an open letter to the Plaza sent today

Dear [email protected],

I like getting the email special mailings. This last one showed a 25% off on two nights and a bottle of champagne.

In the very small print at the bottom it then said add $10 for the resort fee.

So a $30 room advertised on a 25% sale is really only on a 19% sale since the 25% sale reduction does not affect the resort fee.

And then when I began the room booking process, I got to the point where I would be filling in my credit card and never saw any mention of the ten dollar resort fee in that paperwork.

I understand this makes for interesting advertising.

However, for many of us it just looks underhanded and shady.

Think about not allowing the resort fee to make such a disengenuous representation for shoppers.

For example, if I go to the other downtown property on sale with a resort fee, the Gold Spike, I see their room rate clearly noted (no percentage math to refigure) and I see it clearly when my quote is printed out. In fact, if I call for a quote they give me the fee and the tax altready computed. So, it still works as an advertising gimmick but not so much as a lie to customers.



I also have three questions:

Is Turner Classic Movies still a choice of television stations?

Is there still a coin laundry?

Is the pool heated in cooler months?



I've heard good things about the new rooms, not so many good things about the video poker pay tables. I mourn the loss of the little live poker room. I'm still tempted to come and stay but these resort fee shenanigans put me off in a way the Gold Spike does not. Then, of course, the free wifi and heated pool open early are draws there as well.



Wishing you the best of luck,

Dewey

 

Well said, and well played.

It is a travesty of greed what Vegas is doing with the resort fees and video poker pay tables.

It's getting harder to justify each subsequent trip.

They have truly lost their way.

 

It's called "drip pricing" and the Federal Trade Commission has filed complaints on behalf of consumers against many hotels for doing this. There's nothing illegal about charging a resort fee, but it is illegal to deceptively hide fees and the FTC has taken the position that hiding such large resort fees in small print and not including it in their advertised rates is deceptive.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/12/05/ftc-warns-hotel-chains-to-stop-hidden-resort-fees-drip-prici/

 

Keep us posted if you hear anything back from the Plaza Dewey.

 

Well, it's been a year + and they haven't listened to anyone yet. Good luck dewey.

 

Heated pools

Besides the heated pool who else has a heated pool downtown? Thanks

 

Always knew you were a Gentalman.

If more poeple would take time to do this kind fo thing it would eb much better for everyone!

Dewy You da MAN !@!

 

Very well written.

 

Well said Dewey! I booked their Black Friday special and you are right, again no mention of the resort fee on that either! Even though a great rate, they are not being transparent with the fees.

 

Ditto Dewey!!! A lot of companies make the mistake of taking their customers, and prospective customers, as being unsophisticated rubes. In reality these same companies actually alienate the smart, savvy consumers that they would be salivating to have if they operated in a transparent manner.

Companies that offer a quality product and/or service do not have to resort to such unscrupulous tactics. I am not referring to resort fees, but rather the sneaky marketing without full disclosure.

When businesses resort to these tactics it is a sure fire sign that they are on the ropes, so buyer beware.

 

Well said, Dewey. I hope PlayLV listens. Based on the offers they have been sending to me, and the recent sales, I'd say they are pretty desperate to fill rooms. As for VP, I was able to find a 9/6 JoB machine when I was there in October, however it was located in a bank of 4 and only 2 (one on each side) had the 9/6 paytable.

 

Two weeks ago the desk said they no longer have a coin laundry.

 

Let's play a math game: On 12/12/12, Plaza announced room rates for 12 cents. Plus 10 dollars resort fee. So what was the resort fee mark-up, in percentage?

 

VP is much better there as of 10 days ago. i found tons of 9/6 DDB, even 10/7 DB(but didn't realize how good it was at the time without my paytable printouts). many new machines added since my Sept trip, and the VPfree listings for both Plaza and Vegas Club were way way off and outdated.

This was true for other properties DT as well, VPfree is unreliable.

 

I'm gonna have to go with a 8333.3% markup. What a deal!!! lol

 

That's what I got, too. Ah, capitalism!

 

We're laughing at them, but they think it's a great deal, if they offer $12 rooms everyone would brag about them, they offer rooms for $12 and a few pennies(with the ridiculous resort fee) and they get crucified. It's a tough world out there and they fail on all counts.

 

I think the Gold Spike is the only one downtown and I'm not certain you can count on that one because they told me it would not be heated but when I go there it was. I swam when the air was forty degrees and was happy.
California is frigid even in the summer. I think they must ice that pool. The D pool is unheated. Binions is unheated. El Cortez is unheated because it is unbuilt.

In frugal choices in Vegas, The Gold Coast heats the pool, but they told me they did not know if they would heat it that same November last year as it was being debated.

The Super 8 at Koval heats that pool in cooler months, and has free wifi, free transportation to and from the airport, free coffee in the lobby in good flavors, and a coin laundry where you can wash and dry and wait for the clothes with wifi, and Turner Classic Movies on the TV. Also, Ellis Island next door with almost free bingo and good cheap food. No resort fee there.

 

The Four Queens still has the best 10/7 DB in the world because it is a progressive on top of full pay. There are a whole bank of them right by Magnolia's. And you can use freeplay on them, earn cashback, catch free room offers on top of the great pay table. 10/6 DDB would be really a good find. I think it is still at Sam's Town. The 9/6 is all around. VP free is pretty good if the machines stay in place, but they can't get volunteers and upgrade on a daily basis. Letting them know what you find on the discussion board is helpful for folks following such things. How outdated they are depends on who volunteers to check things out at the casino. I like the detailed descriptions of where machines are located and use them often to find things I'd otherwise miss.

 

It's a matter of principles and ironic advertising practices. You're missing the point, or so it would seem.

And I wouldn't be so thrilled about that room price. There's a very good reason why they can't keep the place filled up. They've gone from having near-Golden Nugget pricing to Las Vegas Club-type rates in about 15 months of time. Think about it.