How to Upgrade Your Hotel Room in Las Vegas

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August 28th, 2009 | cashrunner | Posted in Frugality, Travel Deals

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, you may want to give this a try. It turns out it’s much cheaper to upgrade your room than you might think. When you check in at the front desk, offer the receptionist a $20 tip and then ask them if they could upgrade your room. It’s one of the most tourist-friendly open secrets in town.

In fact, Las Vegas hotel managers all know about the $20 tip. It’s an age-old tradition in this town. They don’t really mind either. In fact, they empower their staff to make such concessions to keep their guests happy. Of course, the happier their guests are, the more likely they are to spend more of their money at the hotel’s casino. Another reason is that they don’t really lose anything by giving away an empty suite. As long as the upgrade is not widely publicized, there is no downside for them at all.

Although the $20 tricks works most of the time, it won’t work on days when the hotel is booked full like on New Year’s Eve. You may also run into trouble if you used Priceline to book your hotel. Hotel managers often warn their employees not to upgrade guests who booked through Priceline. On the other hand, if you didn’t book through Priceline and you’re there when business is kind of slow, you’re almost certain to be granted your upgrade request. Given the state of the economy right now and the increased vacancy rates at most Vegas hotels, the $20 tip is more likely to succeed than ever before.

One thing you want to keep in mind is that the $20 tip works at any hotel in Las Vegas. You can use it at ritzy hotels like the Bellagio and the Venetian as well as more modest ones like the Sahara and the Flamingo. If you’re only staying at a 3-star hotel for a night, you could just as well pay for the upgrade when you make the reservation. However, if you’re going to stay for two or more nights at a four or five-star hotel, then the $20 tip is well worth it.

Just give it a try next time you’re in town. The worst that can happen is that you’ll get your tip returned to you.

Photo Credit: mandj98

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