Good bye host, Good Bye Red Rock

My host at Red Rock left shortly before my last visit in August of 2011. My level of play over the 3 nights I stayed last August was at the same rate if not higher than my previous visits and I lost over $1200 during the 3 days. I have stayed at Red Rock twice a year over the last 4 years and was always comped.
I called in May of 2012 to get a new host and was told to contact him before my next visit. I booked my airfare last month with the hopes of staying there in mid-August. The new host said the best he could do was the casino rate of $129 for the Saturday night and $79 weekday with the $25 resort fee added to each night. I explained to him I have been comped during my visits over the last few years and he said "This was the best he can do and understands if I can get better deals elsewhere and choose to stay there."
I am very disappointed as win or lose, I always enjoyed the rooms, pool, casino, restaurants and service of the dealers and staff at Red Rock.
I thought about booking the rooms and then seeing what I can get comped after having my play reviewed but instead I booking 3 nights at Paris and 3 at Red Rock, I was able to stay at Paris for 5 comped nights +50 for the last night with no resort fees. I also saved the cost of renting a car.
Let this be an example for the person who posts a question of "What can a Host Do For You."

Same thing happened to me when my long-term host left Sam's Town - the value of mailers declined, and the new host (to whom I was randomly assigned) didn't want to offer what I had taken for granted in the past.

Some of it is because of the different host, but I also believe that most of the casinos are tightening their offers as well.

I've been thinking of taking my action elsewhere anyway - now is probably the time. I've grown tired of Sam's Town anyway (even though I don't require a lot of amenities). Main Street Station is looking better all the time!

I just heard from my host at the red rock that they have either fired or had 13 hosts quit. If you call my host, Joanie Robinson, I'm sure she could help you. Tell her Bob Levine sent you. If you PM me your name, I'll tell her I know you and sent your there. Never hurts to have an "in" at the RR.

I had a problem with RR last year when my "host" tried to charge me for a night that was comped through a marketing offer. I haven't been back since, although I've had some nice offers from RR and a different host.

Here's what I see happening: The "recession" is going on longer than was expected, and, in general, business is down in Vegas. When the economy first went south, some places were initially very generous, but as hard times have continued, almost every hotel/casino in Vegas has changed direction and become increasingly stingy. Stations is one of these, having come out of a curiously-handled bankruptcy, their attitude is to give customers less and hide that with the hoopla of a new point program.

I think the future of Vegas is very bleak. The Asian market has been lost to Macau and Singapore, few Europeans want to spend the time and money it takes to fly to Vegas, and the Indian casinos in the U.S. have taken away a lot of Vegas' business, and this will only continue to worsen. Vegas' main market, aside from locals, is now Southern California, and as I live there, I can tell you that the economy is not exactly great here, either.

So almost everyplace in Vegas has decided to get what they can while they can. They offer fewer comps, fewer perks, higher room rates, resort fees, declining restaurant quality, decreased room and property maintenance, poorer VP schedules, and tighter machines. Almost all of them, like RR, don't care if you don't like it; their attitude is "take it or leave it." They think that there are enough people who will continue to come, play, and be impressed by a glitzy facade covering a deteriorating situation, and, if not, they'll run things into the ground (as did Colony Capital with LVH), get whatever they can, and take the money and run. I think that more of Vegas has to die before things will get better. In the meantime, unless people are willing to stop going to Vegas altogether, many places will continue to decline in both offerings and quality. Many casinos are playing the game "how low can we go?"

Hosts have little leeway these days. While some of them are nice and try to make their customers happy, others are simply doing as they're told, hoping to keep their job. I've had more than one host in the past five years display what can only be regarded as schizophrenic behavior over a relatively short period of time: first they love you, and later they don't want anything to do with you. But I think, for the most part, they are simply responding to the pressure put on them by the casinos. If you can find a good host, great; but don't expect this to be a lasting relationship.

So you can keep moving around, as I have done, looking for a better place and situation, or you can simply give up on Vegas, and if you want to gamble, go to someplace local. I'll continue to play the game as long as I can see that it's in my favor. But there is a point at which I'm willing to give up on Vegas, and, perhaps, gambling altogether. If my gambling can no longer cover the cost of rooms and food, and/or the quality of these greatly deteriorates, then I'm not willing to continue to play the game. The current attitude of most places in Vegas seems to be that they are being benevolent to customers by allowing them the privilege of losing their money at their establishments.

While paying astronomical air fares to boot

I priced out a trip to Aruba and Hawaii and Vegas is a lot cheaper than those places.

I'm not much of a gambler but CET gives me free weekdays at all their properties in Vegas except Caesars. It's crazy RedRock won't comp a real player.

My host of the last couple of years left too...was told she wanted to spend more time with her family? She was young and had a couple of kids, so it didn't surprise me.
Have already been contacted by two different host via phone and email to let me know they wanted to be there for me...we'll see.
I did book an Oct trip with one of them and he assured me it was comped with my normal extras.

I think part of what you're seeing these days in LV is a reality check of sorts. For many years the money flowed into Vegas and the benifits flowed back out. I'm a confirmed low roller who used to get offers mostly from locals joints like Stations and Coast, that sometimes amazed me. Then came the late 2000s when many companies got caught with their leverage pants down coupled with the economy nailing everyone else. All of a sudden, casinos needed to actually evaluate comp spending against diminishing revenues and adjust. I've been an LVA member many years and when the forums started there were times I was amazed at some comps recieved compared to the action given. In my own case, there were many free rooms I received that I couldn't figure out, but gladly accepted. At worst I was paying deeply discounted prices with minimal play. I think today they are in a position of scrutinizing every comp dollar given, probably overdoing it in some or many cases depending on the property. The companies that have emerged Chapter 11 now have a chance to make some profit afrter ridding themselves of that over leveraged spare tire. Most of the rest are just trying to hang on until things get better.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes