MGM’s Strip Properties to Charge Parking Fees – Others Sure To Follow
A bombshell of an announcement was dropped Friday when MGM Resorts announced its plan to charge parking fees at strip properties starting in April of this year.
Here’s the breakdown:
- The charge is $10 a night for hotel guests. That’s $10 per vehicle, not $10 per person.
- Locals will have a grace period (unspecified) to park for free
- MLife privileges can be earned to cover parking costs for locals and tourists. The exact amount of points has not been announced.
- There will be a charge (unspecified) for valet services.
Per a rep we spoke with, parking will not be validated if you are only going to a show, or dining at an MGM property. So, if you go to more than one MGM property, you will be charged each time.
Many have voiced their absolute disgust displeasure via MGM’s social media outlets:
On the upside, a new parking structure will be built behind the Excalibur to help alleviate parking stress that the T-Mobile Arena will cause.
Per the press release:
After extensive review and analysis, the company will construct a $54-million, 3,000-space parking structure near the northwest corner of the Excalibur Hotel campus that will serve to absorb further visitor growth and enhance the experience of attendees of events at nearby resorts and entertainment venues. The facility is designed to serve the city’s newest venues –
T-Mobile Arena, The Park, and the Theater at Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – and provide additional onsite parking for employees. Construction of the new parking facility is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2016, with completion scheduled in the second quarter of 2017.
Also, parking structure upgrades will be coming to existing MGM parking structures, per the press release, these include:
- Redesigned parking facility layouts to improve accessibility
- Parking guidance systems that will guide guests to available spaces
- Mobile technology allowing visitors to check space availability prior to arrival
- Upgraded lighting, LED signage, paint and striping
- Elevator and escalator upgrades and enhancements
Take our word that MGM’s move to charge parking fees on the strip is a sign of things to come. Much like 6:5 Blackjack, and resort fees, you can expect Caesars to follow up as well as Sands Corp, T.I., Wynn and other strip properties (maybe not Casino Royale) soon to follow after MGM releases its Q3 earnings report. Of course, Caesars will claim “This is what our customers asked for” when they make their announcement in the future. Other properties are “monitoring the situation” which means, they’re already planning, trust us. Paying to park is not uncommon in other cities, notably, Atlantic City casinos charge a parking fee during concerts/events. Free parking at resorts was one of the last freebies to find in Las Vegas. The Smith Center charges for parking. The Cosmopolitan says they have no plans to charge for parking but did say they are “always evaluating the business.”
We did the math, even if one were to park at a Caesars property and then get a 24 hour LV Monorail pass, it would still cost more than parking at one MGM property. Per the LV Monorail website, a 24-hour pass costs $12. Of course one could park at Bally’s and then walk across the street and board the Bellagio Tram, it’ll get you as far as Monte Carlo. Then you can hoof it to Excalibur and board that free one as well which will take you to Mandalay Bay. Or, maybe try some of the bus options. When all is said and done would it really be worth it if you stay parked at only one MGM property? I think not. At multiple properties? Yes.
Will the new parking fees make you rethink your stay in Vegas? Tell us in the comments below.
[Images: Michael Movestro, MGM Resorts International, Facebook]
Michael Movestro founded Vegas Bright to continue the tradition when Vegas Chatter cashed out. Michael pays the bills, maintains the site, writes articles, hosts VBN – Vegas Bright Newscast.
13 thoughts on “MGM’s Strip Properties to Charge Parking Fees – Others Sure To Follow”
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I think what will change for me is that I will be less likely to rent a car. It can be very convenient to be sure, but I don’t use it all that much when I am there because I like my cocktails.
If I have to pay $10 per night to park it I will likely pass on it.
Uber drivers across LV are jumping for joy. Rental car companies not so much.
The real question is do the people who drive in from California care.
I always use cabs (now UBER) so it does not bother me personally. But it does bother me that MGM Resorts company is doing this overall. Just another stick it to the customer move.
Ha, like the fees are going to pay for the new Excalibur structure. What, they aren’t going to charge to park there? Probably a premium on event nights also. There are so many bad words I want to say right now to MGM… Now I have to pay for the “privilege” of losing money at your sorry casinos? Forget it.
