There was at least another one posited earlier in the thread - taxes are levied on the room charges but not fees.

I do not think that is currently lithe case in Las vegas.

They definitely now charge taxes on the resort fee, and I believe they always did.

This is 100% correct.

Yes, resort fees get taxed.

1. At what point, if any, would the resort fee be deceptive? $1 rooms with $179 fees?

2. The reason that the search sites don't include it is that they're not going to spend money modifying their software to cater for a bunch of hotels in one or two destinations that have chosen to game the system. The hotels, of course, know this - it's why they did it.

I do not think the amount of the fee has any relevance to issue of if it is deceptive to a consumer.

Mandatory fees are not limited to one or two destinations as you claim. They prevalent enough in tourist destinatons throughout North America that the search sites should address them.

You don't travel much, do you?

Probably more than you tbh. But I finished with Vegas a while ago. I used to visit 2/3 times a year (from the UK) between maybe 1995 and 2007 and we were usually comped all accommodation and food for stays up to 2 weeks. I'm a black card level player at my local casino, so unlimited food and drinks comps in the UK.

I last visited in Vegas 2008 and felt that the atmosphere was a lot less welcoming. Very little personal hosting, a lot of nickel and diming, fewer comps, less frequent visits from the cocktail waitresses, fewer late night dining options, etc. etc.

Didn't have as much fun and won't hurry back. The whole resort fee thing is just a symptom of a malaise that runs way deeper. An offer that's lost its way, many of its long time customers, and much of its appeal.

LOL

I've most likely visited more cities/ countries throughout the world than you can even name, much less that you've traveled to yourself.

You guys are missing the point. Chillrob didn't ask why companies did it, he asked why they MIGHT do it.

Nobody knows for sure why they do it, probably not even most accountants at MGM/CET/LVS/WYNN. It's probably to screw customers or the search sites, but unless you're really well versed in corporate tax law, it's difficult to rule out some tax issue (like one type of charge is deductible) or just some weird amortization thing (and to be honest I have no ****ing clue what amortization means, but it seems really important to bean counters).

The main point from me to Rob, and admittedly this is crossthreaded, is that you need to stop thinking everyone is out to get you. Sometimes you just make bad decisions. Sometimes you just get suckered. It's just part of life. If you don't like your credit card, find a new one. I forget whether this was a LVL convo or SSLHE or IRL with SSLHErs, but I advocate working on your credit score, getting a cash back cashback card, and not think about it too much; everyone else wanted to try to game the system and have one credit card for every different type of purchase. If you think these fees are deceptive and counterproductive, let your capitalist beast out and go profit from it. I frequently challenge everyone in LVL who thinks fees are a terrible financial decision to short the stocks of any company that does it. And if they're gouging the customers and getting away with it, go long. I made enough off MGM stock (long, during the Dubai World fiasco - I thought there was no way the Senate majority leader was going to let a half-built City Center fester at the heart of the Strip in his home state) that I have at least my next few vacations covered, whether they charge me a $0 or $40 or $140 resort fee. I don't count on comps to have a roof over my head nor do I have my life savings invested in Rewards Points.

When poker rakes go up to $6 (and they will, eventually if not already), there will be a big crowd of people here with torches and pitchforks saying how $5 was reasonable but $6 is too far. And when rakes go up to $7, there will be a big crowd saying how it was $6 for a long time and those greedy bastards raised it. Don't be part of those crowds. There's still some crusty degens whining about how the Oaks raised rake from $3 to $4 and refuse to play the newfangled Texas Hold Them so they stick it to The Man. Don't be like them in 20 years.

The world is not conspiring against you. At worst, it really doesn't give a **** about you. But yes bad things happen and they will happen to you. Politicians will lie. Corporations will be greedy. Easy money will disappear. Men in power get disproportionate numbers of blowjobs from female subordinates. That's just messy, non-ideal life. Stop blaming the external.

But but but Rob feels victimized by the big bad casinos and he wants everyone else to agree with his feelings of being victimized.

(note: I agree with everything that is quoted im just being silly.)

I agree it doesn't feel good to be nickel and dimed. I hate that the airlines do it, I hate that the telephone companies do it, I hate that hotels do it.

But I'm no more a victim that anyone else who lives in a capitalist society.

And someday when I make my first billion dollars, I'll incorporate Callipygian House of Degen as an S Corp and run a marginally profitable casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, and name my dog and cat onto the Board of Directors to rubber stamp my decisions. I'll spend half the day dealing with business **** and the other half getting blowjobs at the pool. There will be a special co-promotion with Callipygian Airlines, a marginally profitable airline that has hot nubile flight attendants and lists a single price. And at the airport a limo from Callipygian Transportation will be waiting with champagne and caviar and set rates from Point A to Point B.

But until that day, some bean counters in some windowless room are in charge. And they're greedy ****ers. And I buy their stock because they're really good at making money.

Just today got an email offer from CET; the typical thing with cheap prices listed without the resort fee. Similar to the MGM mailers, the resort fee is mentioned in tiny type hidden in a wall of text in hard to read font at the bottom of the mailer. But the funny thing this time is the title of the email:

"Too Good To Be True >> Check Out Our Hot Rates Sale! Book Vegas Rooms From $30/Night"

Finally, a little truth in advertising there!

That phrasing is just LOL

I am in awe of your huge travelling epeen. And how many of these destinations outside of the good ol' USofA charged a resort fee, pray tell?

Let's not confuse the issue you claimed it was only one or 2 destinations where resort fees get charged...so unless you are counting the whOle us as 1 destination why are you know asking about resort fees outside of the US?

Since nobody mentioned it...

http://vegastripping.com/board/las-v...ee-goodnessmgm

MGM Resort fees going up again. Aria and Bellagio now 45 bucks after tax. Guessing Wynn will reraise and crack that 50 dollar barrier in weeks.

There will be no ceiling until people quit paying it.

Push back is coming within a few years if they keep raising them at the rates they have been

Idiots might play 6/5 Bj all day bc they don't understand third grade math but they'll understand 79 dollar a day resort fees really well

MGM did have a weak Q4 with their Vegas markets while the economy continues to crush. Makes you wonder... (they blamed it on weak convention business)

The reality is that the Las Vegas has changed. This is no longer a town geared to attracting gamblers by luring them with cheap rooms meals and shows. thats just not the business model anymore. Those of us who like to gamble may lament that fact and wish the town was all about us, but its not.

Now it is true that at some point the hotel room rate market will not just keeping going up. The market is fluid. But that would be true if the room rates were listed as totals instead of as a roomrate + a resort fee.

There could also be a delayed effect on the convention business. Businesses that send employees to conventions will notice their costs of attending a yearly convention have gone way up, push back on the convention organizers, and the conventions being held elsewhere. That whole process will take a couple years and that might be the straw.

It's not a straw that broke the camera back thing. It's that prives will find an equilibrium and room rates are very fluid constantly changing. But that is still a total cost thing .. not a resort fee thing.

I just speak with my wallet,
I haven't stayed on the strip since the resort fees started.
I used to go 2-3 times per year.
Now the off strip casinos are starting with extra fees so I go maybe every other year.
I have been spending my vacations elsewhere.