Travel FanboyThe Plaza’s vision statement is “The Place to Be Downtown”. If we’re honest, that hasn’t necessarily always been the case. The Plaza’s CEO, Jonathan Jossel, certainly looks to change that. In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Jonathan about the Plaza, what changes are being made, and the state of the downtown community. To hear the full interview, you can use the media player above, or download the episode via iTunes or most other podcast players. Here are few things we discuss:
- Update on the rooftop pool renovation at the Plaza
- Plaza’s positioning in the downtown landscape
- The importance (?) of marketing to Millennials
- The focus on skill-based gaming
- How the Plaza can continue to serve a strong gambling market
- What the Plaza is doing well and what it how it can improve
- Where you can find Jonathan hanging out on the property
A big thanks to Jonathan for doing this. It’s a lot of fun talking to people who are making decisions which ultimately affect our Vegas experiences. One thing I’d like to share, that ultimately did not make it into the final cut for continuity reasons, is that when Jonathan called me, I was prepared to get right into the questions. However, he took the time to ask me about the show, about you listeners, and the like. Unless he’s a phenomenal actor, he seems to be genuinely interested in the consumer experience. S0, I’m confident that Jonathan is sincere when he says he would like to know what you and I think about the Plaza and what it can do better.
What do you think about the Plaza and the state of gaming downtown? Leave a comment about what you like or, perhaps, what you think could be improved.
Feature photo: Plaza by joepyrek via CC BY-SA 2.0
In my March Madness trips over the last several years, my gambling at the Plaza has been limited to low-dollar poker tournaments, coupon-related free play VP, and the occasional hundred-dollar buy-in at five-dollar craps or blackjack. The last time I actually booked a room there was around 2004. Suddenly this winter I got a mailer for three free nights, including weekends. I’ve been wondering whether this was part of some broad-based marketing strategy or just some kind of computer glitch. I’m booked there for four nights in March and plan to give them more play, so we’ll see what happens.
I think they’re starting to become a bit more aggressive in their mailer campaigns. Be sure to let me know how the trip goes. Would love to hear about your experience! You can email or call the voicemail hotline.
I don’t know if this is still relevant, but I’ll pass the info along anyway.
So, the Plaza….they’re doing some things right. The rooms were a lot nicer than they were in 2004; clean, new-ish furniture, and no holes in the wall. The best thing about the hotel was that the ice machines were functional. During our last stay, we had to go to at least three different floors to get any ice.
The have full pay video poker at the bar, which is a huge deal to us. When the books are crowded and the casinos jack up the minimum bet for drink tickets, we like to settle in at the bar, watch the games on TV and get free drinks while we play video poker. Slowly. Very. Slowly. And getting a good pay schedule makes that experience even better.
Their evening entertainment is kitschy, and there’s even a dance floor, making for a fun environment. It really reminds me of the old Omaha Lounge, where the music was just as awful but the bands seemed to take themselves too seriously.
But there were some troubling aspects as well. First, somebody thinks they are the Bellagio. Table game minimums were consistently ten dollars and up. The Cal, Gate, MSS, etc. are all just a brief stroll away and have five dollar tables all the time. Consequently, we never did play any table games here.
The Plaza inexplicably selected Saturday during MM weekend to close their poker room. I mean, what the hell? I realize that if it’s not making money they need to close it; but to suddenly make that decision on one of the busiest weekends of the year? Sheesh.
The pool wasn’t yet open in March, so we didn’t get to see that. Overall, I’d probably stay here again if they compete on room prices with Four Queens or El Co. But they aren’t MSS or the Nugget, and, if they see them as the competition (as implied by the table game minimums), I think their marketing efforts are doomed.
Totally is relevant. I agree with you, they are very much doing some things right. I’d count the new pool in that. A much needed amenity for a resort downtown. I, like you, don’t mind playing VP there, but never felt comfortable at their table games for some reason. I’ve found them kind of “meh”, especially when you compare them to the lively atmosphere of other, nearby casinos.
I was disappointed by the poker room closure as well. From what I know, it was due to the poker pro table providers, not necessarily a choice made by the Plaza. Though, given that poker hasn’t returned, it doesn’t seem like they’re too upset about it.
Totally is relevant. I agree with you, they are very much doing some things right. I’d count the new pool in that. A much needed amenity for a resort downtown. I, like you, don’t mind playing VP there, but never felt comfortable at their table games for some reason. I’ve found them kind of “meh”, especially when you compare them to the lively atmosphere of other, nearby casinos.
I was disappointed by the poker room closure as well. From what I know, it was due to the poker pro table providers, not necessarily a choice made by the Plaza. Though, given that poker hasn’t returned, it doesn’t seem like they’re too upset about it.