[Report] CES Fully Reopens After 3 Years... Las Vegas Hotel Rates Soar 10 Times

No Mask CES2023 Heats Up Las Vegas

［Asia Economy Las Vegas (USA) = Reporters Sunmi Park, Seoyoon Choi］ "Most major restaurants in Las Vegas are fully booked. Since the scale of the CES exhibition has expanded after COVID-19, the number of participating global companies has increased, and accordingly, hotels and restaurants are mostly fully booked."

On the 4th (local time), a day before the opening of CES 2023, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, Las Vegas in the United States has been bustling daily with people from all over the world. During the CES period, hotel accommodation fees have risen 5 to 10 times, and most restaurants are fully reserved.

The streets where large hotels and casinos such as New York-New York and MGM are concentrated in Las Vegas were so crowded that even after 10 p.m. the previous night, they were packed with people. Shops were doing so well that shelves were empty due to the influx of customers, and restaurants and bars were full with no empty tables, creating a lively atmosphere.

An employee at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, said, "'Today as well,' reservations are fully booked," adding, "During the CES period, most tables are filled with customers who made reservations early."

With the popularity of K-food and the increasing participation of Korean companies in CES, Korean restaurants are also in a situation where entry is impossible without prior reservation. An employee at Unamjeong, a Korean restaurant in Las Vegas, said, "Sales increase by 50% during the CES period compared to usual," and "Seat reservations have already been closed since a month ago."

Hotel reservations around the event venue are already fully booked. Hotel accommodation fees have risen about five times on average compared to last year's CES period, and many popular places have increased more than 12 times. Based on hotels right next to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), the minimum one-night rate during the CES period has risen to about $586. For 5-star hotels, it reaches $1,083 per night. This contrasts with last year’s quiet CES due to the spread of COVID-19, when the average daily accommodation fee was $90.

A travel agency official said, "CES was not held in 2021 due to the spread of COVID-19, and the scale was small in 2022, so the atmosphere this year has become hotter," adding, "Both hotels and restaurants are at a level where usage is impossible without prior reservation, and prices have risen too much."

The promotional battle of participating companies is also intense at CES, which has normalized after three years. On the 4th (local time), at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, 15 minutes away from the main CES exhibition hall, there was no space to step among reporters attending the press conference before the CES opening and businesspeople promoting their companies.

On the day before the CES opening, global companies including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Japan’s Sony, and China’s Hisense held press conferences and promotional events. From 8 a.m., not only domestic but also international reporters flocked to the media rooms set up inside the hotel, so much so that 28 reporters from 28 companies had to sit closely together at 10-person tables. A media room guide said, "This year’s CES attendees are estimated to reach 100,000, more than double last year’s (45,000)," adding, "Since it is properly held for four days for the first time in three years after COVID-19, it is receiving intense attention."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.