Eujeanie

Well, let's get the Wyndham/Hyatt thing out of the way - don't stay there and therefore zero status, so no matching. Only status we have is with Hilton and Marriott. In Vegas we're also dirt with Mlife, but they also give us comped rooms, go figure, but we wanted to try someplace completely different, and what better way than a brand new redo? (gambled briefly at the Hard Rock once, I'm sure it will look completely different). Honestly I don't mind paying the resort fee at CP, where else can you get a $40 room? Just pointing out that V supposedly does not have one.

Inefficiently is the perfect word.

I also just realized that the new Virgin is considered a resort, so the Aspire credit would apply - I still wouldn't pay cash for the room (it's about $150 on our night) but it will pay for dinner. So for 35K pts it will be completely free.

I think Branson's "no nickel and diming" is great - not sure who all is charging for parking again (they had stopped during Covid) but the Virgin has free parking, and not that we raid the mini bar but their website states "at street prices" which is nice if you do.

I'll keep this reservation and also my Caesars reservation until the V opens and we can read some actual reviews, I might change my mind. But nice to have options. And I'll save my FNC for a pricier redemption.

jamesteroh

With the Hyatt offer, I think you have to have a corporate email with certain companies according to the T&C and looks like it expired.

Wyndham is pretty good about status matching/challenges. I think they may require a statement showing your stays.

You can also get a founders card that will give you diamond's status but the fee is high.

One thing with a status match to Caesars credit you don't get lounge access any longer which is a very nice benefit for frequent vegas visitors even if they don't stay at one of their resorts. Can't remember if you get the $100 dining credit or not, I know they are extending my status this year due to Covid and I'm not getting the credit this year since I didn't meet the requirements for diamonds in 2020, those are the only people getting the dining credit which is another great benefit.





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jamesteroh

I'm surprised any casino is charging parking and they aren't waiving the resort fees right now to get people back. Waive the resort fees for all and give a dining credit to their diamonds and seven members each day staying at their hotels.

If you have status with Marriott you could see if parking and resort fees are waived at the Cosmo if you want to stay right on the strip. The Virgin isn't a very convenient location to any other casino's but I liked the casino a lot when it was hard rock.

I'm hoping Hard Rock Chicago joins Hilton

Eujeanie

If you're talking about CP I said I was not sure if they were charging for parking these days. V specifically states free parking.

We are there only one night with a car after going to Zion so that's why a new place is a no risk adventure, wouldn't stay at the V location for an extended period.

And no way no how would I use 80,000 pts for a room at Cosmo! That would not even be a balcony room.

Honestly, not sure how resort fees became the discussion here, we pay them all the time at CET and Mlife properties, no big deal even though like everyone I think they're useless and a rip-off, but like I said it still means just a $40 room for us peons. I'm ok with that. I guess it became entangled when I said V does not have them, just stating a fact. And if they did I wouldn't be paying it anyway since I'm using H points.

jamesteroh

My complaint with Hilton charging resort fees is that they provide benefits we are to get anyway. I think Caesars and Mlife see that and that's why they waive parking and resort fees for their top tiers. And it works, Caesars gets my vegas business when Hilton got it a lot more before they started charging resort fees. I prefer HGVC's since i don't have to go through a large casino but for the resort fee savings I'll deal with it.

eponymous_coward

You use your Hilton Diamond status to do multiple sets of status matches. That is how I initially became a Hyatt Explorist and Wyndham Diamond to start the status matching party (via Hilton Gold I had at the time via MVP challenge completion, my current Diamond's via the Aspire card). Keep an eye out for Hyatt and Wyndham opening up for status matches (looks like they've closed up for the moment, but they do open up sometimes). Having MLife Gold and Caesars Diamond with $0 casino spend required is a pretty good deal if you're a frequent Vegas visitor. I'm multiple years on both, and I would guess I've spent less than $100 in Mlife/Caesars on casino play a year.

You do get the Celebration Dinner. And because I'm a Wyndham Diamond/Hyatt Explorist doing an endless loop of back and forth matching to Caesars/MLife once the initial matches are made and daisy-chained (the benefit years aren't the same so you can do this), I just cashed in my $100 Celebration Dinner for 2021 during a recent trip.

I apologize for the thread detour but if you're a frequent Vegas visitor and you have high status in a US hotel chain like Hilton, if/when Hyatt and Wyndham have the doors open for matching you should be doing this.

