Resort fees are one of the more controversial developments to hit Las Vegas over the past few year and when we polled our readers on their feelings about them back in May 2010, no less than 71 percent of you came out declaring that you "hate resort fees" and refuse to stay at hotels that have them, even to the point of paying more for à la carte amenities, just out of the principle of not being stuck with a mandatory fee. Of the feedback we received, the following reader hit some nails on the head: "I first remember seeing them popping up during the California energy crisis in 2001. They called them 'energy surcharges' and the trend lasted long after the energy crisis was over. When the price of a hotel room is $33 including tax and a $20 food credit, I can handle a $6 resort fee. That said, it still does seem somewhat disingenuous and makes it that much harder to comparison shop."
But a subsequent survey we ran a year ago, asking if you use amenities commonly included within resort fees, whether included in a fee or not, and if so, which ones, a significant number of respondents (1,500-or-so each for in-room Internet access and a daily newspaper) evidently do and voted for one or more of the frequently-included extras. This brings us to the crux of your question.
Our answer can be only that this is a highly subjective issue and that it could well even vary for the same individual on a trip-by-trip basis, depending on your priorities, e.g., business or pleasure, a relaxing getaway or an up-all-night escape from the norm (and your room), since Las Vegas caters to all the above these days. The best thing to do is to check out before you book anything whether there's a nightly charge -- we keep a current list of hotel resort fees on our site, which just underwent a regular update -- and then be sure to check out the fine print and gauge whether or not you're getting value for money.
While bottled water and a daily paper are generally available much more cheaply from other sources, if that's all your planning on using, then most resort fees will probably be a net negative for you. If you plan on using the fitness center, however, it might be the cheapest way to go, since most hotel-spa facilities exact a fee for gym-use if you're not getting a spa or salon treatment, and outside franchises generally charge a hefty daily fee for non-members (it's $20-day for 24-Hour Fitness or Las Vegas Athletic Clubs, for example, although you might get a free guest pass if you have a friend going with you who's a member.) The same can go for Internet access, which may be better value as part of an inclusive resort fee than as an add-on at a hotel that charges no fee (it's $9.99/day at the cheaper Caesars Ent. properties, which charge no resort fee, and often $12.99 or more at other hotels).
Some hotels offer fees more tailored-made for potential guests, like the $20/day charge at the Aston MonteLago, which includes fishing permits for Lake Las Vegas and preferred golf rates, in addition to a shuttle service to/from the Strip, in addition to the more usual in-room Internet access and unlimited local calls. Some properties, including the Fiestas, lower-end Station-owned hotels (i.e., not Red Rock or GVR), Luxor, Palms, and Tropicana offer a range of coupons, drink discounts, gift-shop deals, and other perks that might work out for you dollar-for-dollar. Our advice is to do your homework, don't get stuck with a fee you weren't anticipating, and if there is one, find out what it includes and then do the math. You might actually be surprised.
