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BULLSH*T VEGAS CUTBACKS, or "Lies COVID Told Me"

SamNovak

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BULLSH*T VEGAS CUTBACKS, or "Lies COVID Told Me"

COVID-19 is the scapegoat for numerous Vegas cost-cutting moves. VEGAS 411 shreds the lies.

If you've been to Las Vegas in the past three years, you've undoubtedly noticed that the city is in the midst of yet another gouging spree. All the lessons that our tourism industry could have learned during the pandemic were tossed out the window. Those in charge are back to squeezing every dollar from your wallet, turning you upside down, and shaking out the last remaining nickel. In May 2020, I published this article suggesting many positive changes that could be implemented after the COVID shutdown. It turned out to be one of the most widely-read pieces in my career. Here is a snippet:

There are only so many times that a city built on tourism can bounce back from major disasters. Las Vegas has survived at least three of them in the past two decades. If the corporations that run this city don’t push the “restart” button and bring back what made this city successful for decades, then maybe it doesn’t deserve to recover at all. Right now, the only thing we all share is hope for a better tomorrow.

Wishful thinking by a Sin City fan, posted to Facebook in 2020

As much as I love this city and all it has to offer, I often wonder why visitors return again and again. Do they like being abused and ripped off? Does it make tourists feel financially or socially successful to know they've survived a shakedown? Whatever the reason, this model cannot sustain itself indefinitely, and Las Vegas may be in for a world of hurt if it keeps abusing its tourists.

Remember how the airline industry rolled out numerous changes after the September 11th attacks? We were told they were necessary in order to save air travel. Farewell to free in-flight meals, free checked bags, ample leg room, and a pleasant overall experience.

Spirit Airlines baggage fees as of 7/5/24

In their place came long security lines, intense screening procedures, surly attendants, dirty planes, five-dollar bags of potato chips, and fees fees fees. All of which remain more than twenty years later. Hassles and exorbitant charges have become the new normal, and we've accepted them without batting an eyelash.

The International Air Transport Association raised its profit forecast for the airline industry in 2024 and predicts a revenue of $996 billion — a record high and a 9.7% jump on the previous year.

CNBC reported last month that airlines are experiencing record revenues and raised their profit expectations for 2024. But that doesn't mean the bullshit fees have gone away. In fact, they've increased. Since Las Vegas as an industry operates much like the airlines, do you think its penchant for dirty conditions, poor staffing, outrageous fees, and service cutbacks will slow down? Highly unlikely.

As a consumer, you can spend your money anywhere and any way you see fit. But as a journalist vested in the long-term success of our city, I proudly paint a bullseye on any situation that takes advantage of our visitors. The last time around was Venetian's showroom obscenity known as VOLTAIRE (above). Now I'm pointing my finger at lingering bullshit changes blamed on COVID. Here are a few of the biggest.

"NOBODY WANTS BUFFETS AFTER COVID"

A blatant lie. Check out GARDEN BUFFET (above) at South Point Casino any time of any day. It'll be packed. The reason for the removal of all-you-can-eat restaurants is simple - they don't make as much profit as stand-alone establishments, take up more square footage, and require a lot of manpower and effort to operate. The value-priced buffet was once a Vegas staple, the sit-down equivalent of 7-Eleven hot dogs. Get in, eat quickly for cheap, then return to what you were doing (gambling). Not long ago, pit bosses were generous with buffet passes. A "loss leader" to be sure, but buffets kept guests on the premises and created a lot of customer goodwill. Now that building loyalty is a forgotten art, so is access to affordable Vegas dining. Even the typical food court has been rebranded as a "dining hall", fabricating an upscale image to accompany basic counter service. Smoke and mirrors, my friend, and you're the one paying elevated prices for airport-quality fare.

Of the few remaining buffets, most have repackaged cafeteria-style dining as a luxurious experience. The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is the most blatant offender. Prices are not shown on the website, which recommends making reservations. Some visitor information sites list its current dinner price as $84.99 plus tax and tip...for a freaking self-service buffet!

