MGM Resorts to Increase Resort Fees 3/2/17

Room rates and Resort Fees have been increasing since the recession.
Gambling conditions continue to deteriorate.VP paytables,6/5 BJ,and many others make it tougher to win.
But......
Visitor rates are at an all time high!

Usually the market determines when the prices are too high.
Looks like we have not arrived there yet.

 

Each of my 17 trips has included a stay at a MGM property. Between the lack of offers, shorter pours, higher resort fees, paid parking (I don't rent a car in Vegas but it's more about the principle) - I'm going to pass on all things MGM this trip. No stay, no/minimal play, no eating. I know it doesn't matter with my $3k bankroll but it's the only thing I can do to show my displeasure. So at least for this trip, I'm voting with my feet.

 

Online Travel Agencies like Expedia and Priceline get as much as 25% of the room rate as a commission, and MGM does not pay commissions on the resort fee. So Circus Circus had a sale last week, $18 rooms and a $27 resort fee.

 

That is one gorgeous dog, and the expression is priceless! (Though I am wondering what YOU did to earn that look of disdain...tease him with kibbles?)

On Resort fees, I am just curious to see 2017's number with the addition of paid parking and increased resort fees. Seems Californians especially might be lower in numbers due to both (since many drive), but only time will tell.

 

Being a Canadian, with the exchange these resort fees certainly make me have to choose more frugally on where I stay.

 

$40+ a night for a resort fee is getting ridiculous. Despite room rates in Vegas being cheap compared to other major US cities, this simply has to start cutting into the number of return trips people take to Vegas at some point? If you are not getting s discounted rate and you rent a room at Bellagio and drive from LA to get there, Vegas aint such a cheap holiday anymore.

Having said that, I give up far more money with an automatic 30% haircut on the exchange when I come from Canada and that hasn't slowed me down from coming as much.

 

I just read your quote after I posted and agreed. The financial and psychological barrier of getting less than $70 US for $100 Canadian is when I begin reducing trips even when I get comped rooms and pay no resort/parking fees.

 

Every rant about resort fees has been ranted ten times over. When Sonya suggests that the inflationary rate of her stay in Vegas is starting to make her reconsider her interest in traveling, that tells me we're near a tipping point.

Two things I've thought about, as of late: Not so long ago I wondered when we'd see a resort fee base rate (pre-tax) of $50. I predicted by the end of 2018 or very early in 2019. Of that I have no doubt.

The other: People will continue to fill hotel rooms, parking and resort fees be damned. People will fill them because they're waived, because they don't have to concern themselves with the bill at the end of the weekend or because the company is paying for them to be there. With increasing declarations by people that they're done, or nearly done, with Vegas, particularly on the strip, and the number of locals who don't have any reason to darken the doorstep of strip properties -- now more than ever -- how soon are we going to hear about woeful economic times for the hourly workers who rely upon the tourist for their income? It has been reported that parking fees are cutting traffic at strip casinos, and that has affected dealers, valet personnel and retail revenue. It has the potential to snowball into something not good. Doesn't mean doomsday, but is it possible that we see a vicious circle that has a long-term effect?

Your thoughts.

 

That is what corporate is wondering too and apparently continually testing to try and find the answer.
In there eyes they feel they have a ways to go before it has any affect.

 

Vegas arguably has some of the nicest hotel rooms in the world. Its been said many time when discussing star ratings of hotels, is that a Vegas 5 star? IMO Vegas is the standard when it comes to hotel room star ratings. Ive stayed in 5 star hotels in Europe, they are like excalibur at best (sorry I threw excalibur under the bus, you still hold a special place in my heart). Relatively speaking the rates are no where near the tipping point, so expect to see more increases going forward.

Lastly, the way I feel better about paying resort fees is by purchasing stock in the company hotel I frequent. That way when I see everyone there paying resort fees, as I am, at least I know I will be getting a very very very very very tiny piece of that action. LOL!

 

Thank GOD!

(Yeah.....that was sarcasm)

 

Here's the thing. They will continue to charge as much as YOU are willing to pay. Why wouldn't they.

 

In 3 weeks, I'll be staying in a resort tower king room at Mirage for about $105 a nite for 4 nites. The nite before I fly to Vegas I'll be in a motel for about $150. Vegas is still a major bargain. I don't care what the resort fee is, just what the total cost is.

