A week ago today, Planet Hollywood officially became a Total Rewards property. In my latest Vegas Seven column, I talk a little about the behind-the-scenes work that made this possible:P
If you didn’t notice anything unusual at Planet Hollywood recently, don’t feel bad: You weren’t supposed to. But behind the scenes, and occasionally in front of them, a massive operation transformed the property into the eighth Las Vegas casino under Harrah’s Entertainment’s Total Rewards umbrella.
Since its relaunch in 2007, Planet Hollywood has offered players its A-list club, which, like other casino loyalty programs, lets them earn points redeemable for meals, lodging and entertainment with each dollar wagered.
Harrah’s Total Rewards does the same thing on a national scale, letting players bank rewards credits from 35 properties across the United States and Canada. Even before the Planet Hollywood acquisition, Harrah’s has been planning its conversion to the Total Rewards system.
Conversion required more than installing an update patch on a few computers. Technicians had to remove all existing systems, including the core casino management system (which tracks and records play), the lodging management system (which lets the hotel take room reservations) and back-of-the-house systems that track everything from employee hours to ordering and receiving.
via Total Rewards program expands with inclusion of Planet Hollywood | Vegas Seven.
I was able to walk the floor while they were doing the work and talk to many of the people involved in it, and two things struck me: the sheer amount of work involved and the minimal impact it had on customers.
It’s not exactly the Manhattan Project as far as major engineering efforts go, but it’s still pretty impressive.