Diamond Aspirations / Seven Stars Renewal

[Nash]

We got home about an hour ago. I didn't want to go back to TOTAL REWARDS at PH. The first gal that helped me didn't even know what the voucher was so she went to ask another gal behind the desk and she came over and asked me if I was Seven Stars last year. When I said yes, I was she told me I was not eligible for any Diamond Aspirations.

I sent my host a text message last night after that happened but she is on vacation so she hasn't answered me yet. I just emailed Total Rewards. I'll try to give them a call now. Will let you know.

One other thing I will mention. Some of the restaurants at PH do not take your rewards credits. Pinks doesn't and neither does the Mexican restaurant YOLO'S. We had dinner last night at YOLO'S so we charged the bill to our room. When I went to check out this afternoon they took it off with my rewards credits.

[Nash]

Well, I just tried to call the main office for Total Rewards and they are already closed. I will try tomorrow.

[Dan Druff]

We got home about an hour ago. I didn't want to go back to TOTAL REWARDS at PH. The first gal that helped me didn't even know what the voucher was so she went to ask another gal behind the desk and she came over and asked me if I was Seven Stars last year. When I said yes, I was she told me I was not eligible for any Diamond Aspirations.

I sent my host a text message last night after that happened but she is on vacation so she hasn't answered me yet. I just emailed Total Rewards. I'll try to give them a call now. Will let you know.

One other thing I will mention. Some of the restaurants at PH do not take your rewards credits. Pinks doesn't and neither does the Mexican restaurant YOLO'S. We had dinner last night at YOLO'S so we charged the bill to our room. When I went to check out this afternoon they took it off with my rewards credits.

They probably don't take RCs because they don't have the capability to do so, but what sucks about the room charge is that there's tax, whereas there would have been zero tax if you paid with RCs directly.

[Nash]

Just received an answer from Total Rewards regarding the Diamond Aspirations if you were Seven Stars last year.

My Question:
I have a question regarding the Diamond Aspirations.

I was at Planet Hollywood over the weekend and I went to the Total Rewards in their casino. I asked for the $100.00 voucher for getting the first 15,000 tier credits and was told because I was Seven Stars last year (2013) I was not eligible for any of the Diamond Aspirations. Could you verify this?

Thank you,

Robin Nash

Total Rewards Answer:

Hi Robin, unfortunately that is true. If you are currently a Seven Stars member you do not get the Diamond celebration dinner when you get 15,000 Tier. It is based on being a Diamond member. Since you are currently Seven Stars the only way you would receive this dinner is if you do not maintain your Seven Stars status and drop down to Diamond status. This year It is the card level that triggers the dinner to be loaded into your account and not the Tier score. Last year that was not the case and the dinner was based on and loaded into the account by getting 15,000 Tier, so if you were Seven Stars last year you would have gotten the Diamond celebration dinner in addition to your Seven Stars celebration dinner. Now that the benefits for card members have changed for 2014 you will not be able to receive the Diamond celebration dinner this year.

Sorry,

George Burgard

Total Rewards Supervisor
Bally's - Las Vegas

[Dan Druff]

Just received an answer from Total Rewards regarding the Diamond Aspirations if you were Seven Stars last year.

My Question:
I have a question regarding the Diamond Aspirations.

I was at Planet Hollywood over the weekend and I went to the Total Rewards in their casino. I asked for the $100.00 voucher for getting the first 15,000 tier credits and was told because I was Seven Stars last year (2013) I was not eligible for any of the Diamond Aspirations. Could you verify this?

Thank you,

Robin Nash

Total Rewards Answer:

Hi Robin, unfortunately that is true. If you are currently a Seven Stars member you do not get the Diamond celebration dinner when you get 15,000 Tier. It is based on being a Diamond member. Since you are currently Seven Stars the only way you would receive this dinner is if you do not maintain your Seven Stars status and drop down to Diamond status. This year It is the card level that triggers the dinner to be loaded into your account and not the Tier score. Last year that was not the case and the dinner was based on and loaded into the account by getting 15,000 Tier, so if you were Seven Stars last year you would have gotten the Diamond celebration dinner in addition to your Seven Stars celebration dinner. Now that the benefits for card members have changed for 2014 you will not be able to receive the Diamond celebration dinner this year.

