A few weeks ago I wrote a post that mandatory resort fees were coming to the Caesar’s family of hotels in Vegas as of 3/1/13. This includes hotels like Harrah’s, Planet Hollywood, Paris, and Caesar’s that previously proudly proclaimed themselves to be “Resort Fee Free”. That meant that the vast majority of hotels on the strip now have mandatory resort fees that are often in the range of $15 - $25 per night. That adds up pretty quickly to be a decent extra sum that is owed on a multi-day trip. I will freely admit that I love Vegas, and when I go to Vegas I want to be in a big, fancy, opulent, borderline ridiculous hotel/casino on the Strip. I love the dancing water, the huge suites, and the massive pools. I also want to eat at a ginormous buffet and drink “free” whiskey sours while playing slots or table games. I don’t go to Vegas to stay in a Holiday Inn Express type hotel. I go to Vegas to be in Vegas. So, I will likely be stuck with the nasty resort fees, but not everyone has the same needs and desires as I do in Vegas.There remain a few hotels that still don’t charge resort fees, and perhaps best of all, some of them are also miles and points friendly.Here are some of your current better resort-fee-free options in Vegas. Most of them are not directly on the Strip, but many are not far off.Elara, Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel-Center Strip (35,000 Hilton HHonors points per night for studio room with kitchenette)Las Vegas Marriott (25,000 Marriott points)M ResortRenaissance Las Vegas (25,000 Marriott points)Golden Nugget (downtown)Hyatt Place Las Vegas (8,000 Gold Passport Points)Staybridge Suites Las Vegas (30,000 Priority Club points)Las Vegas Desert Club Resort (one-bedroom villa 35,000 Priority Club points)For those more adventurous than myself, there are more options downtown around Fremont Street, as well as some a bit more off the beaten path of the Strip. There are full lists here and here.Be aware that even some hotels that are affiliated with rewards program like Westin Las Vegas (SPG) and the Venetian (Priority Club) still come with mandatory resort fees in the range of $20 - $25 per day. Though if you have elite status in one of those programs it never hurts to try and have the resort fee waived. At least at the Westin I have read some success stories for elite SPG guests - though there are no guarantees.I consider it a double win that there are some miles and points friendly hotels in Vegas that are free of mandatory resort fees! Let me know if you have a favorite hotel in Vegas that is still resort fee free!Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.
