Is Harrah's Rincon expanding??

[Alan Mendelson]

hi have a good day! I just wanna ask what can you say on shuttle to PDX?

The shuttle service you are promoting is in Oregon and provides shuttle service to your airport and other areas. I doubt you provide a shuttle service to Harrah's Rincon Casino.

But since you posted on this thread, an update: construction on the new tower, pool, and casino is well under way and the pool is supposed to open in July and changes are going on in the casino. The coffee bar area is going to be replaced, and what was the sports bar area is going to be moved, and they have shifted around some of the popular games.

My only concern has been that Rincon to me was always a "Goldilocks Casino" meaning it was not too big, it was not too small, and it was just right. But when you double the size of the hotel and add convention space and catering halls you know that it won't be a "just right" casino anymore. Could it become Pechange #2 ??

[Dan Druff]

Here is a tip for the cafe at the Rincon.

They have some obnoxious $3 take-out charge.

If you tell them you are a Seven Stars and ask for the manager, they will waive that charge (in a backdoor fashion by discounting your food $3 and then charging the $3 takeout fee). Very useful when you are by yourself, want to eat in your room, but don't want to pay for the takeout packaging (which is stupid, because they give it to you for free if you take one bite in the restaurant and say you want to take the rest back to your room.)

[bigfoot66]

These guys are gonna start charging $20 a head to use their pool too. https://www.facebook.com/HarrahsRinc...90322544333196

I am so sick of being nickeled and dimed by these people. I drive past casinos that are just as nice with better games to get to Harrah's just to put up with this crap. I am sick of it and after my Diamond status expires I am done with Rincon.

[Alan Mendelson]

I know that Pechanga now has better video ppker than Rincon across the board.

[Alan Mendelson]

These guys are gonna start charging $20 a head to use their pool too. https://www.facebook.com/HarrahsRinc...90322544333196

I am so sick of being nickeled and dimed by these people. I drive past casinos that are just as nice with better games to get to Harrah's just to put up with this crap. I am sick of it and after my Diamond status expires I am done with Rincon.

I have never stayed there. But if you are a hotel guest, is the pool included? Does this place have a "resort fee" that might cover the pool charges?

In the mail on Saturday there was a flyer about the pool with two pool admission coupons, but no mention if hotel guests also have to pay for the pool or if the pool was included.

I can understand a hotel charging non-hotel guests for "day passes" but to charge hotel guests? No.

[bigfoot66]

I have never stayed there. But if you are a hotel guest, is the pool included? Does this place have a "resort fee" that might cover the pool charges?

In the mail on Saturday there was a flyer about the pool with two pool admission coupons, but no mention if hotel guests also have to pay for the pool or if the pool was included.

I can understand a hotel charging non-hotel guests for "day passes" but to charge hotel guests? No.

The link says that hotel guests will generously be given a BOGO on pool access. Between the above mentioned fee on takeout food, the new fee for check cashing, this BS fee to use the pool, the resort fees in Vegas (after years of a "NO RESORT FEE" ad campaign), The fee to check in before 4:00 at the Vegas hotels, etc. I don't feel like the valued VIP that total rewards once made me feel like.

[Alan Mendelson]

The overall problem is that in an attempt to have "low room prices" the casino/hotels have added extra fees to offset the lower room charges. If they only priced the rooms properly, there would be no need for the fees which are, for the most part, controversial.

So the choice for consumers comes down to this: Would you prefer to pay (for example) $89 for a room plus the additional fees of $40 (total $129)... or would you prefer an upfront room charge of $129 with no additional add-on fees?

[bigfoot66]

As I mentioned in my post, I just hate feeling so nickeled and dimed by these people. They send me a glitzy mailer for $10 in free slot credit and then stinging me for $6 when I use the ATM, etc etc. It is just frustrating. The real problem is that if MGM is charging a resort fee and CZR is not, then MGM rooms look cheaper on Travelocity even though both rooms are the same price. While I can't blame 'em on that front, I really just feel like the whole pricing model is very deceptive. Your example is fine except that I generally don't use the things included in the resort fee. Besides, it is one thing to have expensive optional charges, its another to have a price and then tack on a mandatory fee. Imagine if the grocery store advertised a 6 pack as $4 plus a $2 beverage fee, it doesn't make a lot of sense on the surface.

[JamieV]

I feel your pain Bigfoot...as low level players though, we have to fit the bill for everyone else. I have completely stopped going to Rincon altogether. I am now making the change from Caesars to downtown (4 Queens). My last trip to Vegas I booked a free room at Flamingo and also stayed at 4 Queens. The Queens gives me great offers for food, freeplay, rooms, and shows.

My level of play with Caesars is Diamond (40,000 tier credits)...the same action at the Queens gives me high roller treatment lol. Make the switch to downtown and keep your Caesars account active for free rooms etc...

[bigfoot66]

Jamie if I remember correctly you are mostly a craps player, right? I am with you on downtown but when my friends go to Vegas they want to be on the strip so while I like downtown better I feel kind of stuck. The new Plaza players club will give a big bonus in freeplay on Royals for VP players, this could make the plaza very attractive, especially since the rooms are nicer than 4 Queens (in my experience) and they will match tier status with CZR.

[Dan Druff]

Charging guests to use the pool is absolutely outrageous. I don't care how good the pool supposedly is.

I think they let Seven Stars members use it for free, but that's not the point. This is despicable.

