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plan b for anti resort fee folks?

Discussion in 'Las Vegas for the Frugal (not Cheap)' started by LolaDoggie, Feb 23, 2013.

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  1. Tammy58

    Tammy58 Frugal Slot Jockey

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    I don't like it, but it won't really effect me. We have had bottom rooms comped for years at CET but in the last few years have started paying to get better rooms. We have been paying at CET for internet for years also. Makes me want to switch to MGM props just because they are a little nicer.
     
  2. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Simple. Logical. Rational.

    It is like any consumer decision. I assess what I want, figure the cost, compare if necessary. It makes no difference to me if A = D or B + C = D, D is D.
     
  3. Vegascash2

    Vegascash2 Tourist

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    If the Check-in person can waive the resort fees, do you think a $20 bill will help persuade the person to do it ?
     
  4. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    I just wish they would finally be forced to include resort fees in advertised prices. I'm getting a little tired of "As low as $39/night" when it really is $80 after fees and taxes.

    Charge what you need to make a profit, but don't try and tell me it is cheaper than it really is.
     
  5. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    My Plan B is to take my modest amount of Strip play and give it back to MGM. In the meantime, I've already moved two nights at Paris in April to downtown, even though that stay supposedly won't be subject to a resort fee. No reason for me to continue to maintain a modest amount of status with CET anymore.

    Plan C is to wait for CET to file for bankruptcy and be forced to sell some Strip properties. One can only hope that MGM will be similarly forced to dispose of some as well.
     
  6. Dtyst1

    Dtyst1 Low-Roller

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    Exactly! I would rather stay at the $80 room than the $50 +$20 R.F. room. Just be up-front with the total cost. Hiding 25% of the charge behind a fee is underhanded.
     
  7. Boogaloo

    Boogaloo Low-Roller

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    I totally agree with this - since you can't opt out of paying those fees, they should be included in the advertised prices.

    The only effect this will have on me is not recommending CET properties as much, since they don't offer as a good a deal on the strip anymore as they used to (I'm primarily an MLife player, but in the past have recommended PHO for young first timers and Paris for older ones as good values - I'll have to re-evaluate that now that they are more expensive to stay at).
     
  8. keno60

    keno60 VIP Whale

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    Good point! I notice the folks that are being some what to down right critical of posters choice's have a business component to their trips! Which puts them in a different ball game. Most motels, hotels provide with the cost of the room a pool and exercise room and internet in the lobby. I never had problem with the Tropicana fee because they included the sauna, which is a "resort" activity.
     
  9. AndyAkeko

    AndyAkeko Time magazine's 2006 Person of the Year

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    The worst is the Station Casinos. You'll sometimes see rates for $12/nt at Texas Station or Fiesta Rancho, but that doesn't include the $13(!) resort fee. That's more than the price of the room! After taxes, your $12 is actually $28.

    But it works. I'd have never considered staying at Texas Station if they listed it as $25 when I could find Four Queens or the D for $29. At $12, I at least took a look at the property.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2013
  10. SandsFan

    SandsFan VIP Whale

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    Hard to believe


    an extra $18 a night!


    · BALLY'S: $15. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · CAESARS PALACE: $25. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. This includes the NOBU Hotel as well. Best amenity: Internet.

    · FLAMINGO: $18. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · HARRAH'S: $18. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · PARIS LAS VEGAS: $20. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · Planet Hollywood: $20. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · THE QUAD: $10. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.

    · RIO LAS VEGAS: $18. Includes: Internet for one device, fitness center access for two people per day and all local calls. Best amenity: Internet.
     
    The 3 P Trip (Paris and Palms)
  11. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    Not when you pay for it yourself, it doesn't. Sorry I wasn't clear when I said my trips to Vegas these days are business related. I take vacation from my own job to go work trade shows in Vegas for my husband's company. Small manufacturing company.

    Vegas hotels - even with resort fees - are cheaper than the places we stay in Orlando, New Orleans, Atlanta, or Anaheim - other places the trade show is held. So I'm still picking a hotel based on the bottom line - the total price. And just because I said "business" doesn't mean that I'm backed by a nameless huge corporation and have a huge expense account, because that's not at all the case.

    I try not to make assumptions about the needs, priorities & choices of others. We all have different needs. What I love about Vegas is that it's so possible to have ALL our needs met:peace:
     
  12. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

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    Well I spent 7 and it was additional (just shy of) $200.

    It was cool since I hadn't been to Vegas in a minute.

