Remember my thoughts about tiered pricing a while ago? In it, I theorized that there would be a convergence between resort fees and “cost certainty” restaurant pricing schemes, like prix fixe at the high(ish) end and buffet passes at the low end. Harrah’s is rolling out a stay-and-buffet deal that I think qualifies. Check out the promo:
Take advantage of great room packages featuring the best buffet offer in years! Stay at least three nights at the Vegas resort of your choice, and enjoy two all-day, unlimited-access buffet passes to any of seven world-class buffets.
There’s a pretty informative comment thread on AccessVegas about my original proposal. My favorite comment? “This will never work, it is too logical, reasonable, and honest to be accepted by the industry.”
Although I think that if something is profitable, it will be accepted, no matter how logical or illogical it is.
This buffet pass/room combo seems like a great casino marketing idea, since if you’ve convinced the person to stay at your hotel and give them a pass to eat at your buffets throughout the Strip, it follows that they’ll be spending most of their time in your casinos, and if they want to gamble, they’ll gamble there. Of course, you’ve got to deliver gambling options that are at least equal to everyone else’s for this to work with players who know what they are looking for (i.e., 3/2 blackjack and full-pay video poker).
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. As I suggested in my original article, these cross-property passes are a logical way for the big companies to leverage their presence in the market.