Jim M.
Yelp
My company brings in dozens of employees every year for the SEMA Show. We used to primarily stay at the Las Vegas Hilton, but saw the decline in that property over the years, to the point that Hilton removed their name. We then decided to try multiple properties as alternatives, including the Renaissance, Palazzo and this year, the Conrad.
The Renaissance was once an outstanding property, but we've witnessed a similar decline in quality over the years, especially from 2019-2021. Upon check-in, I was informed that the outdoor self-parking (they refer to it on the bill as "VIP parking") was previously-charged at $100 for our entire week, was now $250 PER NIGHT. Not for the entire stay, per night. You read that right- it costs me more to park my rental van at this hotel, than the room I slept in. By contrast, for a $100 tip, the Palazzo allows us to park a van in front of the main lobby.
Shocking is an understatement and gouging is the only accurate way to describe this charge. The oversized parking was mostly empty for the week of the trade show, as most show-goers decided that was too rich for their blood. We really had no other practical option, so we bit the bullet. However, when the show ended, we found out self-parking dropped down to $50 a night- still an outrageous fee for non-valet parking for a hotel guest.
When I noticed the lot was mostly full after the show, I asked the parking attendant on duty how much it cost and I was told $50/night, by the same person who previously-quoted me the rate of $250/night. I couldn't help but drop an f-bomb on the poor soul tasked with delivering that news to guest and demanded a refund of $600 for the amount I was overcharged and referred to the manager, whom he repeatedly blamed for the outrageous trade show pricing in the first place.
When I checked into the room, there was no remote control for the TV set and the shower faucet fell off. In seven consecutive nights, no housekeeping was provided at any point and fresh towels and soap were only provided when I called down and requested them.
At this point, the summary is that the wrong employees at the Renaissance must have lost their jobs during the pandemic. The valets have been fired and replaced with parking lot gougers. The housekeeping staff is nowhere in sight. In spite of the obvious decline in staffing, the room rates haven't gotten any less expensive and the parking fees are through the roof. So how important is it to collect $250 a night from trade show attendees for self-parking? Apparently important enough that one-star reviews left on every site on the Internet won't matter.
Don't think for a second that you won't get gouged by this property, just because you're not staying there specifically during the SEMA trade show. If they will gouge us at that show, they will find a way to gouge you during your stay.
I expect the bulk of our staff will continue to stay at the Palazzo and after this week and this experience, now the Conrad.