Mike FriedmanAs more miles and points have gotten pumped into the system, consumers have experienced reward inflation. Econ 101 tells us that if supply goes up faster than demand, that prices will rise, and that law applies as much to miles as it does to money. But, what about buying Caesars Lounge Access?
But in the past several years, we’ve seen another phenomenon: elite status inflation. Consumers have grown to love the extra benefits that come with status, so companies have started to give them more paths to get there (and spend money in the process).
Caesars now calls their lounge product “LAUREL LOUNGE,” but many still refer to these lounges as Caesars Diamond Lounges.
Caesars Lounges Now Charge Some Of Their Best Customers For Entry
Lounges present a particular problem if the number of elite customers expands rapidly. An airline or hotel can always open up an extra seat or room night, but a lounge can’t just add another 20 square feet. So when
For Diamond members earning less than 25,000 Tier Credits access will be 1,000 ($10.00) Reward Credits for the member and an additional 1,000 for their guest. Reward Credits are redeemed at the lounge upon entry.
You can ONLY pay for lounge access with Reward Credits and not cash.
Caesars lounges, previously free to Diamond members, began to experience overcrowding, management came up with a solution to add demand: They added a surcharge to anyone who had fewer than 25,000 Tier Credits, even though Diamond starts at 15,000. The charge is 1,000 Rewards Credits for Caesars Lounge Access (LAUREL Lounge Access), and cannot be paid in cash. You can accumulate points in any number of ways. They include:
- Gambling. But you’re going to have to play through $5,000 — $10,000 on a slot/video poker machine to do so. Do you really want to put that much money at risk for a few cocktails and hors d’oeuvres? (In general you earn 1 Reward Credit for every $5 wagered on reel slots and $10 wagered through video poker. Race books tend to award 1 Reward Credit for every $3 wagered and sports betting 1 Reward Credit for every $10 wagered.)
- Spend money at a Caesars property or a partner. Of course, that’s $1,000 in their pockets. They’ll be happy to waive the entry fee for you. (Most hotel, dining, shopping and amenity experiences earn 1 Reward Credit for every $1 spent at participating outlets.)
- Get the credit card, which comes with a 10,000 point sign-up bonus. But that’s only $100 and, in terms of spending bonuses, it’s extremely weak. Any one of our favorite credit cards will beat that hands down.
Be sure to also read: Hotel Status Match to Caesars Diamond (Even If You Don’t Have Status)
Wyndham: This Method Of Entry Might Beat Them All
Wyndham Hotels has a little-known, poorly understood partnership with Caesars. One of the benefits is that you can transfer up to 30,000 points per year between the two annually. If you don’t have Wyndham points and have no intention of staying at one of their properties, there’s still an easy way to get the points: buy them.
The cheapest way to do it is at the Wyndham Website (and, as annoying as it is, you do need to sign on to get to the “buy points’ page). You can buy up to 10,000 points for 1.3 cents each. And if you only want 1,000, go ahead. It’ll cost just $13. (Just remember you need to transfer from Wyndham Rewards to Caesars Rewards in 10,000 point increments. Buying less than 10,000 points only makes sense if you are “topping off” your Wyndham Rewards account.)
Note that you can only buy 10,000 Wyndham points per year. You could effectively be a “bit’ more creative with gifting points to exceed the 10,000 yearly purchase limit. Realistically, it should be pretty easy for most to “purchase” at least 20,000 Wyndham points per year.
Once or twice a year, deals present themselves where you can buy Wyndham Rewards points for less. One example was purchasing 15,000 points for around $175. These deals tend to come and go, so keep your eyes open. Note that you can only buy the full amount, although the price per point is slightly lower, at just under 1.2 cents per point. Keep an eye out for Daily Getaways in 2021. We will also do our best to advise you when there are deals to buy Wyndham and other point currencies.
Wyndham points themselves are quite useful, even when you’re not turning them into Caesars Rewards. The program contains 19 brands in 80 countries, and there are only three categories of rewards. Hotels are either 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per nights. They also run occasional promotions offering rewards at 80% off of those prices. In other words, feel free to use the points to stay at a Wyndham property and then head over to use them at a Caesars lounge.
Is Caesars Lounge Access Worth $13?
If you enjoy a few cocktails and a place to relax $13 is a fair price to pay for Caesars Lounge Access and a few (non premium) cocktails. Food options vary, with some markets like Atlantic City having a more comprehensive (but far from “posh”) food buffet. Atmosphere also varies, which includes fantastic ocean views from some of the Atlantic City lounges.
Now, About Getting Caesars Diamond Status…
This whole article is predicated, of course, on the assumption that you have Caesars Rewards Diamond status. Over the past year, Caesars Diamond Status matches have been spoken about at length. If you have at least mid-tier status at almost any hotel program, you can take care of that problem, with a status match. Be sure to check out the LVA Travel Forum (message board) and LVA Travel Facebook Group to continue the discussion and get great advice from the community.
