Check Seasonality and Dates
Room occupancy according to the LVCVA website was the lowest in November, December and January last year. Occupancy rates were highest in March, April and June and July.  You can get a better room rate or upgrade midweek.  The Palms, for example, has a package for accommodation booked Sunday to Thursday that includes a complimentary cabana and VIP nightlife pass.

Membership Rewards and Perks
Hotels want to reward you for your loyalty. The Cosmopolitan’s rewards system, Identity, enables you to earn points via shopping and resort spending in addition to gambling. Frequent visitors are awarded a free stay after their eighth visit. Gray Cargill, blogger of Vegas Solo, also wrote on this topic. She discovered members of Marriott’s Rewards program can use their points at the Cosmopolitan, which has a partnership with Marriott.  She says the “same holds true with any other hotel chain that has hotels in Las Vegas, such as the Westin and the Hilton.”

Abby Tegnelia, editor of Vegas Magazine, advises to see if a players club is attached to other casinos and to look out for the game changer: conventions. She says, “if you gamble, the best way to get free hotel rooms for your next trip is to sign in when you check in and get all the details on their point system. You can stay at a cheaper place, do your gambling, and get a free room at a nicer place in their players club next time.”

Check Hotel Twitter Accounts
Upgrades as well as special promotions can be found exclusively on twitter accounts of luxury hotels, as noted by Diana Edelman, Vegas resident and writer for One Travel. The Cosmopolitan, for example, recently had a contest to win concert tickets; The Palms (@Palms) had a 96 hour sale including suites; on @WynnLasVegas, I discovered the two-for-one margarita happy hour special at their cafe, @SocietyCafe. Other deals are sent best by email newsletter, such as The Trump Hotel and The Aria.  

Ask But Be Specific
Smiling and asking for an upgrade is the easiest trick in the book. However, try to be specific about what you are looking for. Is a nicer view more important to you than a bigger bed? Asking targeted questions will help you obtain your desired room.

Risk It
Joanna Haugen, writer of Why Go Vegas, states that “ An impressive percentage of people report success of tipping for an upgrade at many of the resorts in Las Vegas. Use the ‘sandwich’ technique of slipping a tip between your credit card and driver’s license when you check in, and chances are decent that your generosity will pay off.”  Grant Martin, editor of Gadling, confirms the success rate of this method via the comment threads on Fat Wallet. As with most activities in Vegas, you never know unless you try!

 

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