Budget Travel

Las Vegas Room Rates Hit All-Time Highs


Tim Winship
Tim Winship

    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.



    Related: Booze-to-Go at the Airport. What Could Go Wrong?



    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?
  • More from SmarterTravel:

  • 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.