Eujeanie

Ok, that's to both of you for making me aware.

jamesteroh

I forget if it was Wyndham or Best Western that is still doing some status matches but they are requiring you to submit a statement of your activity and basing it off that so they probably are on as to how easy it is to get Hilton Diamond or Marriott Gold. You were very lucky to get globolist on a status match and keep it, usually if Hyatt has a status match you have a stay challenge to keep it. I wish Marriott would status match to Platinum or at least offer it through a credit card, that is a status I would really take advantage of but don't stay with marriotts enough to earn the status on stays.

They did the celebration dinner in the past with Caesar but wasn't sure if they were still doing them. I was told that for people they extended this status for this year, they weren't getting the dinner this year if they cashed it in last year unless they earned the points necessary last year. I should try doing a status match from my Wyndham status to see if it will trigger the dinner, figure it wouldn't since they did an extension.

The Diamond status is nice even if you don't gamble and are in vegas even once a year just for the $100 dinner and no resort fees. I love their lounges and hope they open up soon, I've saved a lot there as well, great use of 1,000 pointsi f you go before a show in one of their casinos for a couple cocktails and food.

eponymous_coward

I’m Explorist, not Globalist. Status matches into Hyatt don’t give you the “good stuff” like suite upgrades or lounge floor upgrades (they used to but Hyatt wised up). It’s basically a point bonus and some complimentary water plus they won’t book me into the crappy room with the view of the AC ducts, plus the match to Mlife Gold that I tick-tock with. (It was nice getting 5k Hyatt points for a Vdara stay the other day.)

Anywhoo, I am likely to burn my 2021 resort credit at Virgin Las Vegas, maybe points too, depending (given that there’s no resort fee to muck with the value, points and cash could work). I’m looking forward to the reports.

jamesteroh

That would be a great place to use the resort credit at, especially seeing there is no resort fee. I'd just use the resort fee to pay for the room charge since you don't have to worry about a resort fee there and use the points at a more expensive property. If you are only there for a weekend you might be able to get the rate below $250 and have money left on the credit for a couple drinks.

I wonder what the breakfast benefit is going to be. Also wonder if they'll give a higher level in their casino program by being diamond with Hilton. When Trop first opened they were giving lowest tier casino status to Hilton diamonds and that was nice because the Penn casino by my house is part of the same program but they stopped that. I wish Hilton would partner with a casino like Hyatt and Wyndham does.

I really miss the LV Hilton. It was dated and is still is in serious need of a facelift but the benefits were great. Diamonds had access to the lounge (which wasn't much, nothing like a Caesars lounge, but free soda and water and fast check in), full brunch buffet for the breakfast benefits on weekends, you could access the Gold/Diamond casino holders lines at every place. I used to get offers a lot for three nights and two or four buffett coupons and would do a weekend stay. Check in on a Friday night and could have the room all day Sunday and shower and change and take a sunday red eye home and use the buffet vouchers at night time since the brunch was already included as a diamond benefit. REALLY miss those days LOL And they had no resort fees then and I could also use the Harrah diamond lounges for free drinks.

eponymous_coward

Argh, so I thought I would be slick and use my upcoming resort credit (Aspire cardholder with a cardholder year rollover in May) + money and points to basically get a free Virgin LV weekend (set the money portion to = the resort credit). Booked it for June, and we're good?

Oh, wait, no, now I have a pending charge for an amount not equal to first or second night on my Aspire card (????). Which, since it's too soon for the resort credit, which I already spent for the LAST year...

(sigh) This is what I get for trying to be crafty I guess. I'll come back to this AFTER I have the credit for 2021 available.

coffee18

This happened to me on one of my two one-night bookings at this hotel, each with a different Aspire card. On the card where this happened, the charge went through, but Virgin refunded me ten days later automatically. In the intervening ten days I did not get the Amex credit, even though my anniversary was prior to this charge. Go figure.

skywalkerLAX

I miss those $30 Hilton stays. Breakfast was always great too.

Eujeanie

I forgot all about the Aspire resort credit being used here. We're supposed to stay for one night, but we're using points so I guess that's why I didn't have the deposit/credit issues. I guess if we charge anything to the room it will be covered, right? I had planned on using my credit later in the year someplace else, but since you never know what might or might not happen, might as well use it here. Same $250 (not) out of my pocket one way or the other, right?

jamesteroh

Anything charged to the room will be covered. If you think you won't use the credit may as well treat yourself to a nice meal or two or cocktails at the pool. Not sure if they have any stores in the casino that allow room charges but if they do that's another good way to use the credit.