From the airport, left on Tropicana, left on Las Vegas Blvd.

Ba-dum....

Anybody have any recent experience with Bellagio?

I booked my room on Expedia for this weekend so I assume I am in line for the worst room in the entire hotel. Will $20 get me at least a decent view?

That's great to hear. Hopefully I'll have the same luck with a Monday-Wednesday in a few weeks.

There's no "worst room" at Bellagio. A $50 worked like a charm there for me once about 4 years ago, never had any real success after that though.

$20 sandwich is rookie leagues and the front desk clerks know it. They may just offer a higher floor/better view when you really want a better/bigger room. Just be blunt with them, no need to hide the bribe like it's something exclusive. I have a couple of friends that are front desk clerks, they have told me they usually chuckle inside when they see the $20 folded up between the CC and ID.

Much much better to just tell them what you want. I posted a whole monologue somewhere in this thread of how the conversation should go, it's pretty much exactly what I say and do and have had great success at.



EDIT, here it is, post 93 ITT.

You: "Hi i'm checking in",

Check in person: Welcome to XYZ Hotel Mr. So and So.

You: "Thank You, I have a reservation for 123 nights, by any chance are there any complimentary upgrades available? I HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING CARE OF YOU PERSONALLY FOR WHATEVER YOU CAN DO FOR ME, I'D MUCH RATHER PUT A NICE TIP IN YOUR POCKET THEN EXTRA MONEY FOR XYZ HOTEL, WE BOTH KNOW THEY DON'T NEED IT HAHAHAHA"!

The bolded part works like a charm and I always use it. No need to fold up a $20 bill between your CC and ID. That's very amateur.

Tell them straight up you will be more then happy to take care of them and they will do whatever they can possibly do. For extra consideration you can tell them it's your wifes birthday, your anniversary, anniversary of the first time you went backdoor on your wife, etc.....

Ask them to show you what the room looks like, they usually have a brochure showing the different rooms at the front desk.

After they hand you the keys to a nice room then give them the tip, be it $20, $25, $30, $50 or $100.
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Just an attempt to drive the point home. It's not a big deal, so don't stress over it when you get to the counter.

I think someone a while back pointed out that there is an important distinction between "tipping for good service" and tipping for an upgrade. Obviously there is no difference to you, you want to hand over $20 and get a nicer room, but to the clerk, it may make a difference. Whilst I don't have friends that are clerks to run that by, it seems reasonable enough to change the script a little to factor this possibility in.

Also, with virtual room tours etc available on the website, it is surely better to take a look pre-trip at what the room upgrades are, rather than going through a glossy brochure and having a 5minute dwell-up in the lobby. For example, an upgrade at Encore to a Panoramic sounds cool, but it gets you exactly the same room as the basic room with a bit more glass in it. An upgrade in Vdara to a Panoramic would be a major heist and certainly worth accepting and tipping more enthusiastically for. An "upgrade" for the newly remodelled rooms at MGM to a West Wing room wouldn't be an upgrade at all, it would be a definite downgrade imo.

Is an upgrade to a Brazilian Room a score or not? IDK, because I don't know what that room is. But if I was planning on checking in to that hotel, I'd make sure I knew before I got there. I think arriving at the lobby and knowing that a "Resort Suite" is actually a basic room or if it is actually a 2k sq ft suite on 2 stories is worthwhile preparation.

I was told by a check in clerk at Planet Hollywood that they are not allowed to accept tips for a free upgrade, if they do they can get fired but they are allowed to accept tips for good service/a job well done.

That's the only hotel I know of with that stipulation.

Great input KING. Although I still sandwich, I will use your logical method this weekend and report my findings. It does seem more "baller" to do it in the straight to the point way than the "secret handshake" way as most of us here are accustomed to.

I have always been successful with the upgrades except for at PH in more recent time which is why I try to mainly stay at Caesars or ballys when choosing a cet property due to the 100% success rate I have.

As mentioned: It does make a ton more sense to accept tips for great customer service than a bribe. It just sounds more positive in the world of customer service.

I have heard bad things about Harrah's on 2+2. I think I'm just going to stick with my reservation and try it out.

Harrah's is just fine. Rooms are a little bigger than your std Holiday Inn. Center strip, flat screen TV, working plumbing, place to rest your head. Make sure to stop by KGB for a good burger, I find it better than Holstein's

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Tldr so sorry this question has been asked, I was wondering if the 20 dollar trick would work if my room was already comped and I was checking in at the diamond check in at Caesars. I know you can do the 20 dollar trick at MGM Resorts even if you were comped.

Harbor I've used the $20 bribe at Caesars in the past on comped rooms. Its been awhile since I've done it there but it got me a corner room in the Augustus tower with a view of the B fountains and the Caesars pool complex.

Did u do it at reg check in or diamond check in?

May or may not be applicable but I had great success with the $20 trick at the flamingo diamond check in Two weeks ago

I had my $20 out and said "this is the first time staying as a diamond member, whatever you can do for me to make me feel like I've really arrived" would be greatly appreciated

Went from a comped fab deluxe to some suite on the 25th floor in the habitat tower that was bigger than my apartment

A while back it failed at Luxor but it was a busy weekend.

It was the vip check in in the lobby, far left side of check in desk. I think the guy's name was Anthony. He was very receptive to do the upgrade.

Thanks! Should have asked like five stays ago.

any luck recently @ the cosmo?

tried the trick at red rock and allthough it seems they were not busy, the clerk just left the $20 where it was and pretended it was not there. I then pretended it wasn't there either which made it funny. at the end of the check in process, instead of handing me back my players card, she placed it on the $20 which was sitting on the counter and pushed it slightly towards me, giving me a "this is awkward, you should have taken it back sooner" smile..

so far 0/2 with it.

Hoping and praying that I can get bumped to the tower suites at encore next weekend!

Something tells me that's gonna be a hard nut to crack but good luck. Might have to pony up $50 or more there.

Used $20 trick @ MGM over MLK weekend to upgrade from the new King Bed room to a Celebrity Spa Suite. (Big thanks to Katana who helped to seal the deal).

You know it's a nice upgrade when your room has TWO climate control panels.....(ie. so damn big!)

Cheers,

S

I booked a two queen standard room at the Bellagio last year for me and a friend and when we got to the front desk she said there were no rooms with two queens so she offered a queen and a cot. Without yelling I just told her that wasnt going to work for us and after 5 mins on the phone and a lot of typing she upgraded us to a full fountain view suite with two queens. Basically if you are polite and straight forward you will get more of what you want. The 20 dollar trick is only a thank you for what they have done its not going to buy you anything.

Damn, how did Katana seal the deal?