Las Vegas Strip resort quietly triples down on added fees
For Thanksgiving, my wife, son and I went to a steakhouse in Brazil. It was one of those all-you-can-eat orders where the waiters thread the meat on skewers and cut it onto your plate.
This was a labor intensive model and the service was first class. The staff checked in regularly to see how we were doing, and the owner visited our table twice.
However, when our bill arrived I was a little annoyed and it came with a 20% tip already included. Usually when a restaurant adds an automatic tip, it states it on the menu or on a small card on the table.
One local chain we went to had a card on the table that not only added an 18% tip to every check, but also explained where the money was going. This is complete transparency, and I have never eaten at one of this chain’s restaurants where my waiter didn’t ask me if I saw and understood the policy.
This was only a slight annoyance on Thanksgiving because I had planned to tip 20% anyway. I think this should be mentioned as I could have easily evaded the charge and tipped double, but considering it wasn’t traditional waiter service, they probably added the charge because other customers didn’t tip.
But in Las Vegas, resort casinos have become a minefield of hidden fees and surcharges. A Las Vegas Strip visitor recently went viral on social media MGM Resorts International hotel, which seems a bit extreme.
In most cases, the words tip and tip are interchangeable. This usually also applies to service charges, although they are sometimes explained.
A hotel’s room service may charge a $10 service fee for all orders, and will usually tell you whether that money will go to the person delivering your meal. Sometimes the menu may state that some (or all) of this charge goes to the person packing the meal.
In this case, it may be reasonable to give the delivery driver an additional tip.
But the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip recently charged a customer three separate mandatory fees.
“This Cosmopolitan room service bill with auto tip, 22% tip and $10 service charge is going viral on the ‘Mildly Annoying’ subreddit,” he shared.
Person ordered OD French Toast RMS ($20), Buttermilk Scratch Pancakes ($19), and American Breakfast ($40). This amounted to $79 in meal charges, but the bill showed a subtotal of $89, which included a $10 charge for what was called a “Traditional Room Service Upgrade.”
Additionally, the receipt showed a tip fee of $16.02, a service charge of $10, and a 22% tip of $19.58. Sales tax was also listed as $7.45. When all of this was added up, it came to $142.05.
So this customer was charged four separate charges that were probably all for the same thing.
Reddit replies They were not kind to Las Vegas or the hotel.
“Yes. This is just elaborate greed,” 10InchesofSnow wrote.
Some were angrier than others.
TerribleIdea27 said, “It’s not just greed. This would be a reason for me to dispute the charge and cancel my order. This is disgusting and deceptive. If a company did this to me, this would definitely be the last time I use their service.”
Others were even more astonished by this arrogance.
“This is really crazy. The tip plus a service fee plus the additional tip option sounds like they’re hoping people won’t notice every line. I’d ask the server or manager what each charge actually covers,” CleanPart3605 said.
American Breakfast was $40.Shutterstock” loading=”lazy” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-1gfnohs loader”/>
American Breakfast was $40.Shutterstock
As a top Caesars loyalty program member, I am fortunate to have my resort fees waived and in many cases I even get free parking. However, unless you have a certain level of special status, resort fees are non-negotiable.
However, hotels are required to inform customers of these fees at the time of booking.
“Consumers have the right to know the total cost of their hotel stay in advance,” said former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz. Press release. “So-called ‘drip pricing’ fees, sometimes portrayed as ‘convenience’ or ‘service’ fees, are not helpful at all, and businesses that hide them are doing a huge disservice to American consumers.”
Travelers United, a nonprofit organization that represents travelers, has taken a stance against any resort fees.
“These fees are often called resort fees, but the resort fee has nothing to do with the hotel being an actual resort because it is a fee that allows the hotel to lie about the advertised price. At many hotels, these fees are called a city fee, amenity fee, destination fee, destination amenity fee, security fee or resort fee,” the group shared on its site. website.
“Hotel resort fee, resort fee, resort fee. These surcharges go by many names, but more and more consumers are seeing one or another form of them added to their hotel bill. And often, consumers only realize they’ve been charged a resort fee when checking out,” the magazine said. website.
These are just a few of the fees and types of fees you may pay when visiting the Las Vegas Strip.
Mandatory “resort fees” on hotel rooms: Many Strip hotels impose a nightly fee on the listed room rate. Source: Las Vegas Trip
High resort fee amounts: For premium hotels on the Strip (e.g. Bellagio, ARIA Resort & Casino, etc.), resort fees are now often about $55 per night (before taxes). Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Parking fees (self-parking or valet): Even if you stay at or visit a hotel/casino, you must pay separate parking fees. At many properties, parking for hotel guests is $20 per day (a little more for non-guests), while valet is typically $40 per day. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Weekend or peak and event surcharges for parking: Parking fees tend to be higher on weekends or during busy periods (weekend self-parking rates for visitors are generally higher than weekday rates). Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Early entry fees: Some hotels charge extra fees if you want to check in before normal time. For example, a facility reportedly charges 60 dollars for early check-in. Source: Covers.com
Mandatory “feature pack” fees regardless of usage: Facility fees generally include internet, fitness center/pool access, phone calls, boarding pass printing, bottled water, etc. “covers” the possibilities. Even if you don’t use them, you still pay. Source: Las Vegas Trip
Housekeeping fees or reduced service and tipping pressure: Some “amenities” that may once have been free (cleaning, printing, pool towels, etc.) are now part of the pay package, and tip or service charges can still be expected to be above that. Source: Las Vegas Direct
Service charges/surcharges at restaurants or for delivery: On-site dining (especially poolside or delivered to lounge chairs) may involve extra charges (for example, a lunch reported to cost $29 ended up being reported to be $45). Source: Sun
These fees may actually be keeping visitors away from Las Vegas.
“Once praised for its affordability, Las Vegas is now facing a decline in tourism, largely due to rising costs and controversial resort fees. As prices rise, more and more visitors are expressing disappointment, with nearly 90% of respondents to the latest survey labeling the city ‘too expensive.'” Travel Tour World reported.
This may explain the city’s recent decline in visitors.
“This shift in perception is becoming a major obstacle to attracting new tourists and threatens the city’s reputation as a budget-friendly destination. Despite high satisfaction among current visitors, industry experts warn these concerns could have long-lasting impacts on Las Vegas’ appeal.”
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