David's Vegas: How good is that $95 Baked Potato (and some real deals for desert)

Written, Edited by David Noll

First bit of truth, I am never paying $95 for a baked potato and sadly, you can't just order this by itself.  We were told. its only an add-on meant to be paired with something else (that's far more expensive). For $5 more, you used to get an entire hour at the Bunny Ranch and a smile that stretched ear to ear for the whole 90 minute road trip back to the strip. Now that' was value. 

Las Vegas WAS always the city of beautiful contradictions, blow your bankroll in spectacular fashion OR savor that legendary $9.99 steak dinner. There was genuinely something for everyone, and we kept building bigger, bolder, and more outrageous to meet the demand.

Flash forward to 2025, and the headlines have shifted from "What a deal!" to "What a rip-off!" The spending per visitor has never been higher, Vegas just posted record quarterly gambling wins and per-person expenditures. But here's the twist: fewer people are actually showing up. It's like throwing an exclusive party where the cover charge keeps rising until only your richest friends can afford to attend.

The Vegas reputation for value? It's been traded in for a strategy manual titled "How to Squeeze Maximum Dollars from Minimum Tourists."

Now we're living in the era of creative fee artistry. A $7 "venue fee" for the audacity of ordering a poolside cocktail? Check. A $25 "plate fee" because apparently food tastes better when it's not served in a paper bag? Double check. And let's give a standing ovation to the $95 baked potato, because nothing says "luxury dining" like a potato that costs more than most people's grocery budget.

Don't even get me started on the $19 "artisanal metal water bottles" (translation: marked-up aluminum) or the dynamic pricing on sunscreen that jumps from $5 to $10 because you dared to need SPF during peak sun hours. It's surge pricing for basic human survival!

But my personal favorite? The $35 parking fee that comes with its own credit card processing fee. No cash option, naturally, that would be far too convenient and transparent. It's a fee on a fee, wrapped in bureaucratic bow.

The first time I encountered the infamous "resort fee" at check-in, I thought there had been some mistake. "Oh no," they cheerfully explained, "this covers your spa locker access and free local calls!" Because nothing screams 2025 like charging someone $40 for the privilege of making calls that literally nobody makes anymore.

It's become a daily drumbeat: Vegas as the poster child for everything wrong with modern tourism. Failing visitor numbers, rising unemployment, inflation, housing shortages, we're like a case study in "How Not to Run a Tourist Destination."

Every week, reporters call wanting to cover our dealer training school or interview our Casino Quest players searching for affordable tables. They promise stories about "honesty and transparency," but we all know how this movie ends, dramatic music, ominous voice-over, and Vegas cast as the villain of vacation planning.

So is Vegas actually on fire? Not literally. Does it have a serious brand problem? Absolutely. Are there some genuinely terrible actors making questionable decisions? Oh, you bet.

Yes, Vegas has some genuinely outrageous tourist traps that would make a carnival barker blush. The $100,000-per-night hotel suites, the $10,000 cocktails, the $175 buffets with tableside lobster service, they're all real, and they're all designed to separate wealthy visitors from truly staggering amounts of money.

However, if you know where to look, Las Vegas still has some of the best deals in America. Free parking still exists. Buffets under $30 are alive and well. You can still find rooms without resort fees, shows under $50, and meals that won't require a small loan.

The trick is knowing which Vegas you're visiting: the one designed for social media influencers and high-roller Instagram posts, or the one that still remembers its roots as a place where anyone could have a good time without declaring bankruptcy.

So let's pull back the curtain on both versions of modern Vegas, the worst rip-offs that'll make your wallet weep, and the hidden gems that prove the spirit of old Vegas isn't completely dead. Just harder to find.

Room Rates

• Most Expensive: Palms Empathy Suite – $100,000/night
• Worst Narrative: Excalibur/Luxor – $18 room + $45 resort fee
• Best Room Deals (As of 9/2025)
• Sahara: $69/Night, no resort fee, no parking fees, late check out +$25 dining credit
• Flamingo: $300 for 2 nights, includes $200 F&B Credit
• Station Casinos: from $33 / night with F&B Credit, free parking, free valet

Tip: Always book direct. Guaranteed room, best rates, free upgrades offered.

Drink Prices

• Most Expensive: XS Nightclub – bottle service $10,000+ (rare bottles over $100k)
  
  
• Worst Deal: Sahara 2-for-1 drink = $23 after fees; Aria minibar water $26
  
  

• Best Drink Prices

• Palace Station – $3 beers/shots, $1.99 margaritas; 
• Ellis Island – $3 pints
  
  

 Tip: Buy drinks and snacks at Walgreens or CVS on the Strip. Carry a refillable bottle or

Dining & Buffets

• Most Expensive: Guy Savoy’s Krug Chef’s Table – $1,200+ per person
  
  
• Worst Deal: Bacchanal Buffet ~$100; Strip cafés $9 coffee, $33 bagel
  
  
• Best Deal: 
• Ellis Island – $9.99 steak
• Palms AYCE Buffet $25–30
• Palace Station Café under $10 dinners
  
  

Tip: Visit at lunch—buffets and steakhouses are often half the dinner price.

Table Games

• Most Expensive: Lots of strip properties at $25+
  
  
• Worst Deal: 6:5 Blackjack on the Strip, higher house edge, $25+ minimums
  
  
• Best Tables: 
• South Point $10 - 3:2 blackjack
• Ellis Island $5 Craps
• Palms $5 Craps & $10 Craps
• Palace Station – $10 minimum craps, 10X Odds

Tip: Play earlier in the day for lower minimums.

Shows & Attractions

• Most Expensive: Sphere VIP Packages,  $1,000+ per ticket
  
  
• Worst Deal: Sphere “Postcard From Earth” m, $279 for 50 minutes
  
  
• Best Deals
• Comedy and magic shows under $50 (Mac King, The Mentalist, Nathan Burton, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club)
  
  

Parking

• Most Expensive: Sphere valet $72.50–$125; self-park up to $100
  
  
• Worst Deal: Strip resort parking – $18–$30/day
  
  
• Best Parking: 
• Sahara - Free Parking, Free Valet
• Some strip properties offer free parking for locals or players with cards
• Walk to the Sphere from Fashion Show Mall which offers free parking.
• All Station Casinos offer free self and valet parking.  

Takeaway

Vegas is what you make it: a playground for those willing to spend thousands on luxury or a budget-friendly getaway if you know where to look. The worst deals usually come from hidden fees and Strip markups, while the best deals are found Downtown, off-strip, or at locals’ casinos like Palace Station and Ellis Island.

There’s still plenty of value in Las Vegas, but it doesn’t come to you automatically. You have to seek it out, ask questions, and sometimes step away from the Strip to find it. Do that, and you’ll enjoy the best of Vegas without feeling gouged.