Desperate Vegas hotels are now offering "WFH" packages

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Life
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Those of us lucky enough to be gainfully employed and working from home right now are getting a little antsy. It's been five months. I, personally, could use a change of scenery. I often wonder what richer people are doing about this problem, as money does remedy both boredom and frustration. Apparently, one new solution to work-cabin-fever is stowing your laptop and flitting off to the strip. Yes, your new mobile office could now be in Las Vegas.

MGM Resorts International just announced a new travel package called "Viva Las Office" to entice professionals to work from their hotels, presumably to remedy a weekday dry spell in business that’s ordinarily quenched by conferences. The range of WFH experiences are available at MGM-owned properties such as the Bellagio and the ARIA and offer a bevy of amenities typical to Sin City. Travelers can purchase food and drink credits, time slots at private pools, And cabana access. And — reminder, we’re still dealing with a pandemic — guests get a free face mask and bottle of hand sanitizer upon check-in.

All of the 3-day minimum packages include an “executive assistant,” which appears to be a pseudonym for a hotel concierge that would typically help you book reservations and tours. You’ll have to order your own office supplies, buddy. West coasters can even enjoy discounted airfare on a semi-private jet service called JSX, which flies from locations in California, Dallas and Seattle.

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Shockingly, some of the packages are not as prohibitively expensive as you would expect, due to the price cuts MGM affords potential teleworkers. The options range from the cheapest, named “The Associate,” which runs about $102 a night (for a 5-day stay) to the most expensive, “The Executive” which is a little under $400 a night (for 3 nights). “The Executive” includes a hotel room that’s usually $938 a night (lordt) and includes a poolside massage, which you would obviously need to destress if you drop that many Benjamins to work all day in the debauchery capital of the world.

"We understand that working from home every day can become taxing and monotonous, and we are excited to offer a safe and curated experience here at Bellagio and ARIA that combines work and play," says Atif Rafiq, president of commercial and growth for MGM Resorts in a press release. "These packages are designed to offer the best of both worlds. A safe, spacious work setting while still allowing guests to enjoy the amenities and experiences Las Vegas is known for through a single offering."

Not to toss a wet blanket on this fantasy, but you have to wonder why anybody would take a costly trip to a luxury hotel simply to stay inside and work. In Vegas, on top of that, considering the recent uptick in coronavirus cases in Nevada. The hotel industry has lost about $16.8 billion in revenue this year alone, however, so it makes sense that resorts are trying to get people to come by preying on the obvious frustration we’re all feeling in quar. There are people who could (and will) take MGM up on their offer, I’m sure, but those individuals likely could already afford a trip to Vegas at full price. To them, I suggest skipping the WFH package and heading straight to the pool, and then to the strip club — preferably one with a decent buffet.