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Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.
Sun archives
- Wynn Resorts tacks on mandatory $20 resort fee (6-11-2010)
- Resort fees catch guests by surprise (5-8-2010)
- Report: Las Vegas hotel rooms are nation’s most affordable (3-10-2010)
- Harrah’s uses resort fees to take swing at competitors (1-5-2010)
Resorts nationwide have jumped on the resort fee bandwagon as a relatively painless way to boost revenue in the name of convenience. In fact, Harrah’s Entertainment — which has denounced the mandatory charges — estimates Las Vegas visitors spent more than $12 million in June alone for bundled amenities such as local calls and gym access.
The company capitalized on its “no resort fee” policy last month by launching a Facebook page that invites consumers to “join the fight against Las Vegas resort fees” and a hotel booking website for the company’s Las Vegas properties called vegasnoresortfees.com, which the company hopes will pop up when consumers surf the Net for hotels that don’t charge the fees.
“I don’t think people will get used to paying these fees,” said Michael Weaver, Harrah’s vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas region. Just as consumers will choose airlines that don’t charge baggage fees, Weaver said some hotel customers are avoiding hotels that charge resort fees.
Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott agrees, saying travelers upset that fees aren’t adequately disclosed are boycotting hotels that charge them. “People are outraged,” said Elliott, who runs the Travel Troubleshooter blog. They have every right to be, he said, as such fees should be included in the advertised room rate rather than tacked on to the final bill “so that you believe their rooms are cheaper than they actually are. Quite simply, it’s lying.” Hotels with resort fees argue that bundled fees are cheaper and more convenient for customers than charging them piecemeal for the same amenities.
At least 10,000 people have signed up through the Harrah’s “no resort fee” Facebook page and booking engine for a chance to win $21,900 — the equivalent of a $20 resort fee each day for three years.
Hotels don’t charge the fee to provide extra value to consumers because the services they bundle aren’t things most visitors use, Weaver said. Instead, the fees allow hotels to advertise lower room rates and are anathema to a company that generates most of its profit from repeat customers.
“We follow what our competitors are doing ... and we have witnessed some unpleasant conversations in (their) lobbies,” he said.
Harrah’s may be on the side of the consumer when it comes to resort fees, yet the company charges a $10 fee for reserving a Las Vegas hotel room by phone, Elliott said. Harrah’s says the fees help pay for customer service staff and are disclosed, giving customers the option of booking online and avoiding the charge.
•••
Buying a Las Vegas souvenir at the airport used to involve a pair of fuzzy dice, shot glass, casino T-shirt or simple variation thereof.
These days, one of the more popular, yet curious places for last-minute gifts at McCarran’s C gates is the Hard Rock's Rehab-branded kiosk, which sells merchandise bearing the logo of the resort’s racy, long-running pool party.
The kiosk, the latest expansion of the Rehab brand beyond the Rehab-focused reality show on truTV, sells clothing basics along with curios like a $285 dive watch, of which 200 have sold so far this year.
It’s a temporary, though calculated experiment for the Hard Rock, which counts Rehab as one of the its best-selling brands.
The party and reality show have generated national publicity for the property and for Las Vegas. With the spread of Rehab-style pool parties across Las Vegas, the town has become associated with an over-the-top poolside lifestyle involving waxed hardbodies, dance music and copious amounts of booze.
For people who witness the party live or simply watch it from their living room couches, Rehab souvenirs represent a piece of this fantasy world, said Krista Tye, Hard Rock senior executive director of retail operations. Some are thankful for the opportunity to buy last-minute gifts, she added.
“They’re buying a little piece of Vegas so they can go home and tell their Vegas stories.”
The cabana-shaped kiosk, which opened July 7 and closes Oct. 15 to coincide with pool season, is a tame version of the real thing, with thumping house music and scenes from the Rehab reality show playing on flat-screen TVs.
Airport officials welcomed the store despite the raucous antics of its scantily clad customers, Tye said.
All kiosk employees completed the airport’s screening and extensive background check process. Airport officials also reviewed the television clips for inappropriate content.
