Westgate Turns MGM’s Parking Fees On Their Ear

Westgate Turns MGM’s Parking Fees On Their Ear

http://www.vegasbright.com/2016/06/15/westgate-turns-mgms-parking-fee-policy-ear/

 

It sounds like they have enhanced their previous policy:
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/westgate-parking-fees.128709/

 

If you're going to charge for parking this is how it should be done.

 

Hear, hear. I'm down with having to validate with a dinner or show receipt, being a guest or wagering at least $20 to park.

 

We were in Niagara Falls on New Years. The Crowne Plaza hotel which is attached to the casino tried to charge me $30 for parking when checking out. I had already talked to somebody at the Casino if you gamble just swipe your players card to get out no charge. I said to the clerk I think I will risk it and swipe my card on the way out.

One, the hotel is sleezy in that they don't tell you this but on the other hand the casino handles parking right for their players.

 

While I agree with this conceptually--why else would I visit the casino if I wasn't a hotel guest, coming to eat, see a show or gamble??!!

Seems they are adding red tape for 99% of visitors....wouldn't it cost more in man hours than the couple bucks they might get from the 2 people that are coming to the casino for other reasons. (AGAIN--WHAT WOULD THAT REASON BE??!!)

 

Fair point about this casino because of location. I like it because I hope it becomes a model for other properties that institute paid parking that are close enough to walk from.

 

Does this mean that the CET parking structures will be more full?

 

It's still a parking FEE!

 

The story reads that people park there to go to the convention center, or hop the monorail.

 

I would think people would still spend money in the casino going to and from. My bet is that they use this story as an excuse to instill a parking fee.

 

Might be a good thing for them, as I believe people drop some money in the casino going to and from the monorail line.

This might bite MGM in the a$$.

 

I get the convention center, totally. That definitely makes sense!
But why would I park at Westgate to PAY to take the monorail??!!

 

No matter what MGM has said, their actions have never backed them up. Their very clear target of these fees is the out of town hotel guest who is not very active in MLife. The weekend traffic from CA will get it the worst.

Before, no, it wouldn't make sense to park and pay for the monorail. But now with the MGM fees, some of the most popular parking facilities will be the hotels with monorail stops. It would be cheaper to take the monorail to south strip than to pay for south strip parking. I don't know how many people will think that the time they lose is worth it but there are people who will want to act in defiance to MGM enough to do it. Harrah's would be a more likely spot for this, though, because the parking garage and valet and actually fairly close to their monorail stop.

 

How much action would Westgate require to get free parking? I don't go there much but I've stopped to play some quarter video poker on occasion for about 40 minutes or so.

 

In April I attended a conference and stayed at Westgate. They had a sign and it said something like $20 for parking for convention guests. I did not have a car so I did not find out if it was free for those staying in the hotel.

 

Only ONE stop on monorail is MGM property; the rest are CET (except Westgate)
Parking is free at the CET properties (for now....)

 

I contacted both the Westgate Hotel and the Las Vegas Advisor Newsletter and was told by both that parking fees were only in place for big conventions. So unless there's a huge convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, parking is free at least for now.

 

SLS, Westgate, and LVCC stations are nowhere near any CET properties.