MGM’s Aria Las Vegas charges guests so much for water that it strikes down a fundamental precept in economics that has held for 150 years. As one guest writes to me, a bottle of water in the room there costs $26!
Also, the person restocking the mini bar..Knocked on my door while I was taking a break between conference and dinner, was grateful to get in. I hadn’t looked in it, he cleaned out of the mini bar – food crammed in the fridge from two guests ago. Told me they are short staffed and can’t keep up.
Told me the price after I had already (out of thirst, in the desert) consumed (fortunately only one) bottle of water. Fortunately the Starbucks downstairs sold water for “only $7.45”.
As an undergraduate economics major I learned the ‘diamonds-water paradox’ that water keeps us alive yet is cheap, while diamonds are useless for survival yet very expensive. Market prices seem to ignore life-or-death usefulness! Adam Smith posed this in The Wealth of Nations,
Nothing is more useful than water: but it will purchase scarce anything… A diamond, on the contrary, has scarce any value in use; but a very great quantity of other goods may frequently be had in exchange for it.
Prices are set “at the margin,” not by total usefulness. Water is extremely important overall, but the usefulness of an extra unit of water (at current levels of supply) is very low. It’s ubiquitous and has a low market price. Meanwhile, diamonds are hardly life or death but the next carat is scarce and highly desired – so expensive.
Marginal utility is the additional satisfaction from the next unit, not from all units combined. Early marginalist economists—Jevons, Menger, and Walras-formalized this in the 1870s, dissolving the paradox.
And yet… Aria in Las Vegas proves there really was no paradox after all. Water in the desert is crucial to survival and incredibly expensive for guests staying there!
They have clearly given up on any idea of hospitality. I would think, though, that a $36.28 per night resort fee (inclusive of tax) might be high enough to offer a single bottle of water as one of its inclusions. I guess not!
You are better off actually buying water at inflated airport prices when you land and bringing them to the hotel. This is the perfect example of the kind of out of sample cost that make people feel cheated on a Las Vegas trip, leaving customers with a bad taste in their mouth. And that is dangerous heading into a Las Vegas downturn.
Water is free. Just turn on the faucet.
As Globalist at the Rio or Diamond at Resorts World I get it free.
MGM can blow.
Aria has comped water (MGM ‘purified’) in the rooms too, but the fancy stuff (in the fridge) is always a rip-off.
I aspire to be someone that just doesn’t care about the mini-bar prices, but I doubt I ever will be (even if I had f-you money!), and there’s a CVS within 3 mins walk of the Aria, so go there for $2 water, or the casino downstairs for $7 water, but
How much is the Bud Light? $45?
@L3 – You’re assuming the reclaimed municipal water system in Las Vegas is drinkable.
The Las Vegas of today is way more expensive than the Las Vegas of 30 years ago. I rarely go there now.
I used to have to go to Vegas for work. Hated the Strip area and the costs. I’ll go to Dubai, Bangkok or Singapore anytime over Vegas.
Been 10 years since I’ve been there.
I guess I better not tell you names of the ten different brands of bottled water … some of them major-major, that are actually Municipal Water from Corpus Christi, Texas … this from the City website: “The City of Corpus Christi itself does not bottle and sell water under its own brand, but it does supply the water used by these companies.” I think they should cut a deal with Sweetwater, Texas, just W of Abilene.
@ Pete – when were you at Aria ??? Only room type at Aria that has comp MGM brand purified bottle water is skysuites
The ultimate scam in the hotel industry is the idea that a minibar means you are in a better hotel. If I stay in a mid range hotel I usually get a fridge which is useful. But if I stay in some place supposedly high end I get the privilege of getting charged an outrageous amount for snacks, and often no fridge either.
I stayed at a Ritz Carlton recently that claimed to have fridges in the room. When I got there I found it had a minibar that was unusable as a fridge. So I asked the front desk and they had a small fridge sent up that was loud, ugly, and took up an awkward corner of the room. I would have done much better at a Hampton Inn.
Las Vegas prices have gotten completely out of control, then the executives wonder why visitor numbers are trending down.
