Survey shows Las Vegas ranks in the top third of major cities for staycations
Vicki Ellis of Henderson knows how to enjoy Las Vegas.
“My husband is the music director for the Frankie Scinta show at the D. We love (the Groupon app that gives us a cabana) and staying at the Westin Lake Las Vegas. We bought it last summer and had a wonderful time so I just purchased it again and we’re looking forward to our staycation while the Frankie Scinta show goes dark in late July.”
Ellis is not alone. According to a recent study conducted by Wallet Hub, Las Vegas ranks 31 out of the 100 biggest American cities that were given consideration for staycations. Wallet Hub is a social media network that helps its users make financial decisions. The site has become known for its variety of state and local rankings.
The popularity of staycations caught the attention of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority some time ago. The convention authority launched the “Stay Here, Play Here” campaign during the recession to let locals know of exclusive deals on and off the Strip.
“During the recession, we partnered with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce because our research was showing that people were wanting to vacation closer to home,” said Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The initiative gave Las Vegans what they were asking for and boosted local businesses.
“We started with the Metro chamber and eventually pushed it out to all the chambers in the valley as an awareness piece of ‘Stay here. Support local businesses. Keep your money in the valley,’ ” because that’s what people were doing and we wanted to make it easier for them,” said Tull.
While the “Stay Here, Play Here” site is still running, it will eventually be incorporated into the Lasvegas.com website which LVCVA runs. This will allow patrons to find all the information they are looking for in one place.
“It’ll make things easier to book, whether it’s rooms or shows or other entertainment options. So it has dual purposes of both a booking engine and an information resource for everything Las Vegas. We’re not proactively pushing it now,” said Tull.
But while Las Vegas ranked just 31st in the new survey, another city claimed the top spot.
The city that ranked No. 1? Buffalo, N.Y.
“Our ranking speaks to the quality of life and abundance of activities available in greater Buffalo,” Visit Buffalo Niagara spokesman Brian Hayden said. “On summer days, residents can stroll along the waterfront, experience live outdoor music or a nightly performance of Shakespeare in the Park, enjoy a variety of museums and cultural attractions and dine al fresco on restaurant patios. With Lake Erie breeze keeping temperatures moderate throughout the summer, why travel elsewhere for a vacation?”
But for Tim Givan, Las Vegas will do just fine.
“I have been enjoying Staybridge Suites behind the Mandalay Bay most recently because I am able to basically get a studio apartment there for a great price. No resort fees, no charge for Internet. The location is great, close to all the attractions on the Strip as well as both major highways I-15 and 215,” Givan said. “The rooms have fridge/freezers and a two-burner stove with furnished cooking utensils in case you want to cook something or just stock up the fridge and use cups and glasses. If you are a sports bettor, the cable package has all the major sporting networks, which matters to me.”
Contact Review-Journal writer Paulina Rojas at projas@reviewjournal.com or 702 383-0206. Follow her on Twitter: @PerpetuallyPau
