Fontainebleau Joins Vegas’s Free Parking Comeback

^{Now's the time for Nevada locals to visit the strip - gone are the days of expensive parking at Fontainebleau for both locals and Rewards members. (Photo: Belinda Jiao / Alamy)}

LAS VEGAS -- Fontainebleau Las Vegas just dropped the bomb earlier this week that Nevada residents and Fontainebleau Rewards members will all receive free parking through the end of 2025.

The new initiative is part of the resort’s “Locals Only” program to show love to both guests and loyalty members. The initiative is a likely attempt to boost foot traffic and encourage locals to give Fontainebleau another chance. With tourism numbers in Las Vegas still recovering from a long-term slump, Fontainebleau is making an attempt to sweeten the deal for visitors in Nevada and beyond.

Free Parking and Other Rewards, Too     

The program goes beyond free parking, even though that's already a huge deal in itself in Vegas. Nevada locals and Fontainebleau Rewards members can receive free parking by scanning their respective card or ID, buy-one-get-one deals for the Hall of Excellence, complimentary access to LIV Nightclub, and dining discounts across the property. If that wasn’t already enough, they’ll be waiving resort fees for Nevada residents and rewards members, which seems like the second-best perk after the free parking.

For Rewards members, the free parking perk runs until December 3, making it even more enticing to sign up if you haven’t already. Hotel guests will also receive free parking during their stay by scanning their room card.

But we can’t forget about the fine print -- Fontainebleau does make it clear on their website that this is in fact subject to availability. Depending on special events, complimentary parking may not be offered so it will be interesting to see what kind of event they decide is worth charging for parking.

Fontainebleau Raises the Stakes Against Other Strip Competitors

Fontainebleau’s move follows a recent trend of deals and discounts across Las Vegas casinos to win back Nevada locals while encouraging visitors to come back. Caesars recently introduced a $300 hotel stay and room credit deal across its lower-tier resorts along with free parking Sunday through Thursday at all its properties. Resorts World  briefly offered free parking over the summer, only to end the promotion.

MGM has yet to follow in the footsteps of competitors offering some form of free parking perk for locals. When it comes to MGM Resorts, the company actually kicked off the paid parking wave on the Strip back in 2016 -- at the time, locals still received free parking for their first 24 hours. When COVID-19 hit and shut down the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, MGM brought back free parking in May 2020 as part of its reopening strategy to better serve visitors and locals alike. But that didn’t last long. By June 2021, paid parking returned across MGM properties, and rates even increased at the end of 2024. 

The same goes for Wynn Las Vegas, which has never really marketed itself as a budget-friendly destination anyway. Fontainebleau’s approach is well-needed and perfectly ambitious for a luxury casino and resort in a competitive Strip market. 

“What I really like about the Fontainebleau is that they learn,” Vegas influencer Pauly C said of the news. “They started off awful, but they get better and better and they figured out what they’re doing.” He compared it favorably to Resorts World, which, in his view, “hasn’t had much improvement and has been a disappointment over the years.”

For locals, this is a solid invitation to enjoy something on the Strip without the sting of parking fees. Fontainebleau’s massive property offers luxury, nightlife with world-class DJs, and a range of dining options that make it worth a visit for any type of special occasion.

I consider myself one of the few locals who likes to visit the Strip frequently to enjoy the nightlife, weekday dining deals, and happy hours. This new offer feels like a perfect excuse to visit more often and will finally convince my friends to visit the property if they never have.