Caesars Entertainment Announces Hour and Service Reduction for VIP Lounges

The Caesars Casino rewards program members were surprised to hear that the brand is cutting hours and services at its VIP lounge areas. Players will have shorter time frames to access the Laurel Lounges in Atlantic City, and hot food will no longer be offered. Members were alerted via email about the changes. The New Jersey casino members must visit from Friday to Sunday to access the lounge.

Caesars Entertainment is cutting corners, and it's unclear why the changes were made to the VIP lounge areas. Players were used to longer hours of operation and hot food in the specialty lounges. These were the perks of being a higher-level rewards member. Members are now restricted to just three days and cannot access hot food, which is a major drawback for many players.

Laurel Lounges are located in Atlantic City at the Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana properties. The lounge spaces were reserved for members with diamond-level status within the Caesars Rewards program. This includes Diamond Plus, Diamond Elite, and Seven Stars.

The lounge included free meals and alcohol for those with higher tier status. The company has decided to eliminate its Laurel Lounges in Las Vegas and will cut back operations in other states, including New Jersey.

Those with higher status within the reward program are unhappy with the changes. Long-time members feel they are not receiving a good return on their investment based on the changes at Caesars properties. Members will spend large amounts on a regular basis to reach the higher elves and enjoy the perks. Some even spend more towards the end of the year to obtain a higher status.

The changes to the Laurel Lounge spaces came quickly and without notice. Many feel this was a bait-and-switch tactic. Certain players would not have spent as much if they knew the lounges were closing. Over the past weekend, posts began popping up on social media to reflect the casino’s decision negatively.

With all the negative comments, it could be that Caesars may see a large dip in player retention. High rollers may look elsewhere for more perks, especially similar ones to those players were used to and expected from Caesars.

Caesars Entertainment was purchased by Eldorado Resorts Inc. in 2020 and, since that time, has spent almost $428 million in Atlantic City on the company’s three casinos. Was the money mismanaged, and that is why the VIP rooms are now closing as a way to save funds? It seems the new owner would want to ensure players are treated well and would be returning patrons, particularly those who are big spenders.

As Caesars looks to eliminate perks, Hard Rock Atlantic City begins a new program known as Unity. The card option has replaced the Wild Card Rewards program at the casino in New Jersey. Hard Rock players have been waiting almost a year for the new reward card to drop.

Former members of Wild Card were moved to Unity, carrying over any perks or rewards. The Unity Card includes free play on slots, with players having up to 90 days to use the credits. Hard Rock Casino tier credits are earned via slot and table play, with point totals indicating the player's tier level. The higher your tier level, the more benefits you can unlock.

100 Unity points equals $1. The points are valid until you use them but will expire after six months of inactivity. Will Caesars players see Hard Rock's new Unity program as a nice alternative to the losses seen from Caesars Rewards? Hard Rock unknowingly picked a great time to launch its new rewards option.