CET seemed busier than MGM's. Resort fees?

I just spent 4 days in town. Friday everything was busy but what stood out to me was during the week, the Caesars casinos were all noticably hopping while MGM's seemed quiet. I didn't look for this but it sure was evident as I went down the strip each night and all I could think of is maybe people are migrating to Caesars properties to escape the resort fees?

 

Or....it could be the spectacular decor that crackerjack MGM design team has come up with in so many of their casino's...

 

I tried an MGM Casino once, got $100 in resort fees and zero comp offers upon return. Meanwhile, out of same trip I was given some very generous room comps from just a fraction of my play at PH, I have never looked back and stuck with CET ever since.

I enjoy visiting MGM props, but they dont get my gambling money and I dont sleep there.

 

MGM get's busy on the weekends as they pull in some of the strips best entertainment acts and sporting events. I would say the CET properties are busier during the week because of a longer standing and better run player's club program that cater's to the average player which I recall reading somewhere that that would be someone that brings about $700.00 to gamble with.

 

i hope so. i hope they all move to CET.

 

CET will be managing the Cleveland Ohio Horseshoe Casino set to open 5/14/12. It will open in downtown in an old department store. The parking fee will $15 unless you give them substantial play. It might not be a resort fee, but I guess its to keep downtown workers from parking at the casino.

I wonder what would happen in Vegas if you paid $15 a day to park?

 

From Horseshoe Cleveland's FB page:

Considering that city casinos have to contend with non-casino visitors wanting to use their parking facilities, this seems to be par for the course in terms of how they handle limited parking arrangements. Not that this is relevant to the thread.

But to the topic, even if I did prefer MGM hotels, there is something about them that make the casinos places I don't like to gamble. I've been in MGM casinos that were dead even on the weekends and I have been in CET casinos that were dead on the weekdays. But considering how MGM brags about their non-casino revenue, I doubt they are really concerned.

 

Room comps are very easy to get at CET it seems, but MGM is better for people with bigger budgets.

 

Exactly this! Pretty much anyone with a TR card will get a room in Vegas at a CET Joint. I had a friend that never gambled before go to our local Horseshoe and get a Total rewards card. I told him to run a $20.00 through a penny machine with it when he got it. 2 weeks later he checked and sure as hell deep discounts or a free night at IP in Vegas.

It has nothing to do with resort fees. Plus real gamblers dont have to pay them anyway

 

I think the MGM and CET properties simply appeal to a wide variety of people.

People with mobility issues prefer to play at smaller casinos to minimize the walking they must do. Others who don't have mobility issues may not think about the walking distance from point A to point B.

Some people find the resort fee a discriminator for where they choose to stay, others don't think about it.

Many people want a certain level of comfort in their hotel room, but precisely what that "comfort level" entails varies dramatically from one person to another.

But that's the beauty of Las Vegas - there's something to appeal to all tastes and preferences

 

Having just spent a wqeek on the Strip, this comment is dead on right. During the week, CET was much busier (and MGM made Wynn look deolate by comparison). Bu the MGM properties were bursting starting on Friday.

 

CET casinos seem more crowded because they are smaller relative to the size of the hotel, low ceilinged, and feature low limit games. Machines and tables are packed closer together compared to higher end casinos.

 

+100

But I think a lot of this has to do with the difference in age - most of the CET properties are older, legacy properties that have been cobbled together with addition after addition over the years - so the interior spaces are much more a warren of smaller rooms & areas, whereas the MGM properties are for the most part newer and feature much more wide-open spaces.

Also, check out the high-limit rooms - I'll bet you'll find the reverse to be true, even during the week.

 

CET's only casino that really attracts or goes after high end play is Caesars. Most high end players do not play at CET properties. (Referring to table games players)

 

I found this true on my visit over Memorial weekend+. CET properties were crowded all trip . MGM were much less crowded except for Bellagio. And MGM....holy cow....free play couldn't get me to gamble there with the mess they are making in that casino. Jackhammers galore....no thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yep, I stay and play mostly at Rio and Flamingo when at CET properties....well over 80% of the time I'm the only one in the HL room at Flamingo. As for Rio there is usually 1-2 people playing blackjack but never anyone at the Midibac table much less the full bac table even being open. I've seen it open once or twice and it was reserved for someone who never seemed to be there. Palace Court at Caesars gets pretty busy on the weekends but that's the only CET HL room that I've noticed is consistently busy. Even the new fancy HL room at PH doesn't seem to draw much of a crowd.

 

I disagree that CET gives more room comps than MGM. I think its the opposite. CET is more stingy these days. But thats my observation.

I'm likin MGM properties more lately. I was a big PH, Caesars fan, but I'm moving my activities to Aria, Cosmo, Bellagio and Wynncore lately.

 

Don't forget CET gave out I forget how many millions in TR Rewards credits starting in March. I only played that contest for a couple weeks and I got $55 worth. So a lot of people have those to burn off. And even though they've always had easy room comps, they seem to have gotten even more aggressive with the official "offers" in the last month or two.

So who knows?

 

I think if you ask around on this board (like all the comments on this thread) you will see the exact opposite. CET hands out their rooms like its candy, MGM (which have mostly much nicer properties) do not. You might be getting less room offers from CET right now, but thats probably due to booking with them recently. I know I took them up on 3 nights at CP a few months back and my room offers seemed to tail off a bit after that.

 

CET is cheaper. More lower denom slots, lower tables, and cheaper food. It attracts a bigger crowd. MGM goes for higher end players and guests. There are not as many of them. The revenue is probably relatively similar, CET just takes less from each of a bigger pool, MGM more from each of a smaller pool.