Resort fees should be illegal, as they only exist to mislead the consumer. The FTC is investigating, and hopefully will outlaw them soon.

I still think Caesar's made a mistake by adding resort fees to their rooms, especially on the heels of a "No Resort Fees" advertising campaign which was wholly successful. I know many people who chose Caesar's properties specifically because of the lack of resort fees.

The nickel-and-diming is a huge mistake. They are thinking too short-term. If customers get pissed off with the nickel-and-diming, that's what remains in their head -- not the "lower" base hotel rate, and not anything good about their experience. They will remember things like having to pay $10/head to use the pool and $3 to take out a meal from the cafe. These casinos make most of their money from gaming, so they should focus everything there and be rather generous when it comes to extras, rather than cheaping out and charging the customer for everything.

Interestingly, the whole concept of the Vegas Strip was to stop the nickel-and-diming, which is why all of the parking garages are free while downtown required you to either pay or get validated.

[Dan Druff]

BTW tier status matching is nice, but it doesn't really do much for you. Your offers mainly come from your play, not your card status. Your card status just gets you certain perks, but most aren't important.

The only really worthwhile card status to have is Caesar's Seven Stars, since it comes with some base benefits that are really nice (the guaranteed comp rooms in any market is the best part).

[Alan Mendelson]

Resort fees should be illegal, as they only exist to mislead the consumer. The FTC is investigating, and hopefully will outlaw them soon.

Whoa!!! Tell us more about this!!

[Dan Druff]

Whoa!!! Tell us more about this!!

http://www.meetingsfocus.com/Article...9/Default.aspx

Don't expect miracles here, but it's nice they're at least looking into it and taking a little action.

[JamieV]

Jamie if I remember correctly you are mostly a craps player, right? I am with you on downtown but when my friends go to Vegas they want to be on the strip so while I like downtown better I feel kind of stuck. The new Plaza players club will give a big bonus in freeplay on Royals for VP players, this could make the plaza very attractive, especially since the rooms are nicer than 4 Queens (in my experience) and they will match tier status with CZR.

I did not know Plaza would match tier status with CZR; that's a pretty good deal.

I am mostly a craps player, I only stay at the Queens because they give me great deals and it was the first casino I ever gambled in. I double book rooms when I head to Vegas; I stay at both Queens and on the strip. My buddies love the strip so I usually stay where we will be "clubbing." The Total Rewards offers are not attractive to me anymore...

[bigfoot66]

BTW tier status matching is nice, but it doesn't really do much for you. Your offers mainly come from your play, not your card status. Your card status just gets you certain perks, but most aren't important.

The only really worthwhile card status to have is Caesar's Seven Stars, since it comes with some base benefits that are really nice (the guaranteed comp rooms in any market is the best part).

I certainly agree with this generally, but it appears that one of the perks of the new Royal Rewards at the plaza is a freeplay bonus for royals on VP. The bottom is a 10% bonus, the top tier gets a 100% bonus. That basically means that royals pay 1600 for one instead of 800 to one and is enough to make the 9/6 JoB machines 101.86%, and I predict that this opportunity will not last long.

[bigfoot66]

I did not know Plaza would match tier status with CZR; that's a pretty good deal.

I am mostly a craps player, I only stay at the Queens because they give me great deals and it was the first casino I ever gambled in. I double book rooms when I head to Vegas; I stay at both Queens and on the strip. My buddies love the strip so I usually stay where we will be "clubbing." The Total Rewards offers are not attractive to me anymore...

I am seriously considering putting in a lot of play at the D. I love the Queens casino but when I have stayed there I have been not pleased with the rooms.

[Alan Mendelson]

I certainly agree with this generally, but it appears that one of the perks of the new Royal Rewards at the plaza is a freeplay bonus for royals on VP. The bottom is a 10% bonus, the top tier gets a 100% bonus. That basically means that royals pay 1600 for one instead of 800 to one and is enough to make the 9/6 JoB machines 101.86%, and I predict that this opportunity will not last long.

Do you have to be a registered guest for this bonus? Or can you just sign up for a player's card -- show them your 7Stars card -- and play there?

[Dan Druff]

Do you have to be a registered guest for this bonus? Or can you just sign up for a player's card -- show them your 7Stars card -- and play there?

I want to know this too. If I can show my 7 Stars card and get 1600 for Royals, I will be spending some time at the Plaza.

[bigfoot66]

Do you have to be a registered guest for this bonus? Or can you just sign up for a player's card -- show them your 7Stars card -- and play there?

Not sure yet, program begins July 1. I see no reason why you would have to be a hotel guest but rooms are maybe $30 there (plus resort fee) and getting comped for a player like you should be a trivial matter. When I got tier matching at the Cosmopolitan I just showed them my total rewards card and that was it. I actually recieved a piece of mail from the Plaza yesterday saying they would start me out at the "queen" (2nd from bottom) level but I hope that flashing my diamond card will get me knocked up a little higher.

Note that while the 9/6 JoB game return is very high, the variance is over 80, about double that of 9/6 DDB. It will be a wild ride. I am sure that to get the full return you will be making radical strategy changes, I would imagine that you hold all K/10 suited and even A/10 suited. I have not generated a strategy but playing optimally you will get a royal every 32,743 hands instead of every ~40,000 hands. Playing with the VP app I noticed that proper strategy is to hold AKQh over 5s5c.