MGM increases resort fees at 3 Las Vegas Strip properties
After leaving resort fees steady for more than a year, MGM Resorts International has increased them at Aria, Vdara and Bellagio.
The $6 increase, announced Thursday, brings the daily resort fee to $45 at each of the properties, catching them up to other casino-resorts on the Strip such as Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, Palazzo and The Venetian.
“We are constantly evaluating prices to ensure they properly reflect the business landscape and the services and amenities they support,” said MGM spokesman Brian Ahern.
The move comes just months after MGM Chief Financial Officer Corey Sanders and Chief Strategy Officer Aaron Fischer said the company had no plans to increase fees in 2019. MGM hadn’t increased resort fees since March 2018.
An MGM spokesperson said the change was based on local and national market standards, including bundled costs of amenities and services.
Hotels say they charge resort fees to pay for the additional services they provide, such as gyms, pools and WiFi. All guests must pay the fee regardless of whether they use the services.
Spokespeople for Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Caesars Entertainment Corp. said the companies have no plans to change resort fees. Boyd Gaming Corp. spokesman David Strow said he didn’t have information on future plans for resort fees. Spokespeople for Red Rock Resorts Inc. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. did not return requests for comment.
Hotel brands have been under fire for their use of resort fees in recent weeks.
The attorney general for the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against Marriott on July 9 over its use of resort fees, accusing the company of deceiving customers by hiding a portion of its daily rates.
Later that month, the Nebraska attorney general filed a lawsuit against Hilton Hotels Corporation for its use of resort fees. The lawsuits come after an investigation into resort fees by the attorneys general of all 50 states.
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Sands operates Palazzo and The Venetian.
Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.