The past week, newsfromme.com has been coming to you live from Las Vegas. I had a script deadline of epic proportions and once upon a time when that happened, I would often hop a plane to that town and work in a hotel room. For a long time, I couldn't do that because I had ill loved ones who needed me nearby in Los Angeles but right now, I don't.
I'm not sure why being there helps me get work done but it sometimes does. So last Sunday night, that's where I headed. I just got back…and in case you're curious, I had no delays with TSA either coming or going. In fact, I breezed through today and had a very charming exchange with a lady who's not getting paid at the moment and likes Trump less than I do.
Here's a tip if you're going to Vegas and considering staying at one of the many hotels that are part of the vast Caesars Palace/Harrah's empire. It includes those places plus the Rio, Bally's, the Cromwell, Paris, The Linq, Planet Hollywood and many others. Before you book a room, join their Total Rewards club and get a price quote via the Total Rewards site. I scored my room for basically the Resort Fee price.
Resort fees are mandatory add-on charges that are not quite hidden but they still come as a surprise to some people. Let's say you find a room price of $75 a night. There may also be a Resort Fee of, say, $35 a night. That gives you a package of perks and depending on the hotel, it may include high-speed Internet, access to their spa, free bottles of water, free newspaper and a few other things. Whatever the bundle, it is probably not worth it to you and it is not optional. You pay it or you don't stay there…so your $75 room is really $110 a night. Plus tax.
I stayed in Las Vegas for five nights. One of those nights, my basic room price was $15. Two of those nights, it was $5 per night. And for two nights, it was $Zero. That's quite a deal even if you add on the Resort Fees. Of course, it had a lot to do with the town not being busy and the fact that in Vegas, they want their rooms filled at any price because empty rooms do not go down to the casino and lose money at Video Poker. Neither do I but they haven't noticed.
Other times of the year, that room could run $300 a night. Plus Resort Fees and tax. Anyway, I got a better price via the Total Rewards site than I could anywhere else on the 'net, including webpages that swear they have the lowest prices. Just something to keep in mind.
If you want to know more about Vegas Resort Fees and how much they can add on to your bill, this site will fill you in. More on my trip tomorrow and for the next few days here.