Downtown Grand

Please enjoy my Article about the upcoming sale of Downtown Grand:
article

I was there a couple days ago. They got rid of the high limit slot area and the pit. Then moved the pit into the high limit slot area. The promo is still going on. Best game i could find was for $50/spin on a vampires embrace slot machine near the cage.

The place is killing itself. The tables are a joke now. There's more room in a pit on a ship. The way they set the tables up one feels like their playing on a submarine. The whole parking thing has changed into being a hi-jacking. Only top tier black card members can valet. You have to go to the valet to valigate parking garage. If you're not at least silver well the garage is $7. The place is a ghost town. It's a shame because it is the nicest property Downtown. They have a place to eat in the the non casino tower called the Commissary. Recommend going there and having the whole place to yourself prime time....LOL.
Warning-- Offers dropping off rapidly and have substantially declined from previous, this month.
The owners of the D should use it as a training camp for managers on how not to run a casino. The general manager should have the moniker "Casino Killer" tattooed on his forehead.

The first CEO, rather. Don't put this on Simms, please, he hasn't even been there half a year.

It has steadily gone down hill just this past month in a dramatic fashion. This guy Simms you speak of is the one who had the high limit slot room set up and torn down 4 times with new slot carousels only to close his entire pit and jam it in 2 separate tiny areas. Maybe you know this clown but he is definitely the one responsible. Everyone from security to the valets are incredulous with his stupidity.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions about my opinion, let me say that the DTG is a place that I frequent more than any other single place. It's awesome, often times I feel like I have the place to myself it is so empty. No wait for dinner, yeah.

I waited 15 minutes once for S&E's.....there wasn't a line or anything, it was busy with plenty of open tables, just no hostess. I decided to just walk in and sit down at an empty table, when someone came up to me and told me I had to wait to be seated.

I hope fire is set to DTG and it burns to the ground (injuring no one, of course). That place sucks.

I hit four 7s on the $1 8/5 and won the $25 match play from the LVA coupon so I have no complaints about them.

Quote: MaxPen

It has steadily gone down hill just this past month in a dramatic fashion. This guy Simms you speak of is the one who had the high limit slot room set up and torn down 4 times with new slot carousels only to close his entire pit and jam it in 2 separate tiny areas. Maybe you know this clown but he is definitely the one responsible. Everyone from security to the valets are incredulous with his stupidity.

I don't know him personally, but I know he did a Hell of a nice turnaround with Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino, Racetrack which has probably never been better. That doesn't make it great, but you don't need to be great to be profitable in a locals market.

In fact, killing table games in the early a.m. is a move he did there, for a while, until interest apparently built back up. I can't pretend to know his motivations, but he definitely tries stuff, and as with anyone else, some works and some stuff doesn't.

I definitely understand charging for parking. Only way to generate revenue off of half or more of the people that park there. Should be free with x coin in, though.

We never had a problem valeting there before. Just valeted there a couple days ago. They never asked us for our players cards. Just asked if we were visiting or staying. We said visiting and they valeted our car. Then tipped $2 when we picked up the car. Been going down there weekly with no problem valeting. My buddy was getting $25/wk ($30 on the last wk) in FSP. I was getting $20/wk ($25 on the last wk).

Quote: rudeboyoi

We never had a problem valeting there before. Just valeted there a couple days ago. They never asked us for our players cards. Just asked if we were visiting or staying. We said visiting and they valeted our car. Then tipped $2 when we picked up the car. Been going down there weekly with no problem valeting. My buddy was getting $25/wk ($30 on the last wk) in FSP. I was getting $20/wk ($25 on the last wk).

Try it today. The parking changes were implemented yesterdat 1 Sept. I have been tracking offers on multiple accounts. They are off by 50%. The tier level is new effective yesterday. Go tomorrow or when you can to swap your blue card for whatever they deem you worthy of, plus will be about an equal amount of free play. I you were getting 25 you will most likely be a silver and get a free 20 in addition to your already received amount. I can tell more via PM.

I'd speculate that they may be trying to increase the cash flow and reduce liabilities so that it looks better for a sale, based in part on my experience with a similar situation at my local Midwest casino. I'd played there for years and one day played far more coin through than I had ever done before. I expected to get some great offers from them yet they dropped substantially. Free play was cut to a third of what it had been in the past. Offers at the dining establishments went from free to bogo and then down to a minor cash discount. I'd been a regular customer, but it pissed me off and I don't think I ever went there again. Of course they didn't care about that: they were selling the casino, (unknown to me at the time), so the new owners were the ones that would have to deal with the loss of disgruntled customers.

So if anyone is thinking about buying a casino you may want to check what they've recently done to alienate customers before signing on the dotted line.

They're probably hemmorhaging money, due to incompetent leadership. I'd speculate that a smart buyer could take it off their hands for slightly more than the cost of renovations. Make an investment in sprucing up the one block walk from Fremont and get quality personnel with decent games and you'd have a winner.

Quote: MaxPen

They're probably hemmorhaging money, due to incompetent leadership. I'd speculate that a smart buyer could take it off their hands for slightly more than the cost of renovations. Make an investment in sprucing up the one block walk from Fremont and get quality personnel with decent games and you'd have a winner.

Other than the spruce up mentioned, and some re-branding sort of stuff, (Would you really want to keep the Downtown Grand moniker?) I can't imagine that there would be much to be done in the way of renovations. Based on the current advertised rates, the rooms are already phenomenal and it is a fundamentally very attractive property from one end to the other.

Like I said before, and this predates Simms tenure, I think the biggest problem is the lack of money invested in advertising and promotions. You do realize that their grand opening featured a High School marching band of all things. When I say featured, I mean that was THE feature...unless you count the snow cones.