I read numerous message boards that this only affects visitors that drive (for example, from Southern California or Phoenix) or the small percentage of visitors that rent a car upon arrival (like I do). Also, some comments mention “What’s $10 a day?”
That doesn’t include casino hoppers that rent cars.
My wife and I are coming to Las Vegas in April (blog post coming on the trip planning). On one particular day in our upcoming trip, our plans are (starting at Paris), Caesars Bacchanal Buffet for breakfast, going to Mandalay to the Shark Reef, South Point for a bowling tournament, dinner somewhere (not planned, yet), Raiding the Rock Vault at the Tropicana, Cosmopolitan for a nightcap Verbena, then back to Paris. IF EACH were to charge $10 for parking, that’s $60 to $70 in one day. Multiply that by five days…
My husband and I are also casino hoppers. I had to call him at work just now to tell him the horrible news. This is the only reason why we do so many things like day parties etc. We go in the summer all the time and I don’t want to walk the strip from end to end. Had Bacchanal for dinner once and it was pretty good.
rumor is 17$ for valet
The South Strip is a virtual MGM sea……locals can easily park at the Trop (or Hooters) to avoid the parking fees and hoof it over the pedestrian bridges. I sure don’t want to shell out 10 bucks if I am just doing a photo-run or quick stop in. MGM execs should consider waiving the fee for Nevada plate vehicles at least to encourage locals to continue visiting their properties–we DO contribute to their bottom line.
I tend to stay away from the strip. I prefer downtown. My wife and I come to Vegas twice a year, and we rarely go to the strip. We spend our gambling budgets at the downtown or outlying casinos.
Yet another small dent in our enthusiasm to travel to Vegas, which used to be our go-to spot for at least four trips per year. Not a deal-breaker, but certainly another incentive to stay away from the strip.
If needed, I will park at a free facility and walk. I barely ever take the monorail, but it might be an option.
I can’t help but wonder if the casinos who aren’t planning on charging will capitalize on this move by making it impossible to move from their parking garage to the strip without passing through the casino? It is difficult now, but not impossible, from a few garages – Bally’s is probably the most accessible. It makes sense to keep the customer contained as long as you can.
I remember how much the Caesar’s properties bragged about being the ones without a resort fee (until they suddenly weren’t anymore). I hope this isn’t the case with parking, but I fear it will be.
As one who drives from SoCal 3-4 times a year, I love the fact that I can park my car in valet for the most part, not need my car for a couple days. Our average stay is 4 days/3 nights. If Valet goes to $17/day, we’ll probably stop using that and self-park for the $10/day. That means the valet folks won’t get my tip, which is usually fairly generous. I always think to myself that since it’s free, I can throw in a few more bucks than normal.
It’s almost making flying in more feasible. It’s honestly about the same amount of time by the time we get to the airport, check in, board, land, get luggage, find a cab and/or rent a car, etc. Flight delay risks are almost the same as heavy traffic delays.
I’m assuming M life will make their reward comps available to use towards parking. Or parking will be thrown in for Platinum card holders?
From a business perspective though, this will be a short lived concern. After 2 years it will become a “I remember when..,” story and people will pay it. The percentage of those that decide not to go the MGM properties because they have pay to park will be insignificant to the bottom line. The money from parking fees will far surpass any loss. Unfortunately, that’s just how a tourist business operates. (Some simple math: MGM has 5043 rooms, if 50% occupancy w/cars, that’s still $25,000/day if every one self parks. That’s over 9 million a year.)
That being said. It still sucks.
HORRIBLE!!! Hubs and I go to Vegas every year from Brooklyn, NY. We’ve rented a car each time. We drive EVERYWHERE. I’m disgusted. Every hotel we go to we park. We only walk the strip from time to time but that’s because we want to, to hang or see the sites not because we’re to cheap to pay 30-40 bucks to park in a new lot each time.
I definitely will not be renting a car in Vegas anymore. I wonder how many valet jobs will be lost once they start to charge for parking?