Are you planning a trip to Vegas anytime soon? I would like to give you a few tips and share my insights. Normally, we stick to security in our blog but Las Vegas is one of our featured cities we provide service for and we love Vegas here at PRS. So, we are taking a minute to help you navigate concerns from a firsthand experience.
You can see the effects of the pandemic in almost every city in America. That includes Sin City. One of the biggest things I noticed during my recent trip was around employment. Like many businesses, restaurants in Vegas are having a hard time finding enough employees to fully staff a restaurant. So what does that look like? Not as many restaurants are open and some of those are not at full capacity. That means you will likely have to wait longer to receive food or some of your longtime favorites may not even have the doors open (or, if you’re lucky, simply have reduced operating hours). Choices are obviously limited and hours vary greatly. This was especially noticeable during the breakfast hours. I could only find one restaurant open before 9am in the vicinity of my hotel, Vdara, on a Tuesday morning.
We provide security for large events/conventions in Vegas, so I went to look at the new addition to the Convention Center. If you are planning on attending a conference or similar event there, you should know to expect it to be a mostly similar experience to what it was like pre-COVID. Mask mandates are minimal (only if you have not been vaccinated yet). There are no temperature checks. Attendees are ample; perhaps not at the level of pre-COVID yet but more than you might think for not being out of the pandemic just yet.
Rideshare services, while available, cost more than before (expect about double) as there is large demand but reduced drivers than pre-COVID. For instance, a taxicab ride for an equal distance on the strip to that of a rideshare service on a Sunday afternoon was half the price of the rideshare service.
If you’re used to walking the Las Vegas strip and seeing entertainment and people all around, you will find them however not as plentiful as before COVID. In fact, you are apt to see an equal number or more of undesirables walking the strip.
I enjoyed returning to Las Vegas and to what is mostly considered a return to normal however temper your expectations for a full return to normal for likely a few more months time at least.
Please feel free to connect if you have any questions, security or otherwise, michael@premierrisksolutions.com!
