rewrite this title MGM Is Launching a Las Vegas ‘All-Inclusive’ — But Is It Worth It? – NerdWallet

For decades, Las Vegas didn’t need all-inclusive packages because it had something better: the casino cross-subsidy. Cheap buffets, discounted rooms and free drinks on the floor were funded by gambling losses — and even non-gamblers benefited from the low prices.

This week, MGM Resorts announced what it’s billing as an “all-inclusive” experience. Starting at $330 plus tax for a two-night stay for two guests at Luxor Hotel & Casino or Excalibur Hotel & Casino, it’s more like a vacation bundle. Still, it could be a good deal for travelers who can maximize it.

Starting March 25, 2026, guests can book a two-night stay at Luxor or Excalibur, bundling accommodations, resort fees, three meals per day, two show tickets, two Big Apple Coaster rides at New York-New York and self-parking. The package is valid for travel dates beginning April 6, with no blackout dates.

On paper, it’s an incredible deal. Here’s what individual costs look like on off-peak nights (like a weekday in March):

That’s roughly 65% off the a la carte price. But the value hinges almost entirely on meals, which is where “all-inclusive” gets complicated.

Dining is at casual venues with “dedicated” (read: limited) menus and one beer or wine per person. Eligible restaurants are:

Each property’s best restaurants, such as MGM Grand’s Joël Robuchon and Hakkasan Restaurant, are excluded.

The show lineup is also limited to lower-priced shows like the Blue Man Group and Carrot Top, with tickets on off-peak nights typically running $40 to $60 each. This package won’t cover the top-tier shows such as Cirque du Soleil.

If you eat at the included venues, you come out ahead on food costs alone. Add the shows, parking and coaster, and this is one of the Strip’s few genuine bargains.

“We’re trying to give a value-driven experience,” says Mike Neubecker, president and chief operating officer of MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, Luxor & Excalibur. “When putting this together, we asked, ‘how do we create a package that’s at an incredibly reasonable price?’”

Neubecker says MGM intentionally omitted fine dining restaurants and tied the package to MGM’s two cheapest hotels to keep prices as low as possible.

Still, the math is forgiving enough that even if you didn’t use the $40 worth of parking, or you skipped an included meal in favor of a $7 donut from the Hello Kitty Cafe, you could still come out ahead. More than the specific savings, paying for everything upfront could also make budgeting easier — and if a bundle like this curbs vacation spending, that might be the real jackpot.

About the author

Sally French is co-host of the Smart Travel podcast and a writer on NerdWallet’s travel team. Before joining NerdWallet as a travel rewards expert in 2020, she wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter.

Outside of work, she loves fitness, and she competes in both powerlifting and weightlifting (she can deadlift more than triple bodyweight). Naturally, her travels always involve a fitness component, including a week of cycling up the coastline of Vietnam and a camping trip to the Arctic Circle, where she biked over the sea ice. Other adventures have included hiking 25 miles in one day through Italy’s Cinque Terre and climbing the 1,260 steps to Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi, Thailand.

She lives in San Francisco.