[matzoman]

Checking travel sites online, I have noticed in tiny print that almost all hotels on the strip are charging upwards of 100$ a week upon checkout. Do you think this will steer business away to downtown hotels?
I am thinking of canceling my Vegas vacation with the family and going to the beach instead!

[ScoopLV]

Most people don't read the fine print. They arrive at their resort via taxi, after a long flight (or after a long drive) to learn that they've been sucker-punched with a resort fee. Most will pay the fee rather than go find another resort (tapping frantically on a smartphone, presumably) that DOESN'T charge a fee.

The resorts know this and do it because the search engines don't make a big deal about it. And because people who come to Las Vegas choose resorts almost exclusively by price.

If the travel sites treated resort fees as part of the cost (much like eBay does with shipping costs), then the resorts would end the practice. It's all about coming up #1 on an Orbitz, Hotwire or Priceline search for Las Vegas resorts.


This has been discussed MANY, MANY times before, incidentally.

Don't even bother with a "that's unfair to the tourist" reply. Nobody cares. Our job is to take all of your money. All. Of. It. Resort fees get you into the resort so that we can commence the long, complicated job of Hoovering every last penny out of you.

[matzoman]

^^ Not me. Glad I read the fine print.

[ddrhazy]

Probably better to book with a website that gives you the bill up front and charges you as opposed as going to the hotel and paying there.

[owelles]

Originally Posted by matzoman

Checking travel sites online, I have noticed in tiny print that almost all hotels on the strip are charging upwards of 100$ a week upon checkout. Do you think this will steer business away to downtown hotels?
!

The Plaza already charges one, and the Golden Nugget is considering one. My guess is that nearly all with have one within two years.

By the way, a resort fee is hardly a scam. It has become an accepted business practice, unfair though it is to many guests who don't need Internet access, or a morning newspaper, or gym access.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by owelles

The Plaza already charges one, and the Golden Nugget is considering one. My guess is that nearly all with have one within two years.

By the way, a resort fee is hardly a scam. It has become an accepted business practice, unfair though it is to many guests who don't need Internet access, or a morning newspaper, or gym access.

So then why charge one? Accepted business practice? Who reads the news in paper form or needs a fake bottle of 'spring' water anyway? I call it for what it is, A PRICE GOUGING SCAM!

[braindead0]

I've seen these kind of things show up in the fine print even on the travel sites... just a little blurb about being charged 'resort fee's or the like after your stay.... They kind slide it in there with the fine print that notes you're responsible for phone charges..etc...

Read everything and move on if you don't like the deal. These fees are simply a stupid tax.

[BBMW]

It's essentially a price increase by another name. I price it in when I'm shopping.

Someone (and I have to think someone has) should file a complaint with the FTC that this constitutes false advertising. If they have a mandatory fee, it should show as part of the base price when your looking (especially on the web.)

Edit: The FTC already warned the hotels about this. But apparently, they haven't done anything. This could be a nice class action case for an enterprising lawyer to take to federal court.

[braindead0]

There's a wikipedia entry on this that's interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resort_Fees

[owelles]

Originally Posted by matzoman

So then why charge one?

Because they can. And because if someone really wants to stay at Caesars Palace, or Bellagio, or someplace similar, they'll pay it.

As one of the posters above said, it's in effect a tax. It's not a scam.

By the way, the M Resort is one of those that doesn't charge a resort fee. I haven't stayed there, but I know people who have, and all raved about it.