Ever wonder if those “romance” or “adventure” hotel packages are really giving you more bang for your buck — or if you’ve been suckered into booking a clever marketing pro’s cutesy champagne and chocolate-covered price markup? Welcome to Oyster’s Bundle Breakdowns, where we go through the painstaking process of (roughly) breaking down the costs of popular hotel bundle offerings to determine whether you’re getting a steal or getting robbed.
Today, Bundle Breakdowns visits Las Vegas to dissect the Bellagio’s fancy-schmantzy Romance Retreat package.
The Deal: One night in a Lakeview Cypress Suite; limo transportation to and from McCarran; Executive Suite Lounge check-in; one bottle of Veuve Clicquot; chocolate-covered strawberries; a 50-minute Couples Massage; prix-fixe dinner for two at Picasso or Michael Mina restaurant (no alcohol).
The Package Price: $995, plus tax
The Breakdown:
- Lakeview Cypress Suite: rates start at $650, plus tax
- Limo Transportation: The hotel uses CLS, which charges $58 per hour (one hour minimum) for a chaffeured Towncar plus a $15 fee for airport pickups. For our calculations, we estimated a $75 pickup and $60 dropoff.
- Champagne: Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label; $34.97 at Costco
- 50-minute Couples Massage: $280
- Prix-Fixe Dinner for two at Picasso: starts at $83 (no alcohol) per person
Estimated Non-package Cost: $1266 or more (and that’s not even including the strawberries!)
Total Estimated Savings: $271 or more
Pros: You don’t have to think. The Bellagio does it all for you.
Cons: You don’t get to think. The Bellagio does it all for you.
Bottom Line: If you’re planning on getting a massage, booking a limo and eating at one of those two restaurants anyway, go for the package; otherwise, fork over the $650 for the suite and buy yourself a nicer bottle of champagne.
*Room rate, limo company and champagne selection based on information obtained by calling the hotel; dinner and spa prices obtained at Bellagio.com.
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