The Las Vegas strip always reminds of a place where you can escape the mundane day to day life. With so much to do, it’s no wonder it remains a favorite for many tourists, but reality always sets in when the bills come.
In a space where almost everything comes at a fee, many Las Vegas strip hotels are notorious for luring in customers with base room prices, and then tacking on a multitude of charges when the final bill is generated. Resort fees are by far the biggest trap. Many resorts may offer attractive nightly rates starting at $100-$200 during low season, but then add on another $50 per night resort fee, only displaying it in the bill during online check out.
The fun does not stop there are it seems one hotel group has found a way to make even more money. According to Casino.org, guests booking stays over the phone at an MGM Resorts property are being slapped with an additional $15 fee PER NIGHT.
The charge which shows up as “ICE Contact Center Fee” seems to not have been properly disclosed according to one guest making an over the phone booking.
The matter was brought to light after X (formally Twitter) user @HeatherBenson75 shared a photo of her invoice showing the added fee. In her case, she stayed three nights, racking up a $45 charge, and with added taxes, her over the phone booking ended up costing her $51.03.
X user @702YankeeBabe replied to Heather’s post, saying,
“For seniors or those who prefer to speak to an actual person, this is obscene. After last year’s data breach, their website was down for days. People shouldn’t have to pay to book a stay. Hit with parking and resort fees, what’s next? Fees for toilet paper?”
MGM Resorts has not commented on the situation, but one might speculate that these fees are in place to deter customers from booking over the phone, in favor of using their website to book instead.
Proper hotel rate fee disclosures may come soon
Credit: Bradley Wint/Gate CheckedThe days of deceiving customers may soon draw to a close with the proposition of the “No Hidden FEES Act of 2023”. The bill “requires providers of short-term lodging (e.g., hotels, motels, inns, and short-term rentals) to include each mandatory fee when displaying or advertising the price for a reservation.”
After being introduced to the house in December 2023, the bill meet its 2/3 majority with a 384-25 vote on June 11 and is now under the Senate’s consideration.
A similar bill titled “Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2024” was proposed to the Senate in July 2023, with the goal to “prohibit unfair and deceptive advertising of prices for hotel rooms and other places of short-term lodging, and for other purposes.” This bill is also under consideration.
Featured image: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked
