Hotel room rates in Las Vegas continue to rise in 2017. Not only did the average daily hotel room rate set a record high in January but the two largest hotel operators on the Vegas Strip increased their resort fees…again.
Resort Fee Refresher
If you don’t know by now, resort fees are added on top of your nightly hotel room fee. The resort fee covers such item charges as wifi, local calls, gym access and more. The advertised rate of a hotel room is just the beginning of your hotel room price. The resort fee is added to the base Las Vegas hotel room fee which is all taxed for your final bill each night.
When researching prices you can use this model to compare actual prices:
Total Room = Base Room Fee + Resort Fee + Tax
Note that some hotels also have a parking fee each day. Implementation of parking fees beyond MGM Resorts International is still pending.
MGM Resorts International Resort Fee Increase
MGM Resorts International recently increased resort fees between $1 and $5 depending on the hotel you stay. The new resort fees are as follows:
- Aria, Bellagio, Vdara: $39
- Delano, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Mirage, New York-New York, Signature at MGM Grand: $35
- Luxor, Excalibur: $30
- Circus Circus: $27
The resort fee at Monte Carlo will remain at $30. This is presumably because the hotel and casino will be under construction all year to make way for Park MGM to be unveiled in 2018. It’s safe to assume that the resort fee will increase after the hotel room renovations are complete.
Caesars Entertainment Resort Fee Increase
Caesars Entertainment increased their resort fees by $1 and $3 depending on the hotel you stay. The new resort fees are as follows:
- Caesars Palace, The Cromwell, Nobu, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood – $35
- Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s, The Linq, Rio – $30
Record High Room Rates In January
The average daily room rate in Las Vegas for January was $150.21. This is the highest average daily room rate for any month in Las Vegas. The room rate was an increase of 3.7% over January 2016.
January hotel room rates in Las Vegas are often high due to conferences and new year visitors. More than 175,000 people attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. That was just shy of the 177,393 who attended in 2016. New Year’s Eve added to the high room rates with an added high room rate day thanks to a three day weekend.
Visitation to Las Vegas continues to rise and so does demand for hotel rooms. The greater the demand for rooms the higher prices will get. These higher room fees in Las Vegas could continue to rise as more people visit. However, hotel room prices in Las Vegas are still a relative bargain compared to the rest of the world.
A report from e-forcasting.com and trivago shows that the average daily room rate during January in the top 25 cities in the United States was $171.96. That average daily room rate is forcast to be $182.02 in February.
Resort Fees Usher In New Use For $20 Trick
The $20 Trick has been successfully used for great hotel room upgrades for years. The type of “upgrades” available may be changing. You may have noticed that comments from the past year have started to include some desk agents waiving resort fees.
If you’re staying at Aria, Bellagio, Vdara for a week the $20 trick could save you over $250! If you’re traveling on a budget you might consider swapping the sweet upgrade for a discount on your stay. Waiving resort fees might be easier for desk agents as Las Vegas hotel operators continue to encourage employees to sell upgrades.
