Seven Star Retreat Question/issue

[Jackpot]

Is this retreat based on any past play? I was denied booking it at Caesars Palace LV and found that odd.

They are saying I don't have the play in Las Vegas market, but isn't that irrelevant for this trip?

(The trip is more than a month away so that isn't the issue.)

[Dan Druff]

Is this retreat based on any past play? I was denied booking it at Caesars Palace LV and found that odd.

They are saying I don't have the play in Las Vegas market, but isn't that irrelevant for this trip?

(The trip is more than a month away so that isn't the issue.)

I was last Seven Stars in 2018, so perhaps it's changed, but I don't think they're right. Who told you this?

It's true that they can deny you a SUITE at Caesars based upon play, but you have the right to book at any Caesars property, last I heard. You might just end up getting a standard room (but make sure it's in Augustus or Octavius Towers, because you should at least get that.)

By the way, the "30 days advance notice required" is mostly bullshit. I've done these trips with much less notice than that. The 30 days is a requirement mainly so the airfare portion can be done. But it doesn't take that long, so you can usually do these with like 2 weeks notice, or less. However, I know that's not your issue here -- just wanted to mention it.

Here is my suggestion:

1) Do NOT count on hosts to do anything for you. Do as much as you can yourself, and only get hosts involved when necessary.

2) You will need a host to book the room and get the $500 folio credit. This can be done either by the host at your home property or one at Caesars. Whichever one denied you, try going to the other. You also might want to try asking for "Casino Services" at Caesars when you call there.

3) Do the travel booking yourself. I'm not sure if they're still going through Passport these days, but if they are, you should deal with Passport directly, and have them just send the e-mail to your host for approval.


Without knowing more, I'm guessing you got denied by a Caesars host who doesn't want to be "associated" with your trip, and have it count against his commission. But anyway, please give me more info.

[Jackpot]

Thanks for the response. Trust me, I've been trying to book everything on my own. Dealing with them is always a total nightmare.



Here's the long winded story. (my situation is a little unique due to covid).

2019
I live in NJ so the majority of my play is in Atlantic City. I had to work out in Vegas during the months of June and September and I was able get most of my rooms comped (during the week) at Total Reward properties based on my previous play. During the month of June I dropped around 7k in slots. In September I barely played because there was an issue with a reservation that was poorly handled so I decided I wasn't going to reward Total Rewards with my play.

I ended up earning Seven Stars later in the year from my play in Atlantic City.

2020
The pandemic happened. I did not go to any land casinos in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, however I did put in a heavy amount of play online in slots. I used WSOP online (owned by Caesars) which is linked to my total rewards players card. In total for the year I wagered 1.2 million in slots on their site.

Now had there been no pandemic and this play was at land casinos I would have earned the following:

High Seven Stars card (I would have earned roughly 240,000 tier points, would of obv pushed to 250,000 tier points to achieve the next level)
Comped rooms any night of the week
Slot dollars
$2,000 in Comps from play
Seven Star benefits. Plus 250k tier perks
Food comps.
etc.

That same exact play online earned me the following:

only 75,000 tier pts (Sadly online at the time was 16:1 tier credits instead of 5:1 at a land casino.)
I may have received 200 bucs in total kickback
NOTHING ELSE

Apparently playing online holds zero weight. I can not get any rooms and I'm basically being treated as a player who never stepped foot on their property.

Fast Forward to today. I just tried to book my Seven Star Retreat (since they extended benefits to Jan 2022 due to covid) at Caesars Palace Las Vegas but some higher up is blocking my reservations. I found out that apparently Vegas is not happy about me not playing back in Sept 2019. Saying my comps exceeded my play.

(Not sure how they even factored that because I calculated how much it would have cost if I paid for the rooms during both trips in June and September it was no more than 3k in total and I dropped 7k alone in June.)

I spoke with my host (who is oddly located in Vegas when my dominant property is AC) and she was able to book my seven star retreat, but only at Flamingo. Again referring back to my 2019 play.


I understand each market is different but during these current circumstances exceptions need to be made. Players should be rewarded for showing their loyalty during this pandemic instead of being punished.

I feel there should be no reason why I can't book my Seven star retreat at Caesars and my online play should be treated equivalent to land casino play during 2020 since many didn't feel comfortable going to a Casino in person or even playing at all.

[FABismonte]

I too am surprised that you are not offered a room better than Flamingo for your annual retreat. Usually Retreats give you a priority. Given your action, you might be better off call Ceasars Palace and asking for the host on duty.

FAB

[Dan Druff]

Yes, this looks like bitterness over your long stays in Vegas in 2019 which overall produced relatively little play.