Jiggling cleavage and bikini-covered bottoms, the epitome of the moneymaking miracle known as the Las Vegas pool scene, were deemed entirely appropriate.
Good the more we get it out there, maybe the powers that be will see how wrong these fees are. Let them know every time you book and check in.
It's not so much the fee as it is the fact that more than 60% of the visitor will pay it either way and not care. If there was so much of an uproar you would be hearing and reading more about it from across the land. Some Atlantic City casinos began this program about a year ago and nobody seems to notice it one way or the other.
Being in the facilities industry I know for instance that internet connection once the building was wired and service is connected is virtually pure profit for the property. The swimming pools are the real cash cow considering most of the bars located within these areas are priced way different than other parts of the property. If little Johnny wants a soda or mom wants that exotic drink or dad wants to slam some brews they will pull out the cash not caring what is charged. Then you have the 21 to 35 year olds who only want to party and will drop the cash to continue the party at any cost.
Our last trip to AC was a big disappointment not because of the gambling but because we were nickle and dimed to death everywhere we went. This is why we hesitate greatly on returning to Vegas in the near future.
p
I remember the beginning days of this discussion. Some readers were constantly picking on me because of my very clear oppinion in this matter.
And I can only repeat myself:
Resorts that charge these hidden extras are only trying to maximize their profits by semi-hiddenly adding charges for stuff the hotel guest not necessarily wants or needs. Las Vegas without at swimming pool within the hotel is not really Vegas (some hotels excluded due to their market strategy). People come to Vegas for gambling, food, shows and of course also for the sun. Nobody can play 10 hours nonstop, eat, sleep, and do th same thing again tomorrow. Well, maybe one could, but that's not entertaining for many.
Quite a few years ago, it all started by charging "energy surcharge". Then the guest was charged 1 dollar per night for "unlimited free local phone calls" Who t.f. needs that? But most people probably thought...."well, it's just a buck, I am not going to make a big thing out of it, I am here to have fun, so I will not argue with this hotel manager about this extra dollar." And years went on. The hotels got greedier and tried to include more and more stuff the guests DON'T WANT.
The strategy today is clear: By falsely advertising low room rates that later will be super-charged with additional fees and taxes, the guests are definetely being misled. If a hotel like any of the Station Casinos advertises rooms for 49.95 plus tax, per night, or whatever, and now there is this resort fee and tax upon the resort amenity fee, and now the total comes close to 80 dollars, even an idiot will probably wonder what's going on there?
The battle seems to have gone in round two: Hotel corporations are now trying to win market shares by attracting guests to their resorts, "BECAUSE THEY DON'T CHARGE RESORT FEES". This is a good first step into the right direction again. A better step would be for the casinos that are today charging resort fees, asking the guest whether he wants it or not. And by that I mean that they could offer interesting hotel packages that include stuff like buffets, in-room internet, and perhaps the daily newspaper. All optionally, for a good price. I am sure this would also flush some money into the casinos cash register.
From Switzerland
Old vegas was soooo much better!
Yes it was and if you go back as far as 1988 the casinos fell over backwards to please even the cheapest of guests knowing they would return the favor by telling others of their experience. My niece and her family went to Vegas for 6 days just 2 weeks ago and yes they had fun but when asked overall how was the trip they basically said the food, drinks, transportation and other things they were dependent upon was way more than they expected. They didn't mention any resort fees but I can bet they paid it without noticing.
I can remember when people would travel to Vegas and would come home saying how wonderful their trip was, you hardly hear anything like this anymore. Have the travelers expectations risen to another level or has the travel industry ruined a good thing, my bet is on the latter.
p
I, too, noticed the $1 fee at casinos but figured it's the cost of doing business. Now I stay at "the best kept secret on the Strip" because they know how to treat the customers + there are no extra fees.
USHOWME, share this secret with others....:)
Gouging customers with "hidden fees" is bad business. I don't CARE if "everyone else is doing it"...The Customer is NOT STUPID. They dislike being MISLED.
Hey, charge em' an honest price for what you offer and be done with it.
