Question of the Day - 07 August 2018

Most of the city’s major hotels are licensed for transient commercial use only. This designation is defined by NRS 116.31123 as "the use of a unit, for remuneration, as a hostel, hotel, inn, motel, resort, vacation rental or other form of transient lodging if the term of the occupancy, possession or use of the unit is for less than 30 consecutive calendar days."

After 30 days, a guest is considered to have residency rights. This means two things, both less than optimal for a hotel: One, it becomes difficult for the hotel to get rid of a guest who won't pay; two, the hotel can no longer legally charge tax on the room (which necessitates supporting documentation for the state). 

Some hotels limit stays to 14 and even seven consecutive nights. The rationale for this, we understand, is that the longer the stay, the less gambling a guest will do. This also could explain why the non-casino Four Seasons, for example, welcomes guests who stay for months at a time, but after the initial 30 days, are required to sign a contract (a lease of sorts) via the sales office.

Some hotels allow guests to check out at the end of their stay, then check in again on the same day. Others permit back-to-back reservations, especially if the second reservation is made under a different name (of course, this works only if your traveling partner has a different name than yours). Still others advise that if you plead your case to a manager or supervisor, you may be granted an exception to the restriction. Be aware, however, that many hotels require you to check out for a designated amount of time (anywhere from a day to a week, or even three weeks), before checking in again.

If you're in Las Vegas for the medium-haul (not long enough to rent an apartment outright), your best bet is an extended-stay property that isn't restricted by the 30-day clause. Among them are Budget Suites of America, Extended StayAmerica, Siegel Suites, and others. Such properties offer weekly and sometimes monthly rates for visitors who don’t want to fork out big bucks for nightly rates at the hotels or who need a room for significantly longer than seven to 14 days. Note that you will pay tax on your room for the first 30 days; thereafter, no room tax is charged, but you will have to sign a contract, since after 30 days, your residency rights kick in.