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 )
Hotels are so desperate to fill rooms they're renting to irresponsible trash guests stop this crap
Just sounds like most of u have a problem being around black people. Like ur surprised black people can afford to go to Vegas. And yes I'll say it, sounds like a bunch of racists. When u use the term monkeys and ghetto trash u mean black people. Get over urself. People of every race have the ones that act an ass so I don't give a crap how white, how rich or how well brought up u were, u got some ghetto trash in ur race too.
TRUMP has taken All normacy away from this country, and goes as far as putting his own supporters in harms way, by encouraging them to NOT wear masks at his rallies. Pretty soon, it wont be anyone left to vote for him, because they will All be crippled by covid. This man doesnt care about you, and your too stupid to realize it!!
I live here and there's nothing cheap about the room rates. And to say that it's a direct result of anything less than people and their personal issues very uneducated. We love ALL our tourists who have decided to come visit us especially during a pandemic and spend their hard earned cash when they all could have stayed home. Hate stupid articles like this . Where's your science behind what you are saying. I've seen every type of people have issues here.due to their personal activities.. Very rich and very poor. And as far as anyone being scared to be in elevators or to walk through hallways is totally a personal issue because our casinos are some of safest places in the world to be. We host the craziest party goers and gamblers on the planet and do it with class. Our awesome police officers deal with the few bad apples but they are everywhere. So I apologize to anyone who came to visit Las Vegas and might be offended by this. Come again we love you ALL.
I think it has to do with cheaper flights and nothing being open in people's home states. Raising the price of hotels wont do anything as people are going coming to Vegas for a few days and can easily split the cost of the rooms. When the country opens back up less of the "I need something to do crowd will be traveling to Vegas I'm sure.
Oh no Mr Darrell.... You've got that so backwards. Trump supporters are patriots that love the country & want that riot & burning sh*t to stop. GS is funding Antifa & that is who is burning things, and they're all siding for the left. Do your research a bit... Leftist media calls the riots "mostly peaceful protests" and Kamala says it's a movement & needs to keep happening, even after the election... It's happening in Democrat run cities & their governors are stating they don't want the President's help to stop it. Please wake up.
It's Not the Lower Rates. It's the idiotic, drunk, younger people who don't know how to behave in public. Maybe Vegas needs an Age Limit cause it's certainly Not a Room Rate Issue.
It will get worse when the Raiders begin play. You can expect double the thugs then. Encore is my go to hotel, and its a shame that such a nice hotel is having those problems. Plus some hotels are still closed and maybe some of those people are coming to the bigger more expensive properties.
My husband and I went there from Saturday to Wednesday. I would say there was 75% blacks, 20% Mexican and 5% white and other races. I didn't feel comfortable at all. Walking on dark streets, was definitely scary. We stayed at Hilton Grand vacation's on Las Vegas boulevard. I believe it was more like little Mexico. So many kids in casinos it was disgusting. Kids do NOT belong in casinos. It was our first time there, and I will not be going back. Only thing to do was lose money. I'm not racist by any means, but we were definitely the minority. The day we left there was cops parked down the road, and crime tape on the trees in front of our hotel. Pretty scary
Sad. Would any of the people who act like that like enjoy the same behavior in their home or work. Totally stupid and ignorant. Don't you need a card to stay. Flag those who did that to not come back and restitution.
How stupid does this person sound the rooms being cheap is the reason why people were committing violent Acts the person that wrote this article need to go commit a violent act. You can't blame cheap rooms on people's actions that doesn't make any sense the rooms aren't responsible for what people go out in the streets and do the rooms aren't responsible for people that go drink the rooms are not responsible for people throwing hands at other people they should fire you for this article or they should stop you from being able to submit articles. People got to stop blaming others and other things for their actions and make the people responsible that's just ridiculous Las Vegas has always had low room prices it was just a crazy crowd of people that been in the house for coronavirus the last 6 months that went to Vegas and got full of alcohol and couldn't handle themselves that was the reason for the violence but then again Las Vegas has always had violence Las Vegas has always had everything that the world has not shed light on but just because this past labor day weekend the rooms were dirt cheap that's the reason you should kick yourself in the ass. The reason for the violence was half of the people that's been in the house in Los Angeles all went to Las Vegas and when you add alcohol to those people that don't know how to act then they start acting ugly that's the reason for the violence people can't control their liquors their emotions and their feelings this coronavirus and alcohol got people going crazy people are tired of their hands consuming more alcohol than their face. Just because you're not from Vegas and you're not used to cheap hotel rooms doesn't mean it was because the Las Vegas had cheap hotel rooms it's the reason for violence Las Vegas has always had cheap hotel rooms whether it was a master Grand suite or a penny Annie hole in the wall hotel room. Las Vegas pricing for rooms have never been like anywhere else in the world that's what makes Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world
My wife and i were there this past week with my brother and his family. We stayed at the Sahara and could not believe the type of people who were there. I'm not racist but the biggest offenders were the blacks. I've never seen such vulgarity and the attitude of a lot of them seemed like they were looking for a confrontation. There was plenty of white people not acting like adults but the vast majority were black. BLM has emboldened a lot if people to think they can do as they please with no consequences. Sad to say but i won't be returning to Vegas until things turn around.
This is what happens when a person lye about the truth and others continue to stand behind a lye, that is now destroying our nation. Now our economy is going down the hill. A lot of people need to wake up in America. The biggest Nation is Falling. Due to a Covid lye told that COVID is not real. Now we're all suffering. All this talk about making America great again. Hell from the looks of things, it looks like Scar from the Lion King is running America.
It’s nothing but black people. There causing all the damage. They want everything for free and if they don’t get it, your a racist
You have to very stupid to attack people in a state that allows concealed carry and stand your ground.