Laughable Caesars check-in experience

[Dan Druff]

I have pretty specific requirements for my room at Caesars.

I like the Augustus Tower, and I like a certain portion of it because of the view and less street noise.

Regarding bedding type, that goes back and forth, depending upon who is traveling with me.

Anyway, on this last trip, I wanted a king non-smoking room with those other parameters. It takes a lot of effort to get it. Basically I have to call up on the day of the reservation and pressure guest services to assign a room like that to me, and to lock it to where it can't be re-assigned.

After about 4 calls, I got it all set. In this case, I had two rooms -- mine and a second one for other family members. We wanted to be on the same floor, relatively close to one another. This took even more calls and effort, but I got it done.

I arrived to Caesars and received the bad news: One of the rooms they pre-assigned was erroneously one with two queen beds instead of one king.

Okay, that's a fairly common mistake at all hotels.

However, here's the best part.

"I see a note here," said the VIP check-in lady. "It says, 'Erroneously told guest that it was a king, but it's really two queens.'"


WHAT?!

Why would anyone ever leave a note like that?

If the rep setting up the rooms realized after we hung up that she told me the incorrect bedding type, why didn't she either fix it or call me back with the correction? Why would she have just NOTED that she told me the wrong thing, and then have done nothing to correct it?

The VIP check-in lady was also astounded by this.

Sadly there was no second king non-smoking room in Augustus on the same floor as my room, nor could they move me to another room fitting my parameters where another king non-smoking room was on the same floor.

We had to settle for different floors, which wasn't the end of the world, but was mildly annoying given how it all went down.

The frustrating part was how all my time preparing this (through my several calls) was basically wasted by this dumb mistake, as well as the time I wasted at check-in getting this corrected.

Also frustrating was that this had occurred hours earlier. Had they simply called me when it was discovered, there would have likely been time to fix it before everything filled up.

But this was the first time in my life where I booked a hotel, the person assigning my room made a mistake, discovered it quickly, and then simply noted the mistake instead of making the effort to fix it or inform me.

Only at Caesars!

[Alan Mendelson]

No excuse for not calling you -- or FIXING IT after the problem was discovered but before you arrived.

Again, why does this stuff keep happening to you??????

[Rob.Singer]

I'm not sure what the complaint is, other than you being irritated for having so many idiosyncrasies to take care of while making simple room reservations. Seasoned hotel guests know they can at times expect some type of special request screw-up when they arrive, and they know the people who make these reservations over the phone can never be confused with being Ivy League graduates.

And ask yourself this: after getting phone calls from someone so demanding as you with all of your "special" requests--and then finding that what was told to you was really not possible--would YOU want to have to deal with a character such as yourself in such a situation, when the issue can simply be put to rest in that agent's mind by leaving a simple note?

While not the best of business practices, I'd say I'd have to agree with how the easy way out was taken in this particular circumstance.

[regnis]

Dan--why does it take that much effort to get a couple rooms. At check in, I request a room and they always seem to give me a better room. On the occasions that I needed 2 rooms, they always accommodated with no problem, both when I was a hi roller and in the past several years when I am just a common shmuck. Sometimes it does seem that you create your own problems. Sometimes just a friendly rap with the check in clerk serves you better.

[Dan Druff]

Dan--why does it take that much effort to get a couple rooms. At check in, I request a room and they always seem to give me a better room. On the occasions that I needed 2 rooms, they always accommodated with no problem, both when I was a hi roller and in the past several years when I am just a common shmuck. Sometimes it does seem that you create your own problems. Sometimes just a friendly rap with the check in clerk serves you better.

Unfortunately my desired room type is also quite popular with other guests, and if they physically beat me to check-in, then they get it first.

That's always bugged me about hotels (nearly ALL hotels, not just Caesars). It's a race to physically arrive. The people who step in the door first get the best selection of rooms, no matter when your reservation was made. It shouldn't be that way. If I paid for the first night (or got it comped), then I should have the same room choice by calling in early as someone physically showing up early. But I don't, unless I make special arrangements to get it done.

Being friendly won't help in that spot. If those rooms are gone, they are gone.

In 2012 I was burned during a busy weekend when I did NOT makes these efforts. I showed up at 4am (which they had noted on the reservation), and sheepishly admitted they gave away my room -- and every other room in the Augustus, Octavius, Palace, and yes, even Forum Towers. Only thing left was the Roman Tower, which I was stuck with.

Ever since then, I have put effort into making sure my room was locked in before I arrive.

While I rarely arrive at 4am these days, I often get in around 8pm or later -- often on Fridays -- and that leaves me with little choice in the way of available rooms.

Also, I think my requests are probably a lot more specific than yours. You said you just wanted a "better" room. I want a specific bed type, non-smoking, a specific view, and a high floor. If you don't take care to get that held for yourself, it will often be gone if you're arriving during a weekend (or even a busy weekday).

