Las Vegas Room Rates Hit All-Time Highs

Remember the days when a trip to Las Vegas meant $29 hotel rooms and free prime rib dinners? That was then.

Today, with the city’s cringe-worthy resort fees, niggling parking fees, and sky-high prices for shows, a Vegas trip is more likely to mean busting the budget.

Nevertheless, demand for Las Vegas travel remains strong. According to the latest report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, average room rates reached an all-time high in January, at $150.21 per night. That figure does not include taxes, mandatory resort fees, which can be as high as $40 a night including taxes, or parking fees.

Other highlights of the report:

• January visitors totaled 3.5 million
• Hotel occupancy rates average 85.7% in January
• Weekend occupancy rates were 92.6%
• Gaming revenue for the month: $926 million

For budget-minded travelers, there is one bright spot in the report. The average daily hotel rate at downtown hotels was just $74.59, less than half the $163.72 rate at Strip hotels.

Reader Reality Check

When you think of Las Vegas, do you still view it as a bargain destination?

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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.