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Thread: Resort Fees -- Time to Say Goodbye to Caesars'/Harrah's

  1. #1
    Now that Rio and Flamingo are starting $18 a day resort fees, and other properties fees are higher, it's time for all reasonable people to say sayonara to Caesars' LV properties. For four years, we have been hammered by the "no resort fee" tagline in their ads. Now they reverse course and go bonkers.

    The big question is whether comped rooms will also have resort fees. Given that Caesars'/Harrah's has such a high percentage of comped rooms, I believe that will be the case. So all of you guys who worship Diamond and Seven Stars, you may want to buckle up for your not-quite-comped room listings.

    Personally, it just makes my room decisions easier as Rio and Flamingo are taken out of the decision-making equation. I'd rather give my money to the Orleans or Gold Coast or stay downtown. It also brings various suite-type properties back into the mix, such as the one across the street from the Rio.

  2. #2
    They may start off by charging that fee to comped players, but it won't last if it does. I suspect many are like me: whenever a hotel tried or tries to hit me with that type of fee on a comped room, I refuse the room. 90% of the time they have a manager come out to sign off on waiving it. But the bigger story here--and this is the first I've heard of it--is CET reversing their highly advertised position of No Resort Fees.

  3. #3
    I've always thought Caesar's is less in the gambling business and more in the pampering business. Everything is geared towards giving perks to make patrons feel "special". Even low playing gamblers can earn free rooms, and everywhere you look there are reminders that if you play just a little bit more and get a higher card status you won't have to wait in as long a line, or that you'll get free valet parking, or you qualify for free show tickets. Charging a fee for their comped room doesn't seem like something that would fit that business model.

    On the other hand, I just did a little checking on different hotels and it seems that there is no clear answer on if you'll get charged the fee for a comped room. For example, most people who got comped rooms at MGM properties were charged whatever resort fee was applicable, but some people were not charged at all. Other places, such as TI or the Venetian had similar disparities. The logical conclusion is that resort fee's are treated just like any other comp: play enough and they are waived but just barely play enough for a free room and you'll be paying. Since it appears Caesar's is following the lead of the other hotels I think its a fair assumption that they would treat the resort fee's the same way.

  4. #4
    I think "resort fees" at the Caesars properties will be an "add on variable." I think the fee will be waived based on your play level, just as things such as free movies, free wi-fi, the number of free nights you get per trip, all vary with the tier status under total rewards.

    Like Rob I am surprised that after having a very big ad campaign of no resort fees they would reverse course and have them. Very, very dumb marketing move. I would have at least stopped advertising no resort fees for a year before pulling that blunder and I would have started with very small fees of a couple of bucks hoping no one would notice.

    Perhaps they should have advertised that resort fees would be waived with the first 5 tier points earned per day which would be the first $25 of slot play, and the first $50 of video poker play -- something to take the edge off their bold decision.

    I haven't paid for a room at Caesars in more than 15 years but even I was shocked about the marketing decision to have resort fees. In fact, I'm surprised that they would charge anything at any Caesars property thinking that their main marketing tool has always been free or low cost rooms.

  5. #5
    It seems to me they are trying to build in some "new benefits" to the Diamond Aspirations. I believe they will waive for Diamond Level 2 (maybe even Diamond 1) and higher or something of that nature to offset the "higher Tier-credit requirements"

    It will definitely be a major drawback to the Vegas casino hopping players (sub 1k or so/day coin-in) but I don't see it cancelling many trips. Most younger CET low rollers will probably succumb because of the CET center strip density and party vibe...

    Either way- talk about a reversal!

  6. #6
    We are forgetting about the "convention business traveler." We (players) are all bent out of shape about the "resort fee" but business travelers and convention-goers probably wouldn't give it a second thought. wjadams might be right about the fee being waived for diamond and up players and that would make sense. Frankly, I'd be pretty upset if as a Diamond or 7Stars player they gave me a free room but charged a resort fee.

  7. #7
    As a former very frequent business traveler, I didn't care one bit about any add-ons I was charged, how much the room cost, or even if the charges added up right. I simply grabbed the invoice copy and ran off to the airport to get to my next country. So I can easily see why most business travelers wouldn't care what fees were what. As far as upper level players, CET would be well advised not to even try to hit them with this FAT fee.

  8. #8
    Nobody wants to pay resort fees. But to leave caesars for a Gold Coast just ain't happening. Too small, too smoky, no dining options, too far, etc. I am just going to tell my host I won't pay any fees. MGM props also have been charging fees and I think Wynn and Aria and Cosmo do too. So choices are limited.

    I guess you could steal the towels to get even-lol.

