A guest checking in at Caesars Palace Las Vegas gave up when faced at a 3 to 4 hour long line at the desk. They left, with their luggage, and enjoyed Vegas returning shortly before 2 a.m.
Still faced with impossible check-in queues, they report giving up – and managing to get into a different hotel at 4:30 in the morning.
Caesars had been overbooked, and there were no more rooms left by the time they got to the front of the line. Altogether, venture capitalist Benjamin Lee notes, “it took..9.5 hours” to get a bed.
Waiting in line to check in at Caesar’s Palace. I first tried checking in at 7 pm. The line was approximately 3-4 hours long. I left (and hopped around town with luggage) and came back at 1.40 am. It’s 2.50 am. Still waiting. pic.twitter.com/jk3Vl8Cxhs
— Benjamin Lee (@blankcheckben) July 11, 2023
This was the original line at 7 pm. Each check-in took about 20 minutes. pic.twitter.com/G4aMZ7W2Ox
— Benjamin Lee (@blankcheckben) July 11, 2023
Update: it’s 4.27 am. I have finally checked in – at a different hotel. Caesar’s oversold their rooms. So my room was given to someone else because I didn’t stand in line for 4 hours. They sent me elsewhere. Altogether it took them 9.5 hours to get me a bed. Someone forward this…
— Benjamin Lee (@blankcheckben) July 11, 2023
Some people in social media assumed that this was because a woman had been taken hostage inside a room at Caesars Palace, but that actually occurred several hours after these photos were taken.
Caesars properties do seem to generally be worse at check-in than MGM properties. Indeed, judging by comments online, people seem thrilled when they only have to stand in line half an hour to check in at an MGM hotel.
Some suggest using a chain’s mobile app or kiosk for check-in, but reports are that those assign the worst rooms (low floor, view of the HVAC), whereas when you check in with a person they’ll usually try to give you the best thing they can within your category (and you have the opportunity to slip them $100 for an upgrade).
Status helps. A Wyndham business card still gets you status that matches over to Caesars Diamond (mid-tier). You will still wait in a line but you will skip this mess. That, and waived resort fees, are the reason that the end of MGM-Hyatt status matching is disappointing.
Las Vegas has interesting economics. They could charge you more, and provide proper staffing, but then they wouldn’t fill the rooms. And filling rooms is the goal, more than the rate, in order to earn off you because you are there in their complex – from shopping and dining to gambling.
That’s also why it makes so much sense to shift room rate into resort fees, to make it look like rates are low since that helps them fill the rooms And for guests booking through third parties, comparing properties, it makes the hotel look cheap relative to other hotels, plus they don’t pay commission on the resort fees to online travel agencies.
Yet hotels have probably made a mistake in the shift in recent years to charge for parking, which discourages driving, which depresses people coming from short distances mostly Southern California.
A check-in experience like this one may help contain costs, but in the long run surely it costs the hotel revenue? It’s a good reason not to return to a hotel, and indeed when guests share what check-in is like it’s a reason for others not to book in the first place. But since it’s infrequent guests bearing the brunt of this check-in process, perhaps the bet is there’s not much future business to lose?
If you’ve made the trip to Vegas, maybe you’ve paid to park, and you’re faced with a super long check-in line my advice is:
- Use a mobile kiosk for check-in
- Take the keys to the inferior room you’re probably assigned
- Then call down from the comfort of your room to complain.
You may have to wait on hold for a bit, but that’s far better than standing around like a schmuck in the lobby.
Moral of this story. STOP GOING TO VEGAS FOR ANY REASON!
Glad I am Diamond Plus Caesars and can use the VIP line. Also anyone can check in online then get the key at a kiosk. Finally, don’t check in when everyone else is. I usually can check in at 11-12 right after checkout for most guests. Otherwise wait until 6 PM or so. Peak time is Friday 3-6 so avoid check in then if at all possible.
Anyone that stands in line is either clueless or a special situation that can’t be handled via a kiosk.
Agree with Matthew. Nobody in their right mind should ever visit Las Vegas,
I have to go annually to this place every October for a convention. I decided a long time ago to stay at the M Courtyard near the convention center and get taxis or Ubers to meetings at the convention. I hate the place but at least I don’t wait endlesly to check in or actually get to a room.
I have been to Vegas several times, and no need to ever return.
Lost Wagerers?
There is actually no reason at all to go to Vegas when the whole world is out there.
Know who goes to Vegas? WT
The only reason I go to Vegas is to pay $95 for a $45 meal.
Vegas is best avoided…
I avoid Las Vegas, NV. When some idiot in our organization decides we need to go to a function out there I always stay at the South Point, then bill the transportation costs.
I used to go to Vegas yearly and don’t mind gambling and people watching but about 15 years ago it just started to become a money grab and the once nice and reasonably priced buffets became expensive.
Now with casinos in many states, online gambling, etc. going to Vegas in order to get taken advantage of (and standing in a multi-hour check in line is one example of that) is pretty stupid. Its for people that have a need to be seen or feel they are part of something they really aren’t.
