A Frugal Mom

My husband and I enjoy traveling to Las Vegas at least once a year. Through an excellent website called FatWallet, I began hearing more and more about the $20 trick.

Here is the basic idea of it— when you are checking into a hotel (Las Vegas hotels mainly), you chat it up with the hotel clerk and very discreetly ask if there are any free upgrades available. While you are doing this, you are sliding a $20 bill across the counter. Now, this is the hotel clerks tip either way, whether you have success or not. There have been times, reported on the website that you are out $20 and receive no upgrade. That is where the gambler in you takes over. What is most interesting is you can also read about the hotels that have the highest success at giving out upgrades with this technique.
So, on our last Las Vegas get-away I had to give it a try. We stayed at Planet Hollywood, and as I approached the front desk I was a bit nervous about the whole ordeal. But, being the Frugal Mom that I am, I needed to give it a try. I gathered up my nerve and asked as politely as possible as I slid the $20 bill toward the clerk. I really was not hoping for much, and thought any upgrade really would be fantastic.
As we left check-in, hubby and I were really unsure as to what to expect.
When we walked all the way down the hotel - to end of the floor, I started to feel very hopeful.
Upon opening our door, I stood with my jaw to the floor. We had been upgraded to a suite. Not only was it a suite, but it was the largest, most scenic, corner room we have ever stayed in. We sure did feel like high-rollers that weekend.
Does the $20 trick work each time? Probably not.
It varies by; the person who checks you in, the particular hotel, and how busy it is when you arrive. I now am going to at least ask and spend the $20 to see what I can upgrade to next time.

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