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 )
You can't take them anywhere can you?
Im a local and a grandma on Labor Day Monday I actually got in a physical altercation with this guy and his girlfriend because they hit my car and try to take off and put my granddaughter's life in danger I'm not happy to say that I did win the fight because I should not be fighting however you come to our city acting a fool you going to get that ass whooping but they were rich so Im sure price does not matter ignorant people do ignorant stuff
Hilarious!!! Tourists get tricked into coming to Vegas when there's NO bars open, NO Shows, NO buffets, and jacked up prices on what little food & alcohol, and people wonder why the Tourists get a little wild.
Las Vegas is my favorite city and my wife, friends and I travel across the country to get there at least once a year and have for decades (in my case, 4). We've not been in over a year because of COVID and I hate to think we won't be able to go next year or maybe ever. A true loss. Got married there and everything and now hooligans are ruining it. What else can 2020 dish out?
Complete ghetto ass people ....took a ride down the strip a week ago ....and the worst of the worst....looked like a escape from L.A. movie....but even Kurt Russell are smart enough to stay away from....it's politically incorrect to say what races is causing this shit but we all know who it is... Let's face it this is the problem with the US ....being blinded to the real problems .....cause if we tell the truth we just all racists right? Congrats to our mayor and sisolak....you've turned us into California.....press 1 for English......
Look who's sucking trump's dick with is fox new rhetoric
I'm a cabbie in Las Vegas. I can tell everyone the reason vegas has become so trashy is because the rates are cheap and people have unemployment money to burn. Unfortunately it has brought undesirables out of the wood work. I can also say that there is no (right way extremists) out here doing anything bad. That's lies. Las Vegas is suffering more than most towns because of its reliance on tourism. So come one come all as long as your not ignorant, trashy, or ghetto. Please treat our fair city with the respect it deserves so we can all keep America's play ground going. Oh and by the way. If you cant afford to tip your cabbie or complain about the $3.00 credit card charge, maybe you shouldn't come to vegas at all because a beer alone in this town is about $14.00. So if your intention is to come here and not tip anyone, complain, or be destructive please go somewhere else. We dont want your business....
Its a pietre dish for an explosive time,the mix of pent up feelings ,masks,social distancing,shuttered areas,a pandemic war zone, then mix people with drugs,liquor, gambling loss and cheap rooms, no comp history in a hotel,no live entertainment, it becomes destructive not fun.we can't fault the casinos for trying,its the human animal .
That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. This isn't the first time vegas had low room rates. The rooms have nothing to do with how people act. Let's blame the alcohol not the room rates. Lvpd wants to act so concern about arrest y'all getting paid for locking people up so what yall complaining about.
I'll say it for everyone that doesnt, All the ghetto people and im not lying the blacks people be straight causing scenes. I live out here and see it everyday. Police are known to take bribes from these "sneaker pimps" so you'll be seeing them too alot! -vegaslocals
Wrong. Labor day weekend slot calibrations are set as tight as it gets. If you don't know about this basic industry wide strategy, youre not a gambler. Vegas along with every other casino frustrated and angered players who were sold a bill of entertainment and found little of it. Slots went back to normal by Tuesday in most places. The frustration in the atmosphere was palpable.
Very young punks on selling water on the street on the strip (which is illegal) yelling out filthy, disgusting remarks about what they want to do to woman (me), I'm 72 and those punks need their mouth washed out with soap, the prostitutes are hanging out not only outside on the strip but inside the casinos as if they own the place, including punks walking into the high roller area and watching the players and trying to intimidate players and the dealers. I'm through with the strip and downtown is getting bad too. BLM is calling white people the white devil. I heard the asians calling the place " jig city", because of the threatening manner that is being used against tourist and locals alike, Las Vegas better get a grip and FAST as there are ppl out there that want to ruin very thing for everyone. I'm not racist but after watching the "cream of the crop", this weekend, if decent BLK ppl don't step up to the plate and help with getting rid of the problem, no one will want them around as what I have seen, their normal acceptable behavior lacks simple respect for not ONLY themselves but anyone within ear or eyesight.
You can take the person out of the ghetto but not the ghetto out of the person. The violence was coming from groups of poor people who don't know how to behave properly. They didn't have any self control and weren't raised to have any respect for anything including themselves. Vegas just isn't a safe destination anymore.
Not everyone is coming to Las Vegas to act out don't raise the price cause of some bad Apple's
Extremists on both sides can be dangerous, just as the Right Wing Extremist President Trump is dangerous. I think Right wing extremists are more violent than the Left, the reason being that the Right wing extremists are are racists, and racists hate themselves. Remember the murder of an innocent person at Charlottesville caused by Right wing extremists? Regardless, I am sure that Law and Order will prevail, and that the excellent Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will handle any lawlessness very well. Normal Americans, both Republican and Democrat, certainly want Law and Order. Yes, I think Casino Management must not reduce prices to the point that "nuts" of any political persuasion bring an unsafe element.