I'm going to start this last one off with a story that has two benefits. It happened to me so I have first-hand knowledge of it and it also happens to be true.
A few years back, right after the opening of Golden Nugget Lake Charles, I received an e-mail offer that seemed too good to be true. I got with a friend and we agreed that visiting this place would be a fine time so I booked two rooms, by calling a number, for a night and we were ready to roll.
Fast forward to us arriving. The deal WAS too good to be true. It was a "space available" offer handled by a 3rd party and there was no space available. So, there we were, facing our friends having to admit that we screwed the pooch, and without rooms for the night.
Fortunately I had status at the hotel next door and we were able to score a couple of rooms at a very reduced rate for the weekend. But lesson learned, since that time I always call and confirm my reservations with the front desk, restaurant, my host, etc. prior to leaving on any trip.
The company that I booked with is no longer in business and, as I understand it, deals like that these days are few and far between because of the fact that people got tired of showing up and finding no space was available and they had no rooms. In short, it was a bad idea that died a quick business death.
With modern reservation systems and most (not all but most) restaurants using either Open Table or Seven Rooms or some other 3rd party app for their reservations systems it's highly unlikely that your reservation will not be cancelled without notice.
In fact, it's most likely that you'll get an e-mail or Text asking you to confirm.
In either case, I urge you to answer these e-mails and texts and get confirmation from them (and save it) that your reservation is valid. I did have one time where I did this, and the establishments computers went bonkers, but my reservation was honored because I produced the confirmation text.
If you call in and speak with a person and get a reservation be sure to call in and confirm a couple of days before your trip. This is best for spa appointments, pool cabanas, day-beds etc. Believe me, there's nothing worse than having something like this planned and showing up and they have you no where in the system and everything is booked up.
The above goes double for restaurants and bars (if said bar requires a reservation).
The thing about casino trips is that they can be a good time and they offer many experiences under the same roof. Nicer casino resorts offer gambling, pools, spas, fine dining and a host of other entertainment options. While customer service and a well ran property can help you alleviate many headaches, a little prior-planning and preparation can elevate your travel experience from just OK, to outstanding.
Ultimately, having a good trip is up to you. Yes, their are things out of your control which can be frustrating, but many of the things that go wrong are firmly in your wheelhouse of control. Just as you can have a better flight experience by understanding and knowing how airports and airlines work, you can really enhance your casino experience by understanding how they work.
Happy travelling, I hope you enjoyed this short series and at least took something away that either reminded you of something you knew and might have overlooked, or provided you with some new travel insight.
Good luck.
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