Las Vegas - free upgrades?
 

Does anyone have any clever ideas of how to get free stuff? Room upgrades, free meals, free tickets to shows, free drinks, etc? I read about someone slipping a check-in clerk $60 to upgrade their room to a suite. Does this kind of stuff really work? TIA!

:-<

Last year, I was stuck in an elevator in the Sahara for ten minutes, and they upgraded me to the two room suite, but that was a fluke.((F))

If you are a "player" such things exist. For the rest of us mortals, pay the tab or look for defective elevators.
I was an "invited guest" at the Bellagio once, guest of a friend. I asked the insider what it took to get the perq's. He let me know a few things, like being at the $100 blackjack table for 3 or 4 hours. Doesn't matter if you win or lose. Just the time spent at the table.
They don't track your play unless you're betting $25 per hand.
This was a few years ago, thresholds probably higher now.

You should always ask for an upgrade when you check in. I have been successful 1/2 the time but worth it to ask.

"Last year, I was stuck in an elevator in the Sahara for ten minutes, and they upgraded me to the two room suite, but that was a fluke."
>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>

Hmmmmm. Anyone know the best way to make an elevator stick?

**hand on a bible NeoPatrick.. I was going up to my room at around 11 am to change for the pool.. one maintenance guy stopped two floors below mine. The door closed. Nothing happened.

After five minutes(seemed like an hour), I picked up the phone and the operator kept me calm while they figured out what to do. She was really nice.
I am a bit claustrophobic and told her so.. I had two brochures for desert tours and kept focusing on them.

Finally, the elevator moved and opened on my floor. They escorted me to my room and asked if I was alright.
Ten minutes later, the GM called and told me they would be happy to move me upstairs. It was nice, though I was hardly in my room to use the wet bar, living room, etc.. the bathroom and bedroom were a much nicer design and it made the last two days very pleasant.

I don't think I'd want to relive it though. J((D))

Hey, years ago we got stuck in the glass elevator outside the building at Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale. It stuck because we had too many people in it, packed like sardines. We were stuck there for a good hour, and when it finally got cleared (they had to call the Otis man from Miami as their own maintenance people couldn't fix it), the elevator went to the lounge at the top and all we got were dirty looks for hogging the elevator -- not even a free drink.

Meanwhile people out by the pool pulled up chairs and sat and watched us -- talking bets on when we'd fall, I suppose. It was a scary night.

>> "The door closed. Nothing happened.

When I read that I wondered if jetset1 had been standing in the elevator with no floor selected.

I got the Sahara on priceline once. They gave me a smoking room! It was unbearable, my eyes burned and it smelled awful. I complained and was given a two-room suite, a smoker's room but not nearly as nasty.

If you join the casino's players program and get your play rated then you can earn comps. There are three normal-person tiers in the Harrah's program called Total Rewards. Get to the highest of the three, Diamond level, at 10,000 points and get lots of comps and special offers. There is a 4th tier, at Caesars, but for that you need 100,000 points.

But bribing somebody $60 is not getting something for free.

We got upgraded at the Bellagio because the clerk wanted to thank us for being patient while she waited on the difficult guest before us.

mrwnrfl~ no, I selected my floor from the lobby level.I hadn't been getting the free drinks THAT early, lol.((d))

I got upgraded at Bellagio on Labor Day last year because our suite wasn't ready after trying to check in three times. We weren't upset though because we were trying to check in early. Anyway, instead of the suite we were supposed to have (at a great price of $299) we were given a HUGE and I mean HUGE suite facing the fountains. Marble foyer, dining table, two bathrooms, dead center facing the fountains. When you are looking at Bellagio from the street and you see those windows that stick out in the center - that was ME!!!! YAY!

I am not a gambler, so it didn't have anything to do with that. We just got lucky and it was big fun.

So, it can happen!

When DH came home from Iraq for his 6-month R&R break, we went to Vegas. I had booked a Palace Tower room at Caesar's. When we checked in, the lady at the desk asked if we were celebrating a special occasion, and DH told her he'd been in Iraq for the las 6 months. (He was also wearing an Operation Iraqi Freedom hat.) She asked her manager, and they upgraded us to a suite! It had his and her bathrooms and a view of the Bellagio fountains. (Before Augustus Tower was built.) She also sent up a picnic cooler and champagne for us!

My DH is a pretty serious card player and is rated by all the big casinos in Vegas. When we go, we tend to get upgraded or comped rooms, cars from the airport, etc. However, this didn't happen over night. This follows a fairly long history of being rated.

I agree with the above poster. Slipping someone some cash is not getting anything for free and even if it was, $60 is way too low.

Have fun in Vegas.

taitai

Christie - nice story. I guess in addition to planning demise of elevator, Diva (OP) now has option of enlisting.

Patrick...I think I may know that elevator you spoke of...yes?? Everything sounds like it, including the lounge and pool locations.

Yes, the Hyatt now. I guess they still call it Pier 66? I'm going back to an experience in the late 60's or early 70's!!

By the way, I can tell you how you can probably NOT get comped for a suite or nicer room. Arrive at check-in in madras shorts, socks and sandals, and cheap plastic sunglasses on your head with little kids running and screaming around you and carrying lots of your own luggage. It is pretty well understood that part of the idea of upgrading you is that you may spend a lot of money elsewhere in the hotel. So look like you will, even if you won't.

You forgot to add, pulling a big cooler full of snacks and beer. :)

The rooms in Vegas are inexpensive enough, even for a suite. If you want one then I would suggest you pay for one. You will not get upgraded, free drinks, free meals and etc unless you are a rated player. First you have to sign up for a players card and present it at all tables or insert it in every machine you play. That is how you get rated. If you play enough - not necessarily lose, but play as they count your coin in, then you will start to get rated for comps. It took us 2 trips to Vegas to get comped and a casino host.

You are better off actually paying for a suite and dinners than trying to play thru it. Vegas may give away lots of nice things but those beautiful hotels are not built on "winners". Nothing is "free" in Vegas, the free dinners, shows and room upgrades are actualy cheaper if you pay not play for them.

"You will not get upgraded, free drinks, free meals and etc unless you are a rated player."

So what are you saying? Those not-rated players who reported getting upgraded are making that up? I don't think so.