HAIL, SWEET DEALS, AS LAS VEGAS OPENS
HOTELS CUT ROOM RATES INTO THE FALL TO APPEAL TO CALIFORNIA GUESTS
R EADY
TO PARTY like it’s 2019? Las Vegas hopes you are.
After three months of pandemicimposed darkness, the world’s most electrifying city has switched on the lights, fired up the fountains and slashed prices for the summer.
Of course, several things have changed in the interim. There are hand-sanitizing stations, masked employees and strict cleaning protocols for hotel rooms.
It’s good to remember that, although Las Vegas started welcoming guests in early June, California still has a stay-at-home order that urges residents to delay nonessential trips. Still, you may want to book for a future date; many of the bargains last into fall.
Some of the deals are as hot as summer temperatures in Nevada: a three-night stay for $87 at the Flamingo Hotel; $29 round-trip fares on Frontier Airlines from LAX to McCarren Airport; luxury rooms at places such as Caesars Palace and Aria for less than $100 a night plus fees and taxes.
Free parking has returned to the Strip; you’ll find it at casinos along Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay to the Strat Hotel & Casino. That includes high-roller hot spots such as Caesars Entertainment casinos, MGM Resorts properties and independents such as the Cosmopolitan.
It’s all part of the city’s renewed focus on California residents, meaning guests who can drive to the city
instead of arriving by plane. We’ve been missed.
“Visitors from Southern California are among our most loyal customers,” said Fletch Brunelle, vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We know that people are ready for a quick escape, and Vegas is waiting.”
Everyone is rolling out the red carpet, from luxe properties to budget motels. Below is a sampling of weekday rates at a few of the city’s premier hotels. Each adds a resort fee of about $45 to the rates. And you’ll have to pay taxes, of course, so your nightly fee probably will exceed $150. But the price is still an excellent bargain for a four- or five-star hotel:
Mandalay Bay:
$69 per night (reopening Wednesday)
Caesars Palace:
$99 per night
Aria: $99 per night (reopening Wednesday)
Venetian Resort:
$111 per night
Wynn Las Vegas/Encore: $111 per night
Bellagio Resort and Casino:
$139 per night
Most of the deals include hotel and casino perks. And all the hotels offer other promotions that cost more but sweeten the pot. Wynn Las Vegas, for instance, has a partnership with hop-on jet service JSX that starts at $216 per person for a two-night stay.
It includes round-trip airfare on JSX from private terminals at Hollywood Burbank or John Wayne airports plus a room or suite and a $50 dining credit. (You still pay a $45 resort fee each night. Book at
jsx.com/wynn; use the promotion code JSXPKG.)
Wynn also has a two-night stay getaway that includes a $100 dining credit. It starts at $260 weekdays, excluding resort fees.
Those fees are a buzzkill for many Vegas deals. Read the fine print carefully when booking.
A few smaller Las Vegas hotels never charge resort fees. Best Western Plus Casino Royale, for instance, is on the Strip and has rates that start at $63.99, with no resort fee. It’s across the street from the Mirage and near the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace but has only a small casino.
You’ll find a bigger casino, a lot of pizzazz and won’t have to pay resort fees at the Sahara Las Vegas, which has eliminated them for those booking by Tuesday. You need to book immediately but can apply the deal to future stays. Rates start at $58 for a king, or you can upgrade to a junior suite for $97 per night.
The Sahara has been undergoing renovations (it was formerly the SLS Las Vegas) and has completed a bright new revamp of its casino f loor and hotel lobby. The new owner, Alex Meruelo, eventually expects to spend $150 million renovating it.
Another nearby casino is also in the midst of renovations and has a hot deal for the summer. The Strat Hotel, Casino and SkyPod is offering a Total Vegas Package that includes a $25 food and beverage credit, admission for two to the SkyPod attraction and $10 free slot play.
Rates start at $24 per night weekdays and $66 weekends, with a two-night minimum. And you’ll have to pay a $35-per-day resort fee. Book by Tuesday online or by calling (800) 998-6937; mention code EB0520A.
Guests will find that some amenities they’re used to may not be available or have limited hours.
But the plus is that Vegas is doubling down on deals as a way to lure gamblers back inside the casinos. And that means you're in luck, whether you win at the tables or not.