RedElmo

I just go for the free parking and paid buffets.

eponymous_coward

Going during the offseason still gets you a very nice hotel room for a reasonable amount of money (Strip), or a reasonable hotel room for not very much money (downtown/off-Strip), even if you throw in the resort fee (Cosmo/Venetian/Bellagio for $150 a night, less stars for cheaper, someplace like Palms for $70 a night all in, no resort fee Four Queens is $50 a night). If you're downtown, 3:2 single/double-deck blackjack, better craps odds than 3x4x5x, or full-pay video poker isn't too hard to find. I've seen airfare for around $120 round trip from Seattle.

In the end, there are 150,000 opportunities to get heads in Vegas beds, and those rooms are priced to move some times of the year. Pick your time right and you can get a pretty decent deal.

So not on the strip?

hailstorm

Stay 30 nights and earn an extension?

Boraxo

I don't disagree with your money saving tips. But they really don't work for most of us working stiffs. Visiting Vegas during the offseason is like telling a skier to visit Aspen in July or a beach goer to roll the dice on the Bahamas during hurricane season. Yes, there are cheap room deals in December and July, but I don't want to sit by the pool when it's raining or alternatively 120 degrees. Similarly I won't stay downtown Vegas any more than I would stay in downtown Cancun. Both are cheaper but neither provides the atmosphere that brings us to town. I have limited vacation time so if I'm going to use it to visit Vegas it will generally be for a long weekend when the weather is acceptable and I can sit at the pool on a Strip property. For many decades that was easily done without being gouged... but not so much since the town recovered from the 2008 downturn. Weekend visitors to the strip are now gouged on airfare, hotel rooms, resort fees, parking, restaurants, drinks, entertainment, gaming rules and pretty much everything else in Vegas. So yes, it's nice to have Mlife perks, but I don't see myself using them much

eponymous_coward

I would counter downtown Vegas is WAY better than it was in 2008 in terms of easily available, reasonably priced quality of F&B and rooms, even things like pools. The dumps have been closed or renovated (or are in the process of renovation), the Downtown Project and East Fremont has really added a lot. There's some resort feees spreading, but even NYC or WAS has that these days Granted that doesn't do much for yours or my MLife tier, but...

(I've also never found Vegas on a holiday weekend like Memorial/Labor Day to be reasonably priced, even in the 00s, especially on the Strip. Peak season is peak season, just like Aspen in January.)

Stgermainparis

Aside from the free parking, fast checkin lane, and possible room upgrade, what perks for Mlife Gold? I rarely go to LAS and have gold via status match, but I got in on the Bellagio $50/night deal for fountain view room a while ago and so heading there in March. Hard to pass that up. Dragging preteen and teen with us. I doubt they’ll give me a room upgrade, given how much we are paying, and we won’t have a car except one night. I’m thrilled about the room rate but curious if there’s any perk that we will find useful.

AlwaysSunnyInORD

There are no other perks. Be sure to mention that you are a World of Hyatt Member when you check in. Give them both your MLife and WOH membership numbers so you can get points and night credits for WOH.

bgriff

One other perk that can have real value is the priority buffet line, if you decide to eat at the Bellagio buffet (or the buffet of any other MGM property, though IMO Bellagio has the best one in the MGM family). On the weekends the line for the Bellagio buffet can stretch out the door and down the hallway so it can actually be a valuable benefit.

I think there may also be a priority line at certain coffee shops and other quick service dining venues, which can similarly be useful at busy times.

I haven't ever noticed that the room upgrade benefit amounts to anything, so agree with not getting your hopes up.

gengar

Yep. As I've mentioned here before, out of all my stays at Mlife properties I have gotten a room upgrade once - even as an earned Noir. And that was at Sky Suites anyway, so it was just to another suite.

Coathanger

Looks like Mlife IT has finally caught up and the Platinum status from my Hyatt Diamond status match all those years ago has given way to Sapphire.

It was good while it lasted ^

platbrownguy

Another perk is a slight discount (perhaps 10%) at the overpriced gift shop. Not much, but it takes some of the sting off of a $6 red bull, in case you find yourself there.

Stgermainparis

My MLife still says "tier credits expiring Sept 30 2019". At what point are they going to update it? Not sure if I should try the status match to Hyatt or call Mlife or wait.

beltway

Mine & my DW’s say that as well. But I think mLife has decided to extend our Gold status for another year, so no downgrade is imminent. I say that because, shortly after Sept. 30, there was an explicit notation on each of our accounts to the effect of “we’re going to readjust tier points/status now that the status year has ended, but it may take up to 7 days for this to show on your account.” The subsequent disappearance of that text suggests to me that mLife has finished its run, the lingering tier-credits-expiration tag notwithstanding.

Stgermainparis

Yes mine had that, too, for a bit. I bet you’re right. I’ll just ignore it for now. But am still a little worried they are leaving it there to catch up with Hyatt and then Will remove. And no more strategic matching.

Stgermainparis

So now mine says "Tier Level and Tier Credit balances may not be displayed accurately due to routine maintenance scheduled through November 5. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Still showing Sept 30 2019 as tier expiry.