Vegas used to be a nice cheap place to visit for the weekend. Now a weekend is the cost of a vacation.
@ ORDnHKG good point. We normally stay in the suites (although they’ve also axed the free limo transfers unless you’re in a 2 bed suite), but we put our kids in a normal room and they had water. I doubt it was status related as all rooms were booked under my (then) Pearl status, but who know. This was also 10 months ago, so things have likely got worse, I agree with others, everything in Vegas is starting to feel like a money-grab, and since most the hotels are also running at a loss, seems like the entire system is just broken.
Pro tip: There is a Target on the strip just north of the MGM Grand that is very well stocked with sodas, water, chips and they have tons of prepackaged salads, sandwiches, fresh veggies, fresh fruit and so on. All of this is at non-Vegas prices. If that’s not near you, practically every hotel or on the strip or Fremont is within easy walking distance from an ABC store, CVS or Walgreens. I think I paid $3 for two full sized bottles of water at the ABC store the last time I was in there.
But how many meals were you able to yield from that leftover food left by those generous “two guests ago” ? Betcha came out ahead on that ‘comp’ when compared to that exorbitant extortionately inflated bottled tap water ! ..lol…
@Doug..cool story bro. What does it have to do with the “actual” storyline? Nobody cares about your travel plans…
When we stayed at Fontainebleau they wanted $20 for bottle of water. Walked across the street and bought 5 1.5 litre bottles for $3.50 each. Rule of thumb is to never buy the ripoff water in the room, same with anything in the “convenient” mini bar. Many hotels provide water free of charge to your room. You may have to ask but they will.
When we stayed at Fontainebleau they wanted $20 for bottle of water. Walked across the street and bought 5 1.5 litre bottles for $3.50 each. Rule of thumb is to never buy the ripoff water in the room, same with anything in the “convenient” mini bar. Many hotels provide water free of charge to your room. You may have to ask but they will.
Uber a case it is cheaper
You knew it was going to be expensive, but you drank it. Rich do not care and obviously you are not rich. It always surprises me how people tend to eat/drink more at airports hotels as if they just came out of hunger or something. How Adam Smith’s principles apply to Vegas; people get tgere to gamble. Conferences: only presenter, discussant, conference organizers and losers attend the sessions, which is another surprising thing to have conferences in Vegas.
“ardly”
Vegas is dead to me. Used to go there several times a year. Most of those casinos don’t have a single drinking fountain in the entire property as well ( I’ve only seen them in resorts world). You’re right, the money grab leaves a bad taste, and there are so many destinations like Las Vegas now, no reason to go there anymore.
Welcome to CORPORATE Vegas.! Just corporate greed.All these properties on the strip get you any way they can. Lived in Vegas since 74 ,seen it go to hell . They even charge locals for parking! Stay off the strip….
Nickle and Diming I can see ‘Vegas doing. $36 for a Premium bottle of H20 is off my chart. Was a 3-4 time a year visitor to Sin City pre covid. Haven’t been back since and the long range travel radar is negatory for… forever.
Vegas of the old is dead. It is a shame in a sense and in terms of organized crime a good thing. Not sure if getting the mob out of Vegas was actually good for Vegas???
Morally no question it is better but the results have been corporate rule of the strip meant to bleed every dollar out of the guest. Back in the day they were laundering so much money that they could lose money and stay ahead.
Obviously the casino was a profit center but the hotels were cheap and nice. The food was cheap and good. There was a lot of affordable big entertainment acts. A lot of things got comped if you were a regular. Crime was low except, you know, but in the city it was safe. No one was going to mess with the territory of gangsters.
If Vegas is going to stay profitable they need to have the same recipe. Affordable rooms and food at the Casinos, affordable entertainment, etc. Make a profit on the gambling and make people want to come back often because they perceive value.
Either you get a customer once and bilk every dollar from them one time because they aren’t coming back or you give them a lot of value for their gambling and give them shows, and encourage return visits through promotions etc.
