Las Vegas resort fees: How a $25 room becomes a $65 room

Dawn Gilbertson | The Republic | azcentral.com

Planning a Las Vegas vacation? Better boost your hotel budget.

Resort fees, those mandatory nightly charges for Internet service, fitness center use and other "perks'' that hotels insist guests want in one bundle, are increasing on and off the Las Vegas Strip.

Visitors will pay as much as $45 a night plus tax on top of the room rate. You won't find a resort fee below $32 a night on the Strip. And you could pay up to $30 per night at Fremont Street hotels downtown.

At most hotels, that is in addition to parking fees, which are also on the rise.

More: MGM Resorts in Las Vegas raise parking fees again

These Las Vegas hotels have raised resort fees

MGM Resorts, which operates 13 Las Vegas casino hotels including New York-New York, Mirage and Bellagio, raised fees at all but its three priciest resorts in March. So did the all-suite Venetian and Palazzo resorts, which have the city's highest resort fee at $45 plus tax.

That was on the heels of an across-the-board increase in February at Caesars Entertainment hotels including Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood and Harrah's Las Vegas.

Caesars now charges $30-$39 a night and MGM charges $32-$39. Together their hotels dominate the Strip.

The CEO of MGM was practically gleeful about Caesars' fee increase, telling Wall Street analysts it was great because Caesars initially shunned the fees, which MGM has been charging since 2010. Caesars aggressively touted its no-fee policy, plastering ads on the sides of some of its hotels, until it added fees of $10-$25 a night in 2013.

"Welcome to the party,'' MGM CEO Jim Murren said of the Caesars increase.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, one of the most chic resorts on the Strip with balcony rooms overlooking the Bellagio fountains, has announced it will boost its resort fee to $39 from $35 in January 2019.

In downtown Las Vegas, home to the popular Fremont Street attractions, the Golden Gate Hotel and The D Las Vegas just raised their resort fees to $25 from $20.

More: Las Vegas resort fees: What Fremont and downtown hotels charge

How a $25 room becomes a $65 room

Fees have risen so much in Las Vegas, with no commensurate addition of amenities, that the resort fee can be higher than the room rate in the cheapest hotels.

Circus Circus, the giant pink hotel with the indoor theme park on the north end of the Strip, recently offered midweek rates starting at $25 a night.

The bill at checkout, though, was $65, more than 2½ times higher. Blame the nightly resort fee, which comes to $36.28 with tax.

On the other end of the Strip, Luxor's $35 room rate came with a matching $35 resort fee.

Many travelers are taken aback.

@bookingcom hi I booked a hotel at Las Vegas called Circus Circus. And I just noticed a resort fee per night, but this costs more then the hotel itself? Is this true? pic.twitter.com/wVsxACcFek — Daniel Rodger (@DanielRodger) February 19, 2018

Just checked how much a Caesars Palace hotel room would cost. Advertised as $103.55 for a Wednesday. But add a $39 per night resort fee, $19.07 in taxes and total is $161.62. Self parking is another $12 for 24 hours. Total: $173.62. https://t.co/4TIvvBBWf9 — Michelle Rindels (@MichelleRindels) February 5, 2018

Circus circus Las Vegas, booking for tonight$18 room, $36 resort fee... This is ridiculous!!! @SenWarren we should do something about these anti-consumer lies. @VitalVegas @killresortfees pic.twitter.com/Q2VzmlP6Ew — TK STYLE (@TK1STYLE) March 6, 2018

What is a resort fee?

Hotel executives in vacation destinations including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Florida and Hawaii justify the addition of resort fees as the packaging of services that previously carried extra charges.

Cosmopolitan's pitch: "We have bundled everyday essentials into one nightly charge." Aria Las Vegas says the resort fee "includes amenities that are sure to enhance your experience.''

That might be true for Internet service and fitness-center access, but some hotels lump basic amenities such as the pool into their resort fee, and tout services most travelers no longer need, such as local calls and faxes.

Las Vegas, a 24-hour drinking and gambling playground, creates its own set of resort-fee questions, including: Who uses any of the items covered by the fee?

Driving? Don't forget about parking fees

As recently as two years ago, parking was free at Las Vegas hotels. The only cost, if you opted for valet over self-parking in the garage, was a tip. That changed in 2016 when MGM Resorts announced it would start charging for parking.

