Las Vegas is one of the prime travel destinations for people all around the world. It’s got a little bit of everything to offer including casinos, restaurants, world-class entertainment, and even natural beauty.

But one of the primary attractions is the Strip which is home to many large resorts and hotels. While millions of people love these resorts, many people despise the fees that are often attached to visiting these hotels. So in this article, I’ve broken down the parking fees and resort fees that you might expect to run into, and detail how you might avoid some of these fees.

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What are resort fees? 

Resort fees are fees that hotels choose to charge guests, mostly to make their room rates seem like more of a bargain. Because as we all know, a $99/per night hotel room (with somewhat hidden $39/per night resort fees) looks much more attractive than a $138/per night hotel room.

The fees, which are often charged on a daily-rate basis, are not always called resort fees and might be called something else like an “amenity fee.” But either way, hotels often provide whatever reason is convenient as justification for the fees. 

So if you’re staying at a beach resort, a hotel might tell you that the resort fee covers things like usage of pool towels, poolside chairs, beach access, etc. In other cases, it might be very basic amenities like the in-room safe, daily newspaper, etc. or random amenities like tennis court usage.

But since we were talking about Las Vegas resort fees, let’s take a look at what you might encounter at a Las Vegas hotel.

Here’s what the Bellagio states is covered and it’s resort fee:

• Fitness center access
• Internet access
• Phone calls
• Additional items may be included

Here what the MGM Grand resort fee covers:

• Property-wide high-speed internet access 
• Unlimited local and toll-free calls
• Airline boarding pass printing
• Notary service
• Fitness center access for guests 18+

There’s a huge debate about whether or not these amenities should be included in a room rate.

Many people feel like internet access is a part of the basic hotel experience and should simply be included in the room rate. The same goes for fitness centers. I agree with these folks but with that debate aside, I mostly just think resort fees should at the very least be included in the listing price wherever the room rate is shown.

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Can you avoid the resort fees in Las Vegas?

In general, avoiding resort fees can be done but it’s not guaranteed at most properties. If you want to try to avoid these fees, then here are a few different methods that you might want to try.

Catch a deal

Sometimes these resorts will have special promotions that go on where the resort fee is waived. Be on the lookout for these and make sure to check for special restrictions such as check-in and checkout dates. In some cases, like with the past deal with Treasure Island, you could opt out of the resort fee by mentioning a TV commercial at the time of booking.

In that case, if you decided to opt out you would not have privileges to use the fitness center, business center, and wireless internet. So again, pay attention to the fine print.  

You have no plan to use them

If you have done research ahead of time and know that the resort fee applies to at that particular hotel you’re staying at, and you know that you will not be using any of those amenities, it never hurts to bring this up at check-in and tell the agent something like:

I noticed that there was a $37 resort fee here for fitness center use, phone calls, airline boarding pass printing, and notary service. I have no intention on using any of those amenities and wanted to inquire about getting the resort fee waived.

It might work, it might not, but it’s worth trying and I don’t think anyone would be too judgmental just because you voiced that you did not want to pay for something that you will not be using.

Just note that if you tell someone at the front desk you don’t plan on using something, you really should not have plans to use it. 

Gambling cred

If you are a big time gambler and the hotel knows who you are, then there’s a good chance that you could have the resort fee waived with a simple request or they might even do it proactively.

If you’re planning on losing thousands of dollars over the long run at a casino, then it’s not surprising that they would be willing to waive the $40 fee to keep you content and make you feel special. But maybe on some occasions you might actually come out on top and get your resort fee waived as a bonus.

I would inquire with the front desk about getting fees waived due to your gambling budget at the time of check-in or perhaps just call ahead of time to get some details on that because this will definitely be different at each property.

Hotel loyalty status

Also, if you have loyalty status with the hotel, you might stand a better chance of getting that fee removed. For example, Hyatt Globalist members do not have to pay resort fees but when it comes to Las Vegas M Life properties are excluded.

Something to be on the lookout for is that if you book with points with certain programs like Marriott, you likely will still have to pay the resort fee. Other programs like Hilton and Hyatt don’t require you to pay resort fees when you book with points.

Poor stay conditions

If your stay is not up to par you could try to leverage that as a way to get resort fees removed.

For example, if your hotel room was not clean when you arrived or if you were forced to wait extra long for your room to get ready then you at least have a basis for trying to negotiate away those fees. High-end luxury properties are notorious for going above and beyond when even the smallest detail is not right. This is how I ended up getting a ride in a Rolls-Royce for free at the Ritz-Carlton!

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Are resort fees legal?

Some people consider resort fees to be misleading and deceptive, perhaps even in violation of the law. I haven’t used my background in law to investigate this issue very closely but is an interesting and legitimate position.

The Federal Trade Commission has stated that “separating mandatory resort fees from posted room rates without first disclosing the total price is likely to harm consumers by increasing the search costs and cognitive costs of finding and choosing hotel accommodations.”

