.

Home Page Link  >>  Avagant's Las Vegas Guide

BEFORE WE GET STARTED:  Yes we are Hypocrites for promoting SWA's online booking.  Why?  Good question - because in our opinion they actually do offer value, plus they bundle the airfare at killer rates.

Here's a tip anyone can use to compare and save on Hotel Rooms

Do you ever see Bellagio advertising online?  NO!  You might see a company advertising their "booking engine" for the Bellagio, but not the hotel itself.  The Bellagio is always full so they don't advertise.  If you don't go through a Travel Agent or Book Direct it's tough to get a room at the Bellagio.  So use the Advertisements to compare rates, but don't expect the kind of service you would get from Direct Booking.  Advertisements are generally run by 3rd parties - looking to make a commission not the Hotels themselves.  Want to know more about Las Vegas Hotels?

The Luxor Hotel is a perfect example why you should NOT book Hotels in Las Vegas Online until you check with the Hotel Direct

QUESTION:  Do you want to pay the least amount of money for the best Hotel Room possible?  Answer:  This is NOT a trick question, of course you do - unfortunately you won't find the best deals at the mega-websites, we suggest checking advertisements, calling your Travel Agent, and booking direct or picking up the telephone and calling direct.

Big Corporations control the Hotels, and Vegas Hotels are booked at 90% already so there is no need to discount.  In fact the Hotels on the Strip are booked closer to 95% with resorts like The Venetian claiming 96%+ booking!  If you can sell all the ice cream bars you can at $1 a bar why would you sell them for $.75 cents?  It's simple:  Demand is exceeding supply.  37 million visitors a year and growing why discount?  And they don't!  Until this growth trend is reversed and fewer people visit Las Vegas expect the average rate of rooms (At least at the in demand properties on the Strip) to continue to rise not fall.

If that's true then what good are the Online Vegas Sites?

The better designed sites are good for figuring out the approximate price you should be paying so your know your Travel Agent isn't gouging you.  They often have photos of the property and rooms (but don't trust the room photos because they are kind of like television or magazine ads for food - they always look better in the photograph).  These sites can tell you how many rooms the property has and give you other important information about the Casino, and restaurants and shops on the premises.  With two main players "Harrah's Entertainment" and "MGM Mirage Resorts" controlling 90% of the Strips rooms (and 99% of the resort rooms you would actually want to stay in) the need to discount prices just isn't there.  This is a recurring theme, but it's true.  Could you imagine the backlash from stockholders if they announced they were going to reduce room rates?  This isn't about you finding a good deal, this is about big corporations making piles and piles of cash for themselves and for their shareholders.  If you would like to know more about who owns what we encourage you to visit our did you know page and our Las Vegas Hotel Advice page.

What about Online Advertisements on Vegas Related Websites

Our advise?  Use them!  Here's why:  The off-strip smaller properties have to compete with the big budget advertising dollars of the Mega Resorts (e.g. in 2004 Greenspun Media - owner of Vegas.com supposedly had a $6 million dollar advertising budget in 2004).  You think the Hampton Inn has $6 million to spend on Vegas advertising?  Doubtful!  Have you even heard of Tuscan Suites?  Probably Not.  This is why ads become a useful tool.  Use them to see what's there and maybe if you are on a super tight budget you'll find a gem hidden among them.

We have found some good deals in ads from time to time.  Honestly if you don't mind staying way way off the strip out in Henderson the Fiesta Henderson (Formerly Known as "The Reserve") gets some pretty good deals.  Most of you have never heard of this property (it shows up in online ads all the time) but the Bass Fisherman know about it.  It's one of the closest Hotels to Lake Mead.

You have to think of them (online advertisements) in the same way you would any other advertisement - TV, Radio, Magazine, etc.  The company is spending money to get your attention.  Sometimes it's a good deal and sometimes it's not.  But you won't know until you try.  And you should know that while there is big money in hotel rooms, the money websites make from ads run on their sites is paltry in comparison.  A hotel room booking pays a website $10 to $40, and ad pays websites a few pennies when and if they get used.  Who cares it's all about business.  Do what you want, use the best resources to your advantage.  But if you book online you are not only wasting your time you are wasting your money.  This may not be true for other cities, but this is Vegas Baby!  And Vegas is not like any other city in the world!  So use them to your advantage.

More Reasons Why you should NOT book Vegas Hotels Online

• What kind of room are you getting - the one they assign you not the one you "ask" for?
• Queen or King Bed - do you have a choice?  What if you need special accommodations for a bad back?
• View of the Strip or the Freeway or maybe if you are lucky a nice view of the building next door!
• By the Elevator or Ice Machine - it's a good feeling to be exhausted and listen to the elevator doors opening and closing all night long (or day depending on when you try to sleep).
• What are the hidden charges - sneaky websites always have hidden charges like energy surcharges, booking fees, cancellation fees, and taxes they like to hide until you have provided all your information including your credit card information and hit the "book" button.  Often this is a "catch" and you can't get out of it without paying their cancellation fee.
• How far will you need to walk to get to the Casino Elevators
• What floor will you be on - sometimes it's neat to be on the 24th floor and have a view of the city, other times it's a real pain to wait for that many floors as each person on the elevator seems to be pushing buttons below your floor.
• How can you cancel (trust me on this one if you have to rely on email for answers to your questions you are making a huge mistake).  We have telephones for a reason.
• Star ratings mean nothing. Vegas.com says the Luxor is a 4 Star, while LasVegas.com shows a 3 star rating  Which is it?  I'd say it's more of a 3 Star but that's my opinion.  What do I know?  I didn't even start my first Vegas Website until 1998.  That's only 7 years ago.
• Basically you can not get the amenities you really want because you have no way to ask for them.  If you need an extra bed, if you need to know if the room has an iron, if wake up service is available, you can search a website or you can just ask!
• If I were going to spend $500 to $1,500 on a Hotel room I would want someone I could ask questions too - not an email address that promises a reply within 24 hours.  I think you get the idea!

Just the facts about Vegas...

Honestly, we still book a few rooms through third party affiliations with some of these companies.  It's just business.  If you would like to compare rates with the company we use click here for our hotel list.

If you want to see the REAL Vegas - drive downtown (Not the Strip, "Old Las Vegas" where it all began, or visit Henderson Nevada, do a little golfing, or check out the Real Estate - see the Homes for yourself.  A Vegas Car Rental will be cheaper than taking a cab everywhere.  Rates are as low as $20 a day - just make sure you get air conditioning, you would think they all have it - but it's always best to double check.

FYI:  The Luxor is owned by MGM Mirage Group – for more information on who owns what you can check hotel ownership business dealings or Las Vegas Hotel Advice pages as mentioned prior in this article.

.