Everyone knows I’m a fan of Vegas since Sly and I started the ‘Annual Zaal Vegas Christmas Vactation’. I like vacating in a place that is pretty inexpensive, where I can relax and do things I enjoy (movies, shows, food, gambling) with my loving wife of 32 years (inside joke) and get the hell out of Calgary for a few days. Read on to hear my justifications….
I’m a bit of a romantic when it comes to Vegas, or at least what Vegas used to be. Dinner shows, gambling, black tie requirements most everywhere and very few children wandering around. When gambling was considered something fun to do and had very little stigma attached to it and jetting off to Vegas for the weekend wasn’t unheard of.
Things are different now. Families and children everywhere, jeans and t-shirts at almost every turn and an absolute dearth of entertainment options outside of the Cirque shows. I might need to dig a little deeper on that last one but I don’t think I’m wrong.
In the article linked below, they describe the new Vegas (not to be confused with Fallout: New Vegas) where punters are nickel and dimed through out their entire visit. Resort Fees, Parking fees, loss of free drinks for gamblers and a general loss of perceived value for each dollar spent while visiting.
I can’t disagree with that: I remember the first trip we were planning in 2013 and was horrified to discover that the “great package” deal of airfare and a hotel for 5 days was actually going to increase by about thirty percent due to resort fees charged upon arrival.
It was only a matter of time before people who visited regularly, every couple of months, stop travelling to Vegas for a break and I believe we’re starting to see that after this month’s (August 2nd, 2018) MGM corporation earnings call, it may very well be hurting the big hotel groups bottom line.
I’ve got a trip set for next week that I’m very excited about but where I would normally just stay on the strip, I’ve got an offer to stay at the Fremont Hotel and Casino Downtown and I’m taking advantage of that because I enjoy it down there. The costs for almost everything are cheaper, there’s more entertainment (both on and off Fremont Street) that costs little to nothing, and it’s way more exciting than the Strip. I’ll be two nights at the Fremont followed by 4 nights at the Excalibur because they love me down there (read: I don’t pay for rooms).
What I hope Vegas keeps in mind as we move forward is that people will eventually burn out on all the extra charges that pop up and will remember the next time they are planning a trip somewhere. I’m hoping this will be a good trip. Give the article a read below.
Source: Vegas Suffers From Its Own GreedThe American Spectator