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HOTEL

Returning guests: These Hilton hotels are the most popular for repeat stays

by Tracy J. Chu

Do you know those people who, whenever they travel, always stay at the same hotel time and time again? I know I sure do.

But even though there are often lots of different hotels to choose from in a city, it makes sense to rebook for the next trip if a hotel gets it all right, from a comfortable bed in a dreamy location to excellent service that makes you not want to leave.

Wondering which hotels fit the bill for a repeat stay? Hilton recently shared its top 10 most rebooked hotels in the U.S. to give all of us a taste of what people love to come back to.

From a fancy Las Vegas resort to a beachside getaway in Waikiki, these hotels have a lot to offer. And since each of the below properties is part of the Hilton Honors family, they make for stays you can book — then rebook — with points time and time again.

Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World

SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY

Part of a three-hotel megaresort and one of the newest places to stay and gamble on the Las Vegas Strip, Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World is Hilton’s most rebooked property in Sin City. When we checked in shortly after the property opened in 2021, TPG’s own Summer Hull found a chic room with bright red and gold hues, floor-to-ceiling windows and a big bathroom with a huge shower.

Across all three properties at Resorts World (Conrad, Las Vegas Hilton and Crockfords Las Vegas), there are more than 40 bars and restaurants, various pools to relax by, thousands of square feet of gaming space, numerous shops and top-tier entertainers like Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, David Blan and Kevin Hart.

Rates from $113 or 41,000 points per night.

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HOTEL

Vegas Strip resorts used vendor to illegally fix hotel rates

by Tracy J. Chu

LAS VEGAS — A federal lawsuit in Nevada is seeking class-action damages for countless hotel patrons who booked rooms in Las Vegas since 2019, alleging that most hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have used a third-party vendor to illegally fix prices.

The complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas alleges that casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, along with Treasure Island and Wynn Resorts, share information with a company that used pricing algorithms to “maximize market–wide prices.”

It accuses the resorts and Rainmaker Group Unlimited, a revenue management company owned by Cendyn Group, of “algorithmic-driven price-fixing … at the expense of consumers and in violation of antitrust laws.”

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The Associated Press sent an email to Rainmaker seeking comment. Michael Bennett, a representative of Boca Raton, Florida-based Cendyn, declined to comment.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Richard Gibson and Heriberto Valiente by attorneys from the law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro in Seattle and Berkeley, California.

It seeks class status and unspecified monetary damages for “tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands” of people based on alleged antitrust violations of the federal Sherman Act.

A woman watches the fountains at the Bellagio hotel-casino along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas on Nov. 19, 2020.

MGM Resorts, which operates properties including Bellagio, New York-New York, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, responded Thursday with a statement calling the lawsuit “meritless.”

“The claims against MGM Resorts are factually inaccurate, and we intend to defend ourselves vigorously,” it said.

Wynn Resorts declined to comment. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment from representatives of Treasure Island and Caesars Entertainment.

Caesars Entertainment operates Las Vegas Strip properties including

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HOTEL

Las Vegas Strip hotels conspired to raise prices, lawsuit says

by Tracy J. Chu

Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip used a “revenue management platform” to set illegally high room rates and undercut competition, a <a href=class action lawsuit says.” title=”Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip used a “revenue management platform” to set illegally high room rates and undercut competition, a class action lawsuit says.” loading=”lazy”/

Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip used a “revenue management platform” to set illegally high room rates and undercut competition, a class action lawsuit says.


Isaac Brekken/AP

Visitors who’ve rented rooms on the Las Vegas Strip within the last four years have filed a class action lawsuit against four of the largest gaming and hospitality companies in the city, saying that the hotels engaged in a price-fixing scheme to inflate room rates, according to lawyers.

The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 25, says that 90% of hotels on the strip use a revenue management platform called Rainmaker, which has an algorithm that recommends future, room-specific prices to hotels.

Rather than encouraging hotels to fill all of their rooms, Rainmaker focuses on helping hotels maximize their profits at the expense of consumers, the lawsuit says.

“In a competitive market, any empty hotel room is lost revenue, so a hotel operator would try to fill each hotel room by granting concessions or lowering prices,” the lawsuit says. “By contrast, on Rainmaker Group’s recommendations and as an integral part of the conspiracy, Hotel Operators kept prices high and some rooms empty, knowing their co-conspirators would not undercut these supracompetitive prices.”

A spokesperson for Cendyn Group, Rainmaker’s parent company, declined to comment.

Unlike sites such as Expedia and TripAdvisor, which display current pricing and allow consumers to compare rates but don’t influence how hotels set their prices, Rainmaker uses its own algorithms to recommend future prices to hotels, and all the hotels that use it adopt the “same future pricing strategy,” Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman, the law firm seeking to represent consumers

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TRAVELLING

How to travel better, smarter and cheaper in 2023

by Tracy J. Chu

Some travel advice is ageless. Go in the off season when you can, midweek if possible. Be willing to take red-eye flights. Don’t order room service. Use public transit.