Las Vegas is a great city. The city planners and Casinos need to bring back the feeling of old Las Vegas without the mobsters. Limit profits to one side of your equation and give incentives. You make less per visit but return customers are a gold mine. How do these Casinos/corporations not understand basic economics.
You can gamble anywhere practically these days with tribal lands open everywhere, besides the resorts, Red Rock Canyon, a few parks, Art district, there isn’t much unique about Vegas. In the summer it can be really hot. If people can go to Hawaii or Mexico or some other place that has more geographically to offer and has most of the same amenities for the same prices and shopping why would you go to Vegas?
I want Las Vegas and all of the workers employed by the Casinos and various related industries to thrive and grow reasonably over time not get milked for every last drop of profit until the well runs dry. Vegas could become the place to be. I would also encourage entertainment industries for filming in the city. Clean up and revitalize some areas. Make Las Vegas an experience you can’t forget at a price no one else can match and you will have tons of people here. So simple.
@Ben B – Conferences? You mean wasting several days of your time and several thousand dollars of your employer’s money, staying at an overpriced hotel, enjoying mediocre-at-best catering and a laughable open bar all for the privilege of attending blog posts, but performed live?
Don’t worry soon the aholes will be begging locals to come get half price this and that’s like pandemic. Locals tell them to fkoff .
No more nickel & diming you, they are ten & twenty dollaring us. Use to go 4-6 times a year. Now stay local. San Diego
Reading this article made me stupider.
There is not a person on this planet that would think anything out of a mini bar is going to not have a sky high upcharge.
Dieing of thirst in a desert could have paid 0 dollars and got a glass of water from the bathroom., it is as clean as any other city’s water
Las Vegas Casinos on the strip is just nickel and diming people and that is one of the many reason visitors are not coming to Vegas!!!! This is another example plus charges for the plate at MGM for dine in orders – really!!!! Just stupid!
Vegas … never again ..
Waaay way overpriced. A fool and his money are soon parted and they have it down to an art .
Between the Vegas hotel fees, over-priced lousy food, homeless druggies lining the strip and downtown streets and the general ghetto population from LA pouring in for the weekend, why go to Vegas anymore? It blows.
One more time, thank you, Gary, for continuing to ‘name and shame’ properties that do this egregious nonsense.
On water, I’m reminded of the ending of the film The Big Short, where they say Michael Burry, the investor who called the 2008 financial crises, claimed that water scarcity is one of the world’s most pressing issues, and as demand rises, the value of water will increase. Well, maybe Burry’s onto something.
Also, screw Nestle. Horrible company behind much of the water-speculation.
Governments around the world should follow Israel and the Gulf states’ lead in desalination infrastructure. We could practically prevent sea-level rise while turning our deserts green if we leveraged that technology properly. Likely, a combination of nuclear power to fuel the entire process would make it all possible. Anyway, utopia in our time, right? Or, we can just do WW3 instead. Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool.
Get water at the gas station right off the Strip near Flamingo
Supermarket. Dozen 16 oz/500 ml bottles. Worldwide under Us$8.
I don’t play well with highway robbers.
Aria won’t get my business.
Curious how they got a $32 Resort Fee there when it’s been $55?
It’s worth it to pay $26 because that’s where Jason Bourne went and where CIA Director Tommy Lee Jones stayed. A celebrity endorsement, almost.
Nothing new here. The article is about 10 years late on the subject. I’ve seen similar prices arround the world.
I was shocked and vividly remember the tag on a bottle of water next to my bed in Moscow, in 2014. The tag said “Quench your thurst” and the paper under the bottle showed a price of the bottle 1000 rubles (at that time $1 = 30 rubles). I am paying attention to the watter prices since that.
why cant you just drink from the tap? its that bad?
Two alcoholic beverages and a popcorn cost me close to $90 at the David Copperfield show.
The Vegas clientele has changed tremendously over the last 20 years. Vegas’s current crop of largely younger tourists have no idea how much prices have increased there.
The older ones who do stay away. But if you do go, the restaurants are still largely full, even with their very high prices.
