So you don’t like Resort Fees in Las Vegas? You’re not alone. They have been hated by travelers for years, and the resorts don’t give a damn if you like them or not. Most would argue that they are deceptive and should be included in the price. And now the Federal Government agrees, as if that will do any good.
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission began work to address these unfair and deceptive fees. They believe that any fees which are not transparent and unavoidable, much the way Resort Fees are implemented, should be changed. And although this may sound promising for consumers, be careful what you wish for.
Even if the government could put an end to these Resort Fees, our experience with large corporations tells us they will have their lawyers find a way to move the fees around and hide them somewhere else. When that happens, the consumer usually ends up paying more that before.
Resort Fees are on the rise to $37 per night at Excalibur and Luxor, and $42 a night at New York-New York and Park MGM. Mandalay Bay and Delano have risen to $45, while Aria, Vdara, the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and the Cosmo have all risen to $50 a night.
It seems like the simplest answer would be to have resorts simply add the cost of the fees to the published room rate… but they don’t want to do that. Instead, Caesars and MGM has been fighting for years to keep Resort Fees. That seems a bit strange, unless there is another motivation.