Wow! By the flurry of comments, it seems “resort fees” are dirty words to casino visitors!
I’m not surprised at the hubbub. People generally don’t like tack-on fees in any area. Airline pricing is one of the biggies, right up there with hotels. However, as much as customers seem to hate them, I don’t see resort fees ever going away. So, what can we do to minimize their impact on us?
First off, we need to look at a few facts about CZR resort fees. At this time they are only for Nevada properties (Laughlin and Reno excluded). And if you are Platinum, Diamond, or 7 Stars, you will not be charged the resort fee at all. Something else to consider is that almost all hotels have long been charging for many extra amenities, so sometimes the resort fee is a bargain rather than paying for many of the components individually.
The daily resort fee (before tax) varies from property to property. Here is the current list:
Caesars Palace, Lake Tahoe Harvey’s – $25
Paris, Planet Hollywood, Lake Tahoe Harrah’s – $20
Rio, Harrah’s, Flamingo – $18
Bally’s – $15
The Quad – $10
All right – with these facts under our belt, how do frugal minds start working?
First, look at the total picture, not just individual pieces of the puzzle. You have to add together the base room rate and resort fee (or individual charges for amenities you may want, like in-room Internet and fitness center access.) Find the total final price for each property in which you might be interested – and then look at your options. Might you take a gambling vacation in another city where you can find a lower total price of a room including all the amenities you want? Or, if you want to come to Vegas, can you find a room in another casino resort with a lower total cost, perhaps off-Strip or Downtown?
If you do decide to stay at a Caesars property – or, for that matter, any casino hotel with a resort fee – is there any way to get out of paying it? Here’s where the word “Ask,” said with a smile and an undemanding tone, might work. You could explain that you will not need or use any of the amenities that the resort fee covers. I’ve heard some reports of success with this tactic used when checking in at the front desk, especially if someone has asked nicely to speak with a supervisor about a waiver. And even more successful might be to talk to a host after you have put on a “good amount” of play. The definition of “good play” is, of course, very subjective and will depend on the luxury level of the property. However, after you have put in your usual play, it would not hurt to contact a host and politely inquire if your play is strong enough for the resort fee to be comped. You might be surprised how often the just-ask technique works!
One other thing you need to remember about dealing with an umbrella company like Caesars is that there is a great deal of autonomy within each individual property. I have found over the years that although the “mother” brings out all sorts of new systems and policies and touts them as “across the board,” the “children” are either given permission – or they take the liberty – to interpret them as they feel is best for their individual property. So don’t assume the “gospel truth” you hear at one casino will hold true in another one, even if it is just across the street.
I use to be a Platinum Level at Caesars, but didn’t go for a year and dropped to Gold. I had stayed at Caesars in January. Then went back this month on 16th-18th and then saw on the in room bill view on the tv I was getting charged $25 each night. When I checked in I wasn’t told of the fee, since I have never been charged anything for 10yrs, since everything has been comped. When I checked out I talked to a supervisor and they waived the fees, because also the little pamphlet that they put the room key in said “NO RESORT FEES” he stated that some of the old ones might have still got mixed up in the pile. I told him I will be back in April again and he said to call my Host before I come. I know I’m only 1000. Tier points away from Platinum Status again, so we’ll see what happens.
I agree with most all of you: resort fees are an underhanded way to get more money without working for it. I find it beyond annoying that I should be the one to request a “break” on the resort fee since I don’t use ANY of the amenities these fees supposedly cover. The hotel should be asking ME. “Hello Annette and welcome to B… We have a package deal on our internet/fitness center/boarding pass printing. Would you like to take advantage of that?”
What they’re doing now is the standard way of making up for past fiscal irresponsibilities: add a fee across the board.
I’m with Jerry: if they need to raise prices, then just raise them. But please stop the BS.
So according to the breakdown on the LVA website, for the reward of paying a resort fee at the CZR properties you get “internet access (for one device), local calls, and Fitness Center access”. Is this all we get??
Most everyone has a smart phone or aircard for their computer (no internet access needed from the resort), most everyone has a cell phone (no local calls needed from the resort), and the last one is a toss-up on whether one would need fitness center access while visiting. There are some that workout religiously and I commend them for that but there are others that might decide to take a break from their routine while on vacation thus not needing access to the fitness center.
CZR’s statement, as quoted in today’s QOD on the LVA website “Based on the current industry standards in the market and evaluation of the services our guests choose and use, a comprehensive package of bundled services and amenities proves to be the best and most meaningful value to our guests. This is in response to the increasing demand from our guests to provide a package price instead of the inconvenience of separate fees. We continue to do all we can to provide our guests with the best value, best products and best experiences in Las Vegas”, might be true for a guest if they paid for these services individually in the past; but if the “resort fee” is a backdoor way of raising room rates without saying your are raising your rate then it is a corporate magic show in a town that already has several to choose from.
I feel that you should be given the opportunity to opt-out of the resort fee at check-in if you know you will not use any of the services provided by the resort fee during your stay. However, if you later decide to use one of the services during your stay, you should then be charged for the actual service used on a per use basis.
