Frugally Vegas: Vegas Trip Planning II - Research Resources

Frugally Vegas: Vegas Trip Planning II - Research Resources:                                               Copyright CC0 Creative Commons via Pixabay This is the second entry in a series of ...

Vegas Trip Planning II - Research Resources

                                              Copyright CC0 Creative Commons via Pixabay



This is the second entry in a series of Vegas trip planning articles to assist future visitors whom have made the decision to live it up on a Vegas trip. In this article, we'll consider some local factors that affect planning and costs, along with a listing of some useful websites for trip research / options and pricing.

In the first article, we addressed some of the basic choices travelers need to determine before a  trip to la-la land. Throughout the planning process, the amount of total trip time and a budget will obviously affect every decision regarding transportation, lodging, dining, shows, attractions, gambling, and sanity preservation, among others.

Las Vegas is truly among the lower total cost tourist destinations in the domestic US. With current average daily room rates at $125 - $130 per night (one can beat those average rates via budgeted research ; add $10 - $50 resort fees plus 13.38% taxes per night) and the lowest average round trip airfare costs ($234) among 25 top US cities, Vegas annually ranks among the most affordable in the US , assuming gambling costs are kept in check.

  

Las Vegas is famously hot from May through September (routinely over 100 degrees F in June, July , and August). The average weather conditions may or may not affect your decision/s on trip dates..but it may impact your activities and plans while in town. You'll have plenty of options to enjoy the cool AC in all those resorts during the hot summer months. Vegas receives just over 4 inches of annual precipitation..might not need to pack that umbrella.

Vegas is subject to the laws of supply and demand like all tourist destinations, and that fact can significantly affect your travel costs. Larger crowd numbers (during conventions, special events, and on weekends) lead to higher costs for most things. Room costs are typically cheaper Sunday through Thursday unless there's a massive convention / event taking place. If you don't have comped room offers and  have the option, travel during weekdays and avoid big holidays / conventions / events. Refer to these Las Vegas convention and event calendar resources to determine options ( if you have options) for your trip dates.

 Websites for Vegas trip planning 

There are literally hundreds of online resources that are potentially useful to do research, plan, and/or book flights, rooms, transportation, rental cars, attractions, dining, events, tours, and all else for Vegas travel. Obtaining that "best deal" for anything often requires multiple site visits and revisits and cost comparisons between sites. Some sites offer "deal alerts" that travelers can sign up for even after initial bookings which allows cancellation and re-booking of a better deal. Always make bookings that give you the option for cancellation  in the early phases of planning because better pricing deals often become available. Below is a categorized listing for some of the best linked online sites for researching multiple Vegas options and Vegas travel in our experience.

 

Las Vegas local sites/ blogs /research/tips and discounts / message boards 

                                                                                                                                                       

Visitacity (Las Vegas)

Las Vegas Advisor 

Visit Las Vegas
Viator (Las Vegas)
Best of Vegas
Travel Vegas
Las Vegas Jaunt
Vegas.com
Trip Advisor Las Vegas Forum
Mark's Las Vegas 
SmarterVegas 
Vital Vegas 
Vegas Message Boards
Las Vegas Weekly
Cheapo Vegas
Vegas4locals 
Eater Vegas
Vegas RTC Bus system
Las Vegas Monorail
Las Vegas taxis
Las Vegas Uber
Las Vegas Lyft 
Airlines serving McCarran Airport
McCarran Airport Shuttles
McCarran Rent-a-Car Center
Las Vegas 4 Newbies
Smartertravel (Las Vegas)
Trip Savvy (Las Vegas)
Five Hundy by Midnight podcast

 

Vegas travel aggregator / packages sites

Travelocity
Travelzoo

Expedia

Orbitz 

Kayak 

Momondo

Booking Buddy  

Hipmunk

Hotwire  

Priceline

Booking.com 

Skyscanner 

Hotels.com

Trip Advisor  
Southwest Vacations



Always verify tips/ info gleaned from websites regarding anything. Las Vegas sheds it's skin and changes constantly rendering some info  either potentially inaccurate or obsolete. Seven come eleven. The above should aid Vegas trippers in discovering options for trip planning and an idea of potential costs. In the ensuing article, we'll outline an order of trip planning tenets and begin to pull together an overall Vegas getaway approach.