 

I've got to agree with you here. I *DESPISE* all of the nickel and dime fees that accompany trips to Vegas these days (even Southwest gets you with the early bird stuff...and if you're 6'5 like me, you pay it!). I keep wondering what is going to be the inflection point on this trend...parking fees, insane resort fees, crappy gaming rules, tight ass machines, etc. But that being said, a hotel room in my city (Downtown Pittsburgh) on a random night in the middle of winter will run you at least $150 and not much of a stretch to see that as high as $3-400 if there is an event in town. I attended some World Series games in Cleveland last fall and the room nights were well into the $200's. We're talking Pittsburgh and Cleveland!? So, that being said, Vegas remains a bargain.

 

Lets face it - the only ones who truly recognize these fees to the core are us, the Vegas crazed and maybe those who frequent resorts often. Ever pop onto Tripadvisor to read some reviews? Some 40-50% have complaints about how they didnt know about the fees, they are disputing the fees, the hotel now deserves 1 star because of these fees. etc.

People are blind to this sort of shit and the hotels will successfully steal this money from a large majority of their customer base without the people doing anything outside of some minor complaining that easily goes un-responded to (as is clear by the robot responses you see on review sites from the hotels "customer service team"). But hey why should MGM Grand (and their other entities) worry - its Vegas, they have 5,000 rooms in their hotel alone - most of which get occupied by individuals once every so many years. They will get charged this $35/night extra, maybe complain a little but move on with life. We frequent Vegas visitors are a needle in the haystack of transient/bachelor/bachelorette/21st birthday/super bowl/march madness/Vegas baby/destination wedding etc. travel this city sees.

We are numbers and we better accept it. Unless you are willing to coin in $100K + to get that resort fee waiver with MLife- just factor the ever increasing cost in and if it doesn't work...move to another option in the city or dont Never thought I would consider off strip hotels and even at often ridiculed millennial age of 28, have done and am planning on more and more all downtown, and partial off strip stays to satiate my Vegas craze on the cheap.

 

Lets face it, we were spoiled throughout the decline in our economy with dirt cheap pricing. Now that the prices are higher than dirt cheap, everyone wants to complain. By no means is it ok for these hotels to keep jacking up these resort fees, but in the big scheme of things, aren't we just spoiled. Where in the world (worth going) would you get a 5 star room for $129+resort fee? Impossible, yet that is the low rate at V/P, Bellagio, Wynn, etc. Still a good deal if you ask me!

 

Ok...
1. I get that you charge what the market will bear. I would like to think there's a pt where they will cut off their nose to spite their face
2. LV has more hotel rooms than any city on earth. So I don't think Pittsburgh or similar city is an appropriate comparison.
3. There's not many other cities where you are encouraged nay expected to drop a mortgage payment or 6 in addition to the room rate
4. It's basically a 2 company town. Monopolies are not good for consumers.

 

There's only one way to combat these out of control resort fees, parking fees etc. We somehow have to organize a stay away from Vegas strike. The question is, are we even a big enough crowd to launch such an idea and have any noticeable impact?

As long as people continue to go to Vegas, they will gouge you for whatever they can. Today it's the resort fee and the parking fee. What will they invent tomorrow in the way of further extricating the cash from your wallet? Believe me more is coming. They pay people to sit around in rooms creating these new money making ideas.

And unless people begin to protest and stand up to them, there will be no end to it. Next thing you know, if you want to jump in the pool, there will be a surcharge for that. Don't discount that possibility, believing that would be part of the resort fee. One would think paying a daily $40 resort fee like so many of the current hotels charge, would allow you free parking for that day.

I never once complained about gambling losses. Anyone involved in casino gambling should have enough common sense to know what they're getting into, and their chances of winning.

Many of us once said we would never pay resort fees, I was one of them. And myself included, most of us broke those promises. Now they want to charge you to park. And as for me personally, that's the final straw. I know I don't necessarily speak for everyone. Vegas no longer represents the outstanding vacation value it once did. Now it's easy to accumulate more in daily parking fees and resort fees, than we once paid for the entire room for a day.

As few as 3 yrs ago, I would average about 4 trips to Vegas per yr. And I'm not from a nearby surrounding state, I'm from the Midwest.

Those days are over. I don't even know if I'm going once this yr. Enough is enough. And like the other poster pointed out, the city is a conglomeration of monopolies. And the politicians/legislators of NV are in cahoots with the casino co's, for obvious reasons. They're not about to bite the hand that feeds them. They essentially give them carte blanche to do as they please. And that aspect cannot, nor will not ever change.

 

How many of us are all talk and will still come to vegas despite the increase in fees?

 

Didn't know where you were going with that one, lot's of nervous sheep reading that post.