Here is what I would do:

1) Call Caesars directly, and ask either for the host on duty or casino services. Tell them you want to take your annual retreat to Caesars. Don't tell them about being previously denied, just that you'd like to change Flamingo to Caesars.

2) If #1 fails, call your dominant property and ask for the supervisor of all the hosts. Tell them you want an AC-based host because most of your play is in AC. I have a feeling your Vegas-based host is acting in the interests of the Vegas market, and you don't want that as an AC player. Also explain to them honestly what's going on -- that you were led to believe that online slots were just like playing slots in the casino, and you put in heavy action. Make sure they know you were shocked by the inability to get a standard room at Caesars for your retreat, and you feel lied to, and are considering moving your action elsewhere. Be polite but firm about it. See if they can help you.


BTW I looked up the terms and conditions for this, and it did have two terms which work against you:

"Some restrictions may apply for transportation and hotel accommodations. Please reach out to your Casino Executive for details."

"Blackout dates apply and may vary by property."


So they can hide behind this, but you still have some leverage because you put in so much action online, plus you are a slots player, which they love to see. They're treating you like a video poker player who grinds the very best machines to barely achieve Seven Stars, and then sucks the benefits for 2 years. That's not you at all, even if you didn't play much in the summer 2019 stays.

[Jackpot]

I'm going to do your 2nd suggestion for sure. Thanks

I've called Las Vegas several times and asked to talk to a host on duty. Apparently they started something new because they can only transfer you to your assigned host. (It was never like that before)

If I call VIP Services they can book the Retreat at Caesars but I found out the Director of Casino Marketing is blocking or going in later and cancelling any of my unapproved reservations made in Las Vegas. I was able to get transferred to his voicemail and left message but he never bothered to call back.

Do you happen to know the title above Director of Casino Marketing? I need to go above him to get this resolved most likely.

Also my fear is if I go through another host to book it, This Director will just go in and cancel it again or cancel my trip entirely.

I am learning that when they look up my play NONE of my online play shows up at all. Its considered a separate market. So yeah they are looking at my last play and see nothing. Just feel like anyone with a brain would question where all my tiers points came from in 2020, Take this pandemic into consideration, and adjust accordingly.

I really need to talk to someone in Vegas in person. I'm just not able to talk to the right people over the phone. I am waiting for an AC host to call me back. I plan on sending him a long winded email in hopes he can forward it to someone helpful or go to AC in person.

[Dan Druff]

It's difficult to get to the right people over the phone at all of these Caesars-owned casinos.

I would call the Caesars operator and ask how to reach the office of the manager of the entire casino there. You may not reach the dude directly, but at least you'll probably talk to a gatekeeper, whom you can explain your issue to. Try to call between 9am and 6pm, weekdays, Las Vegas time.

Whether your online play shows up in the system is irrelevant. That's their problem. You just need someone with common sense to listen to you and understand it. Keep in mind that the Vegas market is likely very suspicious of AC people, because AC is notorious for a large number of Seven Stars leeches. There are some people in your market who abused the system so heavily that they gave up their apartments, got a Seven Stars "roommate", and manipulated it to where they stayed the entire year at Caesars AC without playing! This actually was the primary cause of the removal of the Seven Stars auto-comp-4-nights room benefit. The removal of that benefit is the reason I no longer bother earning Seven Stars, by the way, even though I never abused it!

Anyway, I'm guessing Caesars Vegas properties felt they got burned over and over by non-playing AC Seven Stars, who just sucked up the $500 folio credit, didn't play, and they were left holding the bag. Now, I can't feel sorry for them -- that's what they give up by having a national, guaranteed benefit program. But some cheap-ass marketing guy in Vegas is apparently going overboard trying to fight this.

I'm pretty convinced that if you talk to someone sensible, you'll prevail here.

I suggested reaching someone in power in AC, because they're more likely to be sympathetic to you, whereas in Vegas they just see you as another out of state leech. I think it is highly likely that an influential person in AC could overrule this.

[Jackpot]

I spoke with a host from AC today. He seemed very understanding. Told me to shoot him an email and he would forward it to his supervisor. So we shall see...

I've been a long time high diamond player and each year Caesars gets worse and worse. Def not worth the headache and hassle jumping through hoops to get benefits you earned.

[AndrewG]

I'm not a high level player so I am not qualified for these offers, but I am an investigator and since the topic interests me I made some phone calls.

Actual bookings for Caesars Palace are limited to high tier players -- period.

Your best chance of getting into Caesars Palace is with your home property host. But for annual retreats and annual events such as the Gift Wrapups, I was told that strict capacity controls are in place.

Since everyone wants to stay at Caesars Palace and there are so many Seven Stars nationwide, only high level Seven Stars get a room.

This came from several Caesars insider's.

[Jackpot]

Interesting....Good to know. Thanks