Casino Hotel Vacation
Mistakes We All Make by Mac McClellan
The first time we stayed at a casino hotel was at the old Grand Casino
Biloxi (MS) soon after it first opened in the mid-1990s. I called the
casino several weeks ahead of our trip and booked a room at the price
quoted. Soon after our arrival I discovered my mistake when my
mother-in-law pointed out the half-price coupons readily available.
From that time on I promised myself that I’d never pay full price for
a casino hotel room.I know
some of you reading this never pay for a room at a casino because
you’re comped on every trip, but read on, there will be information
for you also. The same goes for you non-gamblers who only visit
casinos for the concerts, shows, and other entertainment. You can save
money too. I have tips for non-gamblers, average gamblers, and high
rollers.
The first mistake non-gamblers make
is booking your room directly with the casino without first doing some
investigation. The second mistake you make is assuming the casino
knows you’re a non-gambler. More about that later, let’s talk about
your first mistake. The first time you call the casino your goal isn’t
to book a room, but to obtain information, so have a pen and pad of
paper to take notes. Find out the room rate, and ask if there are
different rates for different dates of your visit, weekends are
usually more. Next, ask them if there are any discounts available. If
you’re visiting a casino in connection with an event, find out if
there’s a discounted package including a hotel room. Now thank them
and hang up. It’s time to go shopping for a better deal.
Here’s what to do next; visit an
online hotel discount website and see what prices you can find there.
I like www.TravelAxe.com because they compile lists of hotel prices
from multiple sources such as Orbitz and Hotels.com. Next, visit an
online forum where people talk about casino vacations and share
information. I suggest the Boyd’s Eye View forum:
www.midwestgamingandtravel.com. With these resources you’ll be on
your way to finding the lowest cost room. In the end, if you can’t get
a good price on the casino hotel, you may find a regular hotel next
door that’s a better value.
Now for your second mistake; assuming
the casino knows you’re a non-gambler. If you plan to return in the
future here’s what to do: go to the players club and obtain a club
card. Using your card, put $20 or $40 into a quarter video poker or
slot machine and play until it’s gone, or until you have a really
great profit and you’re tired. Your total investment will be $40 or
less. Within a month you’re likely to receive an offer in the mail to
come back and the hotel rooms will probably be discounted to 1/2
price. This works better if you do it at a casino where you’re not
staying, but it doesn’t work so well at high-end properties, at least
not for $40.
We’re in the category of average
gamblers along with most of you. The first mistake that average
gamblers make is being too loyal to a casino. I’m not talking about
your local casino, being loyal there is good, they probably cater to
locals. No, I’m talking about Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and so on.
What happens if your casino suddenly changes comp policies, or if you
have a bad trip and the offers drop off? What if your vacation dates
don’t line up with offers from your casino? It’s better to have at
least one backup, probably several, and you’ll have a choice every
vacation.
The third mistake that average
gamblers make is to “live above their means” by staying at high end
properties where they don’t get at least a room and limited food
comped. If you’re a quarter player and want to stay at Wynn Las Vegas
that’s ok, just realize that you’re not going to be RFB. We like to
stay where our level of play is appreciated and rewarded. Bigger
players often make the same mistakes average players make, especially
being too loyal to a casino or to a host. In addition they sometimes
ignore the cost of the comps they’re receiving. Especially on a longer
trip or when entertaining friends, big players can run their comp
account negative. This will usually hurt the next trip and will
sometimes get you a surprise bill at checkout.
We’ve been talking about hotel rooms,
what about casino RV parks? Often the casino RV park is a bargain,
priced lower than others in the area, so paying full price is OK if
you’re not gambling. Other times it’s priced like a resort and should
be treated like a hotel room for comps and offers.
Speaking of RVs, I left you hanging
last month as we were shopping for a new motorhome in the Houston area
and hadn’t found one by my deadline. We ended up buying on eBay from
Superstition RV, a dealer in Apache Junction, near Phoenix. It was an
auction with no reserve, and we seem to have gotten a bargain. Our old
motorhome was a 1996 Southwind, 37 feet with a gas engine. The “new”
motorhome is a 2001 Islander, 40 feet with a slide, and it’s a diesel
pusher. The journey continues.
Happy travels and good luck in the
casinos.
— Mac McClellan started the website
www.CasinoCamper.com to help travelers find RV-friendly casinos,
improve their gambling knowledge, and take advantage of casino comps.
Mac writes a weekly post for the Official Blog of the Open Road at
http://blog.rv.net. |
