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Published Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 | 6:54 p.m.
Updated Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 | 6:54 p.m.
The economic slump has Las Vegas casinos blitzing the Internet with offers that include free rooms, half-price show tickets and airplane vouchers for future trips.
The Excalibur is filling a new niche, so to speak, for the gluttonous crowd.
The budget property is offering unlimited, all-day access to its buffet for $25. One can only imagine how much damage can be done to a roast or pasta platter in 24 hours.
Like many surprising hotel bargains these days, it's something of a social experiment. Or maybe a Pavlovian one.
The offer is available to customers who offer an e-mail address when they sign up for a MGM Mirage player card.
I have to admit....it's a new angle. I call it reinventing.They should call it a "all day pig out" Now where did I put the tums???
the thing is.....will Excalibur pay the doctor when the customers eating all day realized that after 1 week or so they have "piggened-out"? And how is going to pay the charges when somebody sues Excalibur for ballooning-up its clients so they can't walk straight anymore?
For those who visit Vegas and spend their time like they are on a cruise ship (eat, gamble, rest, repeat), this will allow them more nickels for the gamble part of cycle.
What are the details of this offer? What are the hours? Does it include breakfast, lunch and dinner? Just wondering. Regards, Hal
My rough guess is that you will probably get some sort of a voucher or an arm bracelet that works as a passe-partout to the buffet anytime you feel hungry again. Watch out: 3x a day buffets is a guaranteed way to pigg-up and reach-explosion-size :)
Why encourage people to overeat, for some fostering obesity and poor well being?
Oh, I get it, to lure them into the property to eat and maybe a few pulls of the handles on the way in or out.
I don't see where this necessarily encourages over-eating. When they sent me this promotion they explained that I would be given a ticket and could enter a special line. I view it as a way of treating it like my own home fridge. Visit when I'm hungry and only sample that which I want at the time. Maybe a bowl of fruit, coffee and juice in the morning and light meals throughout the day and evening. Is it worth $25 bucks? That depends on the person. I don't buy into the gluttony argument. Regards, Hal
I think it's aimed at the guests of the hotel kind of like a food arm band. But hey I might give it a go.
Ok, I can see that it does not necessarily give way to overeating. yes, many people will be responsible using this promotion.
ever eat at the excaliber buffet? you would't want to eat $25.00 worth of food
old rule: All You can Eat buffet.
new rule: Eat till you explode,or piggen-up :)))
To get me to one of their buffets now will require that they pay me and then make the buffet free to me... You see, as a local I remember all too well how we were treated when we wanted to attend allegedly sold-out shows...sorry, we don't have any openings, yet calling back, faking it as a tourist, oh, yes we can fit you in for the 8:00 p.m. show...
I remember...and like the proverbial elephant...I wont forget. Screw 'em all...may they go to financial hell
vestini
you sound quite disappointed about the way the casinos have been treating you (locals). Let me throw in my opinion, not as a tourist, but as a gambler myself:
I noticed from the almost countless visits in Las Vegas that there are obviously these 2 groups for customers. Locals, and tourists. There are also frequent tourists, weekend tourists, or first time visitors who mainly go there to take pictures, and then there are guys like me, visiting from overseas every 6 months, just because Vegas is fun and is offering more than any other gambling destination in the world for a much better price.
However, I play poker a lot and notice the way some "locals" behave at the tables, and how it is when you are sitting among all but locals. Believe me, the fun factor is missing when I remember the days at the Mirage in the tight 10-20 stud games, full of locals. Or the 20-40 hold'em game where even the tiniest error caused by me was taken as an advantage. Or perhaps the fact that locals used to tip 50 cents or nothing while a tourist regularly tipped the dealer 1 or 2 dollars for the same sized pot. Still, today, after more than 15 years of poker, I prefer the locals' games, like the ones at the South Point with the funny night crew of overworked people who add a couple of hours of poker before they go sleep, etc. Although winning is harder there, it's more fun playing there but in the high limit games on the Strip.
I understand that when you live and must survive in Vegas, it's a different thing as if you come there for 10 days or so and have money to spend on your vacation budget, win or lose don't matter. Nevertheless, it happened not just once that I quit playing in a game because the guys sitting at the table were extremely rude and tough. There's no reason to be rude against other people you have never seen in your life before and who you try to beat at the tables for their money.
Still, I don't like Las Vegas Boulevard any longer. Today, when I goto Vegas, I play at red rock, South Point, or SunCoast, and such. It's because I like the better odds at the machines, and the more realistic Vegas atmosphere. The Strip Casinos have turned too "artificial" and too "greedy". This is the time for them to make a decision. That is, lowering the room rates and the buffet fees, and of course, also make better deals for the Vegas citizen. Not treating you as 2nd class people, but also , it is sometimes important that Vegas locals also adjust their attitude. Sometimes, it's how they dress and show up at the casino, and sometimes it's how you talk. This was just a little input.
