Does a groundbreaking new policy at Rio Las Vegas signal a sea change for group pricing?
In a bold departure from what planners often consider one of the most egregious line items in their contracts, Rio Las Vegas has eliminated resort fees for all group business. There is no end date or other restrictions. Rio has been a World of Hyatt property since 2024.
“Planners have told us for years that resort fees are one of the most exhausting parts of contracting in Las Vegas,” said Ashley Lowe, Senior Vice President of Sales at Rio Las Vegas, in a press statement. “They complicate budgets and create doubt at exactly the wrong moment. We initially soft-launched this waiver for 2026 and 2027 groups and the response was immediately overwhelmingly positive, so we decided to extend it to all years.”
The new policy, announced last week and effective immediately, is already generating buzz in the meeting planner community on LinkedIn. Conversations center on whether this will be a game changer for other Las Vegas hotels, and if it signals meaningful pushback from planners that creates a ripple effect in other destinations. “Could Rio Las Vegas have just started the biggest pricing conversation in the meetings industry?” asks Mike Ferreira, MHA, DES, Founder & CEO of Meetings Made Easy and Detroit Motor City DMC. In his newsletter Room Blocks & Reality Checks, Ferreira speculates on whether planners might be seeing the beginning of the end for resort fees, fueled by the trend of paying closer attention to total cost rather than to advertised rates. This isn’t just a Las Vegas story, he says. “Hotels across the United States are facing growing pressure from planners who are scrutinizing every line item more than ever before. The hotels that win over the next several years may not be the ones with the lowest rates. They may be the ones with the clearest pricing. Imagine that. A proposal where the rate is the rate.”
Concurrent with the resort fee waiver, Rio Las Vegas is also offering a promotion open to new group business of 10 or more attendees for midweek dates in any year. This includes complimentary internet in all meeting spaces, 20 percent discount on AV (excluding labor), double Hyatt Meeting Planner loyalty points, 10 percent discount on food and beverage, one suite upgrade for every 75 room nights, one complimentary room for every 40 rooms actualized, $500 shipping and receiving credit, and one complimentary amenity for every 40 rooms. The resort features 220,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. There are 2,520 guest suites, including more than 1,500 in the Ipanema Tower that were renovated in 2024.
