A:
Our questioner is referring to a statement that appeared on The Mirage’s Facebook page on March 16, regarding resort fees:
"Hi, everyone! The daily resort fee is meant to enhance your experience during your stay by including additional services and amenities. Our resort fee includes complimentary in-room internet [sic] access, unlimited access to the Cardio Center, daily newspapers that can be picked up at Impulse and the Bell Desk, two bottles of water delivered daily to your room, robes for comfort, unlimited local and toll-free calls, complimentary notary service, faxes, copies and complimentary printing of boarding passes at the Business Services Center.
"Just an FYI ~ the rest of our sister properties will be implementing the Resort Fee soon as well."
Sad to report but, yes, this policy is spreading through the MGM Mirage chain and is indeed being applied retroactively. Company spokesman Alan Feldman put it into context: "Mirage started their resort fee October 1. All reservations are subject to the resort fee (regardless of when they booked). Guests cannot opt out of all or portions of the fee.
"There are clearly differing views about this," he added. "However, on balance, these are services that many other hotels would charge for individually and we package it together to offer greater value and so as not to nickel and dime guests." Feldman says the policy is either in place or soon will be at MGM's higher-end resorts (i.e., Aria, Bellago, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and The Mirage).
A smaller – and, to our minds, pettier – version of this is practiced at Gold Strike Tunica, one of the most obscure outposts of the MGM empire. At Gold Strike, "a refreshing dip in our sparkling pool" comes at the price of "a nominal fee," according to the official Web site. Feldman says Luxor used to charge a pool fee for bathers who were not hotel guests but later dropped it.
Update 23 March 2010
A reader responds:
"Today's QOD talks about the MGM resort fee for things that used to be included in the cost of the room, but you don't say how much that fee is. Can you update the QOD? Are they next going to start charging extra for sheets or HVAC in the rooms?"
Ed: The fee at the Mirage is $15/night, which covers two passes to the "Secret Garden" attraction, access to the fitness center, a daily paper, unlimited local and toll-free calls, two bottles of water per day, bath robes in the rooms, and notary services in the business center. We're still waiting on confirmation from MGM Mirage about whether this amount will be applied group-wide: Currently MGM Grand, Aria, and Bellagio charge no resort fee (the latter charges $25 for use of the spa/fitness center, however -- waived if you take a treatment); Mandalay Bay doesn't either, but staff (who always sound sad and apologetic when you ask them about this) have been informed that it's being introduced in May. Currently at Luxor it's $12.95/night, $9.95 at Excalibur, $4.95/day at Circus Circus, $12.95 at Monte Carlo, $11.99 at New York New York, and $20/night at the Signature at MGM Grand.
03/22/2010 Some reader thoughts on today's:
"I had a quick thought about the wording of these so called 'resort fees'. The word Complimentary, according to dictionary.com is:
–adjective
1.of the nature of, conveying, or expressing a compliment, often one that is politely flattering: a complimentary remark.
2.given free as a gift or courtesy: a complimentary ticket.
–noun
3.something given or supplied without charge, as lodging, transportation, or meals, esp. as an inducement to prospective customers.
"In both the adjective and noun defintion, the word means to give something away for FREE.
"If someone is paying a resort fee, and they get something as part of paying for that fee (i.e. bottled water), then it's not free. You have paid for it.
"My feeling is that if a hotel is going to keep the resort fee, they should change the wording. Otherwise just make it part of the daily cost of the room. They say that they don't want to nickel and dime the customer, but that's exactly what they are doing!"
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