Based on availabilty

Does your casino factor your current presence as a determining factor in whether or not comped rooms are available? For a while I was satisfied at Seneca Niagara, every time able to get comped rooms when I was there. Then I was routinely denied multiple times in a row and even when I called telling them I was on the way. Stupid me didn't know based on availability is strangely denied strictly based on my admission I was either already there or on the way, until last September. I was there for 10 hours already playing slots and finally decided to call knowing the casino was deader than I ever had seen. I had hesitated so long because I was denied so many times and it isn't a good feeling.

The lady bluntly denied I even had a comped room offer. I told her I had stayed there 2 weeks ago, how could that be? Perhaps mistakenly, she told me "You cannot get a comped room if you're already playing in the casino." I get mad when I finally learn this now, because when I was there all those times and had been denied a comped room and never truly knew the reason. Normally when I would learn I was to not be given a comped room, I was already exhausted and continued to play the slots there in a zombie mode until I went broke. Four hours drive away from home, exhausted, perhaps famished from only coffee and cigarettes the whole day, and you tend to not think clearly when you are essentially homeless.

Emails and facebook contact and PM, wall posts all ignored. I never went back. Anyways, someone on another forum said his casino does the same thing, does yours and you don't know it until now? I should have never been so stupid, but I was. If I would have been playing those same games those rude NYers do on me, I would have said sure $139 instead of free, sure! Good deal! Then once I was in the room I could have said why am I being charged for a comp room? Seems like the same thing they did to me. I could see why they do this for profit reasons, but cannot explain it ethically because it is redefining a word to mean what it does not mean.

You are told X number of rooms are set aside and once they're gone, they're gone, but basing a decision on my location when I call is completely different. All 900 rooms could be empty and they would still tell me no. It makes me feel even better all the times I asked if I could call back to see if rooms would be available and they said you can call and check, with me not knowing unless I drove all the way back to Ohio, nothing would be available.

Sounds like a bad system. Never had a problem reserving a comped room if I had an offer available. The big chains (Boyd, CET) are very clear about when an offer is available or not. Plus, you can book them online.

OneNickelMiracle, unless I'm not understanding you, if you can't get a comped room if you're already playing in the casino or if you've been denied the comp when you called for one, can you get a non-comped room like you said and then talk to a slot host when you're ready to check out to have them waive the charge based on what they see on your player's card? That seems much better than playing in zombie mode and going broke.

My casinos are a 3.5-hr drive from my house and I would never consider making the trip unless I knew a bed and a tub were waiting for me when I got there.

Quote: tsmith

My casinos are a 3.5-hr drive from my house and I would never consider making the trip unless I knew a bed and a tub were waiting for me when I got there.

That is very sensible, but if you ever do find yourself on their doorstep without a reservation, go straight to the front desk to check in, don't start in the casino for awhile and then try to get a room.

FleaStiff's comment just made me think of something else.

Perhaps, OneNickelMiracle, you're asking the wrong people. Are you calling the reservation phone number or the front desk? Maybe you should be going straight to a slot host instead. They could see that you have already accumulated x number of points on your card and can call the front desk directly. I don't know for sure, but I would think a host would be able to override a hotel clerk's decision.

In any case, I don't think it's fair to bad-mouth the casino hotel for having rules if you're the one not abiding by them.

What rules am I not abiding by? I call for room, they lie or don't tell me the truth. These host ideas are no good either there recommended from anyone because if that was the case, there would not be a top down system and the system could be side-stepped. The first time I dealt with a host and she still had to call the same reservation number I would have. It is not the hotel clerk which is in charge of room reservations, but the call center for reservations line wherever it is in NY I do not know.

It is really interesting to see you say I am not abiding by the casino's rules if I don't even know what they are. They had been rejecting me for years for last minute reservations and I never knew why, but it was not always this way. You have to understand the woman telling me I could not get a comped room, because I was already playing at the casino was actually something she was not supposed to tell me for I think it was a hidden policy. Looking at the latest mailing, it does say advance reservation required, which I never noticed and nobody ever repeated to me when I called as a reason. I would think as long as you are not calling after the time which is considered late check, it would be an advance reservation.

