Jim Murren wants more than our money with MGM Resorts International‘s controversial new parking fees. He wants our gratitude.
“I ask them to honestly reflect what it means to be a local and how the tourist economy has improved their quality of life,” he said of irate Las Vegans, whose standard of living ebbs and flows with the tourist economy. Murren has a good point (and a tangible one) when he says that MGM’s Strip garages have lagged in capex maintenance. CityCenter‘s is so state-of-the-art compared to the others that it seems light years ahead. As for his competitors, “Frankly, they are sitting back and letting MGM take the heat on this,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Murren says he’s not tone-deaf on the issue, but he’s done a good impersonation so far.
Amazingly, the company claims to be surprised by the volume and intensity of negative reaction, which makes you wonder what kind of Yellow Submarine corporate culture is incubating at MGM. (I’ve never found them to be as out of touch as Caesars Entertainment, for instance.) Ever since it released this lead balloon, MGM has been shading in the gray areas of the initially nebulous policy. Circus Circus customers, rejoice: Continue reading














