Flightster

Why Las Vegas is No Longer a Budget Travel Destination

It wasn’t long ago when people would go to Vegas to indulge in 15 dollar all you can eat buffets, free or extremely cheap drinks on the casino floor and a fairly cost effective weekend getaway.  Those days are clearly over. This last weekend I had the good fortune to attend the Blogworld Expo at the Mandalay Bay.   To say that prices have gone up in Vegas is putting it lightly.  This was my first time in Vegas after 2 years and an hour into the trip I felt like a there was a hole burning in my wallet.

STICKER SHOCK

  • Cab Rides from the Airport: I’d like to think that I’m not a cheap guy. I try to take good care of people in the service industry and there was a point at which I even knew how to get free drinks and get treated like a VIP everywhere you go.  My sticker shock started when I arrived at the Luxor, one of the closest hotels to the airport and my total fare including tip was $28.00.  To avoid this make sure you hit the ATM at the airport and pay cash for your taxi ride. To add to my tip I got charged a fee for using a credit card.
  • Starbucks in the Hotel: Shortly after the keynote speech I found myself starving and decided a that a muffin from Starbucks would be a perfect snack.  When I heard the cashier tell me “that will be four dollars”, I blurted out a four letter expletive.  Usually my coffee and pastry combined are less than four dollars.  It turns out when Starbucks is inside a casino there’s a significant premium tacked on to it.
  • Charged for Extra Ice: My new found friend Vik Tantry runs a blog called There’s Money Everywhere and this pretty much proves it.  The City Center at Vegas is the ultimate example of extreme capitalism.  Apparently the goal of the City Center is to setup a massive compound that you never need to leave. A tweet from another blogger revealed the fact that somebody got charged for extra ice in their drink.  At 16 dollars a drink, you would think that extra ice would be free.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they add on a dishwashing fee next time I’m in Vegas.
  • Resort Fees: When you book your room and think you’ve just scored a deal,  don’t celebrate just yet. It turns out that Vegas hotels are now tacking on a resort fee. That’s right: your shampoo, your towels, your toiletries are all getting billed to you now.

I used to be quite the fan of Las Vegas because I always saw it as fun filled weekend that wouldn’t make a huge dent in my wallet. On a trip which I didn’t go to a single black jack table, had vouchers for a few of my meals, and my job here at Flightster covered most of the cost for,  my expenses still came to $200 for 3 days. If you’re going to Vegas plan on spending at least $500.00 on a weekend. The titans of capitalism of have spoken. They want your money and will squeeze blood out of every stone to get it.

PG

Srinivas Rao

Srinivas is an avid surfer and personal development blogger at The Skool of Life. He's also the host and co-founder of BlogcastFM, a podcast for bloggers.

3 Comments

  1. 1 year ago
    Michelle Rogerson

    I was at blogworld too! I managed to lose a couple pounds while I was there because I wanted to avoid paying high prices for food, especially at the airport. A bottle of water in my hotel vending machine was $4. But I got a lot out of the conference so it was worth it in the end.

    Reply
  2. 1 year ago
    Bobby Laurie

    Wow! I’m shocked! I haven’t been to Vegas for a while for fun (usually just fly through their crappy airport), I’m surprised that prices have gone up! Too bad, I used to love going there for a quick weekend.

    Reply
  3. 1 year ago
    Janet Thaeler

    I love going to Vegas and yes it is expensive. I esp. hate resort fees for the internet and the gym – both things I can’t live without. They can get quite steep. When we get comped rooms it never covers the resort fee, which is around $30 a night. Sometimes we pay a spa fee elsewhere if we’re staying at a particularly expensive hotel. So we stay at the Wynn but exercise at Treasure Island across the street.

    Here are some strategies:
    - Get the room comped (sign up for and use player’s cards at casinos) and/or use Priceline. Lots of premium priced hotels are priced better than they have been in years – watch their web site for specials too.

    - Go to the Fashion Show mall for cheaper food (do splurge too but we eat breakfast at McDonald’s and a few meals there). At the end of the mall is a Mexican restaurant. Go to the walk up bar for cheaper prices. Do try the tamales and the roasted corn, both to die for.

    - Free internet at the Apple store in the Fashion Show Mall, even after hours (I’ve worked there many times)

    - Eat your main meal at lunch, not dinner. Lunch menus are usually much less expensive. I don’t drink and my husband rarely does and we don’t feel pressure to order a drink or risk getting bad service at lunchtime. To save we eat a late lunch and a light dinner. A large good quality buffet (I like the Wynn) can make it a 1-meal day for me.

    - Sometimes room service is the same cost as the restaurant (like at the Trump) so may as well if you enjoy it.

    Blog On
    Janet

    Reply

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