This could be the beginning of a bad trend for Vegas lovers. Ending its longtime policy of providing free parking to the people who attend its casinos (and drop huge wads of cash on their games of chance), MGM Resorts International has begun to charge for parking.
MGM Resorts International is Vegas’ largest hotel operator, which means that the parking policy extends far beyond the MGM Grand. By the end of next Monday, The Aria, Vdara, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, Luxor, Circus Circus, MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Delano and The Mirage will all be charging for a parking spot when you drive to one of the hotel/casinos.
Customers will get some leeway until nearly the end of the year, as MGM announced that they would allow visitors free self-parking (for up to 24 hours) from now until December 29. Day rate fees for self parking range from $8 to $10 while valet parking fees range from $13 to $18. In other words, the fees themselves aren’t exactly exorbitant, especially when you consider that part of the purpose of Vegas is to spend like you got money to blow.
The new fees are bound to draw some criticism from the hotel giant, but you’ll be unlikely to see attendance (or even parking numbers) decline substantially.