Cheers...

                                                                                                                                     

Frugally Vegas: Vegas trip planning and itinerary creation I

Frugally Vegas: Vegas trip planning and itinerary creation I:  First in a series of Vegas trip planning tips Planning a trip to Vegas can be overwhelming for those who haven't visited p...

Vegas trip planning and itinerary creation I

 First in a series of Vegas trip planning tips

Planning a trip to Vegas can be overwhelming for those who haven't visited previously, haven't visited recently, or for those who have visited multiple times but want new experiences. It can also be wildly inspiring to others who can ride the crazy adrenaline wave of a Vegas escape during the planning phase; How long will we visit? Where should we stay? What shows will we see? Where will we gamble? What attractions would we enjoy? What dining venues will we visit? Will we visit nearby nature areas? What are the costs? Holy crap..can't wait!

Vegas visitors come  to attend conventions, escape, splurge, hit the pool, sight-see, attend shows, gamble, relax, dine, and/or party ..or a composite of some or all those activities and more. Where does Vegas trip planning begin? What are the key elements and in what order should they be addressed? What is my budget for this trip going to be?

The following are some basic considerations when planning for  an enjoyable Vegas romp.
1. When is the trip / how long? Are there any major events / conventions going on at that time? Who's traveling (solo vs family / group); buy travel insurance?
2. Lodging ; which hotel / AirBnB ? (Strip vs off-Strip / Downtown)
3. Getting there - Flights / Car or other ground transportation
4. In town transportation - Car rental/ Uber/ Lyft/ Taxis/ RTC Bus system/ Shuttles/ Monorail       /Walking / Drive own vehicle
5. What attractions / museums / shows will we see?
6. What's my gambling budget? Where?
7. Which dining options/ restaurants?
8. What do I need to pack?
9. Let a trusted someone know your trip plans
10. Make an itinerary ( a simple one)

More entries in this Vegas trip planning series to come over the next few days...

Cheers..

Las Vegas 2016 visitor fee increases and takeaways ... with more to come

Vegas visitor fee hikes and takeaways beyond annoying

This blog article originates from a Las Vegas fan /consumer stance and is largely a philosophically opposed view to the recently blatant corporate mindset in force within our favorite destination city. We're avowed proponents of capitalism but are of the opinion that the bean counters have overstepped the line in Vegas. There is no reverence for Vegas tradition with these guys.

The  current management approach of most Las Vegas resort hotels, casinos, restaurants, and bars (particularly on the Strip) has followed the lead of the US airline industry. That approach is to eventually charge customers for anything and everything that was once free or a perk in the not-so-distant past.  Some of these charges are implemented with deceptive or unknown methods until the bill arrives. Their ensuing public"sell" justifications from their public relations teams for these wallet-gouging hikes are deceptive..and they ring hollow for visitors who have experienced the Vegas of even the recent past.

The Las Vegas tourism industry cohort (CEO's , management, consultants, and assorted/related purveyors of tyrrany) have indeed stretched the boundaries of capitalism into a pasture of unbridled greed these days. As the old movie line suggested..'greed is good', and they're passing along that related cost mantra to Vegas visitors. Many of the old Vegas traditions, including comps and freebies for mid and low tier gamblers, have been progressively disappearing and continue to dwindle.We can speak to that latter issue based on considerable personal experience at both MGM and Caesars properties during the last three years in particular.

MGM Resorts International (owner-operators of 14 separate Vegas Strip properties) initiated a  Profit Growth Plan in 2015. From the company's perspective, the intent is to capture sustained growth, enhance margins, and drive revenue generation up by $400 million by the end of 2017. In essence, it has and will continue to negatively affect customer experiences in terms of everything from bath toiletries and bed linens to increased resort fees, parking fees, reduced alcohol in cocktails, reduced comp offers, surge pricing at restaurants during high demand times, and even charges for concession and franchise fees tacked on to final bills at some of their associated venue bars and restaurants. The bottom line for patrons is less overall bang for your buck in a lot of areas. Further, the MGM employee  base (layoffs) and worker satisfaction metrics have been affected as well. Vegas Tripping , a long-standing Vegas travel blog and travel site, has published an informative article on how CEO Jim Murren and top staffers will specifically benefit from the MGM Profit Growth Plan.

