Hyatt members, listen up: Use this simple tip to avoid resort fees at 13 Las Vegas casinos
I don't like paying resort fees, so I try to avoid properties that charge these fees. However, most casinos charge resort fees in Las Vegas. If you don't want to pay resort fees in Las Vegas, you'll usually need to stay off the Strip in a hotel without a casino.
You might think you can escape resort fees at the 13 MGM casino properties in Las Vegas by booking through Hyatt -- but you can't. Although World of Hyatt typically waives resort fees for all members on award stays and for top-tier Globalists on eligible paid rates, Hyatt excludes stays at MGM casino properties from this benefit.
Get the latest points, miles, and travel news by signing up for TPG's free daily newsletter.
What can you do to dodge those fees? You can match your Hyatt status to M life.
Historically, using this status match wouldn't help you avoid resort fees since MGM's M life Rewards program doesn't waive resort fees as an elite perk. However, this will change when the new MGM Rewards program replaces the existing M life Rewards program on Feb. 1, 2022. In particular, the new MGM Rewards program will waive resort fees for Gold members and above on up to two rooms when booked direct.
MGM Rewards Gold status would typically require you to earn 75,000 Tier Credits each qualification year, which equates to about $18,750 each year in nongaming spending. (Of course, if you also have gaming spend, Gold may be more easily within reach.) However, you can currently snag M life Gold status if you have World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status by matching your Hyatt status to M life.
I worried this status match might end when the new MGM Rewards program and its waived resort fees for Gold members begin in February. So I reached to out an MGM spokesperson who confirmed, "MGM Rewards will continue to match Hyatt tier status under the new program as we do today with M life Rewards."
Related: Formerly a 'wasteland' of points hotels, Las Vegas is awash with options for those loyal to chains
Additionally, I confirmed that MGM Rewards Gold members who achieved their Tier Status through MGM's partnership with Hyatt would have their resort fees waived for direct bookings.
MGM offers 13 casino hotels in Las Vegas, each of which typically charges the following daily resort fee (plus taxes and fees):
- Bellagio: $45
- ARIA: $45
- Vdara at ARIA: $45
- MGM Grand: $39
- The Signature at MGM Grand: $39
- Mandalay Bay: $39
- Delano Las Vegas: $39
- Park MGM: $39
- NoMad Las Vegas: $39
- The Mirage: $39
- New York-New York: $37
- Luxor: $35
- Excalibur: $35
In the case of the three least expensive MGM Las Vegas properties -- New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur -- the daily resort fee often costs more than your nightly room rate.
If you already have World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status, you might as well match your status to MGM and avoid resort fees at these 13 Las Vegas MGM casinos. Go to this page on Hyatt's website and click the blue "Learn more" button. Sign in to your Hyatt account and click the blue "Opt in" button.
Next, you'll need to log in to your MGM account. I'd already matched my status, but when I went back through the process while writing this story, I got a "Page not found" error at this point.
I'm not sure whether this error happened because I already have M life Gold status or because MGM paused matches. As MGM confirmed it plans to continue this status match partnership under the MGM Rewards program, I recommend simply trying again later if you get this error.
Related: Be careful how you book MGM hotels in Vegas; My mistake cost me a valuable Hyatt perk
Otherwise, if you don't already have at least World of Hyatt Explorist status and think waived resort fees at MGM casinos would be helpful to you, now may be a good time to start working toward World of Hyatt Explorist status.
Explorist status requires 30 nights, 50,000 base points or 10 meetings and events each calendar year. If you add the World of Hyatt Credit Card to your wallet, you can get a jump start on status with five qualifying night credits each year. Plus, cardholders get Discoverist status, which will keep you out of the worst rooms and provide 10% bonus points on stays as you work toward Explorist or Globalist status.