Las Vegas - Hang up That Phone!

Monte Carlo Resort & Casino:

Good news: $69 room rate on a Wednesday night in December.

Bad news: $11.40 for two-minute cross-country phone call from the room.

Um, are you the last person on Earth who doesn't have a cell phone? The last person on Earth to figure out that calling from your hotel room = financial suicide? I doubt you will get much sympathy here.

Um, are you the last person on Earth who doesn't have a cell phone? The last person on Earth to figure out that calling from your hotel room = financial suicide? I doubt you will get much sympathy here.

Politeness is never in bad taste. Um, are you the last person on Earth who doesn't know that? I doubt you will have many friends here if you keep posting like this.

Telephone service is one of those great cost centers for hotels - so my suggestion is if you don't have a cell phone handy (and my recollection is that cell service sometimes doesn't work well in some of the casino hotels) is to see what the rates are to access your long distance carrier via and 800 number (e.g. AT&T 800/CALL ATT). Nice rate though - and in December, it's interesting to see how low they can go.

I did like the casino at the Monte Carlo last time I was there - looks like Mandalay Group used the same design for it as they did for the Gold Strike in Tunica (a personal fave of mine to stay at in Tunica- although I like playing at the Horseshoe much more).

Costco has a calling card with MCI for about 3 cents/minute. So you would only have the 800 access fee ($1-2 at most) plus a very cheap call. If you are making multiple calls, you do not have to hang up after each one - so you pay only the 1 access fee.

Costco has a calling card with MCI for about 3 cents/minute. So you would only have the 800 access fee ($1-2 at most) plus a very cheap call. If you are making multiple calls, you do not have to hang up after each one - so you pay only the 1 access fee.


Sam's club also 2.3 cents per min - 800 min card

Um, are you the last person on Earth who doesn't have a cell phone? The last person on Earth to figure out that calling from your hotel room = financial suicide? I doubt you will get much sympathy here.

I don't have one either.

The phone charges are freakin' ridiculous and have been for decades. Monte Carlo is no worse than any other resort hotel.

QL

You should have tried pleading ignorance. Many times the hotel will just take the single phone charge off your final bill. ;)

I forgive mbstone. I was very temporarily "between cell phones". My office was switching my instrument and service while I was away for 36 hours. I picked up my new phone upon my return home.

If you don't have a cell phone, or if it is broken or unable to get a signal, consider getting a small OneSuite (http://www.onesuite.com) account.

For those of you without cell phones, you might consider picking up a "pre-pay" or "pay-as-you-go" phone like Virgin Mobile http://www.virginmobileusa.com/ from eBay or http://www.boostmobile.com/ boost mobile which has nextel's walkie talkie feature. If a friend or family member has a spare phone from a previous upgrade, changes are their original cell phone carrier has a pay-as-you-go plan for that phone.

Also, you can sms google (# GOOGL) with a name and zip/city& state for address and phone number if you don't have a phone book handy. Good way to get the reservation phone number and text messaging is often cheaper than 411 and infone. For more info http://www.google.com/sms/

Ah, skype and such programs deserve a mention if you're already paying the $10/$11 daily rate for internet access.

I forgive mbstone. I was very temporarily "between cell phones". My office was switching my instrument and service while I was away for 36 hours. I picked up my new phone upon my return home.

And I apologize to 0524.

Did you also know that there are people in Vegas from other countries (!!) who, if they have a cell phone that works in the US, have to pay $2.40US per minute to make a call on said cell phone.

I actually used a calling card from home & the pay phones in the hotel. Fancy that! :D

Did you also know that there are people in Vegas from other countries (!!) who, if they have a cell phone that works in the US, have to pay $2.40US per minute to make a call on said cell phone.

I actually used a calling card from home & the pay phones in the hotel. Fancy that! :D

Do you really use a calling card from home?? I just signed up with ECG for 2.75 cpm and no monthly fees or monthly minimums. They have great customer service and you don't have to speak to someone in India! http://www.dld2000.com/ecg.asp

Ouch!

Hotels have been ripping people off for a long time. Well known fact and most would rather go to a pay phone and use a charge card, even at $1-$2 per minute.

Do you know that some smaller hotels are now starting to give FREE long distance. And even though big ones still want to charge you $10 or more per day for internet access, smaller ones now give it away free.

Go figure.