MGM to Increase Resort and Parking Fees on Las Vegas Strip

For the second time this year, MGM Resorts in Las Vegas will raise resort fees.

Starting today at 10 AM PST, both resort and parking fees at properties owned by the largest casino operator on the Las Vegas Strip will increase.

MGM Resorts International has announced revisions to its fee schedules for all properties on and around the resort corridor.

How Much Do MGM Resort Fees Cost?

Resort fees at Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will rise by $5, reaching $55 per day.

At MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and Delano, fees will be adjusted to $50 per day, reflecting a $5 increase, while Park MGM, Nomad, and The Signature will see an $8 increase to $50.

New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur will implement a resort fee of $45 per day, marking a $3 hike for New York-New York and an $8 increase for Luxor and Excalibur.

According to the MGM website: "Applicable daily resort fees will be waived on up to two room reservations per trip when an eligible member books direct, under their name, with MGM Resorts International and his/her eligible MGM Rewards account number is attached to such reservations. To be eligible, must be a member with Gold+ Tier Level status at the time of stay."

What Do Resort Fees Cover?

Resort fees cover things like unlimited local and domestic phone calls, in-room Wi-Fi, digital downloads of newspapers and magazines through PressReader, access to the fitness center, Paramount+ with Showtime On Demand, and boarding pass printing.

MGM (and other hotels) decides how much to charge based on local and national market trends. This includes the costs of amenities and services that come with your stay. The company sometimes adjusts these fees to reflect changes in their offerings and to stay competitive with other resorts in Las Vegas and beyond.

But part of the reason hotels charge resort fees is that more and more bookings come through online travel agencies. There are fewer people booking stays directly through hotel websites. Each time an online travel agency is used, the resort must pay a commission. Resort fees can also help offset this cost.

Second MGM Resort Fee Increase in 2024

This is the second time in less than 12 months that MGM raised the rates for resort fees at its Las Vegas properties. Back in January, increases ranged from $2-$6.

Here is a comparison chart of the resort fees at MGM properties in Las Vegas, showing the fees on January 1, 2024, and after today’s most recent rate increase:

NerdWallet analyzed more than 100 hotels around the U.S. with December 2023 check-in dates. Among the hotels that charge resort fees, the average resort fee was $38.82. Relative to the room rate, resort fees averaged 3.9% of the overall cost to stay at the hotel each night.

To check if a hotel charges a resort fee and how much, visit resortfeechecker.com.

Push Is on To Eliminate Fees

According to the Council of Economic Advisers, these fees cost Americans nearly $3.4 billion annually.

Lawmakers and oversight groups are actively looking into ways to eliminate surprise fees, like resort fees. In October 2023, the Biden administration released guidance on potential laws to ban "junk fees," specifically mentioning resort fees.

The Federal Trade Commission came up with its own proposal to combat hidden fees. The proposed rule would end drip pricing and junk fees for hotels, restaurants, and many other businesses.

One way to eliminate the fees altogether is to visit MGM's online casino. But if it's the full-fledged casino experience you prefer, resort fees will still be on your bill, unless lawmakers can force a change.