$20 trick

[bsguy2001]

Hello

I will be heading to Vegas at a slow time in December specifically staying at Caesars. I have a regular room booked do you think that by slipping the front desk staff member a $20 or so will get me an upgrade? Do you suggest any different amount or another way to do it? If they won't do it will they give the money back? This is the first time I will try it so any help is appreciated. Thanks

[Steve]

Hello

I will be heading to Vegas at a slow time in December specifically staying at Caesars. I have a regular room booked do you think that by slipping the front desk staff member a $20 or so will get me an upgrade? Do you suggest any different amount or another way to do it? If they won't do it will they give the money back? This is the first time I will try it so any help is appreciated. Thanks

Now I have a tip for you and everyone else.
Try the $20 tick at the Caesars check-in counter at the airport. There are less "eyes" there. It should work. This is the best place to do this for other hotels that have check-in capability at the airport.

Steve

[whitecap]

and would suggest holding the bill folded in your hand so the desk person can see the denomination but others can't see it easily. Give it to them with your cc once they have "helped" you. Good luck.

[brandy407]

Great suggestions. I normally fold the bill and put it in the same hand as my credit card. So when I hand them my credit card, I make sure they can see the bill denomination which is folded in my hand. I then ask for an upgrade. If they are able to provide an upgrade, they get the money. After the transaction is completed, I thank them and extend my hand for a handshake with the tip folded in my hand. Handshaking easily slips the bill into their hand without being detected by others. If no upgrade, I slip the bill back into my purse. Good Luck

[vegasluvr]

Man, first time we tried this, the girl happily took the money. We get up to our room, it was a STANDARD room. I called down to the manager and asked why the girl took the tip without an upgrade? He upgraded us immediately - but has anyone ever had that happen? Take the tip and nothing? LOl :eek:

[JLee1709]

On our last trip to Vegas we had gotten super cheep reservations online airfare/room at Circus Circus. Definately not our first choice in hotels but we would like to haved stayed in all the different ones at least once. So we booked the trip.
We were only able to book the Manor Rooms by the time we reserved so when we got there I just asked if we were able to get in Main hotel. Desk Person checked and said sure. When he was done with our check in I handed him a $20. He said "Is there anything else I can get you? A coffee Maker, Refridgerator." Since we pack our own coffee pot, we said a fridge would be nice. We went up to our room and walked in. I noticed a No Smoking Room sign on table. Both my husband and I smoke. We both left our luggage in the room and went back down to desk. The young man said. "No problem, I'll send up some ashtrays." By the time we got back up there (room was close to elevators too), We met the employee at our door who was bring our ashtrays. We opened our door and refridgerator had already been brought up and plugged in too. Great Service for $20.

[andrea]

the easiest way to get an upgrade is to ask for it when you check-in. the second easiest way is to call the slot club and ask them for a free upgrade. but slipping a $20? NEVER. you might be told that an upgrade from a room to a suite if an extra $20 and, if so, then ask your slot club to pick up the difference. but taking it out of your own pocket? that's like something from a 1940s movie.

upgrades are almost always easily available even in the major hotels. remember, too, las vegas is struggling to fill thousands of rooms in the face of increased gas prices keeping some of the californians away.

or, you could tell the front desk person that you are a stockholder and see what that does. dunno, just a suggestion.

[Boston_Bill]

I have posted this before but I have never used the $20 trick.
I have been upgraded at the Mirage for no reason to a suite and changed my room locations a couple of times at other hotels without using anything more than a nice attitude.

[Vegas Vic]

The biggest problem with the $20 trick is the fact you cannot know for sure if it worked or not. You may have gotten the upgrade for free and the clerk just took the money anyway. If the hotel was way under booked, they can give out upgrades to almost anyone just for asking. If the hotel is relitively full, no amount of $20 trick money will get you an upgrade without paying for it.

Steve's suggestion about the airport makes lots of sense, but one always has to wonder why a hotel would allow front desk clerks to cheet them out of a couple of hundred in revenue by giving away a suite for the price of a basic room?

Will the $20 get you a room with a better view? :) Would a polite request get the same thing? :) Will the monorail ever be extended to downtown? Will you ever win the Megabuck jackpot?

Since Boston won the world series, we can all know that anything is now possible...... ;)

[wildpitcher]

I agree with those that have said that a good attitude and friendly smile will go far. I've done pretty well with rooms by just being very friendly and pleasant.

[Nevada]

being freindly talk and joke around a little helps out a lot for good rooms if any avaible most of time get pretty good rooms. allways depends on availability if not crowded.:)

[Hornhiyo]

I've done the $20 trick twice with mixed results.

The first time at MGM, where we were upgraded to the Grand Tower from the Emerald Tower. I was on crutches at the time, so i'm pretty sure I could have worked something out anyway, since the Emerald Tower is so far away. It was actually a tipping moment straight from a Seinfeld epsiode. I was very nervous, but had read about the "technique" of holding the $20 underneath your credit card. I placed my credit card on the counter, but when the clerk asked for the card, I clumsily went to pick it up as he reached for it. He took the card, while between us, we knocked the $20 off the counter, behind his computer. I wasn't sure if he had seen the $20 or if I could reach it. It was all very akward, as I reached behind the counter to retrieve the bill and handed it to him, when the upgrade was given.

The second time was at Paris. The transition was smoother, but I felt uncomfortable with the clerk telling me, "this is a room that normally costs more." What the heck does that mean? The room looked no bigger than a normal room, but had a view of the Eiffel Tower and an angled view of the Bellagio Fountains. The narrow width of the window made it kind of pointless. if I had paid more for this room due to the "view", I would have felt cheated.

I guess it's kind of a crapshoot, depending on what you consider an upgrade.