The Las Vegas Thread and MSE guide

sew109

November/December

photome wrote: »

I know you and a some others on here will tip/bribe more than $20. IMO that makes it worse for those who are only willing to part with $20 as the desk clerks will get used to getting $50 or $100 . The upgrade works (except at mgm) with $20! but for how much longer?

I can understand a little bit more for a longer stay, however I got a resort room at Alladin(I know it was a while ago) for a 5 night stay for $20

I first discovered the $20 trick/bribe in 1992 and until about 3 years ago it was not widely known up until then it worked almost 100%. I have shared my knowledge with thousands of people and many of these have had success with this and had a better room as a result . If I had chosen to keep this to myself and others had done the same then chances are this would have worked better for us but we have shared it and the hit rate has of course gone down so to increase my chances of success I up the ante, though what I offer does depend on a lot of things property, length of stay, weekend etc. $20 will work fine in the cheaper properties but you have to be very lucky to get a better level of room in the top resorts for $20 its just inflation. Some people have siad they have got the upgarde for nothing are people offereing $20 making it harder for the people who are not prepared to offer anything ?

I don't actually think that me offering $100 makes any difference it's supply and demand just as say buying something on ebay or priceline, if I am prepared to pay $100 bribe for a suite and this gives me say an 70% chance rather than say $20 and a 50% chance then that is what I will do its not a matter of me stopping someone else but by paying the market rate. If I am prepared to pay more than someone else just like everything else in life it means either I can afford more or I am prepared to pay more for this aspect of my holiday. I paid a $50 tip at Luxor and went from a Pyramid to a Spa Suite for 5 nights the upgrade at the time would have been about $60 a night and I was very happy to pay that and indeed would have happily paid $100. If the "trick" did not work then I would be prepared to pay full price, with of course the best discount rate.

I get questions and see many people who are reluctant to even risk losing $20 and its not my business but the fact that I am prepared to lose or pay say $100 is not really any different to someone who is prepared to pay £500 say for a suit from Armani whilst I may only be prepared to pay £150 from M&S. Generally even at $100 for a 3 night stay you are still getting an absolute bargain if you get the upgrade now I am generally prepared to pay for the upgrade and the only reason I use the bribe is because it works out cheaper and I will have booked something that I am happy with should the bribe fail, I don’t really treat it like a bonus but something that I expect and am prepared to pay for (I have paid 3 bone fide upgrades at MGM since the tip was stopped) but I find it a money saving route.

I am not rying to be selfish (if I was I would never have shared the tip) but just like everyone else I want to get the best possible holiday for the best possible price and this is how I see myself making a big saving and for some resorts and some durations then the price for this is higher and I am happy to pay for this

Simon


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sarahlasvegas

sew109 wrote: »

We had our reception at Maggianos it was fantatstic my wife wants to go back next time (three weeks) as she was so nervous she hardly ate, we got married at 2pm and found that when we left Maggianos evereyone was flaking as the little time in the heat really exhausts you.

Oh one thing check with the locals for the rain you can get flashj storms in August I think it is generally early morning but best to check

Simon

great minds think alike! Our weddings at 4, them doing a strip tour with the guests, receptions 6 or 6.30pm, for 4 hours. Im sacking off the idea of a mini party in suite, as its just something else to organise, so going to head onto a club after (well the younger ones!)

Ill def check the weather - fingers crossed we'll be ok.

very exciting, i cant wait

sew109

November/December

sarahlasvegas wrote: »

great minds think alike! Our weddings at 4, them doing a strip tour with the guests, receptions 6 or 6.30pm, for 4 hours. Im sacking off the idea of a mini party in suite, as its just something else to organise, so going to head onto a club after (well the younger ones!)

Ill def check the weather - fingers crossed we'll be ok.

very exciting, i cant wait

Sounds great and i think that 1030 will be enough for most folks. If you want to go clubbing have a look at https://www.nitetours.com it is owned by a great friend of mine if you think its somthing that could suit you email me and I will give you his direct contact details and he will sort somthing out for you ;-)

photome

Sew

that was a very long reply, I read most of it.

