I n this article which I wrote on Saturday, January 16, 2016, a press release from MGM Resorts International announced the launch of a $90 million “major parking strategy and investment to address long-term growth” for visitors to Las Vegas which will “expand and enhance parking infrastructure, take advantage of new technologies that will significantly improve the parking experience, and meet changing consumer tastes and demands” — but it also includes the implementation of a parking fee program which will “introduce a modest fee for customers utilizing valet services or self-park facilities.” The parking fees became effective as of Monday, June 6, 2016…
Parking Fees to Increase in Las Vegas at Certain MGM Resorts Properties
…but not even a year later, parking fees will increase modestly at certain MGM resort properties in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, according to many articles — such as this one written by Thomas Moore for the Las Vegas Sun.
“We are adjusting the parking rates for a variety of business-related reasons,” a spokeswoman for MGM was quoted in the article — but without revealing any details. “These adjustments are based on market analyses we have conducted since we implemented the program.”
In addition to increasing mandatory resort fees as of last month, Caesar’s Entertainment began “charging for valet and self-parking at its Las Vegas properties”, according to the article. “In addition, the Cosmopolitan announced it will start charging for parking in May.”
Valet Parking
Valet parking will increase by two dollars — except at the Aria, Bellagio and Vdara resort properties, where valet parking will increase by seven dollars.
Excalibur, Luxor and Monte Carlo
- $10.00 for up to a maximum of four hours — instead of the current $8.00
- $15.00 from four hours up to a maximum of 24 hours — instead of the current $13.00
Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Mirage and Delano
- $15.00 for up to a maximum of four hours — instead of the current $13.00
- $20.00 from four hours up to a maximum of 24 hours — instead of the current $18.00
Aria, Bellagio and Vdara
- $20.00 for up to a maximum of four hours — instead of the current $13.00
- $25.00 from four hours up to a maximum of 24 hours — instead of the current $18.00
Self Parking
You may park your vehicle for up to a maximum of one hour free of charge; but there will be three tiers of timed parking instead of the current two tiers. Self parking is not an option at Delano or Vdara; so those resort properties are not included.
Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo
- Five dollars to park from a minimum of one hour to a maximum of two hours — instead of the current maximum of four hours
- Eight dollars to park from a minimum of two hours to a maximum of four hours — instead of the current maximum of 24 hours
- Ten dollars to park from a minimum of four hours to a maximum of 24 hours — instead of eight dollars per day beyond the first 24 hours
Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Mirage, Aria and Bellagio
- Seven dollars to park from a minimum of one hour to a maximum of two hours — instead of the current maximum of four hours
- Ten dollars to park from a minimum of two hours to a maximum of four hours — instead of the current maximum of 24 hours
- Twelve dollars to park from a minimum of four hours to a maximum of 24 hours — instead of ten dollars per day beyond the first 24 hours
Summary
The parking rate increases do not bother me as much as the short notice — one week advance notice, as far as I can tell — and that there is still no official announcement either at the official Internet web sites for parking at MGM Resorts properties or individual resort properties at the time this article was written.
For example, there is still no notice of the increase in parking rates at the official Internet web site of the MGM Grand resort property.
I find that practice even sneakier than surprising guests with mandatory resort fees, quite frankly.
I would rather walk — and have done so when I visited Las Vegas in September of 2014 and stayed at both Mandalay Bay Las Vegas and the Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort and Casino — both of which are part of the MGM Resorts International portfolio of hotel properties…
…and as I am scheduled to be in Las Vegas later this year, I will not rent a car — nor will I stay at a hotel or resort property which charges mandatory resort fees or parking fees…
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
