The $20 trick

     There are a lot of videos on-line about tipping $20 at check-in and getting a nice room upgrade.  The videos all seem to be from strip properties and I was wondering if anyone has had success downtown with this move.

Its never worked for me anywhere.    I tried it at Orleans, the Mirage, and Sunset Station all to no avail.   In each case I was offered a better room at a higher rate - but it was more than $20 for the stay. 

I just gave up on it.    I think some places might have policies in place that forbid the clerks from engaging in that kind of thing.   Just a guess.  =) 

Forget the trick.  Go to the website of your hotel.  Look at all the rooms, suites, prices, etc.  Decide what kind of "upgrade" you would like.  Certain view, bigger room, bigger bathroom, whatever, then ask specifically for that.  Don't use the word "upgrade".  Just ask "Might there be a larger room (newer, better view, remodeled room, etc) available?"

Caveat:  Suite is probably the most requested upgrade, and the most difficult to get, so the $20 trick might help if that is what you hope for.  "Might there be a suite available?" as you hand over your drivers license and credit card with the $20 just slightly poking out where the agent can see it.  It might not help, but it might.  You take that chance.   There are suites, and there are suites.  You might get one of the mid level suites.  Or if not necessarily a suite, maybe some sort of nicer room than what you would have gotten.  "No, sir, no suites available, but we have a very nice room on the ....".  Score!

P.S.  Have done this in Strip hotels, never Downtown, but probably no difference.  Might have a better chance Downtown.

Good luck.

I actually had it work twice this year - at Bellagio.  First time I had 4 nights comped, and asked for a Fountain View room, which typically I wouldn't get as a comped room.  The second time, I didn't ask for anything in particular, and we already had a suite.  We got a better suite at no additional charge - and it was better, believe me!

Tommy

Thanks for the feedback.  We're doing short stays in three or four different hotels, so I'll be "rolling the dice" at check-in at each spot.  Then I need to find a place with good weed brownies to feed the wife.  She's like a real life Cheech and Chong movie!

Here's a follow up on the $20 trick from a recent Las Vegas adventure.  Checked into the Downtown Grand on 10/17 for one night.  Twenty bucks and a little friendly banter at check in and we went on up to our City Suite.  Score!  The next day we checked into the Golden Nugget...our favorite downtown hotel.  Big smile, friendly chat, a twenty sticking out from between my ID and credit card and we were upgraded to a beautiful Rush Tower room.  A nice bump up, but not a suite.  The next two days(Friday and Saturday) we stayed at The Four Queens...in a suite!  The next night was at The Mirage where our room was free.  Twenty bucks got us an upgrade and a room overlooking the pool and strip.  That was suppose to be the end of the adventure, but a missed flight the following day led us back downtown.  We went to the El Cortez, because it was too inexpensive to pass up.  They have no suites, so we were told.  Got a city view corner room on a top floor without even passing a twenty. 

The twenty dollar "trick" is my new go to move!

Did you go there because of the hotel rooms or did you go gambling? I like that trick but they give me upgrades without the 20 dollar bill because I play a lot.

I wanted to hit up different hotels on the trip and the wife looked for good rates at a variety of places.  We play poker and table games mostly, so we never really get offers sent to us.