Sorry,

George Burgard

Total Rewards Supervisor
Bally's - Las Vegas

Ugh.

Again they are favoring the Diamonds over the Seven Stars.

Everyone starts at 0 tier credits on January 1st at 6:00am. There is no reason why Seven Stars should lose benefits "on the way up" back to 150,000, just because they committed the "sin" of maintaining their Seven Stars status the previous year!

While this guy might be incorrect (as Caesar's employees are notoriously misinformed), it sounds like he knows what he's talking about, as he compared and contrasted last year versus this year.

The one thing we still don't know: Are Seven Stars members also ineligible to get the Diamond Aspirations benefits at 40,000 and 80,000? Based upon this, I would guess yes.

[Nash]

I would guess yes too as he mentioned dropping down to Diamond status in order to receive the benefits.

This is misleading then.

THE TIERS OF TOTAL REWARDS
There are four distinct levels, or tiers, of Total Rewards membership. The more you play and enjoy all the great entertainment options Total Rewards' nearly 40 resorts and casinos have to offer, the more Tier Credits you'll earn and the more benefits you will unlock.

No matter what tier you hold, Total Rewards offers its members more! More excitement. More fun. More choices. All while enjoying the experiences you love.

There is no mention that these benefits are contingent on what your status was the previous year.

[Dan Druff]

I am wondering if they were intentionally trying to screw Seven Stars, or if this was just a boneheaded decision as to the way things work.

I can imagine a conversation like this, among TR bigwigs:

Bigwig #1: "We keep hearing complaints that Seven Stars members don't understand how or when to redeem their Diamond benefits. And some are getting mad that we didn't inform them of this better."

Bigwig #2: "What? Why should Seven Stars be getting the Diamond benefits? They have their own set of benefits that are far better. Seven Stars get a $500 celebration dinner, Diamonds only get $100. Seven Stars get $1200 in airfare and $500 in food for their trip, Diamonds only get $750 airfare and no food. Why are Seven Stars also getting Diamond benefits?"

Bigwig #1: "Oh, I never thought of it that way. Yeah, we shouldn't be giving Seven Stars both their benefits and another tier's benefits. They should get the better one of the two, but not both."

Bigwig #2: "I'll instruct the TR staff to only give the Diamond benefits to people who aren't already Seven Stars. That'll clear up the confusion!"


They probably neglected to think about the fact that EVERYONE, regardless of level, has to re-earn all levels (even Platinum) the same way -- starting from 0 on January 1.

I am guessing this was more just idiocy on Caesar's part.

[Alan Mendelson]

This really sucks about the $100 dinner. And I think Dan got it right when he said your tier score starts at zero on January 1st and you should be earning the new Diamond credits in the new year. This is absolutely wrong.

[Alan Mendelson]

John is at Rincon and confirms you get the $100 Celebration Dinner with 15K tier points.

I just want to mention that John was a Diamond last year -- and did not reach 7Stars which explains why he got the $100 Celebration Dinner.

[carolinajacket]

It seems that the present leadership at Caesar's is determined to drive the company right out of business. Whoever is making these stupid decisions is a complete idiot. Do they really think I would pay for a flight to from South Carolina to go to the crap that was offered at Tahoe? As discusses earlier, the only one I would even consider would be the cruise out of New Orleans (which will probably fill us soon, since the choices are so limited) -- but this is the cruise I took just a couple of years ago. Now they are closing my favorite casino, in Tunica. I may have to take a long look at the MGM properties.

[Alan Mendelson]

I was discussing the $100 Diamond Dinner with my son who made this observation:

It's like in video poker, he said, when you get a straight flush you are paid for the "highest hand" which is the straight flush, and you are not also paid for the flush or the straight. And so it is with Total Rewards -- since your 7 Stars status carries over from the previous year and you get the 7 Stars benefits such as the $500 anniversary dinner, you shouldn't also get the $100 Diamond dinner.

And that actually makes sense.

Of course there is a video poker game that pays for the straight flush, the flush and the straight all together... what is that game called???

[supermaxhd]

Not getting Diamonad Aspiration awards and $100 celebration dinner if you are already Seven Stars doesn't seem right. I will email my host and report back what she says.

