Get Upgrades And Save Money When Las Vegas Is Quiet

Posted on Categories Hotels

I would visit on the weekend when I first started making trips Las Vegas. It was always crazy busy with a lot going on. I loved the vibe and I loved Las Vegas! After a while, I started visiting during the week. Midweek visits to Las Vegas are always a bit more mellow but still lively.

After about five trips to Las Vegas, I ended up staying at MGM Grand the week before Christmas. That was a strange time to be in Las Vegas. Forget the dance moms and pre-teen cheerleading competition at the hotel. The city of sin almost felt as though it was closed. I would later learn that during this week hotels are below 30% capacity.

The low capacity explains why our hotel rooms were dirt cheap. Hotel rates tend to be lower when there are few visitors and higher when there are more people. Visiting Las Vegas the week before Christmas is now a tradition for many friends. The lower hotel room rates allow visitors to save money or upgrade to a nicer hotel.

The quiet period has changed over the years. The popularity of the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) has grown and that has decreased the window for the December slow period in Las Vegas. Today, you’ll find that hotel rooms in Las Vegas after NFR is complete until Christmas day are typically less expensive than most of the year.

Casino players clubs are looking to lure guests into Las Vegas casinos during this period. You’ll find that offers for complimentary rooms are greater than normal. This is a great time to use the $20 trick for a complimentary upgrade since occupancy at Las Vegas hotels is so low. The idea is simple, the more rooms that are available the easier it should be to find an open room for an upgrade.

The week before Christmas is typically the slowest time of year in Las Vegas. However, it isn’t the only time that Las Vegas is a little slow. There are pockets of less busy times to look out for throughout the year. In general, Las Vegas as a whole will spread out events so there aren’t many back to back super crazy insane weeks or weekends.

You’re going to want to avoid certain days in Las Vegas when looking for the least expensive hotel rooms, upgrades or quiet times. If you’re visiting during the week you’ll want to avoid conferences and conventions if possible. This convention calendar is a good reference for when the weekdays will be busy.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the biggest convention of the year in Las Vegas. The expo takes place January 9-12, 2018. Hotel room rates will be much higher than normal during the expo. All hotels in town will be booked near capacity. There will be some people that arrive in Las Vegas the weekend before or leave after the weekend. Look at the weeks after CES for less expensive hotel room rates.

A conference doesn’t have to fill every hotel room in town to have an effect. Smaller conferences can increase hotel room rates at the host hotel. Take a look at the calendar as a reference on which hotel you might want to avoid. If there’s a conference at Red Rock Casino, the rooms will likely be more expensive than non-conference dates since most people with the conference will stay at the hotel.

Holidays and major events will also cause higher hotel room rates. Super Bowl weekend, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the first weekend of March Madness, and July 4th are just a few busy weekends in Las Vegas. When searching for a hotel, compare prices before and after to see if there’s a deal.

I’ve always been partial to taking a long weekend vacation before a holiday weekend. That maximizes time off since it’s turned into a long weekend, a few days of work, and another long weekend.

These slower periods aren’t just a good way to save money booking hotel rooms in Las Vegas. You’ll have an easier time getting into clubs, finding good show tickets, and might even be able to get into certain restaurants without a reservation. The limited room occupancy is also helpful if you’re looking for a sweet upgrade. The $20 trick seems to work best when there are fewer people staying at the hotel.