Virgin Las Vegas resort, opening March 25, 2021, has confirmed it will have free Wi-Fi, no parking fees and (wait for it) no resort fees.
The company has reiterated its brand-wide “No Nickel-and-Diming” policy, and has even said it will have “street priced” minibars (the drinks and snacks in your hotel room).
What? No $21 bottles of Fiji water? The audacity! (Looking at you, Aria.)
Break out the cutlets, Virgin guests will have something to shout about: No resort fees.
That’s pretty much the most shocking news of 2021 so far, and we are a little concerned some Las Vegas visitors might go into shock due to the sheer lack of gouging.
We’ve been ranting about the nickel-and-diming thing for ages, and it was only a matter of time before a Las Vegas resort got a clue and dumped these annoying fees.
It’s a great marketing hook and, as the kids say, “market differentiator.” Hey, the kids are really dank with the marketing.
Now, more than ever, resorts need to make Las Vegas a value again.
We floated this wishlist awhile back, and it’s refreshing to see Virgin Las Vegas embracing this concept.
Sometimes, wishes come true.
While there have been one-off promotions touting no resort fees, very few Las Vegas casino hotels avoid them altogether. Four Queens and Hotel Apache (Binion’s) downtown, as well as Casino Royale on The Strip, spring to mind. Sadly, it’s not hard to memorize the list.
Some Vegas watchers may be wondering if Virgin’s no resort fees policy will stick, as they recall the Caesars Entertainment “Angry Showgirls” no resort fees fiasco. The company paraded showgirls down the Las Vegas Strip, but later jumped on the resort fees bandwagon. It was awkward.
Ah, no resort fees. Those were the good old minute.
The “Angry Showgirls” debacle topped our list of 10 Regrettable Las Vegas Mistakes.
In the case of Virgin Las Vegas, though, as we mentioned, the “No Nickel-and-Diming” policy is brand-wide. It’s sort of baked into the Virgin Hotels ethos, so it’s doubtful the resort would backtrack down the road.
Of course, fees don’t just magically disappear, and the room rates at Virgin will probably just have the resort fee folded in. It’s never really been about the actual cost of resort fees. Even with resort fees, Las Vegas has some of the most reasonable rates of any major destination in the world. It’s about transparency. Many travelers are just over fees they perceive as deceptive or “hidden.”
Virgin is done with that ridiculousness.
Tagline idea: “Resort fees suck like a Roomba on oysters.” You’re welcome, Virgin Las Vegas.
Free parking wasn’t unexpected, as Hard Rock had free parking, but it’s still a great selling point. At the moment, MGM Resorts casinos have free parking, but that’s expected to be temporary.
Free Wi-Fi, of course, will be a hit, especially if the promise is fulfilled with decent download speeds.
Kudos to Virgin for taking a stand on the issue of annoying fees. Other Las Vegas casinos need to pay heed.
Here’s what’s in store at Virgin. See a larger version on the Virgin Web site (.pdf format). You’re welcome.
We love Virgin’s commitment to “No Nickel-and-Diming” so much, we might even start referring to their rooms as “chambers.”
Wow, you totally fell for that. Do you know this blog at all?
