a great meal, an evening of dancing. At the new Luxor, guests will be able to enjoy whatever Las Vegas experience they are looking for," said Rappaport.

The changes will come in three phases. The first phase invigorates the casino floor, the second phase will add new life to the 3.4-acre atrium above the lobby - where the IMAX® theater is currently located - and phase three will focus on guest room redesign.

The Luxor transformation will be completed in 2009. It's an enormous project but one that will create a destination people will enjoy long after they've snapped a shot in front of the obelisk. It'll take time, but great pyramids weren't built in a day.