If you are planning on your first Las Vegas trip there are a couple of facts and or tips about hotels you should be aware of. There are extra costs or surprise fees that you might not be aware of. Many visitors to Las Vegas are often shocked at resort fees, lack of in room fridges and coffee makers in their hotel rooms. These are all just normal facts about Las Vegas. Lets have a look at some of the surprising facts about Las Vegas Hotels and Casinos.
Surprising Facts about Vegas Hotels and Casinos
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- Mini-Fridges – Mini-fridges in most Vegas hotel rooms are not for personal use. They are stocked with expensive snack and drink options and have no room for your personal items. The fridges will often work off of pressure sensors that charge back to your room when an item is taken out. The hotels will often charge you if they catch you with your personal items in the mini-fridge. You can order a personal fridge in most hotels but that of course comes at an extra expense. It’s best to check with your hotel first to see if they offer a fridge. Treasure Island for example, has personal fridges in their rooms as well as higher end suites in most other hotels. We basically purchased as collapsible cooler from Amazon which is easy to pack and large enough to keep our stuff cold.
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- Resort Fees – Resort fees are always a shock to first time Las Vegas visitors. Most hotels will charge you an extra daily fee per room on top of your posted rate. The fee is for WiFi, gym use and other things you will never use in Vegas such as boarding passes and newspapers. The fee is paid directly to the hotel. If you are booking via a third part site such as Expedia and Travelocity you will still have to pay this fee to the hotel at the end of your stay. It varies but can range from $20 – $40. Resort fees are rarely waived unless you are a higher tiered member or high roller. You can see the fees in our Current Las Vegas Resort Fee Guide.
- Coffee Makers – Much to the dismay of many Vegas hotel rooms do not include a coffee maker. The casinos do not want you in the room drinking coffee. They want you on the floor playing or spending money in their shops. Every hotel has a coffee shop or Starbucks but it is not cheap. Prices are generally pretty high. Many people who insist of having coffee bring a smaller coffee maker with them or even pick one up when in Vegas. We detailed a few coffee places in our Where to get coffee in Vegas post.
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- ATM Fees – ATM Fees at machines in Casinos and along The Las Vegas Strip can really vary from place to place. It’s best to check first as some along the strip can be as high as $10. The Walgreens and CVS stores are reported as being respectable at a few dollars. The best is Casino Royal located beside Harrahs at only being $1.
- Snacks and Drinks – Buy your snacks and drinks anywhere besides a Casino store. The prices are often very over inflated. The best spots are again The Walgreens and CVS stores which are located all over the strip. You will be very surprised what a Casino store will charge you for a simple bottle of water. We always buy a small case from Walgreens or CVS.
- Not so Cheap Breakfast – The days of finding a cheap breakfast at most of the casino restaurants is long gone. Every casino and hotel will have a breakfast spot on site. The problem is that the cost of that breakfast is way over priced. We tried a couple of places in hotels and were shocked with a $60 bill for a regular breakfast for two. We would have been better off with the Breakfast Buffet price and food wise. You can still find a McDonald’s or Denny’s on the strip for a cheaper breakfast. The area around Casino Royale has a few cheaper fast food breakfast type spots or we recommend Hash House at The Linq or Peppermill Lounge. If you want to dine cheap you will really have to do your homework.
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