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Chapter 3: Sorting out the hotels
3.2 All rooms are not equal All Las Vegas hotels have various sized and quality rooms. You can find information on most Las Vegas hotels here. Most visitors book a standard room which, in the hotel trade, is known as the “Run of the House” or ROH. This room category is assigned upon arrival, usually from a hotel’s inventory of the lower priced rooms. In addition to the normal ROH rate, most hotels also have a reduced “casino rate” for those who gamble. More on this later in Chapter 10.
Depending upon the hotel, the ROH range in Las Vegas can vary in size from small (about 250 square feet) to large (650 square feet) with 400 square feet being about average. Each has either one king size bed or two queen size. Children under 12 years of age usually stay for free in their parent's room using the existing bedding. Maximum occupancy of a standard room is usually four. Cribs are generally free. Rollaway beds or a small fridge or microwave are available at an additional charge. As a general rule, every hotel has certain common facilities such as a free outdoor or garage parking, 24-hour front desk/security/room service, baggage hold area, individual room temperature control, at least one swimming pool, newsstand, gift shop, telephone, AM/FM alarm clock, television, safe deposit boxes, smoke detectors/sprinklers, non-smoking floors, ice/vending machines, in-room coffee makers, several restaurants (one buffet style), handicap facilities, laundry/cleaning service, fitness/workout center, daily maid service and, of course, a large casino. Most hotels do not provide airport transportation. All hotels, by law, must have facilities for handicapped guests. Vegas.com has a great page here if you are traveling with a handicapped or elderly person. There are a few companies in Las Vegas that offer wheelchair or scooter rentals for visitors.
Your hotel can make all of the electric scooter rental arrangements for you. (Just ask for the bell captain.) Cost is about $40 for a singe day ...down to around $20 for longer rentals. Most hotels will also arrange for diabetics to be delivered a free small refrigerator to their room to keep insuin cold. The better hotels have valet parking, tennis courts, saunas or spas, brass fixtures, Italian marble, irons/ironing board/hair dryers/lighted mirrors, premium toiletries, various business (fax/copy/high speed Internet) services, free newspapers, Jacuzzi/whirlpool/hot tubs, concierges and usually a wedding chapel. If you explain that this is your first trip to Las Vegas you can frequently get a better room in a better tower with a view (of the strip or mountains) without extra charge. Sometimes a $20 “tip” to the check in clerk does the trick. As a general rule, however, rooms with a view cost slightly extra.
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Factoid: Las Vegas has twice as many hotel rooms as New York City. Factoid: There are 30 percent more hotel rooms now in Las Vegas than just ten years ago. |
Fireworks - New Year's Eve - Las Vegas