5 days ago
Las Vegas For Less: New All-Inclusive Summer Travel Packages
Las Vegas is one of the world's top tourism destinations, but that may suffer due to current ... More economic circumstances.
All-inclusive resorts are all the rage in places like Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but pretty much unheard of in Las Vegas—until now. There has been a lot of concern in the travel industry over current consumer fears about inflation, tariffs, wild stock market swings and day-to-day uncertainty, which could lead travelers to start cutting back. At the same time, international travelers to the U.S. have been increasingly discouraged, and last year one in eight visitors to the city were from abroad. Las Vegas is especially sensitive to this kind of impact, and after many recent record years, things have started trending down, with a nearly 8% drop in visitor volume for March 2025 from March 2024. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority recently projected a 5% decrease in room taxes for 2025, and just the decline from Canadian tourists alone could cost the local economy more than $4 billion, according to local station 8 News Now. So, to woo worried visitors, one Downtown casino hotel rolled out what it claims is the city's only all-inclusive hotel room package last summer, and is about to bring it back, offering Las Vegas for less.
Luxury travelers will not confuse the classic Plaza Hotel & Casino with the opulent suites of the Strip's shiniest Forbes 4 and 5-Star resorts, Wynn, Resorts World, Bellagio, Aria or the like. But those cutting back who are still looking to visit Las Vegas on a predictable and more affordable budget may be pleasantly surprised (I write frequently on LAs Vegas news and travel and recently covered the newest Las Vegas airport lounge opening here at Forbes).
The world's largest casino when it opened, the Plaza has been recently renovated, with nearly 1000 ... More rooms and in its iconic glass dome, beloved Oscar's Steakhouse.
Even in its recent record setting tourism years, it has often been possible to find bargain priced lodging in the city, where room rates swing radically based on conventions, concerts and sporting events in town, and likewise, it is often cheap to fly to Las Vegas. But no matter when you go, extras such as food, cocktails and entertainment often seem to run more than budgeted for, and these are the things many visit Las Vegas specifically to indulge (or over-indulge) in. There is also an overarching feeling of extras, with many properties imposing vague 'resort fees,' extra daily charges on top of the room rate, for things that have always traditionally been included in hotel rates until now, such as using the pool, while parking fees have become a sore subject here for many visitors.
These are all issues the Plaza hopes to address with its new all-inclusive packages, re-launching in a couple of days, on June 1, and running all summer through the end of August, with eye-popping rates from $125.
'At a time when tourists are concerned about increasing costs in Las Vegas, including resort fees and paying to park, we wanted to give our guests a more affordable summer vacation option by again offering our all-inclusive hotel room package,' said Jonathan Jossel, Plaza CEO.
The Plaza recently redid its extenisve rooftop pool deck—including cabanas, food truck and 13 ... More Pickleball courts
The package includes overnight accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily from a choice of various dining outlets on property, and in the classic style of all-inclusive resorts worldwide, bottomless drinks from two venues, the Omaha Bar and the Sports Book Bar. The package also waives all usual resort fees, giving guests free access to the fitness center, rooftop pool, and parking. Perhaps most interesting at a time when some famous Vegas hotels have started charging an extra (and really annoying) fee for early check-in, even when rooms are available, ready and sitting vacant, they are also throwing that in.
Inclusive dining options do not include the hotel's most famous eatery, high-end Oscar's Steakhouse, by former Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman. I have eaten at Oscar's and it is both excellent and a lot of fun, definitely in the upper tier of the city's many great steakhouses and set in a unique and historic domed glass domed structure. It is one of the top destination dining spots in all of Downtown. However, the package does include special discounted nightly Happy Hour appetizers and cocktails at Oscar's for those who still want to experience its vibrant atmosphere, and the included 'free' dining spots include ultra-popular Hash House a Go Go, a chain known for its Southern and farm-influenced comfort foods, served in very generous portions. In summer, the hotel also puts on an impressive fireworks show every Friday night.
One of the most popular nearby attractions in Downtown Las Vegas is the unique outdoor Neon Museum.
While on the 'boutique' size by Las Vegas casino mega-resort standards, The Plaza still has nearly a thousand rooms and would be a huge hotel in any other city. It sits in the heart of Downtown on pedestrianized Fremont Street, within walking distance of many other casinos, hotels and restaurants, including several standout independent chef-driven eateries that have helped fuel a Downtown revival. It is also convenient to popular Downtown attractions such as the Neon Museum and Mob Museum. Interestingly, The Plaza opened in 1971 as the largest casino in the world. After changing hands, it closed for renovations in 2010, and tens of millions have since been poured into the property, with Oscar's opening the next year. More recently, the hotel did a complete renovation of its rooftop pool complex, with new private cabanas, hot tub, and food truck. Oddly, the Plaza has its own rodeo arena, Downtown's only open-air equestrian facility, as well as one of the city's largest pickle ball complexes. Additional renovations of the building frontage along Fremont street added new indoor and outdoor drinking venues and was just completed last year.
Given how self-contained every large casino resort in Vegas is, with endless dining, drinking and entertainment options, plus and vast pool and fitness facilities, the all-inclusive model actually makes a lot of sense here, especially if it is limited to certain outlets on property. I'm hoping the Plaza's concept will catch on and become a more widespread trend. The city has a long, rich history of tourism innovation, experimentation and remaking, and a rash of all-inclusive packages, especially on The Strip, could be just what visitors need to get what so many of them want: Las Vegas for less.