I am number one publicizing a policy which people may be not aware to be in practice at more than one casino hotel according to another person telling me this. Number two, I am a good customer with bad experiences. They have definitely made me not want to be there and I am helping them change their ways. I really do need to try to contact some different people, because someone there must be able to know this is hurting their business. It saves me money not going there and probably just helps some other casino. Between this and another NA casino, they both have always sent bogus offers. Sometimes even if I called the day I received the mail at 930 AM, the offers for concert tickets were already bunk. It's almost as if they give people something, then expect to take it back. Too bad there isn't a word which describes that. ugh

Apparently I'm a gambler. Like I have reported, for years this was no problem and I was always treated well. Then suddenly without reason communicated to me, this changed. Now I know why and will never travel there last minute and will go somewhere else closer to home. I really loved that place and went there because I liked it, even though their other casino is 40 miles closer to me. Unfortunately, it probably hasn't been such a great place to go for the last 4-5 years. Maybe I'm just a bit more naive about a situation like this, than the rest since it seems everyone else already knows a casino will not honor its commitment at the last minute even if they barely have customers. I just never was told the real reason before last September, or else I would not have tried to repeatedly call back in vain to keep checking if comp rooms were available when it was all along, just a game. In case this isn't clear, I always had mailings from them with comp rooms on those dates and never asked for something which wasn't offered. When I mentioned sarcastically about acting stupid, it was only an analogy and was to make a point.

Quote: OneNickelMiracle

I am helping them change their ways.

I don't see how you're doing this. If anything, they are changing your ways in that you are now seeking out other places to go.

It's the "advance reservations required" part that is the rule that you're not abiding by. That does not mean you have until 6pm on the day of your desired check-in to do it because the hotel doesn't know that this is the day you want to check in. Advance means several days or a couple of weeks, not a couple of hours.

Quote: OneNickelMiracle

They had been rejecting me for years for last minute reservations ...]

You continue to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results, and then you accuse them of lying to you and having "hidden policies". There's a word for this type of behavior.


Just the other day I received a mailing for a comped room for 2 separate nights, including an invitation to two Valentine's Day parties where they were having all sorts of nice giveaways, and when I called for a reservation,on the same day that I received the offer, I was told they were already completely booked. Did I accuse them of lying and singling me out for rejection? No. I was disappointed, sure, but I accepted that there were no more rooms available and said thank you and hung up and I'll go on another day. It's not their fault that other people got the mailing before me or that they're usually busy anyway on Valentine's Day.

I am not familiar with the casino that you're talking about, but if they're the only one serving a large population it's very possible that they get booked up quickly, and you should not assume that they'll have something available for you on your whim, especially based on your previous experiences.

As for the host calling the same res number as you, again, I am not familliar with how this casino works, but that seems rather strange to me. I would think a host has special dispensation on things like that, that's why they're hosts. If this is indeed the case, that they have no more pull than a customer on getting last-minute rooms, then what's the point of them being there?

"It's the "advance reservations required" part that is the rule that you're not abiding by. That does not mean you have until 6pm on the day of your desired check-in to do it because the hotel doesn't know that this is the day you want to check in. Advance means several days or a couple of weeks, not a couple of hours."

This I knew nothing about until I just looked at it before I wrote it, and neither did you since I never wrote it before your accusation. You seemed to know what you should not have known. Not once did anyone from the casino ever say this was the reason. All I was ever told was there were not available rooms. Again not knowing the reason or being told a reason beyond "none available" and "yes, you can call back later to check if there are available rooms". Well, a business shouldn't be ran like they pick up every released con artist in the state of NY and hire them for their reservations department.

"They had been rejecting me for years for last minute reservations ...]"

The point is I enjoyed being there and consistently had been given rooms, even on the day I called. They never failed me once until they did. How am I supposed to be a mind reader of them? Once I was rejected, then it happened every time and I was totally clueless for the reason. It is true the way they operate the comp room system. Even someone I know who plays slots at least 10x larger bets than me, was unable to get rooms 3 days in advance, I found out after the fact.

I suggest maybe you should just consider yourself to be a brainwashed individual "playing guess what number I'm thinking of" and thinks it is fair. You really are taking a submissive attitude and should know this kind of thing isn't right. Everyone knows the games they play having to know your card number before they answer your question, but being a player on the casino floor should help your cause, not automatically deny you. It doesn't even make common sense to have a policy which only a rogue casino could have. If I went to the casino in WV, they always honor comp room coupons as long as a room is available period, no excuses. This is the laws should be written in the country in the first place, so they are binding instead of totally empty promises. It is simply scandalous.

The "Based on Availability" usually means the percentage of rooms set aside for comps. When they are gone, you can still get a room, but it's gonna cost ya!

I'm sure Mission146 could speak to this as a hotel operator. But I had a longtime exec at a CET property explain it to me this way once, and it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Here goes.

