Las Vegas Hotel: tipping at check-in for upgrade?

[Hammando]

Thanks, that saved me $100.

... unless I decide I want the bedtime story and tuck ins.

Wynn and Encore staff are also banned from accepting cash upgrades

 

[n7of9]

don't forget that if they can't upgrade you or if nothing is available, they simply give you your money back...it's a win/win for me

(can't post links) http : / / thetwentydollartrick . com / Hotels/

 

[christopherc]

Heard from a friend the other day that a good trick to greatly increase your chance of room upgrade is discretely tipping the check-in person (by putting a $20/$50 note in your passport). He has had high success rate in Vegas particularly...

I'll be doing my yearly trip there in June and am curious if anyone tried this before?

TT

It works sometimes at MGM Grand

 

[chrisbris]

Worked for me at the MGM grand - but that was 2 years ago so not sure if this has changed since....

 

[get me outta here]

Anyone tried this at htls in any other cities say maybe BKK or Tokyo. I can see BKK maybe working, but Tokyo??

 

[Moody]

Chinese customs when trying to ship totally unshippable goods by air or sea - but I would not call it a bribe - facilitation fee or as they call it 'bonus money'.

Funny how people who favour bribery and corruption don't like to think of it as bribery and corruption and so invent euphemisms for their illegal behaviour.

 

[Berlin]

Anyone tried this at htls in any other cities say maybe BKK or Tokyo. I can see BKK maybe working, but Tokyo??

Good questions, I would be very interested in this too. Or elsewhere in the States maybe? I'm personally very uncomfortable with such bribery so would never even think of trying if I hadn't heard from others and their successes...

 

[get me outta here]

I think the culture of tipping in the US is well and truly alive and well, and for good reason as we know.

Changing from one room to another better one is more an opportunity that ends well for everyone if such a room is available.

Anyway, the q remains, where else might it work. I'd try it all over the US, maybe in the more sophisticated htls the staff maybe more 'controlled'.

But what about different countries?

 

[daturtle]

Funny how people who favour bribery and corruption don't like to think of it as bribery and corruption and so invent euphemisms for their illegal behaviour.

I like to think of it as a help you help me situation

 

[Julesmac]

I'm sure someone said that everything's negotiable. Bribe is a strong word :shock: .

How about "encouragement award"? We got an amazing upgrade at the Waldorf Astoria in NY some years ago - the check in girl, who on hearing our accents asking why we were in town. Our niece was graduating from Boston Uni & we'd gone for the occasion. She was amazed we'd come so far. We had a good 2 night deal via the net but were moving to the Hyatt for next 3 days for the cost saving. MrJ can be very charming so nicely asked if there was any deal available. She extended the cheap rate for the five nights plus put us into a brand spanking new refurbished room. Gold! We did quietly give her a $50 tip next day and she was thrilled. Never hurst to be nice, and a bit cheeky too

 

[dks83]

I'm 100% this works as I have done this on my last three visits, Cosmo-Wynn & Caesars if you don't succeed have a small word to the bell boy when he shows you to your room and you will strike it lucky!

have fun.

 

[UP4014]

Many decent hotels have such good deals at present (MGM stayed there for $55 a night for 4 nights) bribing or tipping for better room seems a bit of a waste considering the rest of the costs in getting there and being in Vegas.

Not directed at anyone but how cheap are we trying to be here.

matt

 

[RooFlyer]

Good grief. I am pretty much un-holier-than-thou (I hope )and quite comfortable with tipping in cultures where it is the norm, but I could never 'tip' to get a room upgrade. Put simply: you are paying an employee money for them to give you something belonging to their employer. No different than 'tipping' a barman or waiter in the same hotel for them to give you free drinks/meals - or maybe there are websites devoted to meal 'upgrades' as well .

I regret the lecturing tone, but "bribe" is a perfectly appropriate word to describe the practice. But each to their own.

Hmmm ... do you think we could slip airline check-in staff a tenner to get an upgrade to First?

Edit: The above all said, all Vegas / similar hotels I've stayed in have CC TVs watching every check-in position individually, so it would be staggering if the hotel management didn't know what was going on. So maybe I am being too pure.

 

[LadyC]

Anyone tried this at htls in any other cities say maybe BKK or Tokyo. I can see BKK maybe working, but Tokyo??

Unlikely to work in Tokyo as tipping is pretty much non-existent. They would hand you back your money straight away.

 

[Moody]

I like to think of it as a help you help me situation

Is that you, Eddie? How is ICAC going?? Funny how the "help you, help me, screw the public" thing has got everyone hot under the collar. But don't worry - you are amongst friends here who appreciate a bit of palm oil .... know what I mean???

 

[Moody]

Unlikely to work in Tokyo as tipping is pretty much non-existent. They would hand you back your money straight away.

Tipping? We are talking about bribery here. Please don't take the thread off-topic or the mods will be around to split the posts up and then it gets very confusing.

 

[Mal]

I've always laughed at the concept. For example, without tipping, I have still received upgrades. So who is the fool? The person accepting the tip or the person paying it? The fact that there are websites discussing this concept to death means that many people use it. Staff are used to it. Management know about it.

Then again, being pleasant or charming (but not annoying or over the top) is free of charge to both people and may give exactly the same results.

 

[Alanslegal]

If I was hotel management, I'd be pretty fumed that front desk agent was giving free upgrades and receiving money for it. That person was receiving a benefit, the hotel was losing potential revenue as the agent did not care about "upselling", and their colleague who wasn't participating in this process was seeing inequality.

 

[oz_mark]

If I was hotel management, I'd be pretty fumed that front desk agent was giving free upgrades and receiving money for it. That person was receiving a benefit, the hotel was losing potential revenue as the agent did not care about "upselling", and their colleague who wasn't participating in this process was seeing inequality.

As if hotel management don't know about it.....

(This is Vegas we are talking about)

 

[oz_mark]

I've always laughed at the concept. For example, without tipping, I have still received upgrades. So who is the fool? The person accepting the tip or the person paying it?

We have all had upgrades for no apparent reason. So if I threw some money across the counter at the check-in agent, I could write off the upgrade I receive as merely correlated to the tip, but it would not be caused by the tip.