How Much Does Free Still Cost?

Ok, it's been a LONG summer for me and as Fall approaches I can finally get back in to the swing of writing this blog (if you hadn't noticed already, the dates used for the blog are all backwards, because blogspot hasn't yet worked out a way of doing last post first, so I just amend the posting date to get them to read in the correct order). Anyhow, I'm back and need to share some more info with you based on my last Vegas trip:

As I've mentioned before, over the last 8 years or so I really haven't ever paid for a hotel room. But on my last trip I really wanted to stay as The Palazzo/Venetian and thought $60 on an offer seemed worth taking up. Well, let me change my opinion a little! The offer price may well be $60 a night, but all the hotels then add a Resort Fee of around $32 a night - which they value based on it allowing you free access to the Spa and fitness club, free in-suite wifi, boarding pass printing, unlimited local calls, daily newspaper and a 2-1 drink at a bar. OK, writing that makes it seem legit, but even so, for a penny-pincher like me, the total for my two night stay was nowhere near the $120 I imagined, but (including taxes) was something around $278 (I can't find the receipt now I need it!).

So, when I stay at a Ceasars Casino for free, it means ZERO. NADA. ZILCH. And if they offer me the room for $60, then it means $60 + tax = $64.80. That's it. But anywhere else, where I'm not diamond, it's going to cost me a lot more than the advertised rate. So beware.

Now, having said all that, let me introduce you to my latest batch of offers. I will next be visiting Vegas for 4 nights, 2 free of charge at The Bellagio and 2 free of charge at The Venetian. How much will these free rooms cost me? Well, like I said, I just cannot avoid the daily Resort Fee, so my total at The Bellagio is $71.68 and my total at The Venetian is $78.40. This time I've done my homework! And I also checked to see what deposit they will ask too. It's $300 if you want the facility to put incidentals on your room, or $100 if you don't. I'll opt for the latter option thank you!

Now, how did I get these free room offers? The Venetian was an offer I got by email, but I do get them by snail mail also (which I like because I can keep them where I work in case my schedule suddenly opens up for a trip). The Bellagio offer I got using some gold coins I have collected on a free Facebook game, which I will go in to properly on the next blog posting. But both are free, and both will still cost me about $40/night. That's $40/night for 5-star luxury in what would normally be a $300+/night suite in the best hotels in Las Vegas. Yes, I could stay at The Paris for free (I checked), and free means FREEEEEE there for me as a Diamond member. But I'd still rather pay $40 a night and live it large.