Loading up room rates with "hidden fees" is a shameful, dishonest practice, and a surefire way to LOSE CUSTOMERS.
Las Vegas Hotel Operators have adopted the State Motto:
"REALLY! I CANNOT SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES!"
Harrah's has the correct approach to resort fees.
They have taken the position that hidden fees create more customer dissatisfaction than the fees are worth.
I believe that Wynn's new resort fee will shortly be on their customer's final bills. The Las Vegas Sun should post a reporter at Wynn's front desk to get a sample of how guests checking out react to the resort fee as they are leaving the hotel. Steve Wynn himself should set up a little kiosk in his hotel lobby so his customers can tell him face to face how much they love his resort fee.
What about TIGHT VP , slots, and 6-5 on BJ? The industry is just screwing themselves with the pettiness. It's enough u get that at the airlines and work. Also the ripoff for drinks. Hello .Isn't 300% profit on drinks enough?
I think that they should require that the front desk clerk kick the customers in the groin in conjunction with handing them the room key. Wall Street running LV casinos is far worse than the mob running LV. At least the mob knew what they were doing operationally. Thank God Harry Reid got City Center financed, even though my and thousands of others homes have been foreclosed on. Thanks Harry, you bum.
Pele your life is all doom and gloom. You rants show nothing but your ignorance.
in 1988 vegas was a still a small town by todays standards, 16m visitors, 58,000 rooms, total gaming revenue in clark county some $2.5b a year (that figure jumped to $11b in 2007), in the meantime many in vegas got lazy and greedy
on topic, two thumps up to harrahs on this, atm they are offering the best value for money on the strip regarding places to stay, i got rooms in the flamingo for my friends a few months ago for $40 a night with no resort fees, i call that good value
Yes the good ole days of Vegas my first trip to Vegas was in 1991 stayed at the Barbary coast $40.00 a nite even on weekends if you booked the whole week I went there with $1,200.00 dollars played blackjack the real blackjack for hours on $100.00 dollars would get comped a pack of smokes free drinks had one of those $1.99 breakfast at the Rio with ham steak or NY strip and eggs and the shows were like $40.00 each yeah those have went to the way side I expected things to go up with inflation but please this is border line robbery.
This is how I reflect on Vegas me the tourist that remembers can also remember the bad along with it now a days I hear things like $32.00 buffets, being long hauled by taxis, resort fees, baggage fees, its like there is a contest to come up with the most creative fee to get the tourist,
Instead of flying in now to spend our money we drive two days and see the sights on the way and guess what we spend our money getting there and we retain money to come back on not bad thinking for a tourist huh, So I in affect I reduced your take of me by 50% or more and if I pay the resort fee I will get my moneys worth on those even if it means less time at the tables, slots etc. etc. etc.
Higher quanity = lower quality. You have to think that the market will auto-correct eventually and that means fewer resorts and rooms; quality will then improve. In the meantime everyone is doing what they can to hold on until we find out which resorts will go under permanently.
No HET resort fees? Big deal. They don't put on one single casino game worth playing and they treat tourists like chumps with the proliferation of 6:5 blackjack (even in shoes). I'd rather crawl through a sewer than give any Harrah's outfit one single solitary dime.
I'd much rather pay an honestly advertised $100 a night than an advertised $80 a night plus a hidden $20 per night resort free. It's about honesty. The resort fees are a scam and any hotel that advertises a room price without plainly noting the fee is committing false advertising.
And as you all groan about these fees I can tell you that the majority of the hotels on the strip were 100% this past weekend and even on Tuesday many were sold out.
It will be interesting with regards to Harrah's. They've committed to it and will NEVER be able to go the other way now. Not even for a $5 resort fee. Do the math and calculate the number of room nights and they're losing out on millions and millions of dollars. It will be interesting to watch what happens. Personally, I despise the resort fee and think it is a rip off but they're getting away with it.
I just booked my next trip to Vegas and we choose a hotel from Harrah's because of the no resort fee policy.
