For Thanksgiving, my wife, son, and I went to a Brazilian steakhouse. It was one of those all you can eat setups where the waiters bring around the meat on skewers, slice it into your plate.
That’s a hard working model, and the service was top notch. Staff members checked in regularly to see how we were doing, and the owner visited our table twice.
I was mildly annoyed, however, when our bill arrived, and it came with a 20% gratuity already included. Usually, when a restaurant has an added automatic gratuity, it says so on the menu or on a small card on the table.
A local chain we go to not only has a card on the table sharing that adds an 18% gratuity to every check, but also explains where the money goes. That is complete transparency, and I have never eaten in one of the restaurants of that chain where my waiter did not also ask me if I had seen and understood the policy.
At Thanksgiving, this was only a mild annoyance, as I had planned to leave 20% anyway. I feel like it should have been mentioned, as I could have easily skipped the payment and left double, but they probably added the fee because other customers don’t pay, since it’s not traditional waiter service.
In Las Vegas, however, the resort casinos have become a minefield of hidden fees and added fees. One visitor to the Las Vegas Strip recently went viral on social media for seemingly exorbitant charges at an MGM Resorts International hotel.
In most cases, the words gratuity and tip are interchangeable. That usually also applies to service charges, although sometimes these are explained.
Hotel room service may charge a $10 service fee for all orders, and will usually tell you if that money is going to the person who delivered your food. Sometimes, the menu may note that part (or all) of that fee goes to the person who packed the food.
In that case, an additional tip for the delivery person may be reasonable.
The Cosmopolitan of the Las Vegas Strip, however, recently hit a customer with three separate mandatory fees.
The visitor posted his receipt on social media, and Las Vegas locally shared it on its Facebook Page.
“This Cosmopolitan room service bill with automatic gratuity, a 22% tip, and a $10 service charge is going viral on the ‘Mildly Infuriating’ subreddit,” she shared.
The person ordered OD French Toast RMS ($20), Buttermilk Scratch Pancakes ($19), and American Breakfast ($40). That came to $79 in dining charges, although the bill shows a subtotal of $89, which included a $10 charge for something called a “Traditional Room Service Upgrade.”
Additionally, the receipt showed a $16.02 gratuity charge, a $10 service charge, and a 22% tip of $19.58. Sales tax was also listed at $7.45. That all added up to $142.05.
Therefore, this customer has been charged four separate fees that may all be for the same thing.
The Reddit responses were not kind to Las Vegas or the hotel.
“Yup. This is just detailed greed,” wrote 10InchesofSnow.
Some were angrier than others.
“It’s not just greed. This would be a reason for me to dispute the payment and cancel my order. This is disgusting and misleading. If a company did this to me, it would definitely be the last time I use their services,” TerribleIdea27 posted.
Others were more simply amazed at the hubris.
“This is genuinely wild. A gratuity plus a service charge plus an added tip option feels like they’re hoping people don’t notice each line. I’d have asked the server or manager what each charge actually covers,” shared CleanPart3605.
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The American Breakfast was $40.Shutterstock
As a member of the top-tier Caesars loyalty program, I’m lucky enough to have my resort fees waived and, in most cases, even get free parking. Unless you have some level of special status, however, resort fees are non-negotiable.
Hotels, however, must inform customers of these fees when booking.
“Consumers are entitled to know in advance the total cost of their hotel stays,” former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a press release. “So-called ‘drip pricing’ fees, sometimes portrayed as ‘convenience’ or ‘service’ fees, are anything but convenient, and businesses that hide them are doing American consumers a great disservice.”
Travelers United, a non-profit organization representing travelers, has taken a stand against resort fees of any kind.
“These fees are usually called resort fees, but since it is a fee that exists so that the hotel can lie about the advertised price, a resort fee has nothing to do with an actual resort hotel. In many hotels, these fees are called urban fee, amenity fee, destination fee, destination amenity fee, safe fee, or shared resort fee on its website,”.
Consumer Reports has been fighting these fees since 2018.
“Hotel resort fee, amenities fee, facilities fee. These additional charges go by many names, but more and more consumers are finding one form or another of them added to their hotel bills. And often, consumers only realize they are being charged a resort fee when they check out,” shared the magazine on its website.
These are just a few of the fees and fee variations you may pay when visiting the Las Vegas Strip.
Mandatory “resort charges” on hotel rooms: Many Strip hotels add a nightly fee on top of the listed room rate. Source: Las Vegas Jaunt
High resort fee amounts: For premium hotels on the Strip (eg Bellagio, ARIA Resort & Casino, etc.), resort fees are now often about $55 per night (before taxes). Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Parking fees (self-park or valet): Even if you stay or visit a hotel/casino, expect separate parking fees. For many properties, self parking is $20/day for hotel guests (slightly more for non-guests), and valet often costs $40/day. Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Weekend or peak and events surcharge on parking: Parking fees tend to be higher at weekends or during busy periods (weekday self-park rates for visitors often higher than weekday rates). Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Early check-in fees: Some hotels charge extra if you want to check out before the normal time. For example, one resort allegedly charges $60 for early check-in. Source: Covers.com
Mandatory amenity bundle fees regardless of usage: Resort fees often “cover” amenities such as internet, fitness center/pool access, phone calls, boarding-pass printing, bottled water, etc. Even if you don’t use them, you still pay. Source: Las Vegas Jaunt
Reduced housekeeping or service charges and tipping pressure: Some “amenities” that may once have been free (maintenance, printing, pool towels, etc.) are now part of the fee package, and tipping or service charges may still be expected on top. Source: Las Vegas Direct
Additional service charges/fees at restaurants or for delivery: On-site dining (especially poolside or delivered to lounge chairs) may include extra costs (eg, a meal reported to cost $29 ended up being $45). Source: The Sun
These fees may actually be keeping visitors away from Las Vegas.
“Las Vegas, once celebrated for its affordability, is now facing a decline in tourism, largely due to rising costs and controversial resort fees. As prices rise, more and more visitors are expressing frustration, with nearly 90% of recent survey respondents citing the city as ‘too expensive,'” Travel Tour World reported.
This may explain the city’s recent decline in visitors.
“This change in perception is becoming a major obstacle to attracting new tourists, and threatens the city’s reputation as a budget-friendly destination. Despite great satisfaction among those who still visit, industry experts warn that this concern may have long-term effects on the appeal of Las Vegas”, she added.
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This story was originally published by TheStreet on November 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
