The entertainers will be standard fare in what promises to be one of the country's more unusual properties. Minstrels, jugglers and harpists entertained guests, a 10-foot dragon cavorted and a man in a suit of armor walked stiffly amid the guests. Hundreds of the Las Vegas business, political and social elite milled about the $290 million property.

'Isn't this the most sensational thing you've ever seen?' actor Ernest Borgnine wondered aloud as he watched a knight on a white horse prance across a lobby area of the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in a pre-opening VIP party Monday night.

LAS VEGAS - The world's largest hotel - a gargantuan castle designed to entice a growing legion of Middle America gamblers - opened here this week, and a full house is expected to enjoy mock medieval pageantry at the 4,032-room property.