The advice below is different. It’s tailored to this strange moment in history, with inflation galloping and pandemic recovery lurching unpredictably as most airlines, hotels and rental car outlets charge more than they did pre-2020. There are thrills and insights waiting for travelers out there, and we could use them. Here are some ideas on how to travel better, more easily and more affordably in the year ahead.

1. Take a ferry

Really, just about any ferry. The prices are usually a pittance, and in exchange you get the thrill of being on the water and the novelty of a new skyline view. Even if you’re vulnerable to seasickness, most of these are quick, easy rides unlikely to trouble your stomach.

In San Diego, it’s $7 each way to ride between downtown and Coronado (bikes free). In San Francisco, it’s $13.50 to $14 each way to Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island or Larkspur; or $4.50 to $5.75 each way between the Embarcadero and Oakland. In Newport Beach, it’s $2.50 per car (and $1.50 per adult passenger) or $1.50 per pedestrian each way between Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island. Length of journey: about 800 feet.

Even for the 20-plus-mile journey between Long Beach (or San Pedro) and Catalina Island, the tab is a relatively modest $83.50 round trip, and you have a good chance of seeing dolphins. For this one, you might want Dramamine or Bonine, though.

2. Consider Avelo Airlines for flights to Western airports that other carriers ignore

The carrier flew its first flights in April 2021. From Burbank, Avelo flies direct to Sonoma/Santa Rosa and Eureka/Arcata; Medford/Rogue

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ADVENTURE

Dog’s Precious Reaction to the ‘Bellagio Fountain’ Is Giving Us Life

by Tracy J. Chu

He made a core memory for sure.

When you’re making memories, it’s natural to want to include your loved ones in these moments. This is why so many pet parents love to bring their fur babies with them on adventures! One woman is sharing her pup’s reaction to one of these memories in a viral video.

TikTok user @boomer_the_landcloud recently shared a video of her Samoyed, Boomer, in Las Vegas. In the video, this pup is seeing the famous Bellagio Fountain on the Las Vegas strip for the first time. This fountain puts on a dazzling musical fountain show, and it is truly a sight to behold. Check out the video to see Boomer’s reaction to this amazing experience!

View the original article to see embedded media.

Wow, Boomer is loving these fountain, but we can’t blame him—they’re so fun to watch! We loved seeing his mom pick him up to get a better view because we would totally do the same for our dogs.

People in the comments are loving that this dog mom is taking her pup on these sight seeing adventures. @katie43847 said, “He’s truly enamored. How sweet! The Bellagio Fountain is absolutely magical in so many ways!” Another user, @rory_art, commented, “OMG, he loved it so much! Look at his little head turning to look at everything!” This pup is going to remember this for a long time!

Others cant get over how adorable Boomer is. @irishgrl357 commented, “Aww Boomer! You are precious! Hope you are having fun!” and @bundachaser said, “What a perfect start to my day. A cute dog, can’t go wrong with that!” This video made our day, too!

Boomer had a blast watching the fountain with his momma. Those two are so lucky to have each other! We wish

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HOTEL

Las Vegas saw highest room rates in city’s history in September

by Tracy J. Chu

Visitors to Las Vegas paid the highest room rates in history last month, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported Thursday.

The average daily room rate in September was $187.18 a night — the highest average daily room rate since April’s $176.97 when the city hosted the National Football League Draft. Rates on the Strip were $199.49 a night with downtown Las Vegas rates at $117.95. Rates were 20.1 percent higher than they were in September 2021 and 36.5 percent higher than in prepandemic September 2019.

Kevin Bagger, vice president of the LVCVA Research Center, said visitors flocked to Las Vegas on weekends for the Life Is Beautiful festival, the iHeartRadio festival, the season-opening Las Vegas Raiders game against the Arizona Cardinals and the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin Super Middleweight boxing match.

September also featured the traditional end-of-summer Labor Day weekend.

Hospitality industry expert Amanda Belarmino explained the double-edged nature of higher room rates.

“The current average room rate is a complex metric,” said Belarmino, assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. “On the one hand, we know that hospitality firms have been competing for employees. This is an expensive proposition which needs to be offset by increased earnings and increased room rates may be a part of this. Inflation has also impacted supplies to hotels, which may also account for the increased room rates.”

She said higher rates may change people’s perception of Las Vegas as a value proposition, but she doesn’t think they’re enough to sway people from staying away.

