Agree, OP. I was there in April and again last month and it felt like a place in decline. The Strip escalators were the first thing I noticed. This is an abomination, as it gives a horrible impression and shouldn't be that difficult to manage. (The escalators in the Washington, DC metro are a running joke, but you expect that from a government-run boondoggle in DC, not in Vegas.) The marijuana smell everywhere and proliferation of homeless are minor nuisances (meanwhile, you can't smoke a cigar at the gaming tables just about anywhere anymore besides Wynn/Encore).

The prices are eye-watering indeed, but more specifically, the nickel-and-diming (resort fees, parking, drinks at the bars on the casino floor) takes a lot of the fun away. As an example, I redeemed a two-room complimentary package at Encore, which was exempt from resort fees. I added two adjacent paid room nights, and they told me that now the resort fee would apply to all four nights. Why? (To make matters more shambolic, when I checked out, they charged me for six internet connections over the four days. I asked how the laws of physics would allow that, and doesn't the resort fee include internet access anyway? Their reply: well, we didn't charge you the resort fee of $50x4 due to some glitch, so you're better off with the $19.95x6 internet charges, right? I agreed in a huff, but was perturbed at the poor processes.) At Mandalay Bay, they charge you to use an inner tube on the lazy river. If that's not included in the resort fee, what's the fee for? (It now costs $20 per day, at least last time I was there, to rent one. I suppose you could carry it up to your room every day, but that seems impractical.)

It seems that complimentary drink service has really declined too. I was almost never indulged at machines at Wynn, Encore, or Cosmopolitan. I work in F&B outside the U.S., and always told my colleagues how Vegas was the American epitome of upscale dining, with extremely high quality, great service, and innovation always producing something new. I feel like that has eroded significantly. I usually indulge in one steakhouse meal per trip, and this one, at the Wynn, was very poor, especially for $250. I felt like I was in Dubai, where things were more for show than exhibiting excellence. (In fairness, I had a great meal at the Cosmopolitan steakhouse.)

More of a matter of personal preference, but I also lament that there are no more Broadway-style shows such as Mamma Mia or Phantom. All of the shows now seem to be merely lowbrow antics on stage or Cirque du Soleil. I have no interest in either, and the market speaks I suppose, but does the market really need a 10th Cirque du Soleil production instead of something different?

I love Vegas, and will continue to go, but the magic is well below what it used to be. I suppose we can blame consolidation of ownership groups to an extent. I am not sure what other causes are. Catering more to the Instagram/night club crowd at the expense of old codgers like me who just want to gamble and have a great meal? You would think that with casino gambling becoming more available globally -- e.g., there are very respectable Indian casinos closer to southern CA, which surely must take some business away from Vegas -- they'd need to stay on top of their game.