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 )
I was there over the holiday...I hated all the children in the casinos and around the machines. I'd like it to be an adult playground again .lady in HARRAH'S had 3 kids one in a stroller pushing it back and forth making it difficult to walk pass said you people need to walk around me ..why was she even there. Getting to use our pool was a nightmare...be a long time till I go back....very sad..Hey Vegas your attracting the wrong people
Dust or Dustin.....I believe you got it pretty wrong bucko.....
As you can see its Not good Folks its the Low Class Ghetto Trash with there pants below there asses with no sense of Respect thro everyone of those Monkeys in Jail
All family lives in the valley so I visit 3 to 4 times a year. My wife and I have stay with fam but have stay Ed downtown or on the strip a few nights to get a Little fun in. We will just stay at Green valley or Alliante until the thugs are gone on the strip. And no masks at the Pool!
I was there over labor day weekend and yes while alot less people in years passed and things are a little more challenging cabs lyft and getting a beer at a bar I witnessed in the 4 days I was there everyone having a good time
I work for a major airline we are seeing a lot of the same behavior smdh
I thought I was the only one that's noticed. The new crowd
I live in Vegas. My wife and I love the lights of the strip but very rarely visit the casinos anymore. We were just commenting to each other while taking one of our drives down the strip how the demographic had changed. Before it was a well mixed group now it is lopsided. We noticed that the Asians were almost non-existent, the white crowd was smaller, the Latin crowd was about the same but the black crowd was at least double normal. While most of all the groups were very calm and just having normal fun, the group that was causing all the issues was black. We saw a few men running around in the street there was a car in front of us from California that the two women would put the car in park at every light jump up in the car and start yelling at people on the sidewalk and would dance around and sing very vulgar songs at the top of their lungs "My Pussy needs your big salami" I know the strip is an adult playground but there are still plenty of kids around. It was causing a larger back up of traffic as we had to wait on them to finish their attention getting show. I truly think that the police might be afraid to pull these women over or the guys running around in the middle of LVB because they know that a camera will catch every second of the encounter but anything that makes them look racist will be the only part seen on Youtube or CNN.
I don’t think I’ve heard this brought up before, but for some, they have more money than they typically do thanks to unemployment. That along with the fact they they aren’t working and cheap room rates means people who are typically making ends meet can now afford to take a vacation. I’ve noticed a huge difference in the people visiting. It’s pretty wild for a reduced overall number of people visiting.
The weak clients must be entertained or they will entertain themselves. Fights and other questionable issues will be front and center.
What he said.. Been twice in the past 2 months.. All this screaming about white privilege.. The Strip and downtown was 80% black people.. I don't care one way or the other but stop spreading the HATE.. I notice this story didn't say if the fight was between the same race.. Probably like Chicago.. Those BLM lives don't matter either..
Violence is happening all over right now. People are literally losing their minds for multiple reasons. Room rates have nothing to do with anything.
Totally agree with this article, lower the rate you will attract the undesirables to your hotel! People have no respect for hotels or hotel rooms anymore until you charge their card $500.00 and they start cry like a 2 year old.
This sounds reasonable. Keep the comp rooms for higher tier players. Bring back paid parking, and ffs get the shows running ASAP. There's not much to do in Vegas at the moment aside from gamble... So if the resorts bring out the commoners (people who can't be on their better behaviour while in fantasy land) on comp trips, they're just going to drink and fight. Low class.
Las Vegas has become a real crap hole --nothing like it used to be.I will never go back to gamble--nothing but trash goes there anymore--STAY AWAY!!