    Won't happen again unless there's a decent deal that affects overall price.
    -----

    Anyways, I'm going the timeshare route. It will cost me next to nothing for a week to stay on the strip.
     
  13. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

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    Ahaaa but other places charge for parking.
     
  14. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    My plan B is:

    -remember that everything is relative, we pay more than double for hotel rooms when we go on car trips (and get less for that money)

    -split the week between the strip and downtown, either 3 and 4 or 5 and 2, still favouring the strip, although I do see a day when the split favours downtown, and eventually we're downtowners who visit the strip

    -examine the total cost of the stay;
    -what do we get for the resort fee? how much of those things would we use? how much are they a la carte?
    -are there good food/booze options (coupons or specials) on site and/or within walking distance?
    -are there deals to be had? coupon codes? specials? packages?
    -how much would we use transportation and how much does will that cost? we always end up using more transport than we thought we would and that's only going to go up the older we get
    -are we willing to pay $X to stay at Y hotel?

    My last trip was Sept 2012. I picked Bally's on this criteria;
    1st-location-easy access to food/booze specials and coupons
    2nd-no Linq construction
    3rd-quiet pool
    4th-fairly easy to get to and from the room
    5th-price

    We ended up using alternative transportation more than we figured. The Deuce bus didn't work out for us because the stops are in weird spots if you want to casino hop. It didn't really reduce our walking. The rental car was great, but, no good for casino hopping with booze. If we know we're going to use cabs more next time, and we want to reduce our walking further. That starts to open up hotels that weren't on my radar this past trip. I'm talking Casino Royale, Ellis Island, Circus Circus, Riviera, Stratosphere , Clarion, the Quad. No shame in my game.

    Does that mean I'm partially avoiding it, partially sucking it up?
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2013
  15. eksantirik

    eksantirik High-Roller

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    With increasing use of smart phones, wifi service does not have much value anymore. I can use my iphone for tethering and done! Connects to the internet in two seconds. So, resort fees have zero value for me and should be the case for millions of other iphone, galaxy etc. users.

    In my case, no, I will not stay off strip or in downtown. I just don't like it. My one and only off strip stay was at Rio and that was all right, but still, strip is what makes the Vegas experience. And this is after six Vegas trips. I kinda feel a depressive vibe off strip and in downtown.

    I've been hearing about TI and V/P waiving the fees if you don't want to pay. In this case, I might be interested in these three hotels. I stayed at TI before, nice hotel but dead casino, but I don't necessarily play where I stay anyways. And I haven't stayed at V/P yet, so it'd be nice to give them a try, especially Venetian.

    The rational thing to do is to always look at the total cost (including resort fees) and then decide, but human beings are not always rational (read Dan Ariely's book Predictably Irrational). Hence, in order to respond to a sneaky, sly, unethical business tactic; I intend to not stay at hotels that charge a resort fee. May the honesty win!
     
  16. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Except for the many visitors from outside the US who would have to pay roaming charges up the wazoo or buy a special sim card and plan for their trip, and the multitude of Americans who no doubt have a cap on their mobile data usage.

    In fact, for some of us, we actually want the wifi FOR THE PHONE.

    I'm not saying a resort fee that just provides internet and fitness room is a good deal. But wifi is not irrelevant.
     
  17. KBT2012

    KBT2012 High-Roller

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    No. The $20 "trick" is a joke, you can usually get what you want by simply asking and not using a $20 at all. I've done this MANY times in places that have been posted on the internet as "$20 trick works here". I've never slipped a $20 and it has been rare that I haven't gotten some kind of upgrade at check in - I am not a High Roller by any stretch.
     
  18. bswim

    bswim High-Roller

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    what to do about resort fees? Well before you could not stay at those places, now that nearly every place has them it's time to "suck it up buttercup" and deal with it.

    As long as they're up front about them it doesn't bother me as much (still shady marketing), just reason to really research places before staying there.
     
  19. jfc242

    jfc242 Tourist

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    Now I will use the fitness center and bring my laptop, that is good for a couple hours if it is what I feel like doing. I guess will not be gambling during that time, so who is gonna make out?
     
  20. lucky13

    lucky13 Low-Roller

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    resort fees blow...
    what if you went to grocery store and when you checked out there was a fee for using the shopping cart ?
    same principle ...bullshit ...free money for the business...should be illegal
    some people here are ok with fees , some are not ...
    i am going to be in las vegas 4 nights this month , why would i just piss away an extra 80-100 dollars for resort fees ?
    i will not , i am staying at a hotel with no fee .yet
    that 100 i save will feed me for the time i am in las vegas
     
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