Good Morning Everyone!
My photo you see above, is a photo within a photo taken at The Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas, on the second floor.
Today's topic gives you a little history lesson of Las Vegas.
I like to call it -
NOW AND THEN IN LAS VEGAS
37 years ago we visited Las Vegas for the first time, staying at the once Maxim Hotel and Casino ( now The Westin Las Vegas). West of us, down the same street, was the grand MGM Resort (now Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino).
I remember seeing the MGM’s billboard sign featuring Sammy Davis Jr. My wife and I were young (in our 20’s) whippersnappers, pretty much green to anything Vegas. The biggest luxurious spot in town to see, was no other then Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Back then, it was one of the most expensive places to stay at, dreaming one day we would get a chance to rub shoulders with the rich.
The MGM (now Bally's) is the same hotel, where 37 years ago today, it was devastated with a deadly fire. November 21, 1980 The MGM Grand started with an electrical fire on the main floor (and due to it lacking sprinklers), it engulfed the casino and upper floors in just minutes. Unfortunately 85 people were killed and hundreds injured. It's still considered the worst disaster.
That's my biggest fear. The thought of a fire while staying in one of the tower rooms in Las Vegas. To me, that would be my worse nightmare. However, today, it's a good thing Vegas Resorts have excellent fire sprinklers and quick response times in any event to fires.
Undoubtedly they learned a hard lesson about safety, in those earlier years.
ABOUT THE MAXIM HOTEL AND THE CASINOS
The Maxim Hotel and Casino in the 1980’s was pretty modern and bustling with tourists, like us. I believe the small pool was located on the 4th floor. The Casino on the main floor was hopping with the fun slot machines ( you know…the ones YOU actually won - go figure! ) and tables featuring the usual card games. Having no idea what I was doing, I sat down at a Blackjack table, making sure to pick the one with no one else. I made the error of telling the young girl it was my first time playing Blackjack, thinking she would show me how to play.
Well, did I learn an expensive lesson.
I gave her $20 ( which to me was a lot of money back then) thinking she would exchange it. Nope - she quickly slid it into a slot. Immediately, a cocktail waitress offered me a drink. Having no idea I played my first game of Blackjack, loosing within seconds. Looking at her puzzled, I thought my $20 would be enough for a few more games. She said to me,” No sir. You played your twenty.” I argued it was a two dollar table, still puzzled. She just looked at me blankly and said,” Sir! Are you going to play again?” I shook my head in disbelief and quietly left the table, licking my financial wounds of embarrassment.
After that, my wife and I stuck to slots machines, ever since.
37 years later, you would think I give the tables a try, but just that incident made me stay away. Maybe that's a good thing.
Back then, coins were used for the slots, from pennies to quarters. The only place I saw a dollar or five dollar machines, were at Caesars Palace. Do you remember all the little buckets of coins we would carry to the cashiers? Sometimes it took the two of us, like a tag team - lol. Our hands were black with all the coins we were handing. But, the thing is. In the 1980’s we won. You rarely win today, and if you do, it's not as near as what we won back then. I believe the casino’s shot themselves in the foot by being greedy.
Basic math and advertising features are clear.
If a group of customers win at the slots or tables, they will brag of their winnings to their friends and family. In turn, it snowballs, where you get a frenzy of excitement, leading to more customers at your door. On top of that, the hotels featured excellent late night / early morning Food Specials, such as Steak and Eggs for $2.99. You would actually wait up until the wee hours to get that special. Meanwhile you're spending more at the slot machines or tables - lol.
Today, the whole corporate thinking has changed.
With more about charging extra Resort fees, Parking and high prices on breakfast, lunch, dinner and buffets. Las Vegas is no longer the place to go for cheap meals. Mind you, the attraction are the profession Chefs, with great Fine Dining options. Celebrity Chefs, such a Chef Ramsey are flocking in to make their kill on high-priced hamburgers.
Who would of thought one would be paying $25 for a hamburger- go figure!
It's unfortunate the younger generation will never experience those fun old days in Las Vegas, where cheap meals were a drawing card and Resort fees were never heard of. However, we never saw so much luxury in Las Vegas.
Personally, I believe, if the Vegas Resorts loosen up the slot machines and give YOU a chance at the tables, word would catch like fire, in good way! Word-of-mouth is still the best kind of advertising around. Do you need to pay corporate CEO’s millions of dollars per year, to please the shareholders with the bottom dollar ?
NO, is my answer.
My daughter’s tell me today,”Dad, why should we go and spend our money in Vegas, when there's no winnings in the casino? We might as well spend our money at a competitor, like Hawaii or Mexico,”
AND - that's the problem Vegas has presented itself.
In my time, Las Vegas was considered the cheapest and FUN holiday to go to. It's no longer the cheapest. AND here's the problem - you may get your customers to Vegas once or twice, but there isn't any incentive to keep coming back. It's so important to have that DRAWING CARD to keep your members coming back on a regular basis.
The thing is though, because of the number of people visiting Las Vegas per year (40 million) the Resorts have figured out, they don't have to care, it's the numbers, that keep them in business.
BUT - now, you must keep to that ratio of numbers in order to survive.
Running a mega Resort in Las Vegas is expensive, costing millions of dollars a day. The overhead is indeed a killer. The smaller and older hotels can suffer greatly.
It's kind of like the Mafia system - where they used to bleed the hotel or restaurant, everything it's worth, and then discard it by illegal means (like say a fire, for example) collecting the insurance. Today, corporate business use the legal form, called bankruptcy. A hotel will go bankrupted, it's taken over by another business and history will repeat itself, as tax payers and lean-holders, take the fall in this elaborate, legal, cost effective operation.
Of course, the Rich, the Whales (high rollers) and professional card players don't have to worry. They receive a ton of free comps, we middle-class, will never see.
I don't think my rich friend has ever spent a nickel on rooms, shows or restaurants. His comps get him through the week.
In conclusion, everyone has some kind of scam, trying to bet the odds in their favour. My question is, how about being honest. How about attracting customers the good old fashion way - Word of Mouth. Let's see better odds at the slots and tables. Bring out incentives to bring your customers back. Think of it like a PRODUCT. Everlasting sales on a good viable product bring better returns in the long run. Short spurts with gimmicks only last so long, burning out fast!
BUT - what do I know. I'm just a customer.
I hope you enjoyed my topic today. Betting on the fact, you're getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving and a blockbuster start into the holidays with Black Friday.
WILL we see you in Las Vegas this holiday weekend, celebrating Thanksgiving?
LIKE if you are. If you don't like, that means you aren't.
Thanks for following!
Have a wonderful holiday Vegas Lovers and as always - I will See YOU in Vegas !
