Las Vegas Has Quietly Risen Its Hidden Fees – How to Avoid Them

Las Vegas Has Quietly Risen Its Hidden Fees - How to Avoid Them

This ever-trendy destination has sneakily increased its hidden fees. So, the next time you go to Las Vegas, read the fine print or you could end up spending up to double what you originally booked.

This year, from January to June, almost 18.5 million tourists visited this city. Tourism has increased by 37% compared to the same period last year. This summer, Las Vegas was one of the most visited destinations in the United States.

These “resort fees” are additional expenses that are not included in the original hotel price that customers see when they make their reservations. 

These “taxes and charges” are additional fees that currently range from $40 to $80. This fee is usually shown in the fine print and is collected at check-out.

Parking, gym access, internet connection, pool access, and minibar use are included in these additional charges whether you use them or not.

In Booking, for example, a standard room for one night at the famous Caesars Palace costs $80, which is not expensive compared to other hotels, given the exceptional location. However, in the fine print, there is a $63 charge for “taxes and charges”; so the actual cost per night for a cheap room is $143.

Some hotels may even charge an additional cost at the end of the stay equal to or even more than the room rate.

view of Las Vegas during the day

How to avoid the extra fees 

Some websites claim that visitors are not legally required to pay these additional fees and that they have the right to protest, but hotels have a back door.

Hotels often use fine print to show that these fees were communicated to consumers and included in the contract or in the long terms and conditions before they were accepted.

The best way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to read the terms and conditions thoroughly before making a reservation and identify any additional fees, join a hotel membership program, specifically look for hotels with no resort fees, or rent directly from the owner.