Greetings from Switzerland
Here is the link
http://www.excalibur.com/buffetallday/
BUFFETS ARE THE BIGGEST WHITE TRASH THING I'VE EVER SCENE WHY NOY HAVE ALL THE BUSCH BEER YOU CAN DRINK WHILE WATCHING NASCAR AND WHAT 2 FOR 1 LOUIE ANDERSON TICKETS . I'D RATHER PAY TO WATCH ARTIE LANGE SLEEP ON THE HOWARD STERN SHOW
BABA BOOEY TO ALL
I like it.
It's like being at home so you can munch when you want as long as it is open, and you don't need to pig-out because you want to try and eat more than you paid for.
Good idea and supper dinner offer by the gang in marketing.
Now for those out there who don't get it; it is only a 19.97 savings for a single person, or if you are a couple (two-fer) it is cheaper to do the 2-for-1 deal, or it would cost you about 2.50 more if you don't pair up.
For all you folks out there that think it will save the casino' and bring in bus loads of people, think again, this is a local gimmy to help the locals enjoy a day out, as are most things around town with a 20% discount for showing a Navada ID.
I like it.
I on the other hand enjoy myself at the tables, so the free shows or dinners I get as comp. are nice, and they just round off my visits.
LV is still the best deal the world over and I always hope the city and it's many behind the sceens workers fair well, even when I tip 5.00 for a glass of DC or water at a table game. I play 10K and tip around 300-450 hundred a night even if the service in poor, but it is not out of weakness just out of kindness and love of the idea of what LV is to me, not what it is becoming (new crowds or residents).
LV is like a child growing and changing through the ages, if only people could see that, and not be so hung-up on how to get over on the next person.
It is only by giving that you recieve rewards far greater than the principal. Customer service investments are measured by customer returns.
Viva Las Vegas
I don't fault the Excalibur, or owner MGM Mirage, for trying such an incentive in the Las Vegas market.
In all truth, the success of the American casinos industry has been largely built upon on the prospect of creating a better mousetrap in which to lure and capitalize.
Cruise ships have run an all-you-can-eat format successfully for years and years, with some variation. Why should the Excalibur, which offers similar amenities, albeit on a different scale, be held to any different standard?
$25.00 for all day mowing is not a good deal. Do they charge more for beverages? I'm guessing they do.
My idea of a good deal is $4.99 prime rib. Or $0.99 shrimp coctail. Or all the free beer til you barf.
This deal is garbage and most people see right through it. You can eat three square meals at that buffet for the $25, and they're still probably making money off you.
The best deal, if anybody is thinking through, that's the 2-for-1 coupons, available in magazines, journals, etc. American Casino Guide etc. That's the real deal! You have the choice to go eat wherever you want, and when you go, it's half off, or 2-fer-1. I love it. Whenever I come to Vegas, a major percentage of my luggage is stuffed with those coupons, making sure that I will not have to pay full when I go to the all-you-can-eat-show.
Now if they do this at Bellagio, Wynn or Paris I will come.
The Wynn Buffet for 30 dollars/day. unlimited returns, unrestrained stomach expansion. that would be a guaranteed super deal and piggen-up guarantee. I am sure it would make the buffet line grow till Las Vegas Boulevard.
Now all they have to do is make an all day beer fest and we can all watch the vomit buckets fill up. God, you've gotta love it. VEGAS BABY !!
Overheard one day......
"I'd like to welcome you to the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.
The Casino is straight ahead, Hotel access is behind you. The Buffet is on the right, and the Vomitorium is on the left". Enjoy your stay at the Excalibur".
Actually they should do this at Caesars. A Vomitorium would fit the theme perfectly.
hey.is this just for locals?probably seems everyting has been set up to help them.i see the same things going on in miss. new jersey as vegas. the locals are a pain.i travel a lot and have seen it all.i all most seem like a local in some locations.let me know about these 25 dollar deals.be the for a couple mths.mid july. vern
This is one of my favoraite sites to visit: http://www.video-poker-spielbank.com and play online. Just because when you play online you don't need to dress up, you can just have fun in your home, eat whatever you like. And cooking is more fun then eating something that the casino gives. But that is only my information.
If one looks at the carpet closely they'll see hoof marks disguised as human foot prints. These cattle calls really blur the line between grazers on the ranch, i.e your Holsteins and your Herefords and the bloated whales on the buses, i.e your Midwesterners and Canadians. I just wonder where those tour buses dump their discharge after the herd stampedes through for seconds, thirds fourths and the all the likely fifths.
Never the second hand smoke from the mannequinny, three decade smoking casino worker. That smoke ain't nothin' compared to the methane filtering out of the hotel sheets where these bovines dressed as tourists rest their weary innards for the night.
Ah the Casino executives are slowly getting it.. keep going fellas..