[Nash]

I sent my host a text today and she did confirm it. She said they did make that change.
I don't think the Seven Stars newspaper that we got stated that. I just think they listed what you would get if you got to Seven Stars. It's very misleading because if you look at the chart
posted online with all the player card levels you can see the check marks on what benefits you would get if you got to that level starting from zero. January 1st everyone starts at zero. If you
look at it logically the only card who really benefits here is a Diamond card holder who would get to Seven Stars by the end of the year thus getting all of the Diamond Aspirations as well as the Seven Stars
benefits.

[Alan Mendelson]

If you look at it logically the only card who really benefits here is a Diamond card holder who would get to Seven Stars by the end of the year thus getting all of the Diamond Aspirations as well as the Seven Stars
benefits.

You are correct. And it's a bum rap for those of us who are already Seven Stars and who wanted to make use of both the $100 Diamond Dinner and the $500 Seven Stars Dinner.
I don't deny it -- I would have liked the extra $100 credit.

[Rob.Singer]

Why in the world are you people whining about a $100 freebie?? That's FOUR hands on the $5 machine for God's sake! Get over it. Walk if you don't like the treatment. Or you could learn how to play video poker the RIGHT way, where winning a hundred dollars is as easy as getting a free drink while playing at a bar at Planet Ho.

[Dan Druff]

I was discussing the $100 Diamond Dinner with my son who made this observation:

It's like in video poker, he said, when you get a straight flush you are paid for the "highest hand" which is the straight flush, and you are not also paid for the flush or the straight. And so it is with Total Rewards -- since your 7 Stars status carries over from the previous year and you get the 7 Stars benefits such as the $500 anniversary dinner, you shouldn't also get the $100 Diamond dinner.

And that actually makes sense.

Of course there is a video poker game that pays for the straight flush, the flush and the straight all together... what is that game called???

I understand your son's point, but it doesn't apply here.

This would explain why Seven Stars like me, who have "carryover" Seven Stars status from 2013 (but haven't yet earned any status through play in 2014) should not be entitled to Diamond benefits. As I did not yet earn 15,000 tiers in 2014, I should not be entitled to Diamond benefits -- only my existing Seven Stars benefits.

However, people who have played enough to re-earn Diamond in 2014 should be entitled to Diamond benefits "on the way back up" to Seven Stars, but they're not.

No matter which you way you try to slice or rationalize this, it's unfair.

Let's compare and contrast me and my wife's CET status.

She is a Gold with very few tier credits. I am a Seven Stars, also with very few tier credits.

If she earns 150,000 tier credits during the month of May, she will be entitled to the benefits of Diamond AND Seven Stars this year, including the Aspirations benefits.

If I earn 150,000 tier credits playing right next to her during the month of May, I will be entitled to ONLY the benefits of Seven Stars, and NOT the Diamond stuff.

That means she is getting more than me, simply because she played LESS than I did prior to 2014!

This is totally unfair, and punishes the people who gave their business to CET and currently have their highest status as a result of that business.

[Dan Druff]

Why in the world are you people whining about a $100 freebie?? That's FOUR hands on the $5 machine for God's sake! Get over it. Walk if you don't like the treatment. Or you could learn how to play video poker the RIGHT way, where winning a hundred dollars is as easy as getting a free drink while playing at a bar at Planet Ho.

It's the principle of the matter.

It's actually TWO $100 meals (one at 15,000 and another at 40,000), plus the other Diamond Aspirations benefits.

If you think the value of all this is so little, I'm sure you'll have no problem covering the dinners we're missing out on, and I'm sure we will all be happy to shut up about it.

[carolinajacket]

Plus $750 airfare. For some of us, that ain't chicken feed.

[Alan Mendelson]

people who have played enough to re-earn Diamond in 2014 should be entitled to Diamond benefits "on the way back up" to Seven Stars, but they're not.

No matter which you way you try to slice or rationalize this, it's unfair.

I actually agree with you Dan, but Jason's analogy makes sense from the casino's perspective.

Rob has to realize that even $1 video poker players can also make 7 Stars and a couple of $100 dinners can mean 40 extra shots at a royal flush.

[supermaxhd]

I wrote my host and asked "Are the Diamond Aspiration trips at 40,000 and 80,000 tier credits and the $100 Diamond celebration dinner available to existing Seven Star players?". She wrote back and said, "The trips, yes, not the Diamond dinner.
".