Used to go to Vegas several times a year. Now it’s a shit hole. Everything costs extra. No service. They treat you like cattle. They’ve taken away everything that was good about Vegas. Can’t wait until travel collapses so these dumb hotels can get a taste of their own medicine. I was Caesars diamond for years. I haven’t stayed at any of their properties since 2017 as this is the norm now. Why would I want to spend my vacation waiting in line just to get ripped off. Mississippi is a better destination.
I call some slight BS- the picture shows 35ish people, and that is generous. And 20 minutes per reservation is also ridiculous… even with computers down and using paper and pencil, which I have seen resorts use before.
Considering the tweet has no other supporting documentation, it seems like a normal line.
Before people respond, can you at least due some due diligence? This is how silly arguments & grudges happen.
Sigh
-Jon
Encountered this at the Rio recently. Waited 2 hours to check in after midnight. Part of the issue was all of the kiosks and mobile check-in were not working. Desk agent said it was common and waived the resort fee when we complained.
A separate stay at an MGM property was very efficient. Checked in using the mobile app and got a physical key in the morning after a short line.
Las Vegas is best avoided under ideal circumstances. Why waste your time and money there?
Our experience to Vegas at Excalibur was no different. We waited for neatly four hours before we could checkin.
I will be in Vegas from 9-28 til 10-3. Primary reason is I scored some Adele tickets. Staying at Paris. Hoping for a good experience. Have not been in Vegas for about 15 yrs.
I had the same experience there. I would avoid Caesars in the future.
I am not convinced about the sanity of having people cool their heels and not gamble while waiting to check in. Maybe a take a number system would be better with a luggage check room. Such a lost opportunity. I have not been to Las Vegas in years. The good old days had buffets that were cheap and rooms that were cheap. Now everything is expensive and traffic to and from Los Angeles is terrible.
All the more reason to stay off strip if you go at all. My trips have diminished considerably.
@jns
Ahhh… I remember 1991, I was (almost) 21, and fell in love with Las Vegas. Yes, this resourceful person figured out all of the coupon deals, and the Pirate Show at Treasure Island was unbelievable (and they were one of the FEW places who gave out comp bottles of beer!!), and Luxar was absolutory amazing (and had an Arcade room!) MGM had their amusement park, along with Circus Circus (I did love that!) The Sands still had dealers in Tuxedos. And the Frontier was perfect!!! Where else could you get a nuclear powered shower-head and set the AC to 50 degrees???? 🙂
Fast forward 30 years, and I gambled, won and lost many times what I made in a year when I was first there. Luckily, I’ve been on the positive side of life.
Vegas helped me see what was possible, but also not go too far.
Hope this makes sense.
-Jon
Someone suggested checking in at 11-12 (AM?). Note: if you can check in at that time, I heard that is an early check-in so they will charge you extra for that.
Very happy to hear from the people that do not know their war way around Vegas. I am really sorry that you do not know how to status match and bypass the lines. Did you know Vegas has the best hockey team on the planet?
Just came back from the Venetian stay three nights. No problems and never had from them. I do check in online so I highly recommend for others to do the same.
Meh. The oligopolies have trained their monkeys well. If this was in say Africa there would have been rants about inefficient customer service in third world countries.
Just LOOK at those people in the photos … why would anyone want to stay at a hotel frequented by that crowd? Vegas used to be a place to go occasionally to see some shows, have some nice meals and good drinks at affordable prices, something ‘different’ to do on a long weekend. Surely no reason to go there now, unless you’re a gambler. Nobody with a brain will stand in line more than ten minutes to check into a hotel, this is a crazy story. Non-refundable bookings you say? Serves you right for being an idiot.
Why can’t hotels just let you pick your room online a head of time- just like airlines do with seats, cruise ships with berths, sports events, etc? charge extra for it and even extra for the better rooms. Then just go to a kiosk and “print” out room card key. Seems too obvious?
Never!!! Would I stand in line for a hotel that long !!! Crazy stupid!! Yes! So much has change in the last 15 years!! & it’s gotten really bad since covid! They have said it loud & clear ! They only want high rollers in there casinos!
Why do people accept this kind of abuse much less pay for it?
Was considering Vegas this weekend but the discounted rate – with bogus fees – was $1k all-in for 2 nights. Not worth it so we are spending our $$ elsewhere.
Vegas jumped the shark during the pandemic, it may be fine for high rollers like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, but the rest of us can find better gaming and rooms elsewhere.
“Know who goes to Vegas? WT”
Facts.
Have no idea why people go to Vegas. The place sucks. Seriously. It sucks. Long time ago it was at least a good value. Not anymore. It sucks. It’s expensive. You get ripped off everywhere you go. Gambling odds are worse than ever. Seriously ppl…go somewhere else
This article is a joke. I lived in Vegas for 13 years. Stayed at Caesar’s Palace multiple times. Never waited more than 15 minutes to check in at any hotel in Vegas. The goal is not to fill the rooms it is to fill the casinos.