I didnt know the trick wasnt common knowledge till 3 years ago, I also didnt realise you were responsible for us all knowing about it.

I used the trick in 1998 and I thought it was common place .

I liken the bigger tip to an experience I had in sri lanka. I wanted to buy a wooden elephant from a beach vendor and as every good money saver should do I bartered to get him to drop the price. His reply was "we dont need to barter because if you dont pay my price the germans will". So I payed his asking price because the people before me had pushed the price up.

I guess the difference between me and you is I cant afford the upgrade so if $20 gets me one it is fantastic if it doesnt well so be it.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree

I guess we will have to agree to disagree

sew109

November/December

photome wrote: »

Sew

that was a very long reply, I read most of it.

I didnt know the trick wasnt common knowledge till 3 years ago, I also didnt realise you were responsible for us all knowing about it.

I used the trick in 1998 and I thought it was common place .

I liken the bigger tip to an experience I had in sri lanka. I wanted to buy a wooden elephant from a beach vendor and as every good money saver should do I bartered to get him to drop the price. His reply was "we dont need to barter because if you dont pay my price the germans will". So I payed his asking price because the people before me had pushed the price up.

I guess the difference between me and you is I cant afford the upgrade so if $20 gets me one it is fantastic if it doesnt well so be it.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree

I guess we will have to agree to disagree

Indeed, I was not saying that I was responsible for telling everyone but I do think that I was the first person to post it on the internet I certainly had not seen it before I did.

This practice has been stopped at MGM and Mandaly because it has become too common if the orignal tip limit was set at $100 then maybe the people who were prepared to pay that would still be able to save a few dollars rather than having to pay full whack now. Its swings and roundabouts my friend and if you get the upgrade then great but if it is all stopped becasue too many people know about it then we all lose out.

Anyway glad we can agree to disagree I will still use $20 at say Luxor or Excalibur but this time I have 6 nights at Mirage or Venetian so a larger tip bribe will be needed

stoneman

May

sew109 wrote: »

I do think that I was the first person to post it on the internet I certainly had not seen it before I did.

I think you are overestimating your own roll in all this. I was tiping the desk back in the early ninties along with thousands of others, and saw it on the net years ago

This practice has been stopped at MGM and Mandaly because it has become too common

No it hasn't. At least not 3 months ago at the MGM Grand.;)

Anyway, lets get this straight, there is no "trick" about it. All this secrecy that you have to hide the money in between your CC and driving licence. What happens if the desk clerk doesn't know what you want and just thinks it's a tip? Casinos have things called computers, they know where every room should be allocated, and if you get a higher room than you have paid for it's because the clerk have dispensation to "treat" some patrons to an upgrade if they think that you have been inconvenienced in anyway. So, yes you are bribing them, but only with the managements consent in a way. They will not get sacked for accepting your tip for being helpful. I too tip more than $20, usually $50 at least, depending what I am after. Who says I have to tip $20 because it spoils it for the rest of you. The notion of the $20 tip is because the Yanks only tend to stay for 2 nights, so that's plenty. If you are staying for a week it is harder to find you the sort of room you are after for 7 continuous nights spanning a very busy weekend. The size of the tip depends on how well you want to ensure the wheels get oiled.

stoneman

May

sarahlasvegas wrote: »

i know!!!!! it was booked to suit school hols etc for my little brothers.....ive booked airbrush foundation in my makeup package for the day - supposidly it doesnt shift! getting married a bit later in day too, so that might help.... and my dress is quite light too :eek:

Later in the day is when it is hottest. Look at the temps, it's hotter at 5pm than at 1pm

sew109

November/December

stoneman wrote: »

I think you are overestimating your own roll in all this. I was tiping the desk back in the early ninties along with thousands of others, and saw it on the net years ago.

I think that you are most likely right here I will jump off my high horse

sturll

August

Theres only one Ricky Hatton

:rotfl:

iggy69

Favorite time to go? Halloween in vegas is great - it's a week long party!