“Increased room rates may also be an indicator of a change in the perception of the city,” Belarmino said. “If consumers no longer view Las Vegas as a value destination and are viewing it as a trade-off with high priced destinations like Los Angeles

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VACATION

Where Can You Find A Warm-Weather Vacation Near You?

by Tracy J. Chu

Admit it: You’re ready for a warm-weather vacation. All this rain and cold weather make you want to hit the reverse button on the change of seasons.

“If your personal travel bug doesn’t allow you to let go of summer just yet, there are plenty of warm and sunny locales still offering summer-like experiences,” says Adam Lawless, a spokesman for Viator.

Full disclosure: I have one of those personal travel bugs. I grew up in a place that once proudly proclaimed that it was the destination in which winter took place. (But I still love Austria, just maybe not in January.)

Since then, I’ve chased the sun and have lived in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas — you get the idea. For me, the perfect temperature in late December is the mid-70s.

Unless I’m skiing.

The top U.S. destinations for fall 2022

Here are the top domestic destinations this fall, according to TripAdvisor:

1. Las Vegas

2. New York City

3. Orlando

4. Honolulu

5. Lahaina, Hawaii

6. Key West

7. Nashville

8. Myrtle Beach

9. New Orleans

10. Miami Beach

Notice a trend?

Only two places — New York and Nashville — are not warm-weather destinations. Unless, of course, you visit during the summer. These are excellent places to find a warm-weather vacation experience near you. I know because I’ve lived in a few of them (Florida Keys, Orlando, Honolulu).

But there’s more. Here’s my list of destinations where you can still experience summer.

Anaheim, Calif.

Anaheim is the place if you like year-round sunshine and being close to everything. Plus, they have a little theme park you may have heard about. Anaheim is

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HOTEL

The 10 Best Hotels In Las Vegas

by Tracy J. Chu

All products and services featured are independently selected by Forbes Vetted contributors and editors. When you make a purchase through links on this page, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Andrea Bennett Contributor

Forbes Vetted

There’s arguably no place more transporting than the Las Vegas Strip. Within convenient walking distance of wherever you’re staying you’ll find the Eiffel Tower, Lago di Como and an Egyptian pyramid topped with a laser beam so bright you can see it from space. A visiting Italian friend, expecting to hate our Piazza San Marco, instead marveled at the novelty of experiencing it sans marauding pigeons.

Much of this began as schtick, of course, but the race to accommodate an increasingly well-traveled and cosmopolitan visitor has made the resorts along the three-mile stretch among the best luxury accommodations in the world, and at some of the most reasonable prices for travelers. Each resort provides a distinctly different travel experience; what’s good for you and all the kids is not ideal for a sexy weekend a deux, for instance. Perhaps you’re looking for the best luxury hotel overall, or you’re looking for a more authentic experience via a hotel with a 5-star location. No matter what’s on your agenda, here are the best hotels in Las Vegas for all kinds of vacationers.

Best Luxury Hotel In Las Vegas: Wynn And Encore

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas

Who Will Love It: The unapologetically glamorous

All-Star Amenities: Two gorgeous spas; an unrivaled nightclub scene; the first Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in North America,

What Not To Miss: Shopping on Wynn’s esplanades; securing a waterfront table at SW or Lakeside; the floating pagoda table at Mizumi

The opulent Wynn

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TRAVELLING

After adding up the extras, are budget airlines the lowest-cost option?: Travel Weekly

by Tracy J. Chu

The big three U.S. ultralow-cost carriers (ULCCs) have improved their per-passenger revenue during the pandemic for add-on items such as checked and carry-on bags as well as seat selections.

But with fees for those items varying by the flight on Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant, travelers and travel advisors have to shop carefully to determine if they are truly getting a deal.

“You want to have a full picture of the overall price you are going to pay, rather than just the airfare,” said Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights travel site. 

“I think, unfortunately, you have to shop,” added Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks, which consults airlines on how to boost ancillary revenue. “It may be that the fare on Spirit is low enough and adding two bags may still be less than what you’d pay on one of the majors.”

In earnings reports this spring, each of the three primary U.S.-based ULCCs reported that while fares for the first quarter had been down compared with the same period of pre-pandemic 2019, non-fare passenger revenue, which largely comes from add-on products such as baggage, seat selection and bundled fares, was up on a per-passenger basis. 

Base fares have climbed everywhere since early this year — figures that will be reflected by the ULCCs when they report on second-quarter earnings over the coming weeks. But in the first quarter, Frontier reported one-way ancillary revenue per passenger of $69, up 21% from 2019. By comparison, fares over the first quarter were just $42, down 23% from three years earlier. 

At Spirit, first-quarter non-ticket revenue per passenger flight segment was $65, up 14.8% from the same period of 2019, while the average fare per passenger segment was $49, down 7.6%.

Allegiant’s reported average one-way fare in the first quarter

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