Report: Las Vegas hotel rooms are nation’s most affordable
Staff and courtesy photos
Rooms shown above, from left to right, are from the Golden Nugget, Monte Carlo and Palms.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | 4:30 p.m.
Thanks in part to the recession, Las Vegas has the nation's most popular and affordable hotel rooms, according to a twice-annual survey by the travel reservations Web site Hotels.com.
Rates plummeted significantly from the first half of last year, when Las Vegas was ranked 45th in hotel pricing nationwide.
Las Vegas was the top destination for domestic travelers and the No. 2 destination for international travelers, behind New York, according to the survey, which is based on Hotels.com bookings made in the last half of 2009.
Average daily rates in Las Vegas from July to December fell 18 percent to $79, the company reported. By comparison, rates were $109 per day in the first half of the year.
Las Vegas also was the nation's top U.S. travel destination in the first half of last year.
Other major cities are commanding higher prices than Las Vegas in spite of double-digit declines, the survey said. Average daily rates in Seattle were $129 in 2009, followed by $127 in San Francisco and San Diego and $119 in Los Angeles.
New York City had the nation's highest average hotel rates of $197 per day in spite of a 25 percent decline in rates last year.
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Reality has set in for the casinos. When will it set in for government?
Are you saying that the government should lower its room rates?
The rates are even cheaper in Atlantic City!!
Nobody's offered me any free rooms in A.C., whereas, in L.V. I'm getting four consecutive free nights at a 5 diamond property. What's up A.C.; no love for Bajos?
Rates are far more expensive in Atlantic City, the cheapest midweek night in the seediest casino is $79 a night. Mandalay Bay is offering rooms for less than that.
The only reason they are discounting is because they want to get you in front of the machines or the table games. They are not doing this because they are nice or care about you. All they want as usual is all of your money. Everybody that works in these places are just as fake. But what is so amazing is that people keep playing the machines and keep giving tips. Have you ever seen what these people live in. I am sure it is alot better that your house.
I LOVE THE "PALLAZO". IT IS BETTER THAN WYNN'S
Never forget going to NY/NY in 2005 with the girlfriend. Went to get a players card, no problem for the girlfriend from Washington. Me? The first thing the lady said was "Oh, you're a local". I said yes, so what? She said that because I was a local "You're a local, and your points expire in 28 days". Amazing.
Then we went to the Wynn, and standing in line at the players card line, some red suited fool asked if there were any locals. When I responded, he said "Here, this is a blank card, put 500 points on it, and you can get a real card".
So the other day, I get an E Mail from NY/NY. Rooms from $47 a night. Nice. Lower than Motel 6. See, what goes around comes around. As they say in Texas, "get evens" are a M/F. Good. May they all rot in H*ll.
This may be true but have you seen the people checking into some of these hotels? They are carfrying coolers of food to their rooms...some don't even have suitcases..they have their clothes in trash bags. The hotels are being filled by people who don't gamble...don't spend money at the finer dining rooms...and they don't tip. It's like staying at the value resorts at Disney World.
Some positive news on Las Vegas, and Las Vegas tourism, and everyone posting just wants to be negative and share their bad experience which is probably due to their lack of class or money or both.
Go stay in some of the hotels we have, and then go somewhere else in the US and stay in hotel! You will have a new appreciation for what we have!
Atlantic City has the beautiful Atlantic Seashore right on it's doorstep. All we have here in Vegas is dry dusty desert and a bunch of desert tramp stamped yahoos who don't know about anything further than the nearest Bud Light at 7:00 A.M.
If you gamble at Harrahs hotels,they'll give you all the free rooms you want during the week in AC&LV. Crime and poverty in AC are huge,you have to watch yourself in the hotels,garages and on the boardwalk .If you dont believe me,read the AC Press.
I notice on expedia that Boyd Gaming has substantially increased its room rates for the California, Main Street Station, and Fremont, all downtown Las Vegas hotels. My wife and I will be at the California in a week, but at the reasonable prices we paid online several months ago. We won't stay there again at their new prices.
Can anyone explain why Boyd Gaming has decided to stop competing for hotel room occupancy?
BellevilleCanada
You should try Hotel.com.good perks.Don't forget the prime rib at the California the best in town for $7.00 or $8.00,Good Luck.
Just wait until Cosmopolitan opens up later this year; another 3,000+ rooms to fill. Fountainblue? Hopefully Icahn is mothballing it for a while, otherwise another 4,000 or so rooms!
Supply and demand grinds us all into dust, and that's why you see coolers and trash bags at the lower end properties these days.
Another year like last year and a couple of properties will close their doors for good! You can't service a high debt load in addition to all the other costs of operations when your ADR is less than an "off-ramp" motel. Gaming or no gaming!
I believe that once the economy improves for the rest of the country sometime over the next year or two the demand will be there to absorb the additional capacity. I think long term we will be fine.
rooms maybe cheaper but food isnt, tourists are screwed on the strip..
This article is based on a sample of rates through one web portal only and does not represent a true picture of the health of the LV market the way a Smith Travel Research Trend Report would. Interesting article but it completely lacks credibility.
No surprises here. LV has been a good deal for quite a while now, at least a year or more. I didn't use Hotels.com but still got a great deal on a suite at the Trump, high-end suite (OK, maybe medium high-end) at a discount hotel rate (I believe it was $79/night). And they don't even have a casino there so I wonder how they make out.
The whole trip out there from Florida, including flight, was about the same cost or less than a drive down to Disney World and a stay in one of their hotels. You can definitely have a great time in Vegas without breaking the bank. Maybe that can be the focus of the city's next ad campaign, now that the "What Happens in Vegas..." thing has run its course.
An_other_guy nailed it!
@markp
You are wrong, food is inexpensive once again in Vegas, my roomate and I eat out often whenever our schedule permit it, there are deals to be had out there 24/7, from chain restaurants to hotel cafes to buffets.
Lower hotel room rates + inexpensive food + deals on entertainment can bring in visitors to Vegas. People will argue the monopolies cannot afford these lower room rates, it is their fault in the first place. They should start unloading their properties instead of gobbling up every single property that is not doing well financially.
"I notice on expedia that Boyd Gaming has substantially increased its room rates for the California, Main Street Station, and Fremont, all downtown Las Vegas hotels. My wife and I will be at the California in a week, but at the reasonable prices we paid online several months ago. We won't stay there again at their new prices.
Can anyone explain why Boyd Gaming has decided to stop competing for hotel room occupancy?"
Forget Expedia and go directly to the hotels website and rooms are still priced in the $30-$40 range.
"Average daily rates in Las Vegas from July to December fell 18 percent to $79, the company reported. By comparison, rates were $109 per day in the first half of the year."
Too bad they never bring up how much EVERYTHING else will be costing a visitor, ie let's start with all the additional taxes and surcharges, the $15 drinks, the $30 lunches, etc. That besides the money they will certainly lose gambling. Let's not even talk about air fare. So where is the deal?
Det_Munch: Oh yeah, I forgot about that "resort fee" crapola. It's not a dealbreaker but it's darned annoying, especially when the "resort" amenities (like spas, internet connection, etc.) still have a usage fee.