Resort fee at Aria is $55. Not sure how guest got it for $32. Fiji water was over $20.
At the Hilton Elara we get a couple of free bottles of water at check in and no resort fee. Diamond status has it’s privileges. I haven’t stayed in an MGM property in Las Vegas in years they charge a fortune for parking too. The Elara and Southpoint still have free parking
@Denver Refugee I’m guess you believe airplanes are shooting chemicals out of their engines, vaccines cause autism and fluoride is harmful.
The water coming out of the tap is just fine. Most of us have been drinking it for decades and don’t have a third eye or an appendage growing out of our forehead. But, hey, if you want to pay $26 for the illusion of safety I’m sure Aria will thank you.
Did it ever occur to any of you that tap water is potable in the USA in most cities?
The service is not worth the resort fee there anyway. To me, Aria is tight; and, 3 star- not 5 star.
Vegas today is a place I’d rather avoid. The 60s and 70s were fun times in sin city. Eat, drink and smoke for little or nothing, as long as you were gambling. We won alot of money in those years. It was fun, shows were entertaining and staff was all over themselves being of any assistance needed. We visit our children who reside there, but never go out on the town anymore. Place turned into a big sewer.
I bring a bottle of dehydrated water that I make myself at home. It is affordable, gets through TSA easily and weighs almost nothing.
I was in Vegas for a conference last October and was appalled at the prices.
The thing I struggled with most was the resort fee that essentially covered two bottles of water and pool, but the pool wasn’t open when the conference was in recess so of no use. Since I had a conference rate they knew that.
Won’t be going back, certainly never on my dime.
TIL that people travel without a Lifestraw or Grayl bottle.
MGM? Isn’t that the hotel where that guy shot hundreds of people from, then the hotel sued the victims? That would sound in line with the $26 bottle of water.
That property and that town is dead to me.
They killed a good thing, way to greedy.
Vote with your feet, go somewhere else. Las Vegas is a rip off.
Why use the mini bar at all? Everyone knows the prices are ridiculous. Always get drinks elsewhere. Tip the waitress $1 & get a water
Mandalay Bay, the hotel the sniper was in, is a MGM Resorts International property that is around a mile from the MGM Aria property.
Vegas forgot what is about, greedy, paying for parking, expensive, but service workers are very nice and helpful
Stay downtown. Golden Nugget gives you 4 and resupplies as needed.
You can drink from the tap for free.
This isn’t mexico – tap water is probably safer than bottled water.
You can go to the lobby or hotel gym and refill your water bottle for free if you demand filtered water.
You can get bottled water delivered to your door with doordash or walmart or amazon delivery.
Minibar like valet is for suckers.
@Shwan and @Steve should get together to share stories of their similar experiences at the Fontainebleau:
When we stayed at Fontainebleau they wanted $20 for bottle of water. Walked across the street and bought 5 1.5 litre bottles for $3.50 each. Rule of thumb is to never buy the ripoff water in the room, same with anything in the “convenient” mini bar. Many hotels provide water free of charge to your room. You may have to ask but they will.
Lived in Vegas 20 years ago, left because I could never afford to go downtown, way to pricey. Live in Carson city now, we used to go to GSR in Reno, and now you have to pay a Premium price on the room to overlook the pool area. We didn’t pay the price, just needed a comfortable room, after gaming there all day. And our hotel room overlooked the roof of the back of the casino. No more GSR for us.
The greatest marketing genius in the world was the guy who got Americans to spend lots of money on bottled water when they have access to free water almost everywhere. In fact, lots of bottled water is sourced from municipal water supplies.
When we go to Vegas , we buy a case of water from Walgreen’s!! Take up to the room and we are set!!
Also… every corner has a homeless person selling water for a dollar!!
Las.Vegas is pricing themselves rigjt out of business. Rjey built these big beautiful casinos and charging for everything that should be included with ylur stay already and they still cant pay the morrtgage.
Dont feel bad people you can get tbe same bad feeling you get after losing right at your loval Indian Casino but the difference is you get to sllep in yoir own bed and hydrate with your own WATER.
