Virgin Las Vegas Casino Adds Resort Fee Charges

Visitors to the Virgin Las Vegas Casino will now be charged with a nightly resort fee of $45, after the resort opened with no such fees in place early last year.
Visitors to Las Vegas, Nevada are used to paying high prices during the trip, from fine dining to hotel suites, and of course, gambling. For most resorts in the area, there is a resort fee that must be paid during an overnight stay. Fees are the norm for a nightly stay in Sin City, except at the Virgin Las Vegas. When the casino opened in the former Hard Rock Casino, there were zero fees attached to a stay. The brand has now decided to bring in a nightly fee of $45 per stay.
From Zero to $45 Nightly
The add-on charge was not expected but is common among properties on the Strip and surrounding area. According to media reports, the Virgin Casino is now charging $45 in resort fees. A room would cost $68 or so give or take the day and more than $60 in fees. This brings the base price of a room up more than 88% than before.
The fee was quietly adding and is in line with five-star casinos across the area including Wynn, Bellagio, and the Venetian. The casino is now in line with its competitors, but it seems that they would have had a leg up on the other venues by not including the charges.
Now with the change, Virgin is being scrutinized on the decision. When the company launched, it boasted how it would offer a resort-fee free environment. In early 2021, CEO and president of JC Hospitality, Richard Bosworth, stated that the venue is proud to be the first major casino resort in Sin City that does not have a resort fee. JC Hospitality is a majority owner of the casino.
So, what gives? Why change now? On the website of the casino, it says the $45 fee includes the best-in-class amenities and added benefits. This would include Wi-Fi service, Hulu and Netflix in the guest rooms, and local/long distancing calling. Visitors also have access to 20% off spa services and 15% off retail products at the spa.
Hurt or Help Business?
Now, we must consider if the new fee will hurt or harm the business. Virgin is the newest casino on the Strip, so that is a positive and will help to see visitors continue to travel to the property for a new experience. The price point is not too bad when compared to other high-end casinos, which is also a plus for Virgin.
However, the charge is $5 to $10 a night more expensive than 16 other casinos in Las Vegas. For travelers that want to save a little money, Virgin will most likely be skipped over. Other resorts are even lower, though they are further away from the action.
It will take some time to see how affected Virgin Casino will be now that fees are on the table. Over the next few months, we should be able to tell if the fee is causing a decrease in hotel stays. Most likely, it won’t affect the resort much, but it does say something of the property’s character.
It’s not a great idea to boast about zero fees, then add then in just under a year after being in business. Will there be backlash among the public for the change or will it just be business as usual for the gaming venue?