Avoid the strip and just stay downtown instead. Better service, lower prices, better gambling odds, shorter walks between venues. A total no brainer!
Agree with many here. Vegas sucks.
Friends don’t invite friends to Vegas.
WOW! You would think with all these people saying they don’t go to Vegas we would be empty ..YET…we are the busiest we have EVER been!!! Interesting
So WT goes? So does the BT.
Trash is trash. It has no color. Unless you are talking about Blue and Red garbage , the two absolute trash parties.
Online room selection would be smart, but Caesar’s Palace has 4000 rooms, which is merely above-average by Vegas standards. Due to its scale, it would be like selecting a room on a cruise ship or a seat at a sporting event. It would not be like a room selection at a typical hotel or an airplane seat.
What’s the difference between the two? Tons of pricing levels. Each floor of Caesars would likely have a different cost. Different views, different cost. Different distance from the elevator, different cost.
This type of nickel-and-diming may actually be desired by Caesars, and could very well be the future, but it will give customers a new thing to complain about.
I’m surprised most of those people managed to stand in a 4-hour line without starting a riot since 75% of them are unemployed and flew there on Spirit.
Crazy! Thanks for pointing this out. I won’t ever stay at a Caesar’s property. Why waste time standing in line/queue? One would think that the hotel would find a solution to the very long, very slow lines/queues. What a waste of an otherwise nice and Las Vegas style tacky hotel.
Does Caesars not have a online check in and digital key?
Vegas is not a small town. All of the posters rebeling against visiting Vegas are missing that point. Vegas is NOT “The Strip.” If you want to go to “The Strip” then yes, long lines, no taxi pickup except the hotels, and get treated like cattle.
Or do Fremont Street, Downtown, Summerlin, Henderson, and enjoy the charm of Las Vegas without all the trash on the sidewalks and standing in line. Just got back from a 4-day weekend and it was a blast. We have been going for years, and never stay on The Strip.
I’d be happy to pay more to avoid barfing drunk college students or morons from Florida and Texas, but they all stay on The Strip, so everywhere else is Stupid-Free.
I love Vegas/Henderson…I’m not an gambler but considering choosing retirement here from memphis didn’t want to choose Florida
@Inger. Well, if planning to retire there it appears you may want to get in line asap.
The place is a complete joke and the laughing stock of America. Have no clue what people see in it. I guess it appeals the same as slowing down to look at a car wreck.
It is truly amazing to see people waiting in long lines in order to lose their money.
All casinos are full of smoke, and with all these lines, and high resort fees, avoid the Strip hotels. I got a flight to Vegas, just went to the Grand Canyon stayed away from the casinos. I just drive by the Strip whenever I go there. I stay far away from the Strip if I have a rental car.
I just got back from Vegas with my wife. 15 minutes to check in. Tickets to a great show. Had an amazing meal at the Mirage. People just like to complain for the sake of complaining.
And “Steve”… My wife and I road the Monorail from MGM to Harah’s with Hispanic, Asian, East-Indian and European individuals as well as African -Americans and their families of all ages. So the “WT” comment is pretty clueless…
The Casino Owners are too cheap to keep their staff filled, tons of them never came back to work at the casinos after The Pandemic, lured by higher wages at non-casino jobs. Low Staffing means EVERY WILL TAKE LONGER TO DO. Many rooms are only cleaned once every three days, no room service, no shuttle services, no concierge services pools are opened less, the Casino Owners know what they have to do fix the problem, they’re just too cheap to fix it.
If you actually get your room, and you know you’re getting a lower tier room, don’t complain. You want to make enemies with the staff, then that’s how you do it. Instead, ask nicely if there are any room upgrades, then you’ll be met with a very cooperative staff.
And do your homework, you don’t HAVE to eat or shop on The Strip, google places off Strip, where you can actually get BETTER food and shopping in Las Vegas Proper or Henderson or Summerlin. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
Becky, Paris was horrible,,paid for an upgraded room..that was so old and outdated,no view and moldy…be careful stay somewhere else and the noise the crowds and the stinkweed and cigs soke was unbearable…
Wow, I haven”t stayed there since I was was in high school. I still clearly remember my parents having trouble checking in, and ultimately having to seperate our family into two different towers. I also remember my poor great grandpa and my grandma being given a room with a “murphey bed” that pulled down from the wall. I also remember a man next t us at check-in pleading for a roll-away bed for his kid that he requested on his reservation. I remember he was repeatedly told the hotel was full and that they wete out of roll-a-ways.
As an adult, I’ve never considered staying there when going to Vegas
First off, “slip them $100?” It’s “the $20 trick”, for 100 get a better room or hotel. Second, not all hotels and casinos allow smoking. Third, unless you are in NYC, Chicago or LA, there is no where even close to having as many shows and activities. The average visitor only spends about 200 gambling