Thursday, December 22, 2011

How Harrahs (CET) has ruined its brand

In the past, we have always booked Christmas eve and Christmas at Harrahs. Even though we can get both Friday and Saturday night comped at almost all 4 CET casino resorts this year, I cancelled and have decided not to go. Harrahs' Diamond Lounge isn't even opened Friday night and Reflections is gone so the fun Christmas eve dinner we used to get is gone as well.
Our last Saturday night stay at Showboat was horrible. Drunks shouting in the hall and banging on the doors all night. This behavior has been happening at almost all AC hotels on partying nights since they stopped offering comped rooms to their regular moderate gamblers and rather sell a room to a gang of young adults instead. However, The Borgata rooms, both Classic and Water Club seem more sound proofed. Also since Showboat's casino was so empty, the potential criminal element stuck out. Both my husband and I felt like we were being stalked for possible voucher snatching or whatever. The only place I felt safe was the elevator area and elevator because just one was working so always a crowd waiting and a crowded elevator. Safety in numbers. Other disappointments were that the Diamond Lounge was closed on a Saturday night and we really wanted to try Showboat's DL on a Saturday night hearing good things about it online. Also the maid only left decafe coffee packets in our room, making me use an old packet I had brought from home instead. What is the $13 a night for? That extra room assessment charge should include making sure each room has real coffee packets.
DH is already Platinum this year and since the Diamond lounges now charge $10 comp each and it is much harder to earn comp for inferior food compared to The Borgata, I prefer for most of our gambling to be done at The Borgata, earning those delicious meals as we play. I have practically stopped playing my card at any CET casino, not even bothering to go for Platinum, myself, even though I was over halfway there in March. I had every intention of going Diamond this year until I discovered just how much better The Borgata does everything, even before the sudden charge for Diamond Lounges started. I will only play my card if there is a promotion worth playing for like a free buffet. CET's stupidity was really exposed when Diamond players couldn't earn a free buffet at Wild West this spring while Gold and Platinum could. Bad enough they started charging for the Diamond lounges but not allowing Diamonds to earn a free buffet just was a totally ridiculous decision.

The Borgata besides offering so many more bonus downloads even costs just $5 a night in fees compared to Harrahs' inflated $13 a night. However, as much as I love The Borgata, I find I feel like playing slots less than when we went to 4 other casinos for diversity so have been traveling to AC less often. Between not losing as much at CET and saving on traveling expenses and The Borgata's generous bonus downloads, our AC trips have actually become profitable!

Now that The Borgata is renovating its Classic rooms and is still upgrading all Diamond players to Black Label, I think most regular AC slot players will see how much better The Borgata does everything and will stop pursuing CET Diamond status and will earn Black Label instead like we have the past 2 years. I cannot imagine The Revel offering more than The Borgata either. Just hope that The Revel's opening will make the weekend and summer comped rooms more available at The Borgata (and the Amphora Lounge line shorter).

ETA: Found out we may be offered the Harrahs buffet for free since their DL is closed tomorrow night but still not going. Last Saturday night at Showboat left me not wanting to stay and play slots at any of their properties.

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