harrahs

Former Football Player To Open New Orleans Restaurant

The latest sports celebrity with a restaurant will be former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. Manning will open a restaurant in association with the Harrah's Hotel and Casino complex in downtown New Orleans. The restaurant, called Manning's, will be on Fulton Street and will have a bar and a courtyard. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the first of the year and the restaurant is scheduled to open in fall 2011. No word on what type of food will be served yet but there have been rumors that it will be a sports bar. The Fulton Square area is already home to Ruth's Chris, Gordon Biersch Restaurant, Grand Isle and Ernst Cafe.

Tags: archie manning, harrahs, new orleans restaurants, new orleans saints

Harrah's Total Rewards Program Adds Shopping; Spa Perks

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Wealth

Want to live like a high roller? Sure, we all do. But what if your luck at the Blackjack and Poker tables is ... non-existent? Harrah's Entertainment, owners of 39 casino and hotel properties throughout the world, has now made earning top tier (Diamond or Seven Star) membership in their Total Rewards loyalty program even easier. Members can now earn points through dining, shopping, entertainment and spa purchases at any of their branded locations.

Customers will earn one Reward Credit for every dollar they spend and one Tier Credit for every $5 spent. Thus, every $5 purchase equals four Rewards Credits and one Tier Credit, for a total of five Total Rewards Credits.

Membership in the Total Rewards program, like many loyalty benefit groups, is simple - just sign up at a participating casino location. When you've registered, you'll receive a card that can be activated with every purchase made at a property or participating partner business. Like an electronic fingerprint, the casinos use these cards to track purchases made, monies gambled and time spent doing different types of activities to determine both your level of play and your personal preferences. At higher levels, these preferences can mean exceptionally personalized service, right down to the type of room you prefer and the kind of soda you'd like in your room upon arrival.

All members are automatically given access to the Gold Tier of benefits. To earn Platinum status, members must earn a total of 4,000 tier credits in a calendar year. To earn Diamond status, members must earn 11,000 tier credits in a year. Seven Star status, the chain's most elite level, must earn 100,000 credits. Approximately 400,000, less than 10 percent of all Total Rewards members, achieve this status. One Tier Credit equals $5 in reel slot machines, and $10 in video slot play; table game credits vary based on type of game and average amount of play. A single Tier Credit has a cash value of $.01.

These members enjoy perks like dedicated lines at all restaurants and outlets, special lounge access for complimentary food and beverage, a special check-in, limousine transfers to and from the airport, and perks like VIP access to movie screenings and private events. A listing of all perks available is outlined in this chart.

Total rewards partners include Starwood Hotels, Norwegian Cruise Line, HawaiianMiles and a special Total Rewards Visa card.

This writer's visit to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino was sponsored by Harrah's, but all opinions expressed in the article are her own.

Tags: harrahs, harrahs entertainment, Las Vegas, las vegas hotels, las vegas strip

Harrah's Campaigns Against Las Vegas Resort Fees

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Hate the "resort fee" tagged onto your stay at a Las Vegas hotel? You aren't alone. The Strip hotels often use the resort fee as a way to charge for amenities like the pool, gym and wireless internet. The problem isn't the money necessarily (which is generally around $20 to $30) as much as it is the principle of the thing. It's disconcerting to arrive at a hotel expecting to pay one price and then be handed a bill with additional fees. Harrah's Entertainment, which owns several of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip including Paris, Rio and Planet Hollywood, instituted a "no resort fee" policy last month. The company has gone on to create a Facebook page for the "fight against Las Vegas resort fees." The company sees money in their decision, creating a designated hotel booking website for the company's Las Vegas properties called vegasnoresortfees.com. They hope to attract internet searchers seeking to avoid the fees. Harrah's has also created a contest for the chance to win $21,900, the equivalent of a $20 resort fee each day for three years.

[via Las Vegas Sun]

Tags: harrahs, las vegas, las vegas hotels

Harrah's Takes Over Management Of Planet Hollywood

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In 2007 the former Aladdin resort in Las Vegas opened as Planet Hollywood. Now the resort is going through another change. Effective tomorrow Harrah's Entertainment will manage the hotel operations at Planet Hollywood while it negotiates with lenders to buy the hotel. Planet Hollywood recently opened an expansion tower and has 2,500 rooms plus another 1,200 units that include vacation homes.

"Harrah's has been in discussions with Planet Hollywood and its lender group regarding a restructuring of the ownership of the resort. We continue to work on a plan that would allow Harrah's to own and manage the entire casino resort property," said Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah's Entertainment in a press release. "In the meantime, we are pleased to take on the management of the Planet Hollywood Hotel for the current owners."

Planet Hollywood defaulted on an $860 million loan last fall. While there isn't an official deal for Harrah's to take over Planet Hollywood yet it has applied with Nevada gambling regulators for a license to run the property. Planet Hollywood has a prime location next to the Paris Las Vegas hotel on the Strip which Harrah's also owns. Harrah's also owns Caesar's Palace, the Flamingo and several other properties.

Tags: harrahs, las vegas, LasVegas, planet hollywood, PlanetHollywood

Harrah's Launches Total Experiences Program

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Planning your group stay in Las Vegas just got a little more streamlined if you are staying at one of the Harrah's Entertainment properties. The brand has launched Total Experiences, a new service that offers complimentary trip planning and insider access for friend and family travel, including milestone birthdays, bachelor parties, girlfriend getaways, reunions and golf trips.

Each group is connected with their own Total Experiences Specialist (one of the friendly faces shown above) who handles all details of the group's itinerary both before and during their stay, booking all reservations, offering insider recommendations, and arranging VIP privileges. It is available to groups of six or more who book at any U.S.-based Harrah's Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and beyond, including Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah's Resort Atlantic City. Guests pay for only what they book and can include upgrades like VIP check-in, access to private lounges, VIP club entry, celebrity meet-and-greets, private gaming lessons and behind-the-scenes tours. Trip planning includes on- and off-resort activities like unique insider experiences such as the exclusive chef's table at Guy Savoy or a private gaming table in the Pussycat Doll pit.

Source

Tags: atlantic city, AtlanticCity, bachelor party, BachelorParty, destination wedding, DestinationWedding, harrahs, las vegas, LasVegas, party planning, PartyPlanning, total experiences, TotalExperiences