[Dan Druff]

I will admit that I run into these type of problems more than the average person because I actually know what I want and make an effort to get it.

So when they promise it to me and fail, it's a disappointment.

When others show up and are happy to be in ANY Augustus Tower room, they are less likely to be disappointed.

[Alan Mendelson]

I always get a Bellagio fountain view in the Augustus tower EXCEPT when they tell me in advance that the rooms have already been booked. And when that happens I happily take a room in the Octavius (no view except of the freeway) or the other side of the Augustus with the northern strip view. Once they even put me in another tower. I never complained. I don't spend much time in my room anyway except to sleep and watch movies. And when I'm watching a movie it doesn't matter what the room is.

Dan... why so much over a room? Heck I don't care if its queen beds or a king. Sometimes it's more fun with two queens.

[jbjb]

Get yourself a fountains view room from high up the west tower of Cosmo. You'll forget all about that crusty Caesars dump.

[redietz]

Jbjb, that's not nice. I love Caesars, or at least I did when it wasn't Harrah's. Kitsch is king, my friend.

Whatever happened to the centurion and the babes walking through the casino for photo ops? Another CET business cut? Next they'll be putting a bra on the barge.

[regnis]

I honestly don't care about the room as all I do is shower and sleep a few hours. But I always request a king non-smoking Augustus facing the pool. I most often wind up with a suite with those parameters, without asking for it. On a rare occasion they ask me at check in if 2 queens is ok and of course it is because I really don't care.

This last trip I didn't check in until late at night and they gave me a suite for no reason. Maybe it's just timing and luck--maybe it's my kind and gentle approach. But honestly, I just want a comfortable bed and clean shower and at Caesars you pretty much get that no matter what.

JBJB--you must be younger than some of us. Cosmo is a beautiful place with great restaurants but is just too young for me. Can't stand playing craps with the "kids" that don't know the game and act like idiots while they piss away all their $$.

[Alan Mendelson]

Cosmo is too young for me also. And even at Caesars I'm getting known as "the old guy."

[Alan Mendelson]

JBJB if I really want a Bellagio fountain view I stay at the Bellagio.

[jbjb]

I wasn't necessarily taking about gaming conditions. But why care about other players?

Bellagio is another crusty dump.

And reg, I'm somewhere between age 21 and death. :-)

[Rob.Singer]

I will admit that I run into these type of problems more than the average person because I actually know what I want and make an effort to get it.

So when they promise it to me and fail, it's a disappointment.

When others show up and are happy to be in ANY Augustus Tower room, they are less likely to be disappointed.

Dan, if you're a big player who shows up really late--whether you alerted them to your arrival time or not--and they gave away all rooms closely matching your special request, then my experience in every such similar situation is that they give you one of their very high roller suites, which rarely are occupied except for special events and the like.

Where have you gone wrong?

[Rob.Singer]

I agree Caesar's has become a "crusty dump" but that's hardly the case at Bellagio. Not sure why anyone who goes to LV more than Hillary gets measured for ugly pantsuits would care in the least about being able to see the fountains from their room, but if that's your thing then I agree the view and the room is a far better spectacle from the Cosmo.

[Alan Mendelson]

I suggest you fountain lovers stand on Las Vegas Boulevard and enjoy the music and mist and skip the hotel room entirely.

[Ozzy]

I wasn't necessarily taking about gaming conditions. But why care about other players?

Bellagio is another crusty dump.

And reg, I'm somewhere between age 21 and death. :-)

Come on JBJB you liked CAESARS when they had SUPERCRAPS across the border about 4 years ago!!..Last time I seen you at GREEKTOWN I'd say your around 40.

[Rob.Singer]

Come on JBJB you liked CEASARS when they had SUPERCRAPS across the border about 4 years ago!!..Last time I seen you at GREEKTOWN I'd say your around 40.

Yikes!

1. It's "cAesars"....not "cEasars".
2. It's "Last time I SAW you"....not "Last time I SEEN you".
3. It's "I'd say YOU'RE around 40"....not "I'd say YOUR around 40".

How did you ever get away with such illiteracy at WoV??

[jbjb]

Come on JBJB you liked CAESARS when they had SUPERCRAPS across the border about 4 years ago!!..Last time I seen you at GREEKTOWN I'd say your around 40.

Sorry to burst your bubble buddy, but I've never been Caesars for craps, not do I play losing VP games. I've seen your accusations and I'm not who you think. Have a good day.

[Ozzy]

Yikes!

1. It's "cAesars"....not "cEasars".
2. It's "Last time I SAW you"....not "Last time I SEEN you".
3. It's "I'd say YOU'RE around 40"....not "I'd say YOUR around 40".

How did you ever get away with such illiteracy at WoV??

I never claimed I was a pro writer or comedian like you MASTER SINGER...Not everyone has perfect writing skills such as yourself!!