Low Room Rates in Las Vegas Responsible for Labor Day Violence: Analyst
Posted on: September 9, 2020, 03:05h.
Last updated on: September 10, 2020, 07:41h.
A spike in violence on the Las Vegas Strip over Labor Day weekend is a direct result of rock-bottom room rates. That’s according to Greg Mullen, vice president of CDC Consulting, who told the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week he believes the drop in prices during the coronavirus pandemic is attracting the wrong sort of person.
Occupancy rates have plummeted because of the pandemic, which means operators are offering low rates, or even free rooms, plus travel incentives to the mass market, rather than just high rollers.
Cheap retail rates for the hotel rooms (and) free rooms are going to the players that have never had free rooms in Las Vegas,” Mullen said. “They’re going deeper in their database to get players who aren’t as lucrative because it’s better just to get a body in there.”
The result? The destruction of rooms is at an all-time high at some high-end properties, according to Mullen, and meanwhile, videos with titles like “Fight in ENCORE HOTEL LAS VEGAS LABOR WEEKEND 2020” are getting 40,000-plus views on YouTube.
Wynn to Raise Rates
A Wynn Resorts spokesperson confirmed to LVRJ that a large brawl had taken place at Encore over the weekend, adding that the company planned to buck the trend by bumping up room rates and hiring more security.
Las Vegas Metro Police told a press conference on Tuesday that the downtown area command had arrested 28 people on Friday alone, and issued 27 citations.
People coming here to have fun and take part in the festivities … we welcome you,” said Capt. Patricia Spencer, head of the downtown area command. “For those of you coming here to prey on the tourists or residents of this community, it will not be tolerated.”
Mullen says that operators will need to find a skillful balance between prices that are high enough to keep out undesirables, and low enough to maintain a healthy rate of occupancy — at least until the virus is suppressed to a point where conventions and concerts can return to the Strip.
‘Scared to Go Outside’
But Mullen is concerned that the current climate could damage the reputation of Las Vegas for a long time to come.
“Several of our higher-end profile clients say their high-end guests are done coming until this is under control,” he said. “They’re scared to walk outside their rooms, and don’t feel safe on elevators or on the casino floors themselves. It’s a bad look. … You can really, severely, put a tarnish on Las Vegas.”
Las Vegas is in “uncharted waters,” he added.
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Last Comments ( 191 )
Vegas has always been trashed by the criminal element of people from California. Even the Cali people in the valley have ruined it, by bringing their gang activities to the valley. If you want prove, we never had a freeway shooting, but the Cali gangs came into town and targeted a vehicle and a innocent woman was killed. Cali people bought property in Vegas and let their kids live in it and then their kids gang enemies come an shoot up a neighbor.
Has little to do with room rates and mostly to do with the decency of people. America has been losing its moral fabric for years. IMO.
I lived here in Vegas all my life im a black male from a urban part of Las Vegas , and I understand how certain types of people from those area's can be when they go somewhere new away from there home town , they do things they wouldn't normally do if they were back home . I'm here to say these crazy crowds aren't locals we are used to Vegas and we know how to act out and carry ourselves in a decent manor these are out of towners coming to Vegas with the nick name Sin City on there minds and treating the city as so . More police presence and a no tolerance approach will solve this problem easily. Trust me I know.
I recently made two trips to Vegas and was scared to leave my room. The person/people in the room next to mine blasted music all night and had the hallway filled with the smell of marijuana. Due to the crowd I only left my room if I absolutely had to. I have a birthday trip planned with my husband in November and I pray Vegas is a lot better than what it is now.
I'm here now and am disappoint at the amount of classless people, cheap rooms attract scumbags
Ridiculous to sugarcoat this situation. When these hotels (out of fiscal desperation) charge the ridiculously low rates they are you can bet your ass it's going to attract no class shitbags. They gamble very very little, won't pay for drinks and will go down the street and buy their own booze , sit outside, drink and fire up the weed and stay out there all night until they finally go in to sleep. They're not stupid. They know with this political climate they can get away with damned near any messed up behavior with no consequences and take full advantage of that fact. Not all are assholes and are chill but the younger crowd is really bad. Might as well get used to it as it's not going away for quite awhile.
Kind of hard to ARREST people when the Democrats are all in favor of defunding the POLICE. You all rant and rave about arresting people who are doing things that are unsafe for people to attend a once safe place to enjoy life when people want to DEFUND law enforcement. You can't have it both ways. Only need law enforcement when it's for you. Not for others basically ....its screw them attitude. And part of it well it's the business and state government laws If you put you foot down and start arresting the thugs, keeping licked up not let them out right away And raise the room rates to attract the right customers you might be able to save Vegas and not have it turn into a Harlem.
Yeah and if you smoke the employees hassle you about lowering your mask to smoke
Just lazy ass people from the left with nothing better to do
They are whiny children from the extreme left that pout and throw tantrums when they don't get what they want, spank the brats and send them to there rooms, that is what they deserve. President Trump needs to send in the National Guard and the water canons to stop this behavior.
Yeah, now go ahead and refund the police. No lives matter until black lives matter is such a lazy, selfish, and ignorant movement. Under God, all lives matter. If the black lives matter was something deeper than racially motivated hate it would be something awesome to get behind, but the black supporters need to instill a sense of righteousness, not self righteousness and stop acting like all the world thinks you act.
Was just there in August and noticed that there was different types of crowds there. Crowds of all races and demographics. It was not the vegas that I remember. My buddies said the same thing. We went to the pool and you couldn't even swim. It felt like one person had a room at the hotel but their 50 relatives and littles came over for a pool party. Hardly enjoyable. If u wanna use the pool you should have a room there. The Fremont experience was just that...an experience. Lots of hooting and hollering and everyone acting like a fool. I get it that its vacation for most people but for fuck sakes.
Raising your rates will not keep riff raff from entering your hotel and casino floors, Wynn.
Darrell is an obtuse POS.
I was there last weekend and the drunk MAGA nut almost raped me