Harrah's Rincon cutting back on comped rooms?

[Alan Mendelson]

A regular player at Harrah's Rincon in San Diego called me to say that the casino is cutting back on comped rooms.

I found this to be ironic since they added a new hotel tower and doubled the size of the hotel, plus we are now entering the slow season (the fall) for San Diego travel.

It also struck me as odd that a regular player would be told that the number of free, comped nights would be radically reduced.

I always thought that the strategy for Caesars-operated casinos was to offer cheap or free rooms and get the players to the casino floor?

This might be a unique situation -- applying only to this player and there could be other reasons that I don't know about that would lead to a decrease in comped rooms. But if others know about similar changes in marketing please tell us about it.

While I have never stayed at the Rincon hotel, I know there are a lot of Southern California locals who will spend the weekend there or multiple nights during the week.

I don't know what percentage of hotel guests are local or from out of town, but when I overhear conversations about the hotel at the craps tables, for examples, they are locals who are staying there.

So, is Rincon trying to limit the number of rooms occupied by locals, perhaps in anticipation that the new convention center will be bringing in out of towners?

In addition to the new hotel tower they did build a new convention center which could house trade shows and banquets. So far, it's been used for concerts but I am sure bringing in conventions and trade shows is in the business plan. And that would also require having hotel rooms available and not occupied by locals.

[Dan Druff]

A regular player at Harrah's Rincon in San Diego called me to say that the casino is cutting back on comped rooms.

I found this to be ironic since they added a new hotel tower and doubled the size of the hotel, plus we are now entering the slow season (the fall) for San Diego travel.

It also struck me as odd that a regular player would be told that the number of free, comped nights would be radically reduced.

I always thought that the strategy for Caesars-operated casinos was to offer cheap or free rooms and get the players to the casino floor?

This might be a unique situation -- applying only to this player and there could be other reasons that I don't know about that would lead to a decrease in comped rooms. But if others know about similar changes in marketing please tell us about it.

While I have never stayed at the Rincon hotel, I know there are a lot of Southern California locals who will spend the weekend there or multiple nights during the week.

I don't know what percentage of hotel guests are local or from out of town, but when I overhear conversations about the hotel at the craps tables, for examples, they are locals who are staying there.

So, is Rincon trying to limit the number of rooms occupied by locals, perhaps in anticipation that the new convention center will be bringing in out of towners?

In addition to the new hotel tower they did build a new convention center which could house trade shows and banquets. So far, it's been used for concerts but I am sure bringing in conventions and trade shows is in the business plan. And that would also require having hotel rooms available and not occupied by locals.

How does this person know they are cutting back on comped rooms? Maybe they are cutting back on this person because they aren't playing as much these days.

They would be foolish to cut comped rooms for regular players, especially during the slow season.

[Alan Mendelson]

Dan I can't answer your questions. He told me he is a regular player but he said he was told by a host or manager that they are in fact cutting back on comped rooms. Hence, my original post asking for more info.

Anyone have more info?