Two Wynn properties on Las Vegas Strip begin charging for parking
Wynn Resorts’ neighbors on the Las Vegas Strip will be watching if the new paid self-parking plan initiated Monday at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore will affect their own parking garages.
Representatives of Las Vegas Sands’ Palazzo and The Venetian as well as TI say they’ll continue to offer free parking, even after Southern Nevada’s fourth casino group and the 18th and 19th Strip properties began charging guests to park in their garages.
Michelle Knoll, senior vice president of communications for TI, said although company representatives have seen some instances of guests parking in the TI garage, then going to other places to eat or gamble, there are no plans to charge people to park there.
Marketing tactic
TI, in fact, is capitalizing on its free parking as a marketing tactic, reminding people in a national advertising campaign that parking is still free.
Las Vegas Sands spokesman Ron Reese said there are no plans to charge customers to park, even though it’s unclear whether Wynn customers would park for free at Palazzo’s underground parking garage and walk across Spring Mountain Road to Wynn. TI is across Las Vegas Boulevard from Palazzo and The Venetian.
Knoll said she has heard few complaints from out-of-town guests about paid parking at Las Vegas properties, but that local customers are the most vocal critics.
Wynn’s parking pricing is in the range of what other resorts charge for parking. The first hour is free, enabling customers to purchase show tickets or run quick errands without paying.
After that, it’s $7 after one hour, $12 for two to four hours, $15 for four to 24 hours and $15 for every additional 24 hours.
People who lose their tickets will be required to pay $30.
Nevada residents, motorcyclists and disabled motorists won’t get any discounts or relief from parking fees. There are no discounts available for long-term stays.
The company’s Red Card loyalty program members can receive discounts and members have been directed to contact the Red Card desk for details.
Wynn began charging for valet parking in late 2015. Valet rates are $15 for up to four hours, $20 for four to 24 hours and $20 for each additional 24 hours.
Under the Wynn self-park program, guests receive a ticket at the automated gate and are encouraged to pay for parking when departing at kiosks in the casinos, in elevator lobbies and on each floor of parking garages. Guests who forget to pay at a kiosk can pay at the garage exit with a credit card.
Hotel guests will trade their parking tickets for a room key that will give them in-and-out privileges. Through a licence-plate recognition system, hotel guests leaving for the last time of their stay will be able to exit despite turning in their room-card keys.
On the day of checkout, hotel guests have until 6 p.m. to exit without paying for extra time.
When the company announced official plans to begin charging customers last month, Wynn officials indicated they were adding fees to make sure the company’s customers had adequate room to park with several improvements and new attractions coming in the future.
Higher demand
“On the heels of recent growth announcements at Wynn Las Vegas, including the upcoming opening of Wynn Plaza and the construction of Paradise Park, demand for parking at the resort will continue to increase,” Maurice Wooden, president of Wynn Las Vegas, said in a statement announcing the parking policy.
“The new enhancements will help ensure parking is easily accessible for guests,” he said.
When Caesars Entertainment properties began charging customers to park on April 6, officials said they were seeing trends of guests parking for free, then going elsewhere to gamble. Caesars enables local customers free parking by scanning a barcode on their Nevada driver’s licenses to activate gates at the entry and when they leave.
Representatives of SLS Las Vegas and Tropicana, two other Strip properties that don’t charge customers to park, did not respond to telephone inquiries about their future plans.
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.