Here’s a policy I didn’t realize any hotels had, but wow…
Some Las Vegas hotels ban outside food & drinks
Miles to Memories notes that the Virgin Las Vegas resort that’s opening soon has a surprising policy, which is mentioned in the FAQs:
Can we bring in our own food & beverage?
Outside food and beverage is not permitted in our guest rooms. Our resort offers an array of restaurant offering including pre-stocked in-room minibars, and 24-hour room service for your convenience.
So yeah, apparently you can’t bring outside food & drinks into your own guest room at the Virgin Las Vegas. This is totally bizarre to me, but upon digging a bit deeper, it seems that this isn’t the only hotel with such a policy.
For example, it would appear that Encore at Wynn Las Vegas has a similar policy:
Outside food and beverage, as well as coolers, are not permitted at the resort and casino. Guests arriving with these items will be required to discard these items or leave them in their vehicle for the duration of their visit.
Is this outrageous policy actually enforced?
I should mention that my interest in Las Vegas is virtually non-existent, so I’m not the target customer for these properties. I didn’t love Las Vegas pre-coronavirus, and I sure as heck won’t love it post-coronavirus.
Still, I’m kind of in disbelief that this is actually a policy, because it’s so outrageous. It’s one thing if they said you can’t cater your own party in a suite without going through the hotel, but the way these rules are written, you couldn’t even bring a Starbucks iced coffee, a Diet Coke, a protein shake, or a bag of almonds, into your room.
I have a few immediate thoughts here:
- I wonder if this policy will be enforced; if you enter the hotel with a CVS or liquor store bag, will they really search you?
- Even if this policy isn’t widely enforced, it rubs me the wrong way; I don’t want to go into a hotel knowing I’m violating rules and could be kicked out for doing something very reasonable
- I understand hotels (particularly in Las Vegas) are very much trying to push their own F&B outlets, but there’s a fine line between that and not giving people the ability to eat what they want in their room
- When staying at hotels during the pandemic I’ve found myself getting food from outside the property more often, given the limited selections available, and my general desire to dine in my room rather than in an indoor restaurant; sometimes I pick up something, sometimes I order through Postmates or Uber Eats, and sometimes I just get snacks at a drugstore
Bottom line
It would appear that multiple Las Vegas hotels have policies banning all outside food and drinks. I’m not sure whether this policy is actually enforced on a widespread basis, but this has to be one of the most ridiculous hotel policies I’ve ever seen. I totally get hotels want to push their own outlets, but this crosses the line, in my opinion.
Las Vegas hotels often forget they’re still in the business of hospitality, even if they try to operate like factories.
Were you aware that some Las Vegas hotels have policies like this? Do Las Vegas hotels actually enforce these rules?
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