Wynn Resorts to stop charging overnight guests for parking

Wynn Resorts Ltd. is shifting gears on parking fees.

And Las Vegas visitors and residents couldn’t be happier.

The casino operator announced Thursday it will stop charging overnight guests for parking at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore effective July 1.

Parking will now become one of the amenities covered by the $39 resort fee that all overnight guests pay. The resort fee will not rise, the operator said in a statement.

The operator also said it will allow non-hotel guests at its Las Vegas properties to park for free if they spend a total of $50 at the resorts. The $50 would include all game play as well as money spent at retail stores, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, and shows.

“We have come to believe that charging additional parking fees is counter to the personalized service we provide,’’ said Maurice Wooden, President of Wynn Las Vegas, in the statement.

Vegas reaction

“It makes sense. Kudos to Wynn!” Anthony Curtis, founder of Las Vegas Advisor, posted on his website.

Curtis told the Review-Journal that he expected casinos to “rescind fees or amend terms” but that he didn’t expect it so soon.

‘The casinos with parking fees have maintained that there hasn’t been a change in business, but that doesn’t jibe with what we hear over and over from customers,” he said. ”The key element to this is providing an opt-out for good customers and that’s what Wynn has done. A customer who spends money eating, going to a show, shopping, or gambling should be excused from the fee. Wynn is putting a $50 spend price on this and that’s reasonable.”

MGM Resorts International, the largest casino operator on the Strip by properties, launched paid parking in 2016.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., the second-largest operator, followed suit, as did other Strip properties.

Both operators raised parking fees earlier this year. Daily rates range from $15 to $18 at MGM Resorts’ mid-market and high-end properties.

Las Vegas residents and visitors expressed hope on Twitter that Wynn’s move would start a trend.

“Best news I’ve heard since parking fees took over the city!” said a Twitter user who goes by Brenda.

“Now that Wynn is swinging that way, maybe the others will as well?” asked Twitter user Two Way Hard Eight.

MGM Resorts International declined to comment.

Jennifer Forkish, a Caesars spokeswoman, said the company is not planning on changing its policy at this time.

Contact Todd Prince at 702-383-0386 or tprince@reviewjournal.com. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.