$20/$100 Sandwich Question

[5StarDiscos]

(first off please excuse my niavity. I am British so am not used to this sort of thing lol)

OK so me and my wife first went to Vegas 2 years ago (stayed at NYNY), we are returning at the end of the month for a 2 weeks stay at Mirage.

Been reading about the Sandwich trick and am happy to give it a go. I have a few questions though. We are spending 14 nights there so obviously the chance of an upgraded room will be tougher to get if they are all booked at one point (we are going right after EDC so it may actually be a quiet period) so is it worth asking for a room upgrade (to a tower suite) or just going for something else like resort fees taken off, show tickets or food and drink vouchers? If I ask for the room upgrade and they can't do it can I then ask for something in it's place like the resort fee taken off or is it a one shot type thing? As I mentioned we are aiming for a tower suite with strip view as I have read quite alot of folk get that before. Is there any possiblity even for a few $100 to get a penthouse suite or is that just a dream? lol

I was thinking because of the length of stay I would offer a $100 as opposed to a $20 which is probably fine for a few nights but because we are going for 2 weeks we have to be realistic that $20 will get us nothing lol. Is $100 enough over a 2 week period? too much? too little? even if they only take of resort fees @ £32.50 a day that adds upto $400 over the 2 week period so it is still worth paying $100 dollars to save $300 in my opinion.

We are checking in later on the Monday night just after EDC weekend at about 10pm-11pm. I run my own business so am confident in talking to people and engaging in small talk etc. so I don;t think it will be an issue scoring if it is possible. i just don;t want to go and mess up by offering too little or asking for something that I have absolutely zero chance of getting lol.

[OMGitsMarcus]

I could go into a lot of detail, but if you're a business man and you're comfortable talking and negotiating then do that. I've never stayed in Vegas for less than a week and I always used $20 and it was sufficient for upgrades at Excalibur, Cosmo and MGM twice. If you feel like $100 increases your chances go for it, but I think anything more than $50 is overkill unless you have serious demands or money to blow.

As far as the negotiating portion, I normally just accept whatever they give me. I have received an upgraded room at Excalibur, a suite at Cosmo for half my stay, an upgraded room at MGM from West Wing to the Grand Tower and a suite on my last stay (although I had to pay $60 a day for the suite it was a 3k suite for half the price for a week)

They returned the twenty at Excalibur and I still received the upgrade. At Cosmo they kept it and at MGM they kept it once and returned it once.

If you have specific things you want I'd just negotiate it from the beginning, but I've always been satisfied with what they've given me.

[kp3205]

Personally I would try the $100 right away and see if it can be done. The only question I have would be whether or not they can remove the resort fees right then and there or could that only happen at the end of the trip? I thought they add up each day you stay and not all at once when you first arrive?

If they say no can do....Will you be gambling much there or is it minimal gambling more sightseeing? If you gamble much you can always ask for a host to see whether or not your play would warrant any sort of comps which could include removing the resort fees the day before you leave. I suggest you sign up for their MLife card which will track your gambling, shopping and eating loyalty to them which comes back to you in points to be used.

[sandylmx]

I have never done the $100 sandwich. Most I've done is $50. You should be fine. Save yourself a few bucks.

[donniejay]

Just flash the bill (in whatever amounts) and see what they can do for you. If they offer you what you like, tip accordingly.

Personally for Mirage, I would do a $50. $100s are reserved for Cosmo, Wynn, etc.

[OMGitsMarcus]

People always assume you have to tip more at top tier hotels and it's simply not true. It's a premium you've made up in your head. I tipped $20 at Cosmo and got a suite for half my stay. The baller one with the terrace overlooking the Bellagio. If money isn't an issue tip $100, but if it wasn't why are you doing a tipping "trick" in the first place.

[donniejay]

Again, it's subjective. I do it because it makes sense to me.

I gave $100 at Cosmo and got bumped up from a Terrace Studio to Terrace One Bedroom with Bellagio view. Waived my resort fees too.

[jleeson]

sorry i'm kinda new but do you tip them discretely or just give it to them straight up prior to asking for an upgrades? i'm assuming $20 sandwich means $20 tip

[Vegasnoob2014]

Two weeks in Vegas?! I don't know if my body could handle that!

Hand the money over with your ID.

[So fresh So clean]

I think $100 is too much. $20 at the mirage would most likely get you the same result if an upgrade is possible.

[Deadlikeme]

I think $100 is too much. $20 at the mirage would most likely get you the same result if an upgrade is possible.

15th trip to Vegas in Oct. I normally mix it up on hotels just to be different. I would say on 8-9 of my visits I did the $20 trick and was shut out each time. The other time I didn't ask for one reason or another. I get how to do it, I'm almost over the top polite I don't talk in a way that it's expected but it would be appreciated.

I've read the blogs at various sites on this and don't think I'm doing anything different then the ones who are getting upgrades each time. In no particular order of my losing streak


Wynn
Flamingo
Monte Carlo
Excalibur. yeah I know it was awful should even have asked. Let me see can you upgrade me from this totally crappy room to just to a bad room
NYNY
PH twice
MGM

Any other advice,I'm thinking
Approach a different person inline then what I would do- but not always possible
Keep my luggage in my car and Check in later in day like after 8pm

[maxutilsperusd]

I've actually had good luck checking in relatively early, around 11am-1pm. Typically I triple fold the $20 and place it in between my ID, and my credit card and players cards. Typically I'll say something to the effect of "I was looking for something with a view of the Volcano" or "Any chance for a room that's a bit larger?" but sometimes they immediately just start offering different upgraded options.

MGM: West Wing King to Grand Queen with a strip view and a bottle of champagne brought to the room.
MGM: West Wing King to Grand King with a strip view
Luxor: Awkward refusal, but still upgraded from Pyramid to Tower Room
Mirage: Standard Room to high floor corner room with a view of the volcano.
SLS: Story Tower King to Story Tower King Suite

I also heard that Wynn/Encore are particularly $20 unfriendly so I asked for a high floor and a strip view, they offered me not a bad room and then an option to pay $35 a night to upgrade to almost the top floor with a perfect view of the strip, which was much cheaper than it would have cost to book originally or even using their eStandby upgrade system that asks you if you'd like to upgrade as soon as you book. So that worked out well too.

[OMGitsMarcus]

15th trip to Vegas in Oct. I normally mix it up on hotels just to be different. I would say on 8-9 of my visits I did the $20 trick and was shut out each time.

You have incredibly shitty luck, man. I dunno what else to tell you. It has worked for me in some iteration each time I have tried it. Twice my money was refused but I still received an upgrade.

[Gchi]

You have incredibly shitty luck, man. I dunno what else to tell you. It has worked for me in some iteration each time I have tried it. Twice my money was refused but I still received an upgrade.

I'm in his boat...I don't feel as if we ever really got a better room (maybe earlier check-in's) but the room always stayed about the same. And I'm not going to ask for the 20 back, it's vegas, i have no problem with taking care of the staff.

[OMGitsMarcus]

I'm in his boat...I don't feel as if we ever really got a better room (maybe earlier check-in's) but the room always stayed about the same. And I'm not going to ask for the 20 back, it's vegas, i have no problem with taking care of the staff.

In my boat or the poster I quoted?