Vegas - $20 trick

EyeSight

Does this actually work? I am booking a standard room in the Pink flamingo and heard the urban myth that on check-in you should give the receptionist a $20 bill and ask for an upgrade. If there's a suite available you'll get it at no extra cost

Have people here done this? Did it always work for you?
I'll be there from a Monday-Thursday in November so i assume they will have available suites. But i'd feel so awkward doing this

The Backwards Man

EyeSight wrote: »

Does this actually work? I am booking a standard room in the Pink flamingo and heard the urban myth that on check-in you should give the receptionist a $20 bill and ask for an upgrade. If there's a suite available you'll get it at no extra cost

Have people here done this? Did it always work for you?
I'll be there from a Monday-Thursday in November so i assume they will have available suites. But i'd feel so awkward doing this

Extremely unlikely you'll get a suite unless you are already booked in a above basic room but more often than not when you will get an upgrade of some kind. Just slip the receptionist a $20 bill discreetly between your credit card and passport when checking in and ask if they can do anything for you (apparently a fifty works even better:pac:) worst they can say is no and give you your money back. Don't worry about it being underhand or illegal, it's just one of those quirky open secrets that make Vegas tick.

Never stayed in the Flamingo but I have heard it is quite easy to upgrade there, most important thing though is the earlier you get to check-in the more choice of rooms will be available.

greeno

Got upgraded to a bigger room with a strip view this June in the MGM would probably have cost 60-80 bucks more a night so was well worth the 20 for 3 nights. Unlikely to get a suite as a lot of people try the trick now unless it's really quiet and off season

Ponster

The Flamingo do a mini suite that you may possible get but I'd say that you would have to be already in a Deluxe room first.

The standard room in the Flamingo is already pretty big so don't worry if you don't get the upgrade

adox

Worked for me a couple of years back in The Aria. We werent upgraded to a suite but upgraded from the "basic" room. We were there for 5 nights so delighted.

The Backwards Man

You'd need to be careful too that some of the hotels around that part of the strip are marketing the rooms out the back as a 'LINQ view' room, to give them the same prestige as a strip view room. (I know Harrah's are anyway).

Dublinflyer

It never worked for me in the MGM but has worked a few times in the Flamingo as well the NYNY and the Luxor. Always worth a try and yes, a 50 works a lot better!

le_girl

Worked for me a few years ago in Caesar's Palace. I had been there a few months earlier when I didn't know about the trick and the room we were upgraded to was a lot nicer than what we'd paid for (basic room which was already very nice, same as the one that we'd stayed in the first time), well worth it. Much nicer view, bigger room and double bathroom with walk through shower connecting them.

It took her a bit of time to sort it out so it seems like whether you'll be upgraded and to what kind of room will just depend on what's available.

We asked if there were any free upgrades available while handing her the $20 with our credit card and ID, she didn't take it until she was sure it was sorted. Worked so well that I'd try $50 next time.

faceman

Yes it has a high chance of working but you won't necessarily get the room you want. Consider giving more than $20 if you want to increase your chances.

I had a corner suite booked in Bellagio and wasn't too bothered about getting an upgrade as the room was great anyway. I skipped $20 and was given a high floor and a few Brucie bonuses during my stay as a result.

Paul_Hacket

Giving more than $20 doesn't make any difference. The check in people are given discretion by management to upgrade guests in cases when there are ample extra rooms available in the hotel. It's a perk of the job and in most hotels the tip you give is pooled with the reception managers so they're fully aware of it. If they have rooms available $20 will more than suffice, and anything more is basically a waste. (per one of the above comments, the management at the MGM are known to frown on it for some reason so if trying it there be VERY discrete as the check in clerks can get in a lot of trouble if they're found to have accepted it).

I stay at the Flamingo a lot, if you have a standard room there you have what is known as a 'Fab' room. These are not great by Vegas hotel standards and you definitely want to do the trick in order to secure one of the far better renovated 'Go' rooms. The only way you will be moved from a 'Fab' up to a suite is if the desk person takes an ungodly liking to you or if management decide they really want to treat you well. If you don't have a platinum status Total Rewards card (meaning you gamble a ton) or aren't booked in to the hotel in order to celebrate your wedding or something like that then you just ain't getting a suite from a fab room booking.

Summary: definitely do the $20 trick and while doing it ask if any 'Go' rooms are available. Also, try not to check in before noon on busy days because there won't be many rooms ready yet and they will have a much harder time finding an upgrade for you. Oh and be nice to the check in person - that's the most important thing in these transactions.

The Backwards Man

I don't think it's as much a case of MGM frowning on it as it is their occupancy rates are about the best on the strip (95%, apparently) so they can usually sell those rooms anyway, but nothing beats a trial, as they say. Most other M-Life properties are more than amenable (Bellagio can be difficult, again for occupancy reasons). People are more likely to spend a few hundred dollars they 'saved' than they are spend a few hundred extra for a room.

Dublinflyer

Yeah the MGM always seems to be close to full. It's amazing when you think about the number of rooms in Vegas generally! I always say to myself that the room is not important as it only for sleeping in but it's great when the room is big with lots of gadgets. I want to get electric curtains at home but herself won't let me ;-)

I want to go back.....who's coming!

closifer

EyeSight wrote: »

Does this actually work? I am booking a standard room in the Pink flamingo and heard the urban myth that on check-in you should give the receptionist a $20 bill and ask for an upgrade. If there's a suite available you'll get it at no extra cost

Have people here done this? Did it always work for you?
I'll be there from a Monday-Thursday in November so i assume they will have available suites. But i'd feel so awkward doing this

I stayed in the Palazzo and was just really friendly to the receptionist and chatted to him about my flight. At the end I asked if there were any strip view rooms available and he said no problem. If I had booked one - it would have cost me an extra couple of hundred dollars. Sometimes just being nice is enough!!