Jose Alvarado
Bell Captain, Plaza Hotel and Casino
by Greg Jones
Jose Alvarado has been in the gaming industry for 11 years—three at the Stratosphere and eight at the Plaza Hotel and Casino—but he’s been in the people business as far back as he can remember. His parents owned a small grocery store, which he started working at as a young child. The lessons he learned about the importance of hard work and customer service during his formative years have stuck with him, and they allow him to excel in his current position as bell captain at the Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas. He does everything from helping people with their luggage, scheduling car services and taxi pickups and tracking down elusive show tickets, to directing the property’s guests to restrooms, restaurants and bus stops. Sometimes this can get tedious, but Alvarado likes to lighten the mood by joking around with the customers. “The important thing is to have fun,” he says. “The gaming industry is all about people and it’s all about fun.” Joking with customers, telling them there is no bathroom at the Plaza or no bar in the casino is how Alvarado likes to lighten the mood. “We sometimes deal with the same questions over and over, but if you’re smiling and joking, you can have a little fun with the customers and it helps breaks the monotony,” he says. “People come to Las Vegas to have a good time, and it’s our job to help them in any way we can.” At the Plaza, Jose knows all!
Greg Jones is the managing editor of the Nevada issue of
Casino Connection, as well as the associate editor of
Global Gaming Business.
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