Define Resort please
Most total rewards members with a brain stay at Harrahs for free without playing their 6/5 blackjack, and I can't remember ever paying for a drink in a Vegas casino even though I'm not a major gambler. Don't under estimate the damaging effects of resort fees, there is a high percentage of your visitors that will not pay them even if their room is comp'd. Yes, many of Harrah's Vegas casinos are not being physically maintained appropriately but as long as the rooms are clean and a bargain (free in my case) people will stay there over the resort fee places.
Harrah's would make even more money if they could stop their CEO from eating at their buffets! lol
Kinda like the Mirage charging $189.00 PLUS $15.50 RESORT FEE PLUS the TAX.... all for a MONDAY night! No wonder they cry that 'business is down'.... that's over $200 a night - for ONE night - and not even a week-end! NO WAY! I booked at the Orleans - 2 nights for less than 70.00 tax and 5.00 resort fee included. So while the Orleans is also charging a 'resort fee' it's a whole lot more reasonable. When I asked the Mirage what the 'resort fee' covered they said things like 'coffee makers'....and I said 'Oh, they put coffee makers in rooms now?' ya, right - since when....
Ah, yes, the "good ol'" days. I remember as recently as the 90's when we thought that $65 dollars was a high price for Sigfreid and Roy tickets, people thought we had flipped when we paid $85 for the "O" show at the Bellagio and the MGM buffet was $14.95, we thought that they must be out of their tree over there to charge that much for a buffet. Keep nickel and diming people (the hotel "suits" better get this message) and people will just start going to the indian casinos and riverboats.
slots of fun, mcdonalds, frys supermarket, comped room downtown, all you need for a wonderful three days in vegas.
And another thing, how is it that you can get free wifi at a Motel 6 and they won't give it to you in these Vegas hotels?? When I was at Harrah's Flamingo last year (and I will be there again in about 8 days) it was about $21 dollars a day.
mikeyg, it was slots-a-fun :) great place to go. remember that one, too. the free cocktails and fun machines were really fun :) Played poker at circus circus a lot and went for party and drinks to slots-ahhhhhhhhhhh-fun ::D
BD, Actually maybe the ceo's should eat in the buffets, I bet the quality would get better.
We stay at Harrah's properties mainly for the lack of a resort fee. Used to be very loyal to Stations. Not any more, other than to go eat or gamble now and then. We just avoid the 6/5 tables at Harrahs. The IP offers great value in it's hotel room costs. Sure, the TV isn't that big, but who comes to Vegas to watch TV in their room. As long as the room is clean, safe and comfortable, that's all I ask for, The IP delivers, sometimes can get 3 nights for under $100.
Sure they charge for WIFI, but I don't need WIFI, so I really don't care what it costs, although maybe $5 a day, $25/week would be adequate for those who need it.
Resort fees are like the "doc" fees or "aquisition" fees that car dealers charge. It's 100% profit for them and has nothing to do with what you are buying. Just a tacked on profit center.
The city and state has essentially one industry: hospitality. It's not really hospitable to nickle and dime people every chance you get. $4 for a bottle of water in the casino gift shop. $25 for a cocktail by the pool. Shoe-dealt, 8-deck 6/5 BJ with $10 minimums. Tight machines. If you're lucky you'll at least see a cocktail server before you bust out. The buffet is $30. Even a burger at the coffee shop is $10 and they want $0.95 extra for cheese.
And the room that was advertised at $49.99 a night (plus all applicable taxes) comes out to more than $80 a night with the 13 percent room tax and the resort fee.
So basically your big vacation from Palookaville starts with airport security and goes downhill from there. And one you arrive at your destination, the hotel has the audacity to ask you to chip for things you don't plan on using.
I'm having a hard time seeing why things aren't going so well.
I have booked my trip for September and will be staying at The Rio....
Staying at Harrah's for CES and AVN. If you are offered a casino rate, are you required to gamble? Kind of hurting financially this year.
Harrahs is the BEST. I avoid resort fees. Fox News freak Wynn is stealing taxes from Nevada. Resort fess do not get the room tax. Typical extreme right wing wont pay their share.
Harrahs you Rock.
To be honest, as long as a "resort" with rate+fees+pool+big comfortable room is *still* cheaper than a motel... get the point?
