Whether it’s a reaction to the “Vegas is dead” narrative or a routine effort to fill hotel rooms, the city’s effort to attract customers for Super Bowl weekend is unlike any in recent memory with Strip rooms costing less than $100 a night and the typical luxury stores slashing room rates.
Analysts who weigh in on Super Bowl room prices suspect the lower pricing is a result of the industry’s efforts to respond to the perception by some that Las Vegas is overpriced.
For years, Las Vegas has been considered a great place to watch the National Football League championship game for those who cannot attend the game itself.
Watch parties
The city’s resorts appeal to fans with special viewing parties in ballrooms and theaters on their properties, which provide food and drink and big-screen televisions. Resort sportsbooks also greatly expand their betting options with long lists of proposition games not typically offered in regular season games.
For major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the “March Madness” NCAA college basketball tournament and — resorts hope — the World Cup, properties entice fans to watch games in style and comfort.
The late afternoon start of the game gives resorts an advantage as the game will likely not finish until after 7pm, ensuring that many guests will want to stay over Sunday night.
The Super Bowl generally draws large crowds to Las Vegas, especially when games feature teams based in California.
Sunday afternoon’s game features the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots.
A survey of room rates conducted by the Review-Journal Wednesday found the average price for a hotel room for a two-night stay Saturday and Sunday was $138.88 based on a review of 137 hotels listed on Hotels.com. According to the site, prices are nightly rates with a separately calculated total cost shown including resort fees.
That total is 25.4 percent lower than the February 2025 average daily room rate calculated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s research department.
Many rooms at Strip resorts sell for under $100 a night, and some of the luxury resorts offer rooms for under $500 a night.
For example, a traveler can get a room at the Sahara for $21 a night, at the Luxor or Strat for $31 a night, and Harrah’s Las Vegas for $40. The cheapest room in town was sold at Circus Circus for $19 a night.
Some of the resorts that are usually considered high end were priced higher, but not as much as the usual prices during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix or during CES.
Rooms at the Palazzo and Venetian were offered for $206 a night, the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore were available for $310, the Bellagio was listed for $298 and Caesars Palace had a price tag of $359.
These average prices were significantly lower than the February 2025 average price of $186.16 across the Valley and $198.16 on the Strip.
In February 2024 – the year of Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas rates averaged $248.35 per night and there were virtually no hotels available under $100.
Downtown scene
Downtown Las Vegas hotels maintained their pricing better than the rest of the city. Hotels.com’s review of prices showed that 18 downtown hotels had average room rates of $119.33. A year ago, the LVCVA estimated the February downtown average to be $96.32 per night. Two brand new hotels opened in the Symphony Park area in the past year to raise the average price from last year.
Circa ($204 per night) and English Hotel ($224 per night) had the highest rates downtown for Super Bowl weekend. But the D and Plaza had rooms available for $74.
Locals’ resorts Durango and Red Rock Resort held their own with some of the most expensive stays during this year’s Super Bowl. Rooms at the Durango were offered for $367 a night and the Red Rock for $324.
Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, said in an email Thursday that the resorts appear to be responding to criticism that Las Vegas is too expensive.
“Super Bowl room rates follow a current trend that we’re seeing in many different areas to try to be more responsive to consumers,” Belarmino said. “Just as PepsiCo is lowering the price of many of its snacks, I think revenue managers are pursuing a strategy of lowering prices to combat the concept that we are overpriced.”
Belarmino indicated she wouldn’t be surprised to see late rate hikes.
“There is also a very valid strategy to keep prices lower until the day or two before the event because consumers tend to be less price sensitive during that booking window,” she said.
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
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