The imvestors need to not be so greedy and give 20% back before they all go bankrupt. Its just a theory of how economics work people. STOP THE GREED.
I live in Reno and don’t go to the “resorts” here either. I moved here in 1976 and the downtown was fun, the Nugget in Sparks was a great place, and wonderful food. I’ve been going to Las Vegas off and on for 70 years and it is really just the biggest nothing dirty rip off. IF they think they are a “world class city” they have another think coming.
Who could have guessed an entire town built as a shrine to capitalism would be this way. I for one am shocked that a town with a 15% poverty rate and a per capita wage of $33,000, a homeless population that is growing daily, would ever come to this. That bottle of water is probably 2x the wage per hour that that cleaner makes.
When you build a city in a climate suitable only for reptiles, expensive water should be no surprise to anyone.
Q: Why do we keep getting articles about $26 in room water bottles from the convenience bar?
A: Easy way to get engagement and rage replies.
Seriously, why is it a surprise that it is that expensive? People are either going to pay it or find their way to one of the many CVS on the strip if they’re not blitzed or lazy. It just drink the tap water. Problem is that a lot of people come from Cali and heaven forbid they drink tap and their friends find out about it.
Minibars and convenience bars (when they just put it on the desk or next to the TV making you believe it’s free) is always a rip off no matter the city, at least in the US. One time the whole minibar was free, at Ovolo Woolloomooloo in Sydney, bless them, it was needed after that long road trip from Melbourne.
Vegas has become crazy expensive! Aria was nice when it first opened but it has now hit the skids, along with all of the MGM properties! The only decent one is Bellagio but I would never pay those room rates. Yes, tourists walk through to see the glass fixtures and arboretum but the casino and restaurants now sit empty. I’m sure MGM will ruin The Cosmopolitan too. 🙁
If you have to visit Vegas, stay at Circa! It’s kid free, clean, service is impeccable and waters are complimentary!
Two words: “tap” “water”. Those sea turtles didn’t need to choke on your plastic trash anyway.
Absolutely, just left the Bellagio last week, I mistakenly took a bottle of water, wow $24 on my tab. I would never go back to this City!
We have been going to Vegas for 30 years, but not anymore. It has become a bastion of corporate greed and a blatant money grab. From the $55 burger, fries, and shake lunch at Johnny Rockets to the typical $500 dinners for two in their ubiquitous overpriced and underwhelming “celebrity chef” restaurants, and the ever-increasing “resort fees” that deliver nothing but additional charges. We are spending our time and money elsewhere and not looking back. So long Vegas!
Ironically, the most exclusive Hotel in that Aria Complex is the Waldorf Astoria and water there is free. 4 bottles are placed in each room on arrival and replenished with each housekeeping stop. Also they are given away for free in the fitness center and could grab another 4 per day.
Ironically, Resorts World has water filling stations just off the casino floor. Seemed like the only casino who did.
Mini bars are labeled stating they charge for the product. Tablet in room has info on pricing as well..water if free at front desk. Bars are for convenience, that’s what your paying for. Also the “short staffed” comment is untrue, there are enough bodies but MGM has cut hours and departments entirely for budget reasons. I myself, am a mini bar attendant and carry the free water with me to hand out.
Stayed at Bellagio, Vdara and Aria at different times. Single tall bottle of Fiji Water in the room is $25 each. They are on the countertop above the refrigerator group in 4’s. This is pure greed because if you go downstairs to the lobby shop, it is $12. But if you go across the street at Walgreens or CVS on the strip, cost is $8.99. Go to Smith’s local grocery and the same bottle is $2.99.
The first think I always do in Vegas is walk to one of the many ABC Stores and stock up. They usually sell liters of cold water for between $1 and $2 each.
There are several on the Strip at the Miracle Mile Mall next to Planet Hollywood and at The Fashion Show Mall among other locations. You can also get your Spam Wasabi fix there too (for those who enjoy their stores in Hawaii).
