Heading to Las Vegas? A new IHG hotel promotion is worth a look

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• Simon says:

  12 May12 May 05:09

  I stayed at the Venetian when the 25,000 points a night promo was on, didn’t really like it, the room was nice but getting there involved 2 elevators and a maze of corridors, similarly getting to the gym was another 15 minute trek. The pool area wasn’t the nicest and there was little signs of house keeping during the day, hundreds of used towels were everywhere when I arrived.

  I did get a 2pm check out for being Gold (thanks to my credit card). Despite the negatives I would take advantage of this promo if I had 3 nights in Vegas, would probably try The Palazzo though.

  • Ian H says:

    12 May12 May 08:23

    To be fair, most strip hotels take are a trek to get to your room, to the gym, etc, because they’re so huge. I don’t think that’s the end of the world.

    Can’t vouch for the pool of the housekeeping though.

    • Simon says:

      12 May12 May 09:05

      I’ve stayed at a few hotels on the strip, never had to take 2 lifts before, I think that’s what I found most annoying, waiting for them to arrive.

      Ceasers Palace is my favourite place on the strip although I see they have gone down the resort fee route now after many years of making a big thing about not charging one.

• John says:

  12 May12 May 06:00

  Wasn’t there meant to br an article on Hilton and Iberia?

  • Roger says:

    12 May12 May 06:50

    Our experience of the 25,000 rate at the Palazzo was similar to Simon’s. Upgraded room was fine, but they had the nerve to charge a so-called ‘resort’ fee covering faxes, local calls, the pool and some unusable certificates including one for ONE small cup of coffee between us for the whole stay!

    They are certainly not resort hotels and the fee is just an extra revenue earner. We were able to get the fee refunded.

    They’re just casino hotels, and if you’re visiting LV and you’re attracted by a decent rate and the current offer, it could be worthwhile. But oh, how I hate ‘resort’ fees!.

    • Ian H says:

      12 May12 May 08:21

      Every hotel on the strip charges a resort fee. Unfair to single out the Palazzo for this.

      • Roger says:

        12 May12 May 08:53

        Every hotel? No, but some actually offer resort facilities.

        • Rob says:

          12 May12 May 09:07

          Even Four Seasons rips you off on this, shockingly.

        • Sussex Bantam says:

          12 May12 May 10:15

          I’m with you – this resort fee charge really annoys me. Do you know of any on the Strip which don’t charge it ?

        • Neil Spellings says:

          28 May28 May 05:39

          Yes, the Casino Royale (Best Western). Sitting in it right now. Good rates, no resort fee and 10 minute walk from the Venetian.

        • Ian says:

          12 May12 May 13:32

          Every hotel apart from the Elara that is on the strip charges resort fees.

    • Nick says:

      12 May12 May 11:25

      I had this too, when using a free night certificate at the Pallazzo. They still charge the resort fee (and tax, I believe).

      To be honest it’s entirely consistent with the cheap and nasty way in which America operates. The price is never the price. Hotel room rates don’t include elements of the price like tax and spurious other fees (IC Mark Hopkins charged me a whole bunch of stuff per night for a room I’d booked on points); retailers don’t include sales tax in their pricing; restaurants don’t include the staff costs in the menu (or the tax); if you are paying for a trip or whatever the price you pay does not cover the cost of the company’s employees etc. I went on a tourist excursion recently where the owner of the business asked for tips at the end saying that it’s the only way they can make the business work. How moronic – why not just set the price at the correct level in the first place?

      Restaurant tipping is now 20% minimum (let’s be honest, it’s not a tip: 20% is a straight surcharge on the bill now); taxis automatically ask 20%-40% if paying by card….. it’s a country riddled with sharp practices. Why they cannot just join the developed world and be up front about costs is beyond me.

      • Liz says:

        12 May12 May 11:54

        We prepaid £700+ for a day tour to the Grand Canyon with helicopter trip, boat ride on the Colorado River, Sky Walk as part of my daughters 21st trip last year – very well organised tour – we got collected from our hotel in Vegas and taken to their depot where other buses were congregating and got organised into our various groups for different trips – then we were told to line up and pay a $20 admin fee per person!!! Damned annoying – I love America but hate all the extra taxes and costs – as you say I wish they would just be upfront about them all!

        • Liz says:

          12 May12 May 15:50

          I booked this with Viator tours and was able to put me new AMerican Airlines account number in and got 2167 miles credited 90 days later – wanted to book with them this year for a tour to extend my expiry date but they are no longer AA partners. Anyone know of any other tour companies that are linked to AA?

      • Gavin says:

        12 May12 May 12:44

        Go to Oregon, no sales tax!

        • Janeyferr says:

          12 May12 May 14:13

          I stayed at the Palazzo on the 25k wotsit. Resort fee, as expected, but no taxes. 1 lift to my floor then a couple of corners to my room, which was fine. When researching my Grand Canyon tour I read about some companies charging extra when you arrive, so I didn’t go with them.

          Stayed at the Mark Hopkins on the same trip, one night AMB free night, one night paid, two nights free reward nights. Bill was advertised price for one flex night at the rate booked, no extras charged, upgrade given.

          I decided to approach prices in America as though they were in pounds sterling, as once you’ve added the tax and the tip and converted you’re more or less there.

        • Nick says:

          12 May12 May 18:35

          Haha – that’s the approach I take too!

  • Rob says:

    12 May12 May 09:06

    If registration opens today as promised I will look at Hilton / IB again tomorrow.

• Martin says:

  12 May12 May 12:20

  MGM hotels (MGM, NYNY, Excalibur etc) now charging, from today I think, $10 per day to self park and $18 to valet park so with the resort fee thats an additional $40 or $48 plus tax on top of the room rate per night. Interesting to see if they get away with it or people start switching allegiance. You do get the car park waived if you have above basic status but I can see them removing that eventually.

• Kiran says:

  12 May12 May 16:19

  IHG related – does anyone know when the IHG summer promotion to replace accelerate will be launching? I’ve got a few nights to book soon and wondered whether it’s worth holding off a bit.

  • Sebastian says:

    12 May12 May 19:34

    Not happening, they’ve got one running for Americans but that’s it.

    • Nick says:

      12 May12 May 20:53

      Pity, I like the accelerate promos. They have been great value for me and I find them quite good fun to be honest.

• Mr Dee says:

  12 May12 May 19:38

  It was mentioned this is their strategy to get you to book direct, which makes a lot of sense for them and saves them money, still there maybe other options.

• Rob says:

  12 May12 May 20:09

  It has gone and will not return.

  • Rob says:

    13 May13 May 00:20

    Should be paid (stress ‘should’).

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