The main focus needs to be just on getting enough players inside the property and having a more dynamic casino floor. Like I mentioned in my Article, just have a few employees go up and down Fremont verbally advertising win from $x-$x Free Play for signing up for a players club card. Make the minimum amount $20, or something. I can't imagine very many people not willing to walk a block or two for a guaranteed minimum of $20 in Free Play.

Point is, the traffic is already there within spitting distance from you. If you can't direct some of that traffic to the property, then you're doing something very wrong.

Quote: Mission146

(Would you really want to keep the Downtown Grand moniker?)

Downtown is all about history and I would have kept some tie to 'Lady Luck'. Maybe 'Lady Luck 2', or 'The New Lady Luck'.

They spend money driving a dedicated LED billboard truck around downtown streets used by locals but no one walking around where the customers are. Oh, and there's a sign inside an empty store space located on the ominous looking path from Fremont. A brilliant idea by Mission as stated in his article. I'd keep the name because then I wouldn't have to spend for new signage. It literally is all there except for effective management, the right staff, and the correct mix of games.

Or maybe "Lucky Lady?"

Secluded Gem
Hidden Nugget
DTG (Dollars to Gold)

Just keep the name and emphasize that it is run vintage style and follow thru with exceptional comps and rewards issued old school style with personal attention by staff. Throw the players cards in the trash and cater to today. Your customers need to get a fair shake up front not a promise of future results on the way out the door. Give them an experience to remember and make them feel good about being there. Even if this is their only trip to Vegas, you can bet their neighbors in Nebraska will be told that it is the place to go. The method worked before and built the town. You might lose a few percent on margin but pick the dollars back up on volume.

Quote: MaxPen

Secluded Gem
Hidden Nugget
DTG (Dollars to Gold)

Just keep the name and emphasize that it is run vintage style and follow thru with exceptional comps and rewards issued old school style with personal attention by staff. Throw the players cards in the trash and cater to today. Your customers need to get a fair shake up front not a promise of future resukts on the way out. The method worked before and built the town. You might lose a few percent on margin but pick the dollars back up on volume.

That might be the best idea I've ever heard about this matter or any other, except I'd still want to track the play.

Competent pit bosses in the past kept track. Put the "BOSS" back in the pit. Incentives to play the slots can be handed out based on hitting certain hands in VP, or bonuses on the reels. The slot winners win and win. The losers get all you can drink and a good time. Use the money saved on mail to provide exceptional dining experiences at unbeatable value.

The bosses need to take a walk along Fremont St, see who is busy and figure out why. Fremont St is as busy as I have ever seen it,even the tiny Mermaids casino usually has more players than DG.Having said that people don't even cross over to the Plaza so that is always going to be a problem especially in the heat of summer.
I picked up my new card there today.Music was on full blast like the D.Unfortunately, that is something the D are getting wrong IMO so don't copy that.They unlocked the door opposite the parking garage which is a plus and reinstalled the Zuma machine.
I cannot help but compare what is happening here and SLS. They are twins in a casino hospice.

They could buy the following signs very cheap

Aladdin
Stardust
Sahara
Desert Inn
Lady Luck
Revel

Coming soon.... Caeser's Palace

One problem with DTG . Whenever I mention Downtown Grand, the response is... "Downtown WHAT, What is that, where is it?

The gaming floor is kind of boring IMO..
I
do like the place, Rooms are nice, parking is easy, but they have nothing special to get people in the door.

Unlike most guys I know, I waited to play at DTG. I couldn't believe how stingy they were. Just after the FP matching offer they were doing. I told one of my active 7 star ploppy friends(he had really big FP offers) to go there and see what they would do for him. I though for sure they would be all over him like brown on rice. I was embarrassed to find out they wouldn't even give him a free room without assessing his play first(BIG MISTAKE).

Eventually they started doing better. I know some hosts there will now comp generously. You just have to ask.

Finally when I did go play at DTG, I didn't give them very much action. To my surprise, after talking with a host, I was offered 5 days on a holiday weekend, 2 for the steak house( the hosts will comp you to the Triple George steakhouse across the street, the food is fairly good), 2 for lunch, tickets to some comedian. The host said, "let me know if you need anything." Because of that, I tend steer people there over other DT properties.



One problem I keep seeing with new casinos, they take to long before they run promotions and market players.

Eventually DTG ran someone generous promotions, but it was probably to late.


They need to offer something for casino employees and business for the people downtown.

They have a bar in the back without any gaming, I think that's a mistake.

Four easy steps toward improvement:

1 - Stop nickel and diming. IE: easy parking validation, better gaming rules/paytables, and open the tables earlier.

2 - Comps. Need I say more?

3 - Unlock the door to the Mob Bar. The one that faces the Mob Museum. Seriously. Many people exit the museum, walk to the bar, find the door locked, and move on without bothering to find a way in.

4 - Join the Fremont Casino Association (or whatever the group is that pays for FSE), then hang a sign from the canopy on Third St that says "cool casino one block ahead".

Quote: stephen.hall

The bosses need to take a walk along Fremont St, see who is busy and figure out why.

"Why" is easy - people realize that the casinos are there. You can't even see the DTG from Fremont Street.

Here's how to solve the problem: get the city to "extend" the Fremont Street Experience down Third Street to where the Mob Museum is, then do something with the area between Fremont and Ogden. (The problem is, I think the northern half is used by parking garages on both sides, so there isn't much you can do about that.) Maybe buy out the souvenir store on Fremont & Third, the Beef Jerky Store, and whatever is next to it (a pawn shop of some sort?), and turn it into something along the lines of the Fremont that makes more of that block visitor friendly. Once they can see the casino (and Pizza Rock), they might be more interested.