I have been finding other places to stay since I REFUSE to pay a ripoff I mean resort fee. Also, I have been visiting other locales where the hotels don’t charge this ridiculous fee. IMHO just raise the room rate and nothing would be said. Add an “idiotic” fee and I will be all over you like white on rice asking WHY?
I made a room reservation during Casears room special in Vegas for the Week of 21 April 13. The resorts fees were not being charged during this time frame, so I beat the devil.
I agree how much of a turn off this is. The tourist is getting tired of fees from not only the hotels but the airlines taxis and etc. Las Vegas was built with the theme of come here leave the rat race behind and not having to put up with the everyday stuff in life. Disney does this approach with all included packages and no hidden surprises in cost after you get there. How will this stop well the announcement of the new Chinese RESORT style casino has caused some ripples. Going to LV will be changed because the Foreign visitor will insist on inclusive packages and the American tourist will learn to do so. If the rest of the Hotels /Casinos don’t follow suit they will fall by the way side. Las Vegas is in for a big change as the way they do business and it is too bad the old way could not have been maintained which worked but as corporations buy up places they get run like them and that is not a successful business plan unless they change with the customer.
It is nice to have a place where we can share our feelings about an issue that is of interest to many. In the end, however, we still have to make the best decision with the hands that are dealt. Jean, please continue with helping us make good decisions.
George
I booked a room at “The Quad” for May, but did the booking before the resort fees were announced. I’m wondering if I will be charged them when I arrive in May, since they were not part of my booking confirmation. I hope not!
Who is kidding who? Adding a resort fee is just a way of raising the prices, but in an underhanded way. This is going to turn off a whole generation of people who could have been happy paying customers at these hotels. If they want to raise prices, just raise them. Don’t try to put one over on your customers.
Pretty soon, there will be no reason to visit Vegas at all. Video poker there is dying, and the hotel room rates are slowly changing from “value” to “ripoff.” The bottom line is that Vegas is no longer a unique destination; you can get what it offers in any one of a dozen locations around the country, and those locations usually have much better weather than the ghastly furnace of Vegas in the summer. Plus, places such as Reno and AC aren’t blighted, ugly wastelands comprised of dirt and scrub.
I can stay in Reno for $25 on weekdays and $39 on the weekends, and the dozen or so major casinos there are more than enough for me. Plus, there is still plenty of excellent video poker there. I urge everyone to rethink their July Vegas vacations. Why fly into one of the world’s worst airports, then be ripped off at every turn and baked like a pizza in an oven whenever you venture outside? FEH!
As a diamond level I won’t have to pay the resort fee but wanted to know what if I wanted to use wi-fi on a comped room. I received an email back from the western region customer service group saying that I would have to pay for the wi-fi. I’ll find out in May.
One of my favorite hotels in Vegas is still the LVH, formerly the Las Vegas Hilton. Their rates are low, the rooms are nice and fairly roomy, and they do not charge resort fees. They have an option, available when you book, to get a Resorts room for an additional $25 per day, but it’s a good value. It includes a special line for checking with very little or no waiting, an upgraded room, access to a Resorts refreshment room which is open from 6AM to 8PM (I think) and is free all day (it has continental breakfast items in the morning, then various types of refreshments and drinks all day), and free access to the fitness center. I have paid the upgrade the last three times I stayed at the LVH and found it well worth the money. I like that it’s totally optional, and if you choose not to take it, you just pay the regular rate. Although the LVH is not the hotel it used to be, it’s still quite acceptable and I enjoy staying there. There is a monorail station which you can access directly from the hotel, and there is plenty of free parking, so it’s easy to get in and out. Plus, since it’s off the strip, you don’t have to fight strip traffic to get there!
Thank you for the suggestions Jean – but why should we have to do all of this figuring just to know what the actual cost of the room is?! Bottom line is that the use of the term “resort fees” is a dishonest attempt to pretend that they didn’t raise the room rates; and to hide the actual room rates from us. Raising the room prices won’t stop us from going, but will lessen how often we go and radically shorten our usual 8 night stays. And the more we have to pay for the room, the less we spend in the casino – they lessen our entertainment, we start to wonder why even go there at all. As for amenities, the fee only applies to the lowest tier, or those with the least money to start with, and those least likely to order or pay for extra amenities. All of the corporate entities engage in this sleazy practice. Cesars set themselves apart with the vile claim that we customers *asked* them to! This exclusively Cesars customer will be patronizing the other sleazy corporate entities from now on.
Caesars is getting worse and worse, add resort fees to the poor video poker pays. And now I just received my Diamond Club renewal card in the mail ( for the 8th year in a row)….every yeat they would give a renewal gift or have a party, this year ….nothing.
Being a full grown adult who works hard for my money, I am not going to “ask” not to be robbed from Caesars or any other Vegas property charges a rip-off resort fee- especially for items I neither want or use. There are plenty of other properties that I can stay at that don’t charge this fee. Anyone who agrees to and pays these rip-off fees is just plainly foolish and deserves to be ripped-off.
Does anyone know if Caesars is charging a resort fee on a comped room? I know most hotels do not. Thanks