The goal of any casino/hotel is to fill the property. If on a given say Tues. night the hotel is only 50% booked they are likely to give away comps very easily. On a Sat. night when they are 90% booked obviously it's harder to get a comp. Why give away what you can sell. Common sense.

So to the OP's point, I would postulate that by waiting till the last minute, he is asking the hotel for a comp at a time when they are most likely to be highly booked. Whereas if you asked for a comp on a day a month away (obviously requires some advance planning). they are less likely to be highly booked (because not everyone has booked yet)..and more likely to grant a comp. So maybe planning ahead would help is my point.

In addition think about this. They give you a comp so you will come and gamble. If you are already gambling, they've won the marketing war, you are already there...what is the hotels incentive to comp you?

Quote: vendman1

In addition think about this. They give you a comp so you will come and gamble. If you are already gambling, they've won the marketing war, you are already there...what is the hotels incentive to comp you?

Sadly this is so true...the only incentive would be if they think you'd significantly gamble for another gaming day.

I booked my first comped room ever this past week, believe it or not. I got rejected for tonight (Super Bowl Sunday, big shock), but they were able to book me for Wed. night instead. It's possible that this casino OP is dealing with tightened up their comp policies recently and limit how many comped rooms they offer, so OP will either have to book rooms further in advance with them, or just stop gambling there. Either are decent options, imo.

Quote: DeMango

The "Based on Availability" usually means the percentage of rooms set aside for comps. When they are gone, you can still get a room, but it's gonna cost ya!

It is a lot more complicated than that, but it is supposedly the idea. Nobody has a right to ever know it, so it could even be 0 theoretically. I do agree like one of the other posters that online reservations are much better and it is fairer. I am going to try contacting someone higher than facebook and email, since those are ignored, instead of just being mad about it. Originally I intended to just cover it generally, due to someone else's suggestion he went through the same thing somewhere else and always calls in before he plays a penny with his card, but then ranted.

Quote: vendman1

I'm sure Mission146 could speak to this as a hotel operator. But I had a longtime exec at a CET property explain it to me this way once, and it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Here goes.

The goal of any casino/hotel is to fill the property. If on a given say Tues. night the hotel is only 50% booked they are likely to give away comps very easily. On a Sat. night when they are 90% booked obviously it's harder to get a comp. Why give away what you can sell. Common sense.

So to the OP's point, I would postulate that by waiting till the last minute, he is asking the hotel for a comp at a time when they are most likely to be highly booked. Whereas if you asked for a comp on a day a month away (obviously requires some advance planning). they are less likely to be highly booked (because not everyone has booked yet)..and more likely to grant a comp. So maybe planning ahead would help is my point.

In addition think about this. They give you a comp so you will come and gamble. If you are already gambling, they've won the marketing war, you are already there...what is the hotels incentive to comp you?

I pretty much agree. When you get your haircut right 10 times in a row, you don't expect them to do it wrong the next 10 times because of previous good experiences. Some casinos perhaps you shouldn't go there to play and not stay, because they will basically have less respect for you in giving you a room thinking it is not necessary to have you. All these things when dealing with casinos always parallel to women so much.

Quote: vendman1

They give you a comp so you will come and gamble. If you are already gambling, they've won the marketing war, you are already there...what is the hotels incentive to comp you?

If you are already there, they can generally keep you happy with a free Mimosa during check-in so why should they spring for a room: you are already there and unlikely to leave. So no matter how long the check in lines are, either check in or gamble without using your card. Once that card hits their computer system, the ball game changes. Is it fair? Is it sensible? Is it well-disclosed? Those questions are not relevant. Once you are already there the only relevant question is how much more than that free mimosa do they have to give you to keep you happy. Usually its not much. They can give a room to someone who is yet to trek there, but you are already there, so why should they worry about a lure?

Quote: FleaStiff

If you are already there, they can generally keep you happy with a free Mimosa during check-in so why should they spring for a room: you are already there and unlikely to leave. So no matter how long the check in lines are, either check in or gamble without using your card. Once that card hits their computer system, the ball game changes. Is it fair? Is it sensible? Is it well-disclosed? Those questions are not relevant. Once you are already there the only relevant question is how much more than that free mimosa do they have to give you to keep you happy. Usually its not much. They can give a room to someone who is yet to trek there, but you are already there, so why should they worry about a lure?