  9. #9
    Originally Posted by regnis View Post
    I guess you could steal the towels to get even-lol.
    Darn towels don't say Caesars on them. You have to ask them for extra soap, shampoo, conditioner, skin lotion and tissues. You can take those home. If you take the robes home they'll charge your credit card.

  10. #10
    When I book there's always a thing for special requests or extras and I always ask for extra towels but never get any. So I always just take a bunch off the maid's cart as well as anything else I need. And I mean for use there--i don't really take them home.

  11. #11
    Originally Posted by regnis View Post
    I always ask for extra towels... And I mean for use there--i don't really take them home.
    I don't take towels home either. But I am running low on soap and shampoo so it's time for me to make another trip to Caesars.
    By the way, I don't think I bought a pen in the last 20 years since going to Vegas.

  12. #12
    I still haven't had to buy toilet paper since the mid-nineties. But I have always taken mounds of towels of all sizes from my hotel rooms, and I've had more than I can count. I use the larger ones to dry my cars when I wash them and then just throw them out. I use the smaller ones for grease rags and/or to clean up after my dog if she has an accident. They get tossed. I must have taken thousands over the years, and have never heard a peep about it. In fact, the hotel connected to Casino Fandango up here--a small Marriott--keeps us supplied with the smaller towels since we stay there comped at least two nights a month.Those comps may end if they ever catch on to the mugging I'm giving them.

  13. #13
    Originally Posted by Rob.Singer View Post
    I still haven't had to buy toilet paper since the mid-nineties. But I have always taken mounds of towels of all sizes from my hotel rooms, and I've had more than I can count. I use the larger ones to dry my cars when I wash them and then just throw them out. I use the smaller ones for grease rags and/or to clean up after my dog if she has an accident. They get tossed.
    Well, Rob, we know what you think of the various hotel towels. So, how about a review of the different rolls of toilet paper?

  14. #14
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    Well, Rob, we know what you think of the various hotel towels. So, how about a review of the different rolls of toilet paper?
    Point of info: I can only use ONE-PLY in the RV now because of its easy breakdown properties, but I still swipe the two-plies, which is in most all the nicer hotels, and use them as kleenex tissue. This is an advantage play only someone like myself or Jean Scott could come up with!

  15. #15
    Rob, you don't leave the pens and note pads behind, do you? Any yard sale specials on Gideon Bibles? Are there Gideon Bibles in casino drawers?

    It would make sense that there are Bibles in casinos, because as everyone knows: You can pray in Church, you can pray in Synagogue, you can pray in the house of worship of your choice, but when you pray in a casino you really mean it.
    Last edited by Alan Mendelson; 02-27-2013 at 10:21 PM.

  16. #16
    Alan,

    Why don't you call your host and get an official position on resort fees for various levels of players? Or have you done this and I missed it?

  17. #17
    I haven't called yet, however, we referred some friends to my host who needed to book three rooms and even though my host was able to give them a reduced rate they were charged "resort fees."

    Caesars sends me each year two "gift certificates" for up to four free nights. I gave one of the certificates to a friend just last week and while they got the free room for a busy weekend, as promised, they were also charged a resort fee.

    I haven't called, myself, about booking a room so I don't know if I would be charged a resort fee as a 7Stars. I'm not rushing back to Vegas for a variety of reasons, the least of which happens to be the resort fee.

  18. #18
    Guaranteed, Alan, that if you check into a comped room at any CET property and if they try to get you to sign for this fee but you reply "remove it or I'll go elsewhere" they'll remove it. Which brings up this point since, if they for some stupid reason refuse to remove it and charge your card for one night of no-show, NEVER EVER give them your real credit card no. when making the reservations, and delete it from your on-line profile. I've always used a made-up one that's close to mine for profile & reservation purposes for this very reason. CET doesn't authorize $1 when reservations are made. Their system only goes as far as determining if the number is a realistic one.

    Yes, I for sure swipe all the note pads, but I only take the pens when my drawer is down to ten or so. And bibles? I was an altar boy for 13 years, so I already know it all and I leave the bibles for those lost souls.
    Last edited by Rob.Singer; 02-28-2013 at 12:42 PM.

  19. #19
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    I don't take towels home either. But I am running low on soap and shampoo so it's time for me to make another trip to Caesars.
    By the way, I don't think I bought a pen in the last 20 years since going to Vegas.
    Thats funny. I had a terribles pen for like 10 years. Took a lickin' kept on tickn'

  20. #20
    Okay, experiment time. I know some diamond folks. Let's take a poll. If they reserve a room, and Caesars'/Harrah's doesn't back off from the resort fee if they threaten to leave, what should they do if Caesars'/Harrah's does not budge? And Rob, you recommend not leaving an actual credit card number so they cannot charge you in this event? Is that correct? Alan, any recommendations?

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