As a tourist, for a visit I set a maximum "all-in" price that I am willing to pay, and I don't really care if I stay under it including resort fees or if there are none.
If costs cannot stay under that line, I'm simply not going. End of story.
But I agree on the priciple.
True...you dont get charged a "resort fee" at Harrahs properties but....you dont get much from them either. Old dusty ramshackle rooms and dirty casinos. Disgruntled employees that really show that to guests. Here is a tip: dont go in the pools at Harrahs and bring your bed-bug spray! But remember....you saved on "resort-fees"!
The US flag -
49 bright stars and one BLACK HOLE.
I am a local, I recently wanted to stay at Planet Hollywood because I was seeing a concert there. Harrah's owner casino, no resort fees... would have been great except the room rate for a "deluxe" room was more expensive then multiple other casino SUITES, even when you include the resort fee.
Harrah's wants us to compare them (apples) to other casinos (oranges) based only on the resort fees when there are a lot of other factors that come into play.
I like my services bundled, and the cost kept under the radar until I check out.
Mr. Rusty is right this town was built on HOSPITALITY. I have lived her since 1957 and since the bean counting Corporations took over hospitality has "left the building". Then you have a x-cokehead A#*hole like Steve Wynn, a tip stealing power mad jerk who is trying to wring every dime out of his customers. I would not spend a dime at one of his resorts. BOYCOTT Wynn!
@allaroundtown - Your post sounds as if you think people shouldn't expect a clean, bed-bug free room unless they're willing to pay a 'resort fee'. Shouldn't just paying the price of a room get you a clean one? Why should someone be expected to pay extra in the form of a resort fee just to get a cleanroom?
People arent stupid. For the total cost of airfare and hotels in LV now, people could go to an island.. or Europe and not have to hang out with rejects from the cast of Jersey Shore this Labor Day weekend.
azsk8fan: if you couldnt understand that you are wasting my time. People do expect a clean bug-free room but goin cheap....well...check under the covers first. You need to get out more often.
As a frequent out-of-state visitor to Las Vegas I will say that I'm glad Harrah's has ditched the resort fees. I will also mention that I have never, not once, had any trouble finding a "real" blackjack game at Harrah's in Las Vegas. Sure, there are the 6/5 BJ tables up front, but there are plenty of "real" BJ games near the craps tables.
I've seen $5 minimum "real" BJ plenty of nights there, and I was just there two weeks ago. They even allow surrender for chrissakes. Why do some people insist Harrah's has gone totally 6/5. This is simply not true.
If they do away with the 3/2 BJ altogether then I too will join you in your rants against Harrah's, but for now I'm happy with them, and actually love the way most of their casino is laid out.
Great craps pit, and I've never seen a cranky craps crew there. They have always been very nice as far as I'm concerned. Some of the card dealers need to learn to speak English, but aside from that (which is a biggie really) they were nice too. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I've seen more cheerful people at Harrah's than at many other casinos in Vegas. I've also seen some of the people they are forced to put up with. I wouldn't last long as a dealer. Just my thoughts...as a tourist to your fine city.
I as a European am acutally on very nice trip through the western US, spent some days in San Francisco, Yosemite, Pismo Beach, Grand Canyon, and then: Las Vegas. Arriving at the Venetion I presented my prepaid voucher stating "all taxes and fees included" at the receiption. The clerk then - as usual - tried to sell me an upgrade (for an additional 40% of my room rate) which I denied, then he stated there is an additional resort fee of 20$ plus tax to be paid per night (15% of my room rate). When I refused to accept that, hes answer was, that then I could not check in. Already quite angry I angreed, and requested him to refund my prepayment and I would look for another place to spend the days in Vegas. He refused any refund and mentioned, that, if I do not accept the resort fee, my hole prepaiment would be lost.
In my home country coercion is a criminal offence. Not sure about the US. But my impression now of the Venetion in Las Vegas is, and will remain, that I have been ripped off, by a bunch of criminals. I can t understand that the country which had a reputation of the highest service levels and customer orientation can legalize such fees which are nothing else than a fraud.