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Hotel Resort Fees: A Disturbing and Annoying Upward Trend in Las Vegas

January 19, 2010 at 9:02 PM | by juliana | 4 Comments

We were pleased to see that the M Resort has finally done away with the $25 resort fee. However, it's a different story over at MGM Mirage properties which either introduced new fees at properties or bumped them up.

In fact, resort fees are now common on the Strip thanks to MGM's bold move. So much so that Harrahs properties (Caesars Palace, Rio's, Paris) are trying to distinguish themselves from the rest by calling out "No Resort Fees!" under their hotel listings on Expedia.

So we figured it was time to update our resort fee list from last Summer. These resort fees listed are per night and do not include taxes. Yup, that's right. You gotta pay taxes on those fees.

Inherently, resort fees are rip-offs but the Vegas ones seem egregious like charging you for incoming faxes and local phone calls. Hello, when was the last time you needed to receive a fax in your hotel room? Also, you have a cell phone. You're not making local phone calls.

Some fees are tolerable, especially when they include internet and the use of the fitness center which a la carte would cost more than the resort fee. Yet while that's convenient for business travelers, folks coming to party on the weekends are still getting screwed.

Sigh. This is just another reminder that it's the casino's world and we're just living in it. If you're averse to paying resort fees, avoid these hotels below.

Our complete list of hotels with resort fee on The Strip in Las Vegas is after the jump.

(Updated August 2, 2010)

· Circus Circus: $6. Includes: WiFi in guestroom, fitness room passes, two free drinks, two free rides at the Adventuredome, two Midway games, limited local phone calls, and coupons.
· Excalibur: $9.95. Includes: Incoming faxes, Internet in guestroom, Local phone calls, Use of fitness center or health club, Welcome amenities (WTF are these?) and any additional inclusions. (FYI: That's the Excalibur check-out printed above.)
· Hard Rock: $15. Includes: Valet parking and self-parking (gee, thanks), shuttle service to and from the Strip, daily access to the Rock Gym and Fitness Center, local and long distance telephone calls and pool towels (how kind of you.)
· Hooters: $7.50. Includes: Pool and gym access, local and toll free 800 phone calls, in-room safe and two in-room bottles of water. Hooters also charges a $25 per day credit/debit card hold for incidental charges.
· Luxor: $12.95. Includes: Use of fitness center or health club, Internet access, Newspaper, Phone calls and In-room bottled water.
· Mandalay Bay: $15. (Effective May 15, 2010) Includes: In-room wireless internet, cardio center access, daily newspaper, local and 800-number calls, outgoing faxes and boarding pass printing plus a coupon good for two free well drinks per room per stay at select casino bars. (Or we could just drink for free while we gamble.)
· MGM Grand: $10. (Effective July 5, 2010.) Includes: complimentary internet (yay!), a $15 beverage credit (ok!), daily USA Today newspaper, local and toll-free numbered calls and limited business center services such as outgoing faxes, copies, notary, and boarding pass printing.
· Mirage: $15. Includes: Limited faxes, Internet in guestroom, Local phone calls, Use of business center/computer (Gee, thanks), Newspaper, In-room bottled water, Welcome amenities and any additional inclusions.
· Monte Carlo: $ 12.95 (Previously $9.50.) Includes: In-room internet, Incoming/outgoing faxes, Local phone calls, Use of fitness center or health club, Newspaper, In-room bottled water and any additional inclusions (is this really just an excuse to charge for being close to CityCenter?)
· New York, New York: $12.95. Includes: In-room internet, Limited faxes, Local phone calls, Newspaper, Welcome amenities and any additional inclusions.
· The Palms and Palms Place: $1 for a phone fee. Which is funny because no one uses hotel phones anymore.
· Planet Hollywood: NO RESORT FEE as it's now a part of Harrah's. $4.99 . Includes: Local calls, Newspaper, In-room bottled water and any additional inclusions.
· The Sahara: $6. Includes: Use of pool and phone calls.
· Signature at MGM Grand: $20. Includes: Daily newspaper, Two bottles of water in the room daily, Local and toll-free calls, In-suite coffee, Wireless and high-speed wired Internet access, Valet parking and Access to fitness center.
· Stratosphere: $11.99. Includes: 2 for 1 "American Superstars" and "Bite show tickets, admission to the tower during regular operating hours, shuttle service to the Strip and "more."
· THEhotel at Mandalay Bay: $15. Includes: In-room internet access, access to Cardio Center, coupon for 2 well drinks (per room, per stay) at select casino bars, unlimited local and toll free calls, daily newspaper, boarding pass printing and outgoing faxes.
· Treasure Island: $20. Includes: in-room internet access, local and toll free phone calls, daily newspaper at Guest Services, access to fitness center, weekday admission to Christian Audiger nightclub, access to VIP viewing area for Sirens of TI show, printed airline boarding passes at Guest Services, copies and faxes (up to 10 pages) and notary services and then a $20 resort credit for future stay.
· Tropicana: $7.99. Includes: Incoming faxes, Local phone calls, Use of fitness center or health club, Valet parking and any Additional inclusions.
· Trump: $15.00. Includes: Incoming faxes, Local phone calls, Newspaper, In-room coffee, In-room bottled water and any additional inclusions.
· Vdara: $15. Includes: In-room internet, local and toll-free calls, newspaper delivery, turndown service, two bottles of water daily and access to the fitness center.
· Venetian and Palazzo: $17 (used to be $15.) Includes: In-room internet access, unlimited local, domestic long distance and 800 calls, fitness center access for two and a daily local newspaper.
· Westin Casuarina: $15. Includes: Daily newspaper, valet/self parking, access to Westin Workout facility, bottled water in guestrooms, incoming faxes, notary public, pool access, local calls and airline boarding pass printing.
· Wynn/Encore: $20. Includes: Access to the fitness center, in-room internet, free local, domestic long distance and toll free calls, and airline boarding pass printing.

