Vegas is the city of comps for the gambler but what about those of