Flamingo’s Early Check-in Fee Stokes Nickel-and-Diming Rage
Posted on: June 2, 2025, 07:35h.
Last updated on: June 3, 2025, 08:59h.
- A guest at the Flamingo was charged $60 for checking into the hotel two hours early
- This is just one example of the many hotel and resort fees that some critics say are contributing to fewer visitors coming to Las Vegas
When X user @wonderousATX attempted to check into the Flamingo shortly after 1 pm on May 31, the Strip hotel’s digital check-in kiosk informed him that check-in time wasn’t until 3:30. The machine could accommodate him, however, as long as he coughed up half the average weekend room rate to do so.
The Austin, Texas native posted the message to X, tagging Casino.org’s own Vital Vegas, who commented: “Awful. They’re doing this to themselves.”
Unwelcome Trend
This is only the latest slap in the face of the value-conscious Vegas visitor of yesteryear, coming a week after Vital Vegas reported that MGM Resorts — the corporation that initiated paid parking on the Strip in 2016 — now charges $25 just for the plates, silverware and napkins it delivers along with room service.
Vegas’ nickel-and-diming has become such a hot national issue, the day before @wonderousATX checked in, “The CBS Evening News” ran a story, headlined “No Longer a Bargain Vacation,” that linked the Strip’s skyrocketing costs to its current decline in tourism. (Casino revenue dipped for the third consecutive month in April.)
Though most Strip hotels charge for early check-in, the fee is typically $20 to $50. Wynn and Encore, two of the highest-end properties on the Strip, charge $75. But $60 is unusual for a resort that nobody has called luxurious since the 1960s.
In addition, early check-in fees are frequently waived upon arrival by check-in agents who either feel sympathy for a guest’s plight or are angling for a tip.
They’re never waived by the machines that corporate casino owners are slowly replacing those agents with in an industrywide cost-costing spree.
Social Media Explodes
The social media response was overwhelmingly negative.
“Intelligent Vegas operators of old would say, get them checked in and gambling,” commented @Dtgreat13 below @wonderousATX’s post which, as of Monday, grabbed 108K eyeballs. “They will spend way more than $60 between 1:30 when this was posted and 3:30 when they want to let them in the room. But hey VEGAS keep squeezing out every dime from your guest at every opportunity.”
I’ve been a @CaesarsRewards loyalist for years, but these $ grabs stripping away even the small perks is starting to tarnish the brand,” added @NCTartwheel
“The room is empty, they can’t do anything with it, there’s no reason to charge for early check in,” noted @darklich777. “This practice must be stopped.”
Flamingo Responds
A Caesars Entertainment representative responded by stating that the fee it charges for early check-in fluctuates along with demand.
“We offer guests the opportunity to guarantee early check-in via a paid upgrade,” the rep told Casino.org. “The upgrade cost associated with an early check-in guarantee varies based on availability.”
Last Comments ( 13 )
This is not specific to Las Vegas. I encountered this fee ina small town in AZ. In response, I went and sat in my car in the parking lot for 1 hour until check-in time. what did this fee do for the hotel? Make me never want to stay there again. I am sure they really don't want people hanging around the parking lot either. If the room is ready, why not allow the early check-ini customer access? If the room is not ready, that is the problem of the customer.
The $20 trick ( tip ) to the front desk agent still works very nicely , as the rooms/suites are assigned at check in. I give it discreetly upfront as I'm saying good morning and complementing either the agent or hotel. About a 95% success rate.
We moved to Wyoming, and between Cheyenne and Blackhawk (Colorado) my gambling itch is satisfied. No reason to go back to Vegas anymore.
This is so sad. Vegas used to be fun. I'm never going back. The real problem is this generation of people running most businesses. They believe everyone is supposed to get rich and to do this they exploit everyone they can for everything they have. We need to stop being greedy as people and nicer to each other.
Thieves. This is exactly why there are less and less visitors to Las Vegas.
With better table game rules & average higher return-to-player payouts on slots than Las Vegas, South Lake Tahoe (also fee-greedy), AND California's tight native casinos, think it's about time people rethink Reno. Vegas pretty much killed it. If it's back-to-basics gambling, entertainment, activities, comps & dining you're longing for with a little more down-to-earth prices and vibe, Reno is Nevada's best bet (pun intended). While Reno is smaller and nowhere near as flashy as Las Vegas, it is easier to get around and far less crowded. If you're not really into eating at overpriced celebrity restaurants, show tickets that drain your wallet, rubbing elbows with the rich n famous, and paying for parking, Reno just might be your cup of tea.
I have not gone to Las Vegas for several years now, since they started making people pay to park. Now with all the nickel and diming I'm probably never going back. Too many other gaming opportunities where I can park for free!
Wow! Those first class seats are mostly empty! No one is using them! I should be able to reseat myself for FREE! .... Same logic folks. (I don't expect many people to agree with me here). Doesn't anyone know that the time between checkout and checkin are when the rooms undergo cleaning, inspections, maintenance.... And rooms are assigned ahead of time. You don't know if the rooms are empty, clean, inspected, or maintained or not.... Jotrjs are already reducing staff. The remaining staff has to pick up the extra work. It has to be paid for. You agreed to the checkin policy when you booked. Showing up early and DEMANDING free service at any cost to the hotel is the ultimate in being self-important. Oh. Sorry. It's ok to rant and rave over these slight, perceived, injustices.
A cabbie said it best on our last visit. Vegas was more fun when the mob, not the government ran it
why would anyone stay at the Flamingo anyways???
The Strip sucks. The corporate greed and customer abuse will not stop unless people decide to go elsewhere and stop supporting the blatant money grab. Downtown and the offstrip properties still offer value and treat their customers much better.
If the room is empty and has been cleaned, what additional costs does the resort incur for making the room available? I cannot think of any.
Vegas is getting too greedy. Who wants to get charged all these outrageous fees for everything under the the sun. No money left to gamble with. But, I guess better to get something little and have empty casinos and rooms. The old timey casino operators are rolling over in their graves.