The parking fees went into effect in June 2016 and were quickly matched by other chains. Caesars and Wynn hotels added them later that year.

And like resort fees, the parking charges have steadily increased. MGM raised its parking fees earlier this year and Caesars soon followed.

Venetian and Palazzo have the highest resort fees on the Strip but don't charge extra for parking.

Las Vegas hotel resort fees

Here are the nightly resort fees charged by Las Vegas hotels plus what is covered. When calculating your room rate, don't forget taxes on the resort fee, which can easily add another $5 a night. The chart-topping $45 resort fees at Palazzo and Venetian come to $51.02 with tax.

Aria: $39. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; fitness center; digital magazines; notary service.

Bally's Las Vegas: $35. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Bellagio: $39. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Caesars Palace: $39. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Casino Royale: $0. Internet and parking are free.

Circus Circus: $32. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; fitness center. (Self-parking is free but not listed among the resort fee amenities.)

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas: $35 (rising to $39 on Jan. 1, 2019). Internet; local, domestic long-distance and toll-free calls; fitness center; tennis court.

The Cromwell: $37. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Delano Las Vegas: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; cardio room.

Encore: $39. Internet; fitness center; local and domestic long-distance calls; digital daily newspapers and magazines; priority access to Wynn and Encore nightclubs with ticket purchase at hotel.

Excalibur: $35. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; fitness center.

Flamingo Las Vegas: $35. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Four Seasons Las Vegas: $39. Internet; use of Mandalay Bay pool; in-room coffee and tea.

Hard Rock Hotel: $33. Internet; fitness room; shuttle to Fashion Show Mall; local and toll-free calls; notary; boarding-pass printing.

Harrah's Las Vegas: $35. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Hooters Casino Hotel: $29. Internet; parking; pool access; two bottles of water per day; fitness center; boarding-pass printing.

The Linq: $35. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Luxor: $35. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center for guests 18 and older.

Mandalay Bay: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Mandarin Oriental: $39. Internet; fitness center; shoe-shine service; boarding-pass printing; tea and coffee.

MGM Grand: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Mirage: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Monte Carlo (soon to be renamed Park MGM): $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

New York-New York: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Nobu Hotel: $39. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Paris Las Vegas: $37. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Palazzo: $45. Internet; fitness center at Canyon Ranch spa; boarding-pass printing; local and toll-free calls; digital newspapers and magazines. (Parking is free but not listed among the resort fee amenities.)

Palms Las Vegas: $32. Internet; fitness center; newspaper; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; copies and faxes.

Planet Hollywood: $37. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino: $30. Internet; fitness center; local calls.

The Signature at MGM Grand: $37. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

SLS Las Vegas: $32. Internet; pool and fitness center; concierge services; valet and self-parking; local and toll-free calls.

Stratosphere: $33. Fitness center; pool; $10 admission to the Observation Tower (usually $20); discounted daily ride pass; SkyJump discount; 50% off L.A. Comedy Club and 25% off Michael Jackson Tribute concert. (Basic Internet is free but not listed among the resort fee amenities.)

Treasure Island: $37. Internet; fitness center; two-for-one cocktail pricing; newspaper; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; copies and faxes; $25 credit toward future stay.



Tropicana: $35. Internet; fitness center; two bottles of water per stay; happy-hour drink specials; two-for-one tickets to Laugh Factory (Sunday-Thursday); discounted show tickets; valet and self-parking; pools; boarding-pass printing.

Trump Tower: $35. Internet; valet parking; shuttle to Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas; in-room coffee and bottled water; digital newspapers and magazines; shoe-shine service; boarding-pass printing; faxes; local, toll-free and domestic long-distance calls.

Vdara: $39. Internet; local and toll-free calls; boarding-pass printing; notary; fitness center.

Venetian: $45. Internet; fitness center at Canyon Ranch spa; boarding-pass printing; local and toll-free calls; digital newspapers and magazines. (Parking is free but not listed among the resort fee amenities.)

Westgate Las Vegas: $34. Internet; local calls; fitness center; in-room safe.

Westin Las Vegas: $32. Internet; spa and fitness center; valet parking; pool; whiskey tasting for two; a dessert; notary; bottled water.

Wynn Las Vegas: $39. Internet; fitness center; local and domestic long-distance calls; digital newspapers and magazines; priority access to Wynn and Encore nightclubs with ticket purchase at hotel.