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Friday, March 8, 2019

Let's talk Las Vegas hotel offers and comps!

One time, when I was but a young boy, I said to my father, "Dad? Why do I have to sit here with all these people? I want to go outside with friends my own age, run around, have fun!"

My daddy replied, "Shut up and deal."

And that seems like a good name for a Vegas trip report, and also honors the Quad Queen's dad (the Quadfather) of whom we are thinking today. Because it was actually he that liked to tell that joke.

Sometimes you just want to let loose in Vegas come what may. That describes the last trip to Las Vegas, and with all that losing in mind, we are getting a bit more serious this time around. So Shut Up and Deal it is.


MGM Resorts Comps

These guys continue to throw offers my way. This has kept up for a number of trips now. I get a 3 or 4 night offer. I book it. Another one shows up. So I book that.

And then another shows up for the next trip. So I book that. And then another shows up in its place.

I highly recommend you throw a little play at MGM Resorts and see what you get. Four nights at Mandalay Bay isn't too shabby at all, with $50 free play and $50 resort credit. Of course, you have to pay the screw you fee though.

We'll be taking advantage of two such offers that include a bit of freeplay and a bit of resort credit - Mandalay Bay, and Luxor. More on that as the trip progresses.

Caesars Comps

After staying at Bally's a couple of trips ago, I'm now getting offers for a couple of SunThu nights. But we couldn't make it work with our dates and other reservationaries.

Caesars properties continue to be an easy room comp.


Tropicana Comps

I've had a good little run staying at the Trop, generally getting rooms comped (no resort fee) and maybe $30 extra in freeplay and food. I haven't played as much the last few visits and the offers dried up... until this month! And there they are back again, 3 nights, a bit of this and that.

Good twice a month, too, so you could use them a couple of times on a longer trip.

They don't fit into our plans this time around though.

T.I. Comps

T.I. hates me. And I hate their lame video poker inventory. I've burned out the comp offers at this property. If you are a heavy slot player, you can get some decent offers with a pirate shipload of free play - I've heard.

I still like the blackjack though and I'll be playing $10 'jack there when we stay at Wynn.

Wynn Comps

Still the best hotel in Vegas, and after the purge happens and it's renamed to the likes of Shasta, or The Place, or Hotela, or NotTheWynn, I'll still like it.

We get marginal offers here - the best ones come to the Quad Queen, buy 2 nights for $129, get 1 free, and $200 free play. Pay resort fee of $toomany each night. You know what? It's still a steal, relative to the rest of the world.

This time, I got an offer that included a slot tournament entry. Buy 2 nights, get 1 free, play 5000 points and get a 3rd night free. And a couple of buffets.

I booked that one, and a day later the Quad Queen's one came in, so we called (using the magic of speakerphone - have you heard of this?!) and checked to see, overall, which offer was better.

The lovely lady on the other end of the line said that my reservation was showing in the system as 3 comped nights.

"No shit?"

"No shit, sir, three comped nights. If it's in there, that's what it is. I couldn't change it if I wanted too. You're better off sticking with your current reservation."

I'm not asking any questions. We will see if this bears out, but what a nice little score it would be!

One nastiness about Wynn offers are that even if you have some nights free, you pay resort fee on all nights, if any of them are not comped. Yeah, that's shitty. You're warned, Pesci style.


Golden Nugget Comps

Out of the running. They caught on that we were using as many offers as possible, playing the freeplay whenever possible, and stiffing them. It was a fun ride!

The California / Main Street Station / Fremont Comps

With the changes to bConned last fall, their slot club benefits are a disaster. We're writing them off - that is, we know that lots of coin in or tier levels aren't figuring into our equations.

But the offers keep coming from them, and we will keep booking them. In fact, I booked through my new host, and she came through with meal books on top of the stock room offer.

So it's room, food, and $30 slot play or something like that.

I still like playing at these properties, and I like staying there. As long as I can get my basic needs met, I'll keep going. But I don't think we will ever be $10K a day coin in players at Boyd again - the value just isn't there.

The only time that would happen would be if I was winning.

Downtown Grand, The D, Golden Gate, Plaza Comps

I'm just not quite on the radar at these properties. I plan to play more at the 'Gate and Plaza, when we're not staying at Boyd properties downtown. And where would that be? Why the El Cortez of courze!

El Cortez Comps

For years, the Quad Queen has been getting the odd comp offer here, and yet I get nothing but casino rate. I would have loved to have stayed here again.

And, given that this trip is happening during March Madness, it was hard to find a room on some dates, so we booked an offer from the ElCo for two nights. All in, a little over $100 and includes $15 food credit. All our other nights on this trip are comped, so what the hey, not too shabby.

But lately, changes are afoot. The El Cortez is not the place it once was. My beloved Downtown Deuces machines disappeared last fall.

The bartop paytables were cut. CUT! At the El Cortez!!!

Other video poker has been stripped, and my guess is that the table games are next.

For 20 years, I've loved this place, and now they think they are a strip joint - as in, a casino on the strip.

This is a case of being a victim of downtown's success. There are enough young casuals to treat them like casualties. They don't know or care about good gambling and there's enough of 'em to make these changes.

A moment of silence please for the El Cortez.

To add insult to injury, what do I get in my email TODAY after not getting a comp offer for years???

Yeah.

A comp offer. Three nights.


I wonder... what's the point with all the good video poker being gutted?

So that's how the comp situation lines up this time.

Enough yammering - this trip reports gets off the ground tomorrow night...

...on Air Fuck You Canada Rouge. (Don't ask.)

Meanwhile... Shut up and deal!





    5 comments:

    1. Flusher have you ever tried the Stations casinos? I have decent luck with comps at Palace Station and Red Rock, with the same kind of play I used to give Boyd before the slot-club changes. Palace is finishing up a big remodel.
      Also, just so you sound in-the-know when the topic comes up: Starting now and running through March 16, Vegas hosts a few college-basketball league tournaments, with games at the Orleans and T-Mobile Arena. And yeah it causes a run on rooms. Then on Thursday March 21 (thru early April) comes the Big Dance - the national college-basketball tournament held at sites around the country. But Vegas goes NUTS for this tournament, with huge viewing parties at most of the hotels and bars. Good luck!

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    2. No Cosmo? We haven't paid for a room at the Encore since it opened and no resort fee. We refuse to pay for WIFI so Alexa is of no use. But do love the casino.

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    3. Looking forward to your trip report although I was really hoping your next trip would have fallen when I'm there at the end of March. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Royal Flusher! Good luck!

      ReplyDelete
    4. I really like Four Queens/Binons, which have great offers, a new slot/vp app, & a very generous player's club. Also, both Binions/FQ's & Wynn have apps, where you can earn Comps and comped rooms!

      ReplyDelete

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