Latest news with #AriaResort
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Las Vegas sees fall in tourists - prices could be to blame
By Las Vegas's high prices could be putting off potential tourists, according to new visitor figures. Tourist numbers have fallen every month this year with 6.5 percent fewer visitors than in 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. International arrivals at Harry Reid Airport were 8.7 percent lower in May than the same month in 2024. It is thought that Sin City's soaring prices could be to blame for its falling visitor numbers. A visitor recently shared her shock after she was charged $26/£19.11 for a bottle of Fiji water from the minibar in her room at the Aria Resort & Casino. And a British magician was also left outraged after he was billed $74.31/£54.63 for two drinks at Sphere in Las Vegas. Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor website, told The Times : 'On the Strip, people get taken for a ride. 'Once they get here they're like, "I've had enough of this crap, I'm tired of being treated like this. I'm tired of having to pay these ridiculous prices".' The Vegas expert explained that many casinos have 'turned their back on the middle market' in order to focus on more affluent tourists. A 2024 study found that the average income of Las Vegas holidaymakers is now $93,000/£68,365, with many budget travelers priced out of the gambling capital. In a Reddit post, a person who recently visited Vegas describes the city as 'amazing' but 'absurdly priced'. The user writes: 'Walking around the different themed casinos was like a fever dream. Sadly I felt like a spectator instead of a participant. I have honestly never been to a place that was more absurdly priced.' They claim they had to spend $30/£22 on a glass of house wine and were charged $50/£36 for two bottles of water from the minibar. On another Reddit thread, a user says Las Vegas is 'extortionately expensive'. They wrote: 'I live in a very high cost of living area. 'Vegas is extortionately expensive. Shows. Restaurants. Everything is far more expensive in Vegas than here.' Meanwhile, another commenter says: 'I used to love going Vegas, but the last few times I had sticker shock on everything. 'You can have an amazing time in Vegas on any budget, but if your budget is on the lower end, then you may have to forego some experiences and types of restaurants.' And another user writes: 'Yes Vegas is expensive, but it's a high end destination in a tourist area and you're getting some of the best food and service in the world.'
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Las Vegas sees fall in tourists as 'ridiculous prices' hit
Las Vegas 's high prices could be putting off potential tourists, according to new visitor figures. Tourist numbers have fallen every month this year with 6.5 per cent fewer visitors than in 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. International arrivals at Harry Reid Airport were 8.7 per cent lower in May than the same month in 2024. It is thought that Sin City's soaring prices could be to blame for its falling visitor numbers. A visitor recently shared her shock after she was charged $26/£19.11 for a bottle of Fiji water from the minibar in her room at the Aria Resort & Casino. And a British magician was also left outraged after he was billed $74.31/£54.63 for two drinks at Sphere in Las Vegas. Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor website, told The Times: 'On the Strip, people get taken for a ride. 'Once they get here they're like, "I've had enough of this crap, I'm tired of being treated like this. I'm tired of having to pay these ridiculous prices".' The Vegas expert explained that many casinos have 'turned their back on the middle market' in order to focus on more affluent tourists. A 2024 study found that the average income of Las Vegas holidaymakers is now $93,000/£68,365, with many budget travellers priced out of the gambling capital. In a Reddit post, a person who recently visited Vegas describes the city as 'amazing' but 'absurdly priced'. The user writes: 'Walking around the different themed casinos was like a fever dream. Sadly I felt like a spectator instead of a participant. I have honestly never been to a place that was more absurdly priced.' They claim they had to spend $30/£22 on a glass of house wine and were charged $50/£36 for two bottles of water from the minibar. On another Reddit thread, a user says Las Vegas is 'extortionately expensive'. They wrote: 'I live in a very high cost of living area. 'Vegas is extortionately expensive. Shows. Restaurants. Everything is far more expensive in Vegas than here.' Meanwhile, another commenter says: 'I used to love going Vegas, but the last few times I had sticker shock on everything. 'It doesn't feel like a relaxing, exciting vacation when you're price gouged up to your ears and come home feeling robbed.' However, another traveller claims it is still possible to enjoy Vegas on a budget. They said: 'People come to Vegas expecting champagne on a beer budget. 'You can have an amazing time in Vegas on any budget, but if your budget is on the lower end, then you may have to forego some experiences and types of restaurants.' And another user writes: 'Yes Vegas is expensive, but it's a high end destination in a tourist area and you're getting some of the best food and service in the world.'
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Las Vegas hotel slammed after guest stuck with outrageous bill for a bottle of water
It's not just slot machines that are fleecing people. A Las Vegas hotel is being lambasted mercilessly online after charging nearly $30 for a bottle of water from room minibars. The apparent H20 highway robberies came to light via photos and a fan submission shared by the travel blog A View From the Wing. The unidentified guest had reportedly been staying at the Aria Resort & Casino — one of over 30 MGM resorts — where room rates start at $280 per night. According to the post, an employee had been restocking and cleaning out their room's minibar, which the visitor noted had 'food crammed in the fridge from two guests ago.' The worker informed the visitor that water costs $26, but only told them after the guest had consumed a full bottle, the poster wrote. That constituted more than 10% of the person's total bill of $259, according to a screenshot of their invoice. To make matters worse, the same water reportedly costs just $7.45 at a Starbucks downstairs. While hotel minibars are known for their extortionate markups, some Aria guests noted that the other items in the fridge were not nearly as steep. , shared a photo of a hotel minibar menu showing a Coca-Cola Deluxe that cost $13.75, nearly half as much as the Fiji Water, which set guests back a whopping $24.75. 'Do you think it's fair to pay for the convenience, or this is price gouging?' the traveler spluttered in the caption. Commenters were similarly perplexed over the price tags, with one writing, 'Was just there. I was floored.' 'Vegas is dying so they have to charge a buttload to survive,' declared another, referencing declining tourist numbers at the gambling mecca. 'They depend on the drunk visitors that don't care about their prices at 2 a.m. when they get back to their room,' said a third. A View From the Wing contributor Gary Leff accused Aria of flouting the 'diamonds-water paradox' floated by 'The Wealth of Nations' author Adam Smith, who wrote that water is necessary but cheap, while diamonds are useless for survival but expensive due to their scarcity. 'Aria in Las Vegas proves there really was no paradox after all,' Leff quipped. 'Water in the desert is crucial to survival and incredibly expensive for guests staying there!' He declared that Sin City had 'clearly given up on any idea of hospitality.' 'I would think, though, that a $36.28 per night resort fee (inclusive of tax) might be high enough to offer a single bottle of water as one of its inclusions. I guess not!' Leff griped. 'This is the perfect example of the kind of out of sample cost that makes people feel cheated on a Las Vegas trip, leaving customers with a bad taste in their mouth. And that is dangerous heading into a Las Vegas downturn.'
