Does the $20 Vegas bribe work?
 

[[Moderators - I thought long and hard about where to post this (well, about 30 seconds), and I chose here over the Vegas forum because this area gets more traffic. My bad if my judgement is about as good as Chretien's http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...rum/tongue.gif]]

I'm going to Mandalay Bay in the near future, and I've read in a few places that being discreet and slipping the check-in clerk a $20 often goes a long way into getting your requests met (high floor, strip view, room upgrade, etc). Has anyone had any luck with the "$20 bribe play"? Any comments about this working at the Mandalay Bay?

Thanks in advance.

O

My strategy is to mention to the reservation rep that my wife and I are celebrating an anniversary (perhaps the 3rd anniversary of our toaster oven purchase?) and mention the anniversary celebration at check-in as I kiss my wife, hold her hand, etc. I've always ended up with a big room with a killer view and I still have the $20 in my wallet.

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I thought it is called TIPPING and not bribe. You only bribe in third world countries and tip in US

Tips come after service, money offered prior to service is a bribe http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...rum/tongue.gif

Well, the $20 "tip" has been discussed on numerous Vegas message boards for ages and the general consensus seems to be that it is more effective at the cheaper properties, i.e. downtown or the cheaper strip properties such as Tropicana, Flamingo..etc..

The room prices for suites/great view/..etc..can be quite substantial at the higher end properties such as MB. Therefore the hotel frowns upon guests with a special offer/discount reservation being moved to a 300/400/500$ a night room because they slipped the clerk a $20.

That said, it always depends on the actual clerk at check-in but your chances of this working are pretty slim...

The good news is that the MB is a great hotel and the normal rooms are perfectly adequate, i.e. very big, big bathrooms..etc. You will have a great time at this property, regardless of room. The beach/pool area is fantastic, spend your time there, not in the room http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

Enjoy your trip !

And you didn't tip the concierge? Now the next time someone tells that same concierge info like that, he'll remember you and may not bend over backwards as much to give extra service. Stiffing someone who goes the extra mile hurts us all in the end.

You at least thanked the person right?

Interesting that you bring this up: I was just 5 minutes ago reading a thread on BetterBidding about the exact same thing.
Apparently it works, most of the time, look here (you'll have to scroll down a couple of posts)

I wouldn't call it a bribe, I would call it stealing.

The hotel is supposed to collect additional revenue from a nicer room. The clerk pocketing a fraction of that revenue and the hotel getting nothing sounds a lot like embezzlement to me.

One time when I was a cashier at a little store, this guy offered me a small price for some item, suggesting that I not ring it up "wink, wink". I told him I was not going to do that. Wouldn't that be embarrassing if your bribe was rejected by an ethical desk clerk?

a whole whopping 8 more posts about vegas in here than than in the vegas forum and you miss out on the hardcore vegas guys who know their stuff in the vegas forum. You'll fit right in in vegas http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 05-29-2003).]

I take offense at being called a thief. It is not "stealing" to offer a tip to the desk clerk, to wit:

(1) Everybody tips everyone in vegas, so a $20 tip is no big deal.
(2) You are not "stealing" the room because you paid for it.
(3) Vegas hotels frequently overbook the low-price rooms and someone will end up with a free upgrade - why not you?

Are you stealing a first class seat when a gate agent upgrades you? Or the FA gives you a free beer?

As for the original question, I found that a $20 tip at 4* casino/hotal got me a nicer room in the newer tower - and probably would have gotten a bigger suite if we had not wanted 2 beds. The key is to be subtle - and don't have high expectations. Your original room rate makes absolutely no difference (we were paying a casino rate) though it probably helps to have a casino card.

(1) Everybody tips everyone in vegas, so a $20 tip is no big deal.

Do you "tip" a dealer $20 to give you a better card? That's not tipping, it's cheating.


(2) You are not "stealing" the room because you paid for it.

You paid for a regular room, not a suite. You are stealing the upgrade from regular to suite.

(3) Vegas hotels frequently overbook the low-price rooms and someone will end up with a free upgrade - why not you?

Comps will take care of that.


Are you stealing a first class seat when a gate agent upgrades you?

If you slipped the gate agent a $20, it sure is.

Or the FA gives you a free beer?

A free beer is chump change compared to an upgrade. If you had offered the flight attendant a tip of a dollar in exchange for a "free" beer, then it would be stealing, albeit a very small amount (a $3 or $4 discount). If not, it's just a geniunely free beer.

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 05-29-2003).]

My daughter works as a room reservation agent at a major Strip Hotel. They pay the agents a commission for any upgrades that they sell. At some hotels they also pay the front desk personnel a commission for upgrades. So, by taking your tip, they are not only reducing their hotels revenue, they are also reducing their potential income, as there would be fewer rooms to upgrade to.

That's fair, but what if the agent's commission is less than $20?

g_leyser. You lurking out there and have an opinion? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

By one way of looking at it, the agent who takes an under the table "tip" is stealing from his or her fellow agents who would otherwise have the room free to sell as an upgrade and get their commissions.

Personally, I wouldn't do it, but I'm not going to Vegas anyway. The hotel gives the agent some discretion, I imagine, and has ways to police this type of thing happening too much.