Rio Las Vegas is killing resort fees for all group bookings, past, present and future, effective immediately, in a move planners say could chop a serious chunk off convention and block-room contracts. The off-Strip resort, a 36-year-old property with about 2,520 rooms, has folded the change into a new group promotion aimed squarely at meeting and event business. Rio officials told event buyers the waiver has no set end date and that it is already being promoted for group gatherings this year and next.
The deal comes with a stack of sweeteners: complimentary internet in all meeting spaces, a 20 percent discount on audio-visual services (Encore-provided labor excluded), double Hyatt meeting-planner loyalty points, a 10 percent food-and-beverage discount, amenity and suite upgrade credits, and a shipping-and-receiving credit. The benefits are designed to strip away add-ons that usually pile up for groups. As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rio initially soft-launched the waiver for group gatherings booked for 2026 and 2027 and now says the program applies to group business in any year.
Rio's Pitch To Planners
Per Rio Las Vegas, the resort's meetings page now leads with the line "No Group Resort Fees. No Hidden Costs," and highlights enterprise-level internet plus free parking for conference attendees. The page invites planners to request proposals and frames the no-fee policy as part of a larger push to capture convention and meeting business at the off-Strip property.
Why It Matters For Planners
Resort fees have long been a sore point for event buyers, often tacking on $40 to $60 per room per night at many Vegas properties and ballooning fast across large room blocks. NerdWallet notes that mandatory extras remain a source of friction even as pricing-transparency rules have tightened, and Rio's senior vice president of sales, Ashley Lowe, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that "planners have told us for years that resort fees are one of the most exhausting parts of contracting in Las Vegas."
Industry coverage this spring showed several Las Vegas operators testing all-inclusive bundles and fee waivers as they chase price-sensitive groups, with local reporting noting that resorts are experimenting with bundle offers to restore more straightforward value. Fox5 Vegas reported on that trend, noting that operators are bundling meals, parking and resort amenities into up-front packages. As hotels sharpen their group pitches, Rio's policy shift gives off-Strip planners another bargaining chip when negotiating rates, attrition and concessions for conventions and trade shows.
Planners who want to test Rio's new approach can request a proposal or contact the resort's group sales team through the meetings portal. Per Rio Las Vegas, room blocks and meeting resources remain available through the hotel's group sales portal.
