I tend to look at things pragmatically. Since the mid ninties I've stayed at locals joints. Twenty years ago rates at Sam's Town and the Orleans (two of my regular stays) were typically $50-60 midweek since I'm a low roller. I would get postcard specials now and again, but that was the norm. Twenty years later, I can view either website and routinely find rates of $35 and less. Even including the respective resort fees, I'm still paying less than twenty years ago. This I have no problem with.
The strip is a little different. I think you have three types of hotel to look at. First you have the bottom feeders like Luxor, the ExCal, Flamingo, Harrahs, Bally's and the Rio. These locations have done little or nothing to warrant higher prices. They have the "strip type" resort fee, but even including this the rates, are not much higher than long ago. Next might be the Linq, Trop and SLS, which have done remodels that still don't elevate them from the previous category, but are charging rates and RFs that try to tell you different. The final category would be the metaresorts that start with massive debt service from day one. The money has to come from somewhere, so both rates and RFs are high. You can't compare these because they didn't exist back then.
This also doesn't consider the type of debt CET and MGM are facing. All in all though, I don't have a problem with today's overall cost compared to then. It also doesn't take into account the lower percent of income derived from gaming today compared to then.
Good Luck!
Ric at Joes