As someone else mentioned, there’s either a Walgreens or CVS selling water every few blocks too. Usually more than the ABC Stores but still way less than $26.
I crossed L.V. off my list years ago. Sorry to see a great tourist city die, but when there’s no value there anymore, and greed is the only game being won, we’ll take our dollars to where they are appreciated and go further. Bye!
Tourists don’t realize that there’s actually a working city in Las Vegas OFF of the strip! Go to the grocery store and get you a pack of waters and take to your room! I don’t get it. As a local, these kinds of stories are hilarious to me.
I stayed at the Aria. We didn’t touch the mini bar. There is a CVS nearby that is about a 5 minute walk from the entrance of the Aria. We purchased all of our water there. I would suggest doing the same.
Supply/Demand is another applicable economic concept at work here.
If your an idiot you pay of being so . If you get any water go to 7-11 it’s $2 a gallon. I would not drink tap water it could be not in anyone’s interest to do that.. I live in bVegas and am selling everything and moving away . This town use to be great but then the mega resorts were built and they got their hand out for everything. Greedy bastards.
GOD HATE SIN!!!
WHY YOU ARE HERE???
YOU CAN STAY IN YOUR OWN HOME AND SIN, WE ARE NOT MISSING YOU IN VEGAS.
That’s price gouging right ?
What am I missing? The photo of the two water bottles shows the tag that says “Stay Hydrated. Compliments of Marriott Bonvoy” Why did you need to pull from the minibar at all? Those bottles are refillable as well!
What a dumb I flunked econ 101 article. Adam Smith observations about micro econ are alive and well. He’s laughing at you from his grave.
You could have simply used a plastic cup provided in your room and drank water from the tap.
@Gilbert Ogletree — Thank you for your calm, well-reasoned message, sir. If only others could use ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation (!!!) to make their points on here, only then, might the world be a better place. Praise!
There is a Walgreens across the street , buy a case of water for less and take it to your room
First of all, Aria has been charging that rate for bottled water for many years. This is not new. 2nd of all, you go across the street to Walgreens and buy a case for 6 bucks. It isn’t that difficult if you object to the price.
There’s like thousands of homeless people dying out here all the time
I moved to Las Vegas in 1985. Valet parking was free, easy, and convenient.
I worked at most properties on the strip, even opened the Wynn.
The casino companies are greedy as hell and have forgotten that cheap eats, all you can eat crab leg buffets, and free drinks, made this town great.
I recently retired from Venetian hotel. During covid, after we reopened, there was a long line to get into the Louis Vuitton store, now it’s dead in there. All we need is another PLANDEMIC and Vegas will implode!
The traffic on the strip is a nightmare.
Glad I experienced Vegas During the golden years. Now YouTubers shoot each other dead in front of the Bellagio, another former employer of mine. Stay away from the strip at night, if you value your life!
That water price is not really about economic marginal cost but more so about there being a monopoly and no competition. If you consider the market to be water needed in a hotel room then there a few options (hotel room, uber eats, or perhaps go downstairs). In the airport there is a free market and multiple news stands, stores etc which creat competition and lower (relatively) prices.
A big issue is the “sales trick” by lack of proper price label and everyone expects hotel room water bottle to be expensive but not more than high single digits…
George W Bush said… Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice… hmmm, fool me…. Well if you fool me once, you ain’t gonna fool me again!
Same goes here!
Simply a horrible place and a major rip off not to mention extremely dangerous. As a local we have not been to the strip in years. They only want your money and provide NOTHING in return. Vegas sucks in general. So many better places in the West to visit
A recent invite had me look at flights from Pittsburgh. $300 per person round trip was ridiculous. Hotel + resort fees, ridiculous. Car rental, ridiculous. Not going.
GREED – is the what Vegas is about now!! Wake up STOP going to Vegas!! Its only going to get worse! There laughing in faces literally as you are buying $26 bottles of water!!!
This entire topic is silly as water in the United States is clean, free, and provided in every hotel room. This would be different for example in Mexico where you literally need bottled water to stay alive. Bottled water is a fake need in the US created by marketing, programming.