Caesars Entertainment owns and operates 11 properties primarily located on the Strip (excluding the Rio). The company is inundated with a mountain of debt and segments of the company are currently under bankruptcy protection from creditors. Caesars has typically followed MGM's initiation of charging for resort and parking fees, despite a years - long marketing program based on "no resort fees" prior to March 2013. They eventually caved, with the company's director of corporate communications stating at the time that resort fee implementation was something guests asked for (Las Vegas Sun article). Really?

The following lists some annoying visitor fee increases, gouges, or customer squelches that have been initiated in Las Vegas resort establishments through December 2016. Some of the annoyances have been ongoing for years.

1. Vegas hotel resort fees

These dreaded fees have been in force since at least 2008, and they represent an 80-90% return above cost margin for Las Vegas hotels. Resort fees (RF) really represent a pure profit endeavor for the hotels, partly because of enhanced tax breaks on the RF income that they aren't required to pay to state and local governments. Due to this tax incentive, separation of room and resort fee charges is monetarily better for the hotels than simply increasing room rates. Further, online, third party advertised room rates appear lower from room consolidator third-party booking sites with this uncoupling of charges. Adding insult to this injury is an added sales tax on resort fees per day for hotel stays. Resort fees have progressively increased since initial implementation, with MGM increasing fees as recently as November 2016. Most Strip hotels currently charge in the range of $25 -$40 per night including taxes.

Since the onset of resort fees, two main consumer complaints have been 1) being forced to pay mandatory fees for services never used during stays and 2) nondisclosure of the RF charges until final checkout. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) governs resort fees and federal legislation was introduced in mid-2016 that would prohibit hotels from advertising a room rate that doesn't include all mandatory fees. It has been said that if this legislation is passed by Congress, resort fees may end as we now know them. In fact , Las Vegas hotels have been reasonable in their disclosure of the fees at least since 2012 after a nationwide FTC warning regarding RF disclosure. Resort fees are thus no longer a "hidden" or poorly displayed fee, but that does not address the other major complaint regarding charges for services never used by many patrons. A much fairer and more equitable practice would involve specific charges for specific amenities at a given Vegas resort. Of course, likely they'd just hike those specific amenity charges as well.

2. Paid Parking at Vegas resorts 

Despite a long-standing Las Vegas free parking tradition, MGM Resorts began charging for both valet and self-park privileges at all their Strip resorts (excluding Circus Circus) in June 2016. Caesars, Wynn / Encore (valet parking charges only), and Cosmopolitan properties have since jumped on the paid parking bandwagon as well, with most having completed parking plans by early

2017. Self-parking charges average $7 - $10 per 24 hours and valet charges are $13 - $18 per 24 hours at MGM Strip properties.

These new parking charges will not only greatly affect patrons, but will also affect valet attendant gratuities. Virtually every valet parking attendant that we asked (roughly ten individuals at six different properties) on a recent Vegas trip are dreading the new parking situation and how it will downgrade their daily work experience and income. Who cares..anybody can park a car and offer good service with a smile, ehh?

M Life loyalty club members at the Pearl, Gold, Platinum, and Noir tier levels can use MGM parking garages gratis ; Gold, Platinum, and Noir members can park at valets for free. Complimentary self-parking privileges are also available for M Life Rewards MasterCard holders.

Caesars Entertainment Total Rewards loyalty club members at the Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars tier levels can avoid any parking charges.

Currently, the Venetian, Palazzo, and Treasure Island are the only major resorts on the Strip that won't be charging for customer parking by early 2017. Again, Wynn and Encore will only charge for valet parking (self-parking will be free).


3. Reduced alcohol in mixed drinks at MGM resort bars

MGM Resorts has decreased the amount of liquor poured in an average mixed cocktail from the old standard 1.5 ounces ( a shot) to 1.25 ounces, a 17% decrease. ( see Vital Vegas blog post)

4. Reduced comp offers and reduced player favorable gaming odds

Our personal comp offers have decreased in both number and quality during the last three years from both MGM and Caesars properties. Our gambling levels/ wagers have actually increased during that same span. For us specifically, the comp offers are the core basis for the trips in the first place. Slots are tighter and one has to go on a treasure hunt to locate a 3:2 blackjack game with decent player-favorable rules with less than $50 minimum bets on the Strip. Comp offers from the Venetian and Palazzo went over the abyss for low and mid-tier gamblers about five years ago (see Las Vegas Sun article).

