Fast track:
- You’ll get more variety and value from a high-end Las Vegas March Madness trip than from seeing the Final Four live.
- Luxury watch parties at top resorts offer premium seating, open bars, and great food for far less than NCAA ticket packages.
- Second-tier seats and lounge-style venues often give the best mix of comfort, views, and all-day inclusions.
- Mix one big splurge with midweek, stay-where-you-watch choices to enjoy a high-end March Madness trip without overspending.
Around 3.5 million visitors come to Las Vegas every March to partake in the madness. March Madness, that is.
That figure does not even include the grand finale weekend, with the Final Four and Championship games, which fall in April. Still, even the conservative figure is almost 50 times the number of people who will pack Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for those last two days. Savvy sports fans are choosing Las Vegas because they get a lot more bang for their buck here—even when living large.
You can easily plan a high-flying Las Vegas trip, packed with nightclubs, day clubs, beach clubs, and even brunches where bottle service requires table minimums of $1,000 or more. But surprisingly, the tournament offers some fantastic value propositions, and with a little smart planning, sports fans used to traveling in style can enjoy the newest and best venues, delicious food, and fun experiences.
Why Vegas beats the Final Four
As of mid-February, the lowest official NCAA ticket package for the final weekend was $1,400 per person, with a so-so seat on the corner of the court, three levels up, limited open bar, and “tailgate fare.” Add a basic hotel room (4 nights) and the entry-level package jumps to $7,425—for one person. You cannot buy just one of the two days: it’s all or nothing
But if you plan for the sportsbook at Circa—one of the largest in the world, with its enormous centerpiece 78-million-pixel screen viewable by up to 1,000 guests and capable of playing 19 games simultaneously—you can get an all-inclusive full day food and drink package for the Final Four in the Champions Club from just $300. If you have a group, a private 6-person banquette with a table in the luxe Circa Club costs $415 per person. Heck, you can get a full-blown private suite for up to 12 people with leather seating and video poker machines for $ 5,000. Those are all with premium open bar rather than limited bar, and ordering choices from multiple casino restaurants, not tailgate fare. But best of all, you can do something totally different for the Monday game and have two unique experiences—while still saving money.
At the time this article was posted, rooms at mid-priced Strip hotels like the Flamingo and Linq were still available for the same four weekend nights, Friday to Tuesday, for under $500 total for two. Upgrade to a suite at the residential MGM Signature, throw in the Circa Final Four, and then go out and splurge for the Championship game, and you will still likely spend a quarter of the cheapest “live” package. And you’ll be in Vegas.
Fabulous watch parties can be a bargain
But the action and options get exponentially better for the first two rounds, when just about every resort in town—and most sports bars and some sportsbooks—throw gala “watch parties,” most with open bar, many with food. To give you an idea, the Resorts World Theater hosts one of the more upscale events, “March to the Championship,” each of the first three days. A full-day package for all 16 games in reserved premium Orchestra seating, with unlimited food and beverage delivered to your seat, is just $320 per person. With friends, you can even get a banquette for that price. Luxury couches for four with table service are the best seats in the house and run $647 per person for 13 hours of nonstop food and drink in an immersive, larger-than-life viewing environment.
That’s Vegas luxury without breaking the bank. But on the flip side, the Orchestra seats are really good, just behind the couches, at half the price. All across the city you will find that the second level of seating is often the best value in luxury viewing. And if 13 hours is too much of a time commitment for you, most watch parties offer discounted AM or PM half-day options.
Dining and logistics hacks to get more March Madness for less
Also bear in mind that a long day of included food and drinks at the games can be all three meals, and you likely won’t need to go out for a fancy dinner or more cocktails, so shift that part of your budget to sports entertainment. If you are not a big drinker, many better sports bars have free admission with manageable food and drink minimums you’ll easily hit in a 16-game day, probably just with food. Good options include Beer Park at Paris, TAP at MGM, and Blondie’s Sports Bar and Grill in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. While most sports bars don’t do all-inclusive packages, most offer game-day food and drink specials that can be good deals in a comfortable setting, and the food is often elevated above watch-party fare. Or you can just watch the games in upscale bars within the city’s many luxury resorts, where you choose your own “cover” in the form of food and drinks, not tickets or minimums.
Strategies for luxe hoops without the sticker shock
Many top properties go beyond sportsbooks, arenas, and theaters, offering more intimate and creative offerings. Wynn is known as one of the most luxurious sports-viewing venues in town and, in addition to its sportsbook, offers several fun options for “affordable luxury.” For the first three days, Allegro, an upscale Italian eatery helmed by Naples-born chef Enzo Febbraro, turns into a sports bar restaurant with an all-you-can-eat menu and bottomless select adult beverages from just $275 for a half day. Charlie’s Sports Bar gives you the full day—and plenty of screens—for $385 with all you can eat and drink, or $415 to upgrade to premium beverages. That’s a splurge you can’t afford to pass up. The relaxed, elegant vibe of the Eastside Lounge is a far cry from your boisterous sports bar, and it also serves bottomless food and drink to kick March Madness off—for just $195. These are long days of basketball, so chances are you will spend less than you would just walking around, popping into bars, and ordering a la carte.
As far as lodging, Saturdays are a premium night in Vegas, so if you are just going to do one or two days, target Thursday and Friday, and you’ll get the same amount of March Madness for less. Traffic can be congested, and surge pricing will often be in effect, so consider staying where some of the bigger events are, and that doesn’t always mean the heart of the Strip: Circa downtown has two ultra-popular watch party venues, and both the Strat and Fontainebleau at the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard have big parties. Even public transport might surprise you: the Sahara and its beloved pool party is on the city’s monorail, and Resorts World, the Fontainebleau, and Westgate, with one of the two biggest sportsbooks in the city, are all linked by the newest conveyance, the Vegas Loop, an underground tunnel system piloted by self-driving Teslas instead of subway trains.
The bottom line is that you can have a luxe Vegas March Madness experience without going broke. Consider mixing different styles for the nights you are there, combining one of these very reasonable but still very comfortable restaurant or sports bar watch parties with a more over-the-top experience, like a luxury couch or private suite at one of the marquee events. How about a luxe cabana for the fun outdoor poolside watch parties at Circa or Sahara? Whichever you choose, if you go with a group of friends, you can spread the cost of luxury digs, often paying around the same price as a single chair.