Basically it just creates an inefficient process for finding hotels within your budget and introduces potential fee surprises.

There have been several lawsuits filed against hotel companies with the hopes of ending resort fees. Some countries like the UK have started to take action against them and other countries will likely follow suit.

But, until something changes, we will just have to navigate around these fees.

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How to find resort fees 

Hotels are getting a little bit better about showing resort fees online as I did not have to call any property on the Strip to find out what the resort fees are. Not that that should be commendable. 

You can often view the resort fee whenever you are searching for a room. In some cases, you’ll find it in small print just below the room rate like for the Bellagio pictured below. 

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The findings

Below is a breakdown of all of the resort fees and parking fees at major hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. I also searched for the lowest standard room rate for a day in the middle of the summer just to give some perspective of how high those fees can be in relation to a room rate. 

Since I did this research in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the room rates are exceptionally low for some properties. So one of the crazy findings is that for a handful of these properties, the resort fee is actually more expensive than the room rate.

That’s pretty ridiculous and I thought this was just a product of depressed room rates during the pandemic but then I found out that is not the case. It’s actually not uncommon for some Las Vegas hotels to list room rates that are cheaper than their resort fees.

It’s very annoying and an anti-customer pricing strategy but on the flipside, the good news is that I found most hotels on the Las Vegas strip do not have parking fees. In reality, those parking fees could be factored into the resort fees so I wouldn’t necessarily get too excited. 

So if you are heading to Las Vegas anytime soon, and you are salivating at these super cheap room rates, just be aware that in some cases your resort fees and parking fees could potentially double the cost of your weekend stay.

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Resort fees at Las Vegas Strip hotels

Aria 

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $119

Bally’s

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $35

Bellagio

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $139

Best Western Plus Casino Royale

• Resort fee: N/A
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $63.99

Caesars Palace

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: $30
• Standard room rate: $99

Circus Circus

• Resort fee: $36.28
• Parking fee: $16
• Standard room rate: $42.50

Cosmopolitan

• Resort fee: $44.22
• Parking fee: $20
• Standard room rate: $145

Encore

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $139

Excalibur

• Resort fee: $35
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $22

Flamingo

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $35

Harrah’s

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $35

Luxor

• Resort fee : $35
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $29

Mandalay Bay

• Resort fee: $39
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $65

MGM Grand

• Resort fee: $39
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $49

New York-New York

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $35

Paris

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $55

Park MGM

• Resort fee: $39
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $49

Planet Hollywood

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $49

Sahara

• Resort fee: $37.95
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $52

The Cromwell

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $99

The Linq

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: $24
• Standard room rate: $35

The Mirage

• Resort fee: $39
• Parking fee: Free Self Parking till further notice
• Standard room rate: $65

The Strat

• Resort fee: $35
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $24

The Venetian

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $134.25

Treasure Island

• Resort fee: $39
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $55.96

Tropicana

• Resort fee: $37
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $99

Wynn

• Resort fee: $45
• Parking fee: Free
• Standard room rate: $139

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Hotels in Las Vegas that don’t charge resort fees

If you want to avoid resort fees, you can also just stay at hotels in Las Vegas that don’t charge them. Many of these hotels are members of popular loyalty programs so it’s also possible for you to easily use points and avoid resort fees.

Here’s a list rounded up on killresortfees.com.

• America’s Best Value Inn
• Candlewood Suites Las Vegas
• Casino Royale Best Western Plus
• Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas Convention Center
• Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas South
• Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas Summerlin
• Desert Rose Resort
• Four Queens
• Hampton Inn Tropicana
• Hampton Inn & Suites Las Vegas South
• Hampton Inn & Suites Las Vegas Red Rock/Summerlin
• Hampton Inn & Suites Las Vegas Airport
• Hampton Inn Las Vegas/North Speedway
• Hawthorn Inn
• Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
• Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas City Center
• Holiday Inn Express
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Las Vegas Strip South
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas Airport
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Vegas City Center
• Hyatt Place Las Vegas
• Hyatt Place Las Vegas at Silverton Village
• La Quinta Inn + Suites
• Lucky Club
• Marriott Las Vegas Convention Center
• Marriott’s Grand Chateau
• Red Roof Inn
• Residence Inn
• Royal Resort
• Siena Suites Hotel
• Skylofts at the MGM Grand
• Travelodge Center Strip
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott Las Vegas City Center
• WorldMark Las Vegas Blvd
• WorldMark Tropicana
• Wyndham Desert Blue
• Wyndham Grand Desert

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Final word

Overall, resort fees are mostly an attempt to lure customers into booking by grabbing their attention with prices that appear to be better bargains than they actually are.

In some cases, you might be able to get the fees waived but that depends on a lot of different factors and is usually not guaranteed.

If you are planning to stay at a popular hotel on the Strip, you will likely be charged resort fees that could be even higher than your room rate but you can avoid these fees by booking a stay at other properties.