questions about my vegas trip
 

I recently got interested in status matching after I read a guide on how to status match a few resorts in AC to get free rooms. I did Mlife explorist trial (ebay) and matched that to Mlife gold and back again. I have yet to go to AC to pick up my mlife gold card and match status at Hard Rock and Ceasars. I just submitted Wyndham Diamond match from Hyatt explorist. Not sure if usually that gets successfully matched. I usually go to AC once or twice a year so I was waiting for that time to actually match status in person at HR and Ceasars.

Well, I got a short notice work trip coming up to Vegas on Aug 1st. I'd like to spend 1 or 2 extra nights doing some stuff in the area. I'd like to better understand how I can maximize my potential status matches there for free shows, dinner, free night etc.

1. I know Hard Rock AC still offers 2 free rooms with status match, but I read it here that HR are separate properties and I couldn't redeem a free room at Vegas casinos. Is that true?
2. If Wyndham match is successful, should I apply for status match online from Wyndham to Total Rewards? Or is it better to do it in person with Mlife gold match?
3. Can I pick up my mlife gold card at any MGM casino in Vegas?
4. Can I somehow get a free room for my trip?
5. What else can I take advantage of? I read that TR gets me $100 meal credit and free show tickets. Are the available same day as I get my card from the front desk?

1. Yes, the HR AC and HR LV are separate properties and comp offers can't be used interchangeably between the two. You might get market offers though for one another.
2. Once you get Wyndham Diamond, it's easier to just use the Wyndham/Caesars website to match online as it's pretty quick.
3. Yes.
4. No. "Free/Comp" rooms are based on play. If you have any play from Borgata or any other CET property in AC, you can always check your MLIFE or CR accounts online to see if you have any comp offers. For MLIFE you get a Gold tier discount which is somewhere around 20% off base rate of rooms.
5. The CR Diamond $100 celebration dinner loads into your account a few days after you have made diamond and not instantaneous the day you get matched. It takes a few days or up to a week to get loaded. The monthly free show tickets benefit is available once you make diamond. You need to go to a CR Center at any of the CET properties to redeem the voucher and see what's available.

Thank you!

The way I was thinking about "free" rooms was as a bonus for matching to some status at a casino. Hopefully I get can my CR diamond sorted out before I leave to at least get a free dinner and show.

Yea, doesn't happen often. HR AC is actually one of the rare ones that give out comp room offers for tier matching, and $100 free play along with that. To note, Ocean's AC is also give out a comp room offer with their tier matching. No FP offer though.

Yup, I read about Ocean's as well but wasn't sure if that was still available. I think that comp room bonus expired in May or something. Do you know otherwise? If Ocean's still had free room and HR, I would make a trip down there this weekend.

AFAIK, the comp room offer was still valid as of end of June, as I went with a friend who did it. They had a $150FP that used to come with the tier match but that had been taken out when we went in June, but was still offered with the tier match back in the beginning of the year. Can always try to call and see what the tier match details are now.

If you have any material amount of play at all at the CET properties in AC, it doesn't take too much to get a comp room offer on off-peak dates at their lower-end properties in Vegas. Whether you want to stay at those properties is another matter. And if you take any of these comps or benefits and don't give the property a proportionate amount of play during that trip, you'll be penalized on future offers, though it sounds like you aren't really trying to play the long game here. :)

If you do plan to try to build any degree of comps / loyalty with any of the casino chains, it could be worth switching hotels between your work travel nights and your extension nights. Vegas hotels tend to look at your customer value over the course of your stay, and measure you based on amount gambled per night stayed (roughly). So if you have a few nights there for work and don't gamble those days, but they are part of the same reservation, any gambling you do on your added day would be "diluted." Though again, if you're not really expecting to build up any long-term loyalty with any of these chains, it may not matter too much.