That’s one of the best commentaries that I have read regarding this hotel and Las Vegas in general. I am headed there in late November. And yes, I’m an “old guy”.

Mind sharing where you stayed? Interested in the 3:2 BJ and competitive VP schedules. Thanks!

Back in the day, Vegas was different. A lot of what was different was very appealing and lots of fun to Baby Boomers (mom) and Gen-X (me). Free parking, free booze, cheap food, rooms, shows. Generous comps to help even with those. We are old now. . . we are a bunch of financially responsible cheapos who learned how to work their system. . . we are fat and slow moving and unattractive and not in such great health (more or less). . . and most important, Vegas can’t make a living off of us anymore. They have to try to change to survive with a completely updated clientele. Which involved removing most of our cheapo fun and trying to replace it with expensive millennial focused fun.

Now, I am not really confident Vegas can make a living with this new strategy, either. Because as others mention, the younger generations are not necessarily earning royalty level salaries, and they can only max out so many credit cards before the fun ends. We oldsters have the money but can get better fun bang for our buck elsewhere, even at our own local casinos, which are now located across these 50 states, or on the vast sea of non-gaming vacation options provided within or beyond our borders. Vegas is becoming an occasional (or maybe just one last) return trip that grates on our old dog nerves more than it revives our beloved nostalgia for days gone by. Good luck to ya. We’ll always have our memories of the smoky, crappy old Imperial Palace and Boardwalk hotels and the experiences they provided that could come from one place only, a shamelessly naughty playground oasis in an old railroad desert town grown out of the wild west frontier. Peace.

They do not want YOU

I went to Monte Carlo exactly once years ago to have a beer at some brewpub whose name I can’t recall, and to see a magician that I think was Lance Burton in a cavernous theater. I was pretty much underwhelmed and haven’t been back since; and after reading this, I don’t think I’ll be checking out Pay-to-Park MGM any time soon.
Traditionally in Vegas, the bar video pokers are a set little tighter than the floor to make up for the comped drinks. Now they won’t even have comp meter lights on the machines–they just won’t have it at all. Another example of the kind of dynamic, forward thinking that will keep the Strip the world’s number one tourist destination for decades to come.
We were in town for the WSOP last weekend and stayed off strip near the Rio, two nights comped and two discounted. We enjoyed free drinks on the floor, meals on points in the restaurants, 3-to-2 double-deck Blackjack, highly competitive Video Poker schedules, and free parking. There was a resort fee for two nights–but it was considerably less than most places on the strip; it covered the Wi-fi; and they quoted me the correct total price without having to be asked when I made the reservation.
Driving down I-15 from one off-strip property to another was as close as we got to the Pay-to-Park, and as close as we’re likely to get for a while.
And FWIW, at the Rio we were charged $16.50 for two hot dogs and a bag of potato chips. I hope they didn’t spend it all in one place.