New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

[dewey089]

Gee, just when I am all revved up and full of good things to say about the El Cortez and the new Renaissance happening in Freemont East, they come up with a new way to frustrate.
Now we can't book for more than 7 nights in any calendar month. I had a seven night booking and added a three night booking and they would not honor it because it gave me 8 nights in November. Nor could I come back later in the month and stay a few nights either.
I guess they figure if I can't lose all my money in 7 nights.....well....I'm not trying hard enough.
I was hoping to actually begin to plan my full 17 night trips there in downtown and around the Cabana suites and whatever freebies I might snatch at the 4 Queens.
Instead, I took the five November nights I could buy in the Cabana and added two nights using the American Casino Guide coupon for Pavillion and then I booked the Gold Spike for a couple nights.
Now I'm looking at Harrah's-now-CET rooms for the end of my trip, and wondering where I will wander in the middle part of the trip.
Also, I'm thinking that I won't be seeding for future room deals by seeding the VP at the EC. I'll drop it at the 4 Queens or MSS if I get VP driven. Better payouts anyway. All my fantasies of seeding enough at the EC to get some freebies and mix that with cheap deals for Cabana rooms, and so stay for my full 17 nights in one spot have dissolved.
Well....unless I can get some hot young blond bit of stuff to book a second Cabana week in her name. Hmmm. I wonder if I can get my wife's permission to pursue that booking strategy.

[keno60]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

Thanks for the info Dewey. By the way I got my senior card. good luck to you.

[dewey089]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

Congratulations Keno. Welcome to the exciting world of buses.
I heard that Albertson's and Walgreen are now selling bus passes, but I don't know if that means all the varieties, if they have a service fee attached, or if that Walgreen's along Fremont has them.

[Blonde4ever]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

I have never heard of any hotel having such a stupid policy!!!!
Hope they re-think this one

[westie]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

I have never heard of any hotel having such a stupid policy!!!!
Hope they re-think this one

I agree. I thought maybe they were limiting the number nights that you can book using discount codes, but I out of curiosity I tried to book at rack rates for more than 7 nights and received an error message.

[ddechenne]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

OK, I admit I don't get that! I mean, what could be the logic behind a policy like that?
There must be some rational answer, but I don't get it.

[dewey089]

Re: New policy of limiting the purchase of rooms at the El Cortez

Well let's put Westie's idea that maybe they didn't want folks to camp out there at cheap prices along with the idea that they did not want folks to make more reservations than they might in the end keep. Those are two that make some sense.
I can't, for example make a throw away insurance early booking reservation knowing I will probably dump it when my freebie nigths come. So they do limit that practice.
However, other places look at the number of days in a row or ask for some days in between.
If you look at the response on the El Cortez Facebook, you see that the responder says that it it a policy that for now they have to honor.
That means to me that some "bean counter" decided this against the better judgement of the folks who must justify it, and once it has a run and gains complaints, it will go away. I encourage you, even if you don't book at the EC, to let them know how stupid this is, even if it just putting a tactful post on their Facebook page.
I am going to do more formal complaining, but I am so confused with next time's booking, that were they to then come back and offer me anything, I would not know where to put it. I was confused before I decided to book in November. Now I am really confused. I need to be sorted out by what freebies I'm offered at Harrah's-now-CET or 4 Queens or Sam's Town- or Eastside Cannery - and that is not happening until late July. Then once I see the holes in my bookings, I'll make my complaints to Mike Nolan and anyone else who will listen. Perhaps by then the policy will be rescinded.

One thing that crosses my mind and worries me is that some math somewhere must be telling these folks that the Fremont East Renaissance is going to make for a shortage of EC rooms. In that case, the EC will want to get the folks in who will gamble ( I am certain hosts have the power to waive this restriction) get them to gamble their dough and then go on their way.
In the short run, I have now talked to three people who book longer than a week and don't want to move from place to place. They may end up just booking at the Gold Spike. The resort fee there has discouraged folks, and their rooms may not be as nice as the Tower or Cabana, but most of the reports on rooms are pretty good and the resort fee does include wifi. Clearly, the GS uses the resort fee to put them into the cheapest category on the discounter lists. When the math is done, they compare about equal to a Cabana at the El Cortez. Parking is harder, swimming is easier.
It used to be I was worried about that walk late at night, but if it seems sketchy I would just go up to the El Cortez and cut through the casino on the way to Fremont. I walked all of Ogden after midnight my last trip and it was full of people and not at all worrisome. Howerer, it may have been atypical as it was a Saturday, and it was a Vegas Streats Fair night.
I am leaning toward the Gold Spike , but there is nothing there for me to play. No live poker. No advantage VP. So I could never combine a paid cheap night booking with some free offers. Still it positions me right for live El Cortez poker, and if I want VP, I'll save my bankroll for MSS and 4 Queens.
For those of you who are booking the EC, remember that it is by calendar month. I have a 7 night booking using booking.com that begins in October, but I expanded it to a 9 night booking by using the American Casino Guide 2 for $30 coupon because that still just gave me seven in one month, November. With two more nights booked at the Gold Spike, I actually went from 10 in a row downtown to 11. I still have a good part of my trip all downtown.
Next year, if I decide I am too old to ride buses with luggage much anymore, I may get my airfare, so I have a full Vegas week in October and see if I can't book 7 nights in October, 5 Cabana and 3 ACG coupon in November and then fill in with freebies for the other 5 or finish up at the Gold Spike.
Because of other committments, I can't do that for my usual April/May trip, but if I end up going late, I may want the Gold Spike pool anyway. I'll see if I like the rooms when I try them this November.
I will also see if I like being so long in a downtown room.