AC and UK Toughmudder 2012

We just spent a couple of days in AC with beautiful weather. Walked over 40,000 paces while our poor son in London did his first (and maybe last?) Tough Mudder. Really don't have any details other than a sunburnt bald head and a swollen ankle. LOL
He really looks happy in most of the photos instead of in pain.
More photos are at the bottom.


Revel's soft opening seems like a bust and as usual, the only consistently successful casino in AC has been The Borgata.
Anywho I was shocked at how empty Harrahs was on Thursday and Friday. Friday evening there is usually a line at the Diamond Lounge but it was so empty it almost looked closed. Guess alot of Diamonds didn't bother staying Diamond this year like us.

Almost have used all of the $25 coupons that came with the CET Platinum book, mostly for nice breakfasts. Food highlights were a delicious char-broiled pork and egg sandwich at Showboat's Mansion which is closing. Also the wonderful Veggie Benedict at Caesar's Cafe Roma. Definitely, get their Veggie Benedict instead of their horrible breakfast buffet!
Bally's Wild West dinner buffet only cost us $12 in losses to get the free buffet coupons for Friday night (10 points each) and the line wasn't bad. Maybe 15 minutes tops but we ate early just before 5PM (they open at 3PM on Fridays). Pretty decent steak and brisket. Lima Bean soup was really good too. They even had my favorite oreo pie! Dinner buffet is superior to the lunch buffet and the play 10 points for a free buffet is good for either buffet, seven days a week.
Harrahs Cafe Cappuccino has been replaced with an Italian cafe like the one in Caesar's lobby. Alittle overpriced but interesting choices. Seems to be an improvement except doesn't accept the coupons. Otherwise, Harrahs food options have been greatly compromised with the loss of Reflections and no more breakfast buffets. Only a brunch buffet now on both Saturday and Sunday. Sorry but not paying over $50 comp for breakfast when The Borgata is $10 comp each and accumulates twice as quickly. Haven't a clue how to use the last Harrahs $25 coupon. Maybe they will send us a free buffet coupon in May or June because we have stayed and played there once a month or so.

ETA: Son's ToughMudder other photos

Harrahs and its Whales

So Harrahs AC as part of CET, started charging for admission to their previously free Diamond Lounge to lower tiered Diamond players last June with just 2 weeks notice. Supposedly, it was to provide better food which is actually worse now than when it was free at Harrahs' and Ballys' Diamond Lounges. True, Caesars' and Showboat's DL food have improved but their DLs are still empty so few have tried them. Maybe they were trying to motivate lower tiered Diamond players to gamble twice as much to become higher tiered but this change greatly backfired. The reaction of the lower tiered Diamond players was to play and eat less at CET casino resorts and the Diamond Lounges became ghost towns. CET ignored the outrage of their lower tiered Diamonds and some of the higher tiered Diamonds and 7 Stars also realized the brand took away privileges already earned and that the brand couldn't be trusted. Some discovered other places to play like the PA casinos closer to home or The Borgata which is still upgrading all Diamonds to Black Label. Some are waiting for Revel which I strongly doubt will provide gamblers with the generous comps and fast comp dollar accrual that The Borgata has been offering.

Whenever anyone has a complaint about Harrahs on their Facebook page, it is met with personal attacks by the Harrahs *Whales* or those players that drop huge amounts of money in the casino. These Whales have their egos stroked by their hosts, not because the hosts like them but because of the amount of money the Whales drop in the casino. The Whales and Harrahs management have been totally disrespecting the lower tiered players and as a result Harrahs revenues and customers have dwindled while The Borgata's continues to thrive. OK so the Whales may bully lower tiered players into silence on the Harrahs Facebook page but the empty Diamond Lounge speaks volumes about the silent majority of players who went elsewhere.

Personally, if I had the kind of money these Whales drop, I would contribute most of it to charities instead of getting my ego stroked by casino hosts.

ETA: CET last sent out free coupons for their Diamond Lounges in February. It has already been noted that DL admissions have decreased even more in March since nobody received coupons for the month.

THE GRAND SAM

This is hysterical. On Facebook, Harrahs is raving about a great breakfast special at Sammy D's which is opening tomorrow, replacing their Reflections coffee shop.



THE GRAND SAM: EVERYTHING ON A PLATE $17.95

Sadly, Reflections had great breakfasts for much less. Even Harrahs breakfast buffet which is quite good has been just $15 lately. Guess that price will now jump back up to $20 but there is still The Borgata buffet for $15 ($10comp for Black Label).

Plus Reflections had a wonderful charbroiled hamburger including 2 toppings and fries for $10. Bill's Burgers charges $10 for a hamburger without toppings or fries and not nearly as good. I am missing those double stuffed chili dogs at Reflections and their special eggs Benedict served over friend chicken fingers. OK Harrahs did my health a favor closing Reflections. No worries The Grand Sam is too rich for my blood in both fat and dollars.

ETA: not a typo up there! Harrahs as well as all of CET in AC need to have their policy makers replaced if they want to have any hotel guests off season.
Another guest couple had 2 eggs, homefries, bacon, toast & coffee x 2 plus 1 OJ.... $45.00 with tip. Imagine just a short week ago, they could have had the breakfast buffet option for $30 plus tip with that 2nd OJ, omelets/eggs made to order, smoked salmon, eggs Benedict, etc. Sad and disappointing but then again, all I expect anymore from any AC CET resort are more and more disappointments. One bad decision after another. Oh well, Harrahs guests, especially Diamonds upgraded to Black Label, can pop on over to The Borgata for a nice breakfast (or lunch) buffet at less than half the price of Sammy D's. Only place for us to eat lunch at Harrahs has become McCormicks so being low on comp there has its rewards. Great burger and fries for $10 cash. Better burger than Bill's which is $10 without the fries.