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LAS VEGAS Nov. 12, 2003 Park Place Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: PPE), which in January will become Caesars Entertainment, Inc., this week passed a major milestone in its campaign to directly market its resort rooms over the Internet. So far this year, the company has sold more than 500,000 domestic room nights through its 18 U.S. web sites, 31 percent more than in all of 2002.
"Selling more than half-a-million room nights directly through our own web sites in less than a year is a major achievement," said Park Place President and Chief Executive Officer Wallace R. Barr.
"Earlier this year, we launched our redesigned family of sites for our major brands -- Caesars, Bally's, Paris, Flamingo, Grand Casinos and Hilton casinos. In a very short time, we have created a set of products that deliver what online customers want most -- accurate information, powerful reservation tools and a well-designed, user-friendly web experience."
Selling rooms online affords greater convenience for customers, reduces costs for resorts and enables resorts to develop closer, long-term relationships with their guests.
Between January 1, 2003 and November 10, Park Place sold more than 506,000 room nights directly through its company-branded web sites. That compares to 386,000 room nights sold through company web sites in all of 2002; 269,000 room nights in 2001 and 114,000 room nights in 2000.
Hotel room nights booked through company web sites in the first 10 months of 2003 increased 61 percent over the same period in 2002. The figure was up 45 percent over the first 10 months of 2001. Those figures do not include rooms booked online through third-party web sites or through referrals to Park Place call centers.
In the first nine months of 2003, more than 26 percent of all independent travelers (those not associated with a convention, group or business meeting) who stayed at Park Place casino resorts in Las Vegas booked their rooms through Park Place web sites. That was up from 18 percent in the first nine months of 2002.
Earlier this year, Park Place shared top honors for delivering the best online customer experience in the casino resort industry, according to a study compiled by The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that tracks how large corporations treat their customers online.
The company's main site, www.parkplace.com, also was named "Best Web Site" in the gaming industry by the American Gaming Association. The award was announced at the 2003 Global Gaming Expo, the industry's largest trade show, held in Las Vegas.
Park Place web sites are designed to make it easier than ever for guests to reserve their hotel rooms over the Internet and access detailed information about the latest attractions, events and amenities at Park Place casino resorts. Features include:
-- Convenient, easy-to-find reservation booking engines on each resort home page.
-- Comprehensive, "one-stop" information about resort attractions, including shows, restaurants, shops, spas, golf courses and other leisure activities.
-- Online access to a wider variety of rooms (including upgraded rooms and suites at many resorts).
-- Multiple room reservations in a single transaction.
-- Special calendars that highlight dates when the most attractive rates are available.
-- Event and entertainment calendars that encourage guests to visit for a special event or a performance by their favorite entertainer.
-- Valuable guest packages at many Park Place resorts that include gaming tournaments, weddings and other popular resort features.
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