News and notes from around the interweb:
- Haunted 18th century jail turned into a hotel
- Qatar Airways introduced a program for passengers to voluntarily buy carbon offsets. This is a convenient way for airlines to say they’re doing something for the environment, without spending their own money. But more importantly almost no one actually buys carbon offsets from airlines when they’re offered, as Lufthansa’s CEO has said purchases are so rare he “could greet them all individually with a handshake.”
- Former Survivor contestants now call the show Survivor: Hilton (HT: Paul H.)
- United’s new self-help tool for booking hotels during overnight maintenance and crew delays
- Some Las Vegas hotels are closing Monday – Thursday due to low occupancy. In addition to Park MGM,
Wynn Resort’s Encore is also closed Mondays through Thursdays, according to the report. Sand’s Palazzo hasn’t taken weekday reservations since July, but it will open Nov. 19-30 and Dec. 21-Jan. 4, a spokesperson told the Review-Journal.
Two Caesars Entertainment properties, the LINQ Hotel and Experience and Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, are only accepting weekend hotel reservations also
- I’ve consistently argued that travel in an airplane is safer than many other indoor activities. I don’t love time in airports or even on the jet bridge, but United Airlines runs the auxiliary power unit to refresh cabin air while passengers board and deplane which is a great precaution. Still it’s worth offering the counterpoint that plane travel can’t be as safe as airlines claim though I think it’s a strawman, no one claims a person won’t ever catch the virus and the rates discussed here from a public health perspective wouldn’t make air travel a significant vector of spread.
Gary you and the entire travel industry can say all you want regarding the safety in this case Covid 19 but people are not going to buy it until if and when we have an effective vaccine in the wild for a certain period of time. As for Vegas only gamblers ( no pun) are truly going to make an effort to go there. Vegas will come back in yet another altered form.
While I’m largely in agreement with @Ghostrider5408, I think that if the hotels were serious about incentivizing midweek visitors, they could start with the lowest of low hanging fruit by eliminating resort fees.
@christian is correct. Resort fees are a money grab, and I think consumers have had enough
This underscores the idea, perpetuated by a lot of people who hated the lockdowns, that we had to choose between the economy and the virus. That was always a false choice not based on reality.
The actual choice we faced (and still face) is to put restrictions on gatherings and establishments to try and keep COVID spread manageable and the economy takes a bad hit…OR…ease up on restrictions (or have no restrictions…including masks and social distancing) watch as the virus runs through everything overloading the hospitals and people become scared and voluntarily start restricting their movements and behaviors and the economy takes a bad hit.
The economy was always going to take a bad hit. Yet people still cling to this fallacy fantasy that we can just bring the economy back to pre COVID levels while the virus runs wild to the degree it’s running wild.
I have received a number of Las Vegas hotel offers recently including from Groupon and travelzoo. They are tempting until I see there is a resort fee. I don’t think so. I agree 100% with Christian and 747 always. Put the resort fees where the sun don’t shine Las Vegas, et al.
I’m sorry I’m in Vegas right now and this is not true. I just booked planet Hollywood thru Tuesday and there are so many people here! Dressed to the 9’s looking good af. Not as many old people as usual. The shows are open the restaurants are open, the strip is fully opened. I went on a foodie tour today and a helicopter right after. Of course everyone is social distancing and wearing masks but trust me LAS VEGAS IS ALIVE AND WELL!!
Maybe if the politicians in Nevada or dare i say Washington DC did their job and passed legislation that banned resort fees we wouldn’t have to talk about them anymore. Yet another why we need term limits and to get rid of the lobbyists that influence politicians by pouring big money into Washington and state capitals all over the country including the hotel industry.
I agree to lower or eliminate those darn resort fees. This would definitely encourage visitors to come and visit!!
Resort fees suck
PARKING FEES suck
VEGAS- y’all played yourself…..suckers!!!!!
I live here … and a friend stayed at the M hotel. Pool closed, Gym closed, and they charged him $20.00 a night resort fee for what?? 2 bottles of water and internet that he already gets in his own phone. They stopped resort fees untill October 1, but started it up again with no changes . Pool still closed . He spoke up and they did waive all fees for 4 days $ 80.00 It’s just a way to get more $ out of visitors. I hope it stops for visitors it extortion fees.
Not true! I’ve been flying and traveling to Vegas this entire time! Haven’t been sick at all and even tested 4 times. Just be careful, you’ll be FINE!
How many people have a couple thousands to spend in Las Vegas Monday thru thursday
we were there. Felt very safe. Precautions were taken and followed better than in our state.
This is an exaggeration. I’ve been to Vegas several times since July and it’s getting busier and busier. I’m just checking out of Caesars Palace, and several towers are sold out this weekend.
There are less people than normal, and no business travellers, so mid-week tends to be slower. But these are massive properties. Many hotels have more than 3000 rooms. This would be considered busy for any other city. It doesn’t make sense for MGM, Wynn, or Caesars to have all their properties open at 50% capacity, so they are closing some of the mid-tier ones so they can consolidate services during the mid-week.
There’s a lot of doom and gloom about Vegas tourism, but if you come out here, it’s nowhere near as bad as they’re making it sound on the news or the blogosphere.
Will they be open jan 5-8
Is the strat hotel in this shut down