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Outrage as Las Vegas hotel charges guest eye-watering price for a single bottle of water
A Las Vegas visitor got a shocking surprise after grabbing a bottle of water from their hotel room — only to later discover the $26 price tag. The unidentified guest was staying at the upscale Aria Resort & Casino when they took the one liter bottle of Fiji from the room's minibar, not realizing the steep cost until after finishing it. Making matters worse, they later spotted the same brand of water being sold at the on-site Starbucks for just $7.45. At nearby stores, it was under $3. The guest's bill — including room rate, resort fees, taxes, and the infamous water — totaled $258.51 for a single night on June 8, according to a photo published by travel site View from the Wing. The Aria, one of over 30 MGM Resorts, includes rates currently starting at $280 a night. A social media user who goes by Lasvegasblogger posted a photo in April of Aria's minibar menu, showing seven drink options — with the Fiji water clocking in at $24.75. A regular can of Coke was $13.75. 'It's a regular can of Coca-Cola in case you wonder what is deluxe,' the blogger wrote. 'Those prices make me think I'm at a Dodgers or Yankees World Series game,' one commenter joked. '7-Eleven here I come.' A traveler known as Lasvegasblogger posted a photo of a minibar menu in April that featured a $24.75 Fiji water bottle Another added: 'Never, ever touch the minibar. Cheaper to go in the casino and get a free drink — just tip the server.' Besides pricy drinks, the Aria offers a food, including $16 juice, a $20 seasonal berry plate, $34.50 mixed nuts, and a $82.50 lobster tail entrée. Neil Saunders of GlobalData revealed these prices were not a shocker as Las Vegas hotel minibars have also been 'astronomical.' 'Minibars are expensive for hotels to operate, but in the huge Vegas hotels a lot of effort is involved to keep them stocked,' Saunders told 'Vegas hotels also have lots of shops and restaurants and the owners would prefer guests used those than sit in their rooms eating things from the minibars.' He revealed that he refuses to pay minibar prices whenever he travels, and prefers to shop for beverages elsewhere. 'I simply go to the Target store on the Las Vegas Strip on my first day and stock up on things I might need. It saves a fortune.' Like Saunders, several Facebook users admitted to stopping stores like Walgreens or CVS to by drinks and 'skip the minibar.' Prices are usually high for hotels depending on factors like popularity, date of stay, and destination. However, as a result of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, prices are drastically rising, while customers are fearing recession and the possibility of stagflation - prices rising and economic growth slowing at the same time. has reached out to MGM Resorts International for comment about the beverage prices. Travel writer Gary Leff, who wrote the story on View from the Wing. invoked the classic diamonds-water paradox to explain the eye-watering price. 'Prices are set 'at the margin,' not by total usefulness,' he wrote. 'Water is essential to life, but because it's usually abundant, the value of one extra bottle isn't very high. Diamonds, on the other hand, are not essential — but they're rare and highly desired, so each additional carat commands a premium.' The paradox, famously discussed by Adam Smith, highlights why something vital like water can be cheap, while something non-essential like diamonds can be wildly expensive.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Explosion' on Las Vegas strip after car 'flees scene': 'It sounded like a bomb'
An explosion has rocked the Las Vegas strip with dramatic footage showing flames erupting outside the Aria Resort and Casino. The fire began near a vehicle just off the strip, quickly engulfing at least two palm trees in front of the luxury hotel, according to witnesses on social media. Footage shared online shows black smoke billowing into the sky as fire crews race to contain the blaze. No injuries have been reported and there is no damage to nearby hotels, according to initial reports. Witnesses described the terrifying moment flames burst into view. 'Big explosion. We just heard what sounded like a bomb. Right in front of the Aria,' one bystander said in a video shared from the scene. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have now issued a statement confirming the cause of the fire. 'We are investigating a small fire in the 3700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard,' the department said. 'The fire was contained to a small area and was extinguished quickly. It was learned that an occupant in a vehicle threw fireworks causing a tree to catch fire.' Firefighters remain at the scene as the investigation continues. In a video posted from the scene, TikToker Baby Khaled claimed he and others 'heard an explosion' and then spotted a car speeding away from the area. Khaled shared footage of the skidding vehicle and declared: 'Let's find this car.' Other witnesses also flooded social media with clips of the blaze erupting outside the Aria Resort and Casino. The explosion outside the Aria Resort and Casino comes just days after a fatal shooting shook the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night. A man and his wife were gunned down near the iconic Bellagio fountains in what police described as an 'isolated incident' involving individuals who were known to each other.
