Bye Bye Stations.......

I can't believe that I am saying this after all these years...but I'm done with Stations. Mind you, the first Vegas location that ever gave me a comp was the Palace Station. My first host was Leisa Wells. With a little play they took care of me. Around 2006/7 I discovered, via a free shuttle from Mandalay bay, Green Valley Ranch. They took care of me. Then Sunset, Sante Fe, Aliante (back when they were Stations) and Red Rock. They all took care of me. Slot tourneys, Black jack tourney (last 1 out before the $$ at RR tourney in 2008) free rooms....nothing else but that's all I really need. 3 trips a year to Vegas and I always made it a point to do at least part of my visit at a Stations. Some times 2 ( 2 days at RR, then 2 days at GVR) in the same visit.

Last year ( or was it 2013) I noticed that they changed their format and instead of choosing where I wanted to stay they just offered select locations. And the selections got smaller and smaller with each stay (although my play stayed the same or increased). Heck I made platinum with Stations for the first time in 2013. And yet I went down to just 2/3 casinos in my offers. GVR, RR and Palace Station or Santé fe (or a mixture of those). This year I had a RR offer for 70% days comped, up to 3. A couple of Slot tourney at PS and nothing else.

Any way in anticipation of March Madness (and patiently waiting for my "Hoops on the strip" offer from CET) I decided to book what little Stations/RR had offered me. Sunday-Tuesday 3/22-24 at Red Rock. Low and behold CET comes thru with my "Hoops offer" this week and I'm covered at Ballys from 3/19-24. Sooooo I don't need RR, but I could use 1 night at PS (since its close to Ballys). I called PS and I'm thinking that 1 night, weds 3/18, would be a no brainer for me at PS. My host Leisa had moved to Thailand so I ask for the host on duty, "Toni" who I have never met. After giving her my info and players card number which was on my April showers slot tourney postcard that they sent me, she tells me to hold for a min. She comes back and says that for $19.00 I can get a "courtyard room" for weds night .

Well I'll be dipped in Sh-t!!!! After 10/11 years..that's the best you can do?? I'll take my 2 comped nights at either Southpoint or MSS that I already had booked some time ago. I just called PS because it is closer to Ballys and I have to be at Ballys Thursday morning to pick up my Hoops wristbands and get over to Planet Hollywood by 9 a.m. for breakfast and hoops. Heck I'd pay $24.00 to Silver sevens for a weds night if need be because they are less than a mile from Ballys/PHo. But $19.00 for a courtyard at PS??? After nearly a dozen years of loyalty??

Bye Bye Stations. I just cancelled my Sun-Tuesday at Red Rock.

Champster Station hasn't given a crap about visitors for some time now...

Champster:

I have had things like this happen to me that have really upset me as well. In most cases, it has come from an inexperienced host or boothling.

If you like the property, I would go back and speak to a supervisor and explain what Toni said and that you have been a long time customer. My guess is that they wouldn't want to lose your business over $19.

On the other hand, if you don't care that much about the property, stay away for awhile and see if they generate any "we miss you" offers.

I used to be a regular Stations player but in recent years have not been. Like many others, my free play dwindled. There are a lot of choices out there.

Ted in Chico

Sure offers have dropped off at Stations. For the last few years they have only been for GVR/RR and Sunset...the ones where I play so it didn't bother me much. No more $100 FP, usually $50 and I put thru a minimum of 50K each visit. But it comes down to the machines I like. And there is no beating all the FP slant tops at RR & Sunset. The rooms at RR are excellent and the VIP checkin (and elevators) are great. So I stick with them for a couple of days every visit and keep my President status.

I would like to have a clue...but SCLV is the worst website, encouraging me to check mailers I don't get. WTH. So like a lot of tourists, I deal with boyd downgrading VP, CET's worse paytables (really, I should go to cleveland to keep my status) and pore over post,blogs, lvrj, ad nauseum to find a break not intended for the rich folk. I'll be at HR next weekend and the regionals, in march. Can't sneeze at 4* comps, any more. Good luck!

Sorry ill miss you by 1 week in March!

S'aright, champ, we'll hangout another time. m

Champster etal:

The Toni at PS is Toni Taylor, an experienced host. When my wife and I first started visiting Las Vegas in the mid 90's Palace Station was our place and she was our host. We (like others on this site) have been blown away by the horrible downgrading of offers from the Station properties. We aren't whales by any stretch of the imagination but had no trouble obtaining free room offers every place we played. Of course it has gotten tighter from all the casinos but the most dramatic decline by far has been from Station properties. Our favorite had become RR but we haven't stayed there for 18 months. I just can't figure out what they want. I think our visits will be minimal as long as their attitude stays as it is. Only thing that will cure this is time in my opinion. Enjoy your Hoops sir.

Z-Man

Thanks Z-man!!!