One strong and simple recommendation here is to simply refuse to play any blackjack game that pays 6:5 payoffs on player naturals. Playing these games triples/quadruples the house advantage percentage over players. There are enough gunsels playing these games as it is, which is why the casinos get away with it. This should be one of those Vegas moral code thingies.

5. Surge pricing at Vegas restaurants and bars

Las Vegas resorts have routinely charged more for weekend room stays vs midweek for a long time. Vegas visitors are used to that aspect of supply and demand economics. Now, there's an increasing trend for restaurants and bars at large Strip resorts to hike menu / entree / drink charges based on demand. Online menu prices for many restaurants now do not include pricing...patrons on Saturday night might not realize they're paying X dollars more for an entree than they would have if they'd visited on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Even the sacred Las Vegas buffet prices have routinely increased on the weekends these days at most MGM and Caesars properties. Folks, it's not far to In-N-Out Burger from the Strip...there's one located one mile west of the Strip on Tropicana Avenue.

6. Concession and Franchise Fees at Vegas restaurants and bars

Some Vegas Strip bars and restaurants are now charging a tax on a tax and calling it a Concession and Franchise Fee (CNF). It is one of those gnarly hidden fees that customers have been largely unaware of until they are presented with the final check. They are added to a total bill 'after' sales tax has been tacked on. The primary justification offered by these establishments for the CNF charges is that they offer prime Strip locations.. Honestly, if an establishment charges an offensive CNF, they're anything but a prime location in Vegas. Patronizing these venues is akin to playing 6:5 blackjack games..just don't do it (unless you enjoy getting kicked in the nuts). Ask the server before placing any order..be happy to walk out if they have a CNF charge. CNF  charges typically range between 3 - 5% of total bills. Check out our sources for this info at Vital Vegas and Las Vegas Advisor .

7. MGM Resorts to penalize guests booking rooms via third party providers

According to Vegas Tripping , MGM Resorts will withhold services and tack on fees for guests who late cancel or no-show for third-party bookings (such as Expedia and Priceline). MGM has filed a trademark application for the slogan "Play The Smart Hand. Book Direct". The source indicates cancellation and/or no-show fees will be much higher through third-party bookings than for guests booking directly with the hotels. Customers and travel agents will despise this gouge as well, should it go into effect. There are several linked ads for MGM room bookings as of this writing touting the new slogan, so it is or likely will be in place soon.


Bottom line? Vegas has always routinely changed. Vegas is painfully different these days... even within the last three years. The marketing analysts, accountants, and high-level management run the city now. We're all for capitalism and the forces of traditional supply and demand. We respect their right to make a profit and are fully aware that their responsibility and success is governed and measured by things like margins, EBITDA, and revenue.  There is a perpetual tendency for the powers to not appreciate customers. It would produce a big ol hat feather if all the pissed off Vegas visitors could convince these people that Las Vegas has never been and never will be New York, Orlando, Miami, or the like. The traditional draws of Vegas are rapidly disappearing or already obsolete. Their anti-gaming, anti-customer, anti-Vegas mindsets hold no traditional value or respect for what was once one of the greatest destination cities on the planet.

Las Vegas visitation statistics indicate the public is going to show up in record numbers despite fee hikes and hidden gouges. Vegas visitor numbers have hovered at approximately 42 million in 2015 and 2016 (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority stats). The increased visitation ( and improved discretionary spending vs the downturn in 2008 - 2010) is an inseparable part of the above gripes, and the giants are milking it.

Honestly, despite the above annoyances, the grand majority of us will still visit Vegas. The above won't keep us away...even most of those who swear they'll never set foot in the resorts again. In fact, we ourselves are just finalizing plans for our January 2017 Vegas visit. We'll just spend more concentrated time mentally flipping these guys off during the upcoming Vegas jaunt.

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