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'Value' of comped weekend room vs weekday room?

Discussion in 'Comps' started by xothan, Oct 1, 2016.

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  1. xothan

    xothan Low-Roller

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    Question about comp value of rooms for the comp experts out there...

    So I've gathered from reading all the advice offered in this forum that comps basically work like this: You accumulate Theo via play and then the casino gives some percentage (say ~25% for discussion purposes) of it back to you via comps. Say I accumulate $2000 of Theo, then the casino might give me back $500 of it in the form of comps.

    That $500 might mean 3 free nights at $100 each, and food comped off up to $200.

    OK, so here is my question.

    I have heard that if one's comped room is upgraded to a suite, the "internal cost" to the casino is actually higher than a normal room, so it actually draws down your comp account more. So instead of the room being $100, it might be $150, which means I would only get $50 food comped off. So the smart play would actually be to not take the suite upgrade, especially if traveling alone.

    Does this logic also apply to weekend rooms? If I get an upfront comp offer for 3 free nights any day of the week, would the casino actually expect MORE play if I took them over the weekend, rather than if I took them over weekdays? For the exact same room, I'd certainly prefer to play LESS to maintain the comp offer...

    Anyone know? Thanks!
     
  2. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    I've seen different people with credible knowledge of comps answer this differently. Some say the casino's price is the same regardless of the night and others say it differs.

    The only thing I have to go on myself is that a few times when I wanted to stay at a new place where I had no play history, and I asked if I could get casino rate, the rate that was quoted to me was always right around 2/3ds of the current rack rate.

    My own sense of it is that the price the casino pays may not fluctuate in lockstep with the day-to-day rack rate, but it probably is higher on weekends and holidays. That's why not everybody can get any night comped.

    ETA: If your comp offer allows you to book a weekend night, then your normal play probably already covers it even if the casino's price is higher. So the casino isn't expecting you to play MORE to cover the comp offer. But if I'm right, then yeah, your normal play level could leave less room for back end comps if your stay includes weekend nights.
     
  3. omnia

    omnia Newbie

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    It's always best to decline the suite upgrade if traveling by yourself as you indicated. I've been offered penthouses in the past. But being a solo trip it's just a waste of space. And YES it does count against your theo so it would reduce your food/freeplay comps in the end.
     
  4. Vegas6821

    Vegas6821 Low-Roller

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    What if you are staying during the weekday and rate on MLIFE calendar is outrageous? Am I expected to have more ADT to cover? Delano is $600 on Tuesday January 10 and $350 on Wednesday
     
  5. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    The comp rate for the room loosely based on the retail value. Since rooms on the weekend are typically more expensive, the comp value increases accordingly.

    Upgraded rooms are also comped at the value of the "upgraded" room. Because I like to get backend comps, I will turn down a upgrade. I have been told that the comp value for a weekday Augustus Tower strip view room is approx. $200, as opposed to about $150 for a non strip view.

    The way that I understand it, your room will always be covered (unless you zero play the casino, then there is the possibility of charges) It's backend comps that are affected.
     
  6. xothan

    xothan Low-Roller

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    Yup, so I guess it does matter, and it's a smart play to take the lowest category of room which suffices for your purposes, so that there is room for backend comps for meals etc.

    It is strange that it matters so much, because the cost of the room to the casino should really only be a fraction of the rate that is being charged to the comp account.
     
  7. Multifarious5

    Multifarious5 VIP Whale

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    Chuck is my top go-to source on comps, he always has excellent advice. I totally agree that, if you have an upfront offer and they're letting you book it, your normal play already covers it. When it doesn't, they just don't let you book.

    On backend comps, before you throw a nicer room/night away, my caution to you is to make sure it's a place you KNOW will give backend comps. It'd be a shame to turn down a better room/better day, and then find out you still don't get the backend comp. (You would have been better off enjoying the better room/day!) Backend comps are NOT something guaranteed, or even necessarily reliable.

    Case in point, I stayed at two really nice (5 star) hotels, in comped rooms over the weekend at both (one was over MEMORIAL day weekend---pricy!), in a very nice suite in one, and a fountain-view high floor in the other (and I not a High Roller, so I was actually quite nervous about being over comped.) Both of these high end hotels also gave generous FP/RC, so my bill at both on checkout was tips only.

    I had booked a final 3rd hotel at my previous homebase, which was a mid-tier hotel, much, much lower in price. Not only was it a lower-priced hotel, I was booking this mid-tier stay on weeknights that were listed at a FRACTION of the price of the other two stays (literally a fifth of the nightly cost of the other two's comped nights), PLUS this mid-tier didn't offer upfront FP/RC, which is actually why I wanted the more modest room, I like having food covered.

    I figured that, at this much more modest price point, this absolutely would give me a nice backend cushion to cover food/etc. and this was a hotel I had stayed at frequently and always was able to get solid backend comps. I actually even spent a good chunk more coin-in at this final, mid-tier, more modest hotel, and in a much, much cheaper room, so my upfront comp value was astronomically lower, so I figured backend comps would be no problem.

    The irony was, as it turns out, this hotel had been tightening the belt on backend comps (as the staff told me), and despite a much, much lower upfront comp package at a lower-tier hotel, THIS was the only hotel where I had charges, as they only gave about $100 in backend comps. I would have been better staying in a nicer room on the upfront comp, versus going for a lower room and hoping for backend comps.

    So, like Chuck said, if they're giving you a frontend comp, it means your play covers whatever night they're letting you book. (Unless of course you've finagled a room based on expected play, etc. But if it's a TRUE upfront comp, no strings, you're fine.)

    Secondly, unless you are really confident you're going to get good backend comps, sometimes its not bad to "take the money and run" and just enjoy a good offer versus taking the lowest room possible.

    Just remember, backend comps are always a gamble. Sometimes it pays off to bet on back-end comps by sacrificing a nicer room on an upfront comp, sometimes it doesn't. Whatever you do, enjoy, and congratulations on the comps!!!! :D
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2016
  8. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    I noticed those out of whack prices. I don;t know how it actually works, but my instinct is to say if they let you book those dates, either:

    1. The casino is paying more for those nights, but your play is enough to cover the bump in the single night price
    2. The casino already had a block of rooms booked at a normal price for them, prior to the hotel scheduling whatever event is the reason for the higher price. And you're getting one of those rooms.

    If it's reason 1, your back end comp availability might be affected
    If it's reason 2, back end probably won't be affected
     
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