Welcome to formerly fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada
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The unfinished Echelon (low to the ground at left) and the Fountainbleu Hotel and Casino highrise (right) sit vacant on the Las Vegas Strip. -
The marquee outside the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino no longer carries the Hilton brand name. -
Deals are plentiful on the Las Vegas Strip because of tough economic times. -
Homeless people are a frequent sight on the Las Vegas Strip. -
Entertainers dressed as pop culture characters -- here they are Transformers -- troll for tips on the Strip.
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LAS VEGAS -- If it's been a while since you've been to Las Vegas, prepare for signs of the metropolis plodding through a down economy.
But Sin City's plight can be good and bad news for vacationers.
On the one hand, travelers can score substantial discounts off the sticker price of a hotel room. At the Excalibur ($850 sticker price) the cost was an average $60 per night with a AAA discount in early November, plus $12-$15 per night "resort fees" that have become common at Vegas resorts. The Excalibur resort fee covered Wi-Fi, local and long-distance phone calls, incoming faxes, pool access and a daily newspaper. (The only things I wanted on that list were the pool and newspaper, but the pool's hours were limited to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- hours I chose to be out and about -- making each copy of USA Today the most expensive newspaper I've ever purchased.)
"Room rates vary wildly from week-to-week depending on how many people they have coming in," said Christina Binkley, who covered Vegas for The Wall Street Journal for 10 years and wrote the book "Winner Takes All: Steve Wynn, Kirk Kerkorian, Gary Loveman, and the Race to Own Las Vegas" ($15.99, Hyperion).
"Your $60 room could be $120 one weekend and three days later it's $30," she said. "It's almost as if there's no rhyme or reason to the pricing, but it all has to do with revenue planning. If people are traveling for fun and have the ability to adjust their dates, they can get extraordinary bargains."
Ms. Binkley suggests Vegas visitors begin their research by checking prices at the nicest properties, including the Wynn. Last month, a room at the Wynn for this coming Saturday was going for $359, but that's not always the case.
"I know somebody who went and stayed at the Wynn not long ago for less than $100 per night," she said.
Several casinos offer buffet deals, including $32 for an all-day pass to eat at the Excalibur or Luxor buffets. Of course, that's only a good deal if you plan to spend your day moored to these neighboring properties.
The Tropicana is even running a gambling deal: Lose up to $200 and the casino will reimburse you that amount in free slot play; up to $100 on your first visit and up to another $100 a month later.
First Published January 8, 2012 12:00 am