Know of any resort fees we may have missed? Add 'em to the list in comments below.

4 Comments

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Return to » Hotel Resort Fees: A Disturbing and Annoying Upward Trend in Las Vegas

  1. theate3541

    VegasChatter Member

    Resort Fees

    Unfortunately, there are a few more Las Vegas hotels that charge these ridiculous resort fees.  Below are some that I could think of/ find some information about.

    1)    Hotel32 @ Monte Carlo, $18 a day, includes: fitness center access, daily newspaper, 2 bottles of Voss water per day, high speed internet access, complimentary copying and faxing, boarding pass printing, and free local and (800) calls.

    2)    Venetian/ Palazzo, $15 a day, includes: local and toll free calls, unlimited in-suite internet access, daily local newspaper and access to Canyon Ranch fitness center.

    3)    Treasure Island, $20 a day, includes: in-room high speed internet access, in-room local and toll free phone calls, daily local newspaper at Guest Services, access to fitness center, admission to Christian Audigier The Nightclub (Thu - Sun excluding special events), access to the VIP viewing area for Sirens of TI show (weather permitting), printed boarding passes at Guest Services, copies and faxes (up to 10 pages) at Guest Services, voucher for $20 off future stay (restrictions apply), and notary services. Resort fee and included amenities are subject to change.

    4)    Hooters, $7.50 a day, includes: couldn't find it on their website.

    5)    Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas, $25 a day, includes: high speed internet access in guest rooms, local and toll-free telephone calls, 24-hour computer access in business center, daily newspaper, access to spa and fitness center.

    6)    Loews Lake Las Vegas, $22 a day, includes: internet in guestroom, local phone calls, use of pool, use of spa tub, fitness center access, newspaper, valet parking, concierge services, self parking, additional incursions.

    7)    Red Rock, $24.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, daily local newspaper, fitness center access, shoe shine service, airport shuttle service, strip shuttle service.

    8)    Green Valley Ranch, $24.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, daily local newspaper, fitness center access, shoe shine service, airport shuttle service.

    9)    Aliante Station, $14.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, fitness center access, local newspaper, golf shop discount of up to 10%, shoe shine service, shuttle to/from Aliante golf course.

    10)    Sunset Station, $14.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, fitness center access, daily local newspaper, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.
    11)    Santa Fe Station, $12.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, fitness center access, daily local newspaper, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.

    12)    Palace Station, $14.95 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, airport and strip shuttle service, fitness center access, daily local newspaper, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.

    13)    Texas Station, $12.99 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, fitness center access, daily local newspaper, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.

    14)    Boulder Station, $12.99 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, fitness center access, local newspaper Monday-Saturday, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.

    15)    Fiesta Henderson and Fiesta Ranchero, $9.99 a day, includes: wired and wireless high Speed in-room internet, unlimited local and 800 calls, unlimited long distance domestic calls, daily local newspaper, gift shop discount, copy and fax services, special daily offers and discounts.

    January 20, 2010 at 3:15 AM
    #Permalink

  1. juliana

    VegasChatter Editor

    Sad about Venetian/Palazzo

    That fee went into effect in October. Stinks!! Thanks for sending the rest in.
    January 20, 2010 at 5:24 PM
    #Permalink

  1. VegasDV

    VegasChatter Member

    Treasure Island Resort Fees Update

    According to the list at the bottom of the hotel room description page on their website, Treasure Island added 2:1 lunch buffet and 2:1 cocktail vouchers to their resort fees.

    Although it's a major turn off, even after adding the $20 per night resort fee to their rates, they were as good or better than other comprable properties on the Strip.  Even so, I would actually be more willing to pay an additional $10 per night and not receive any of the amenities!

    On the other hand, the Harrah's properties are so run down a full of low budget customers, I would rather be "forced" to pay the fees than to stay at some of the non-fee hotels in Vegas.

    Disturbing trend indeed!

    June 3, 2010 at 5:56 PM
    #Permalink

  1. William22

    VegasChatter Member

    Hi,

    Wired and wireless top Speed in-room internet, absolute bounded and 800 calls, circadian bounded newspaper, Cooking School, Importance of Cooking Schools, Cook Magazine exercise center most access, shoe flash service, airport shuttle service, band shuttle service.
    August 16, 2010 at 5:06 AM
    #Permalink

Return to » Hotel Resort Fees: A Disturbing and Annoying Upward Trend in Las Vegas

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