YELP! review of Bacchanal Buffet 5/7/24 If you desire an old-style Vegas buffet that isn't going to cost close to one hundred dollars, here are a few that I recommend: Palms Casino A.Y.C.E. - Standard dinner is $36.99, higher on seafood nights. Full price list here.

South Point Garden Buffet - Weekday prime rib dinner, $27.95 with free South Point Players Club card

Rampart Casino Market Buffet - Weekday dinner $32.99 (less for certain player levels). See the V411 review.

Main Street Station Garden Court - Weekend dinner $32.99 (less for certain player levels). Full review here.

"Due to a nationwide coin shortage...

...our machines no longer dispense change. Take your ticket to the cashier to redeem at full value," Ever since casinos reopened, they've stopped giving the exact value of slot machine redemption vouchers at kiosks. And why would a person walk across a casino and stand in another line just to get loose change? Cha-ching!

The thing is, this "coin shortage" was exaggerated nonsense to begin with. Billions of nickels and pennies didn't suddenly disappear because of a virus. The explanation for this farce depends on which conspiracy website you visit. But it has paid off in spades for casinos, where LOTS of little amounts add up to one big total.

Screenshot via X/Twitter Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in June 2022 that Nevada gamblers left $22 million in unclaimed tickets behind for that fiscal year. Just like parking fees, that's a mountain of easy money. As with airline fees, don't expect this financial assault to end. Ever.

"Free Parking Is Back!"

The screenshot above is from an article published at VitalVegas.org. Our friend Scott Roeben was diligent in reporting the return of free parking to all of the major resorts that had been charging for it previously. It was the first sign that Las Vegas might return to being a generous, affordable destination.

Palazzo installs paid parking gates 8/7/23

Ah, but Sin City is like a drug dealer. The first hit is free, then you're hooked. As soon as the crowds returned, the gates were reactivated, and rates kept rising rising rising after that. Resorts that never charged parking fees got in on the act, including The STRAT, Venetian, Palazzo, and Resorts World. It won't be long before the three remaining holdouts (Circus Circus, Treasure Island, and Sahara) join in. Gotcha, suckers!

"Hotel guests no longer want daily housekeeping."

Remember when Caesars Entertainment properties advertised "No Resort Fees Ever"? That ended in 2013 with the following statement: "This is in response to the increasing demand from our guests to provide a package price instead of the inconvenience of separate fees."

Screenshot from Las Vegas Sun 2/21/13 This, my friends, is called "gaslighting." Or where I come from, "talking from both sides of your asshole." That's how the demise of daily hotel housekeeping came to be a standard thing. Resorts announced "enhanced sanitation procedures" to make you comfortable traveling after COVID. Once people returned, it was deemed that guests preferred NOT to have their rooms cleaned. Sure they did...what a blatant lie. People love being cleaned up after when traveling. Having the trash emptied, mirrors wiped, and not fixing the bed is part of the vacation experience.

During his controversial term as Nevada's Governor, Steve Sisolak approved a bill that eliminated a hotel's requirement for daily room cleaning. Of course, his VERY CLOSE friends at MGM Resorts spun this to blame our visitors:

Ayesha Molino, a senior vice president with MGM Resorts International, told state lawmakers that her company is, in fact, responding to guest preferences. “It doesn’t matter if a customer’s staying at the Bellagio or the Luxor,” Molino said during her testimony. “What we have seen is that our customer behavior is very consistent. The rate at which our guests are declining daily housekeeping is nearly double what it was before the pandemic.”

This report detailed the gaslighting on the Cleaning and Maintenance Management website. But let's be real. Nobody prefers a reduction of hotel housekeeping. Governor Sisolak, who consistently violated his own COVID mandates, essentially assisted the resorts in cutting back their workforce. More chores were added to those who remained and corporations pocketed the savings. Cha-ching, once again.

A visit to Las Vegas is nothing like it was in years past, but with the right information, you can avoid being ripped off, lied to, and cheated. We at VEGAS 411 want you to have the best experience possible, and we'll continue to fight on your side. Visit my Vegas Unfiltered column regularly for the best in savings, travel tips, and value-packed entertainment, lodging, and dining.