I agree with you that it works for the short term, but it really didn't last too long. By 2009, I cut there considerably due to lack of confidence, 2010 I went there once and defected to the Rivers. They lost out on a bundle. It was this year when a "We miss you" offer came and the truth came out by the woman on the phone. All it did was confirm my avoidance of the place and made me angry. I would have rather been up there in happy circumstances, but it didn't happen that way. How did you know they gave me free mimosas? ;) I do know it was a bad habit I developed being spontaneous or hasty, but I was encouraged to do it for a long time. If the policy changed, they should have told me much earlier, and I would have had a better relationship with the casino which seems would have lasted a lot longer.

Quote: vendman1

I'm sure Mission146 could speak to this as a hotel operator. But I had a longtime exec at a CET property explain it to me this way once, and it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Here goes.

The goal of any casino/hotel is to fill the property. If on a given say Tues. night the hotel is only 50% booked they are likely to give away comps very easily. On a Sat. night when they are 90% booked obviously it's harder to get a comp. Why give away what you can sell. Common sense.

What Vendman1 said is absolutely right, and he's talking about comps!

I'm going to tell you the way this works. I've been at this hotel for nearly five years and I recognize people, even hearing them on the phone. Let's say I have some guy who is a trucker that stays here and his rate has been $69.99/night for years and years. He predates me. Okay, that's fine. If he calls wanting to come in, same-day, and I am anywhere between 0%-80% occupied, (I'm never 0% occupied, obviously) then he can come in and have his rooms at his price.

The problem is, if I am 80% occupied or better, unless it is very, very, late that night, I'm not going to give him a room at that rate in his room type because I only have 2-3 of that room type left and I can probably sell them for more. I will occasionally fail to sell that room that I could have rented to him, but overall, it's profitable to hold out for $89.99-$119.99, depending on what the rates are that night.

In this case, we have ONM who feels betrayed because they won't comp him a room obviously pursuant to their availability on that night. However, I won't SELL certain people rooms on certain nights for the exact same reason. I've tried to get that guy to pay more, one night we were at $109.99, and looking at my probability of renting all of that room type, I told him I could do $89.99. He was pissed, and so I didn't see or hear from him for three months, then finally he came back and stayed again. Now, if I don't want to rent people the room at their, "Usual," price, I just tell them I'm sold out.

I especially love the people who stay rarely but think, "I stay all the time," and they, "Just paid," $59.99. I'll look up the reservation and the last time they stayed was four years ago. I told them I'm going to try their trick at the gas station, I'm going to go up and explain that I paid $2.09/gallon four years ago, so it should be the same price...

I understand the availability and statistics, etc. I think they either deny everyone, deny me based on a black list or something along those lines. It never had anything to do availability, because on the last night in question, it was really dead and many other times were slow. I should have negotiated better perhaps. I think they're using a flawed system nonetheless because my value has been miscalculated and is much higher than the quotes. They have a billion dollars of unpayable debt, so they have done it before. I'll just call ahead for now on or leave immediately if it happens again.

Quote: Mission146

What Vendman1 said is absolutely right, and he's talking about comps!

I'm going to tell you the way this works. I've been at this hotel for nearly five years and I recognize people, even hearing them on the phone. Let's say I have some guy who is a trucker that stays here and his rate has been $69.99/night for years and years. He predates me. Okay, that's fine. If he calls wanting to come in, same-day, and I am anywhere between 0%-80% occupied, (I'm never 0% occupied, obviously) then he can come in and have his rooms at his price.

The problem is, if I am 80% occupied or better, unless it is very, very, late that night, I'm not going to give him a room at that rate in his room type because I only have 2-3 of that room type left and I can probably sell them for more. I will occasionally fail to sell that room that I could have rented to him, but overall, it's profitable to hold out for $89.99-$119.99, depending on what the rates are that night.

In this case, we have ONM who feels betrayed because they won't comp him a room obviously pursuant to their availability on that night. However, I won't SELL certain people rooms on certain nights for the exact same reason. I've tried to get that guy to pay more, one night we were at $109.99, and looking at my probability of renting all of that room type, I told him I could do $89.99. He was pissed, and so I didn't see or hear from him for three months, then finally he came back and stayed again. Now, if I don't want to rent people the room at their, "Usual," price, I just tell them I'm sold out.

I especially love the people who stay rarely but think, "I stay all the time," and they, "Just paid," $59.99. I'll look up the reservation and the last time they stayed was four years ago. I told them I'm going to try their trick at the gas station, I'm going to go up and explain that I paid $2.09/gallon four years ago, so it should be the same price...