Las Vegas: New Year’s Eve is doable, even at the last minute

Feeling impulsive and hoping to book a last-minute getaway to Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve? Despite the notion that Sin City is virtually sold out and that the only remaining rooms are wildly expensive, a variety of lodging options is still available.

And a two-night (Sunday and Monday) stay on the Strip can be as little as $320, taxes included.

That rock-bottom price is for a classic room at the Riviera, and we found it both at the hotel’s website and the Vegas.com travel portal.

A couple of blocks north, a deluxe room at the Stratosphere for the same two nights is selling for $393.08 at the hotel’s website. More options are available for guests willing to book Sunday and Monday nights, instead of just Monday, which is New Year’s Eve.

Bellagio, on the other hand, is sold out for Monday, a telephone reservation agent at the property told me.

New Year’s Eve draws well over 200,000 visitors to Las Vegas. Many book well in advance.

“I don’t want to say we’re going to sell out, but it looks like the city’s going to be pretty full for this New Year’s,” said Bryan Allison, chief operating officer of Vegas.com.

“Every property has its own approach as to … how they’re going to try to sell their hotel. Some hotels are going to price more aggressively because they want to get people in the property [while] some of them want to keep that price high to match their brand.”

That would explain why, for example, a room in the oldest part of Caesars Palace, the Roman Tower, remains pricey: $1,252.16 on the hotel’s website. The total’s slightly lower at Vegas.com and slightly higher at Expedia.

All rates were priced Thursday afternoon, but Allison notes that they are moving targets.

“Properties are going to adjust those rates five or six times a day,” Allison said. “Some of them [change] 10 or 11 times a day. It’s very dynamic. They’re trying to gauge the marketplace.”

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