redtop43

Lately there is a lot of variability in car rental prices. I have a 4-day trip coming up where prices were $120 for 4 days (I didn't make a reservation) then it went to $105, then $92, then $77. At the last three price points I made a reservation, then cancelled it if it went lower. Nu Car is usually the lowest, although on my trip last week (also $77 for 4 days) Payless was the winner. I avoid the off-airport companies except Nu Car, because it's right across the street and I'm familiar with them. I used one of them last summer - I forget which one - it took forever for the second shuttle to come, when I got there they wouldn't give me a car because I was an hour early, and the car I got had a temporary plate because they had just bought it at an auction.

Postscript - the $77 reservation I made, the prices are now up to around $125. Of course I expect the $77 to be honored. I have two more upcoming trips that I'm doing searches on. It's very weird, there's one trip where the cheapest cars are about $30 a day all-in, and the car type is a minivan! I have no idea what's going on, but it's becoming clear you have to pretty much search constantly.

I agree that the resort fees are hyper-annoying. My go-to place, Orleans, has literally (almost) doubled them from $12.99 when I started staying there in late 2015 to $24.99 today.. Interestingly, I go on a business trip twice a year and we have to pay the resort fee with the negotiated convention rate (at Park MGM), but I'm going for a major bridge tournament this summer (at Cosmo) and the rate is $159 with no resort fee. I totally agree that hotels should not be allowed to advertise a price unless you can actually rent a room for that price. Of course I feel the same about event tickets, where even if you go to the box office they still slap you with "convenience fees."