Q:
I visit regularly, stay at their no-resort-fee hotels, and was surprised in December at Planet Hollywood that it was $25 to check in before noon and $15 from noon until 3:00 p.m. Are they trying to make up for the loss in resort fees that the MRI hotels are charging?

from Las Vegas Advisor

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/qod.cfm

As to the second part of your question, MGM Mirage Resorts does seem to be somewhat more flexible and accommodating (although, as noted by this questioner, they get you with those mandatory resort fees, which vary from property to property).

A call placed to the Mirage, for example, (where the nightly resort fee is $28, but includes more amenities than many) informed us that if you book online and select the early check-in option, then an automatic $30 fee applies; however if you don’t specify that option when booking, then subsequently decide you need it and call 24 hours in advance of your arrival, they will waive the fee. Huh? We guess the moral here is to not book an early check-in unless you absolutely have to, and then wing it and hope for a freebie. Check-out is officially at 11 a.m., but the hotel will normally give you an extension until noon, gratis; thereafter, the fee depends on occupancy levels, but it’ll likely be in the region of $30. Guests are advised to call in advance if they know they need a late check-out, since the rate can vary from day to day, depending on how busy the hotel is.

Calls to Red Rock Resort and Hooters, both of which also charge a resort fee, allow for complimentary early check-in, inventory permitting (official arrival time is 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively). The Cosmopolitan, however, is even more accommodating: Official check-in time is anytime between 3 and 6 p.m., but if you arrive prior to that and your room is available, you may check-in early with no fee. Check-out is officially at 11 a.m., but they’ll normally extend that until noon for no charge, so long as they have available inventory. Thereafter, you get into the half-day-rate scenario, but that again depends upon how busy the hotel is. On top of this, the hotel does not charge a resort fee**. [See ADDENDUM in "Update"]

So, if you think you may require early check-in, we definitely advise checking with the hotel front desk before you make a booking, or you might get stuck with an unexpectedly hefty fee. As far as late check-out is concerned, policies seem to be more flexible, but fees will likely still be incurred. If you don’t require the room, but simply need somewhere to store your bags prior to departure while you take one more shot at the tables, you should be able to leave them with your hotel bell desk free of charge (aside from a toke).

UPDATE: 01-16-2013 **ADDENDUM: Thanks to the reader who pointed out that Cosmopolitan now has a resort fee. We called to check and it was confirmed that a $25/night resort fee was introduced as of Jan. 1, 2013. The fee covers Internet, gym access, tennis court access, and local/long distance domestic/800 calls. Previously, there was no fee, but Internet was $15 for 24 hrs, gym access was $20, and you paid for all calls.

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