Some people blithely say, that size does not matter, but when it comes hotel management that is a complete furphy. Many more rooms and banquet areas, means much more work. In the case of a casino and hotel, you have a large space filled with gamblers on pokey machines, and at tables, and then all the hospitality areas around the action to boot. This is a labour intensive operation, with people upstairs above the gambling intently watching for cheats and card counters, and the croupiers on the ground, plus, all the hospitality staff getting drinks and food for the punters.
What Are the Main Differences?
The main business of a normal hotel is renting out rooms for people to stay in; and they may have a range of suites and lesser sized rooms. A casino hotel differs from this model only in that its main business is gaming, with renting out rooms a secondary pursuit, which complements the gaming focus. High rollers, who contribute a considerably higher percentage to the casino hotel’s revenue, are often given complimentary rooms and other freebies to attract their patronage. The casino hotel will provide discounted and free drinks to gamblers to encourage their continued presence on the gaming floor.
Hotels in any city are dependent upon the events and attractions within that city to maintain occupancy rates and the revenue this brings in. Sporting events, musical theatre shows, blockbuster art exhibitions and other cultural events are all big drawcards for cities to attract visitors from far and wide to their shores. Casino hotels are an attraction in themselves and often they contain in-house theatres and stages, where headlining acts perform. Los Vegas has built its international reputation on this model, with the Rat Pack tours of Frank Sinatra and cohorts the most memorable examples of these.
Gambling online poses an industry challenge to bricks and mortar casinos. If punters can gamble anywhere and at any time, then, they are less likely to visit casinos. Professional advice suggests that the gambling dollar has expanded overall, but that casino hotels must emphasise their Points of Difference (POD), with discounted packages on holiday accommodation and other hospitality offerings like free drinks and meals. Plus, of course feature attractions like musical shows and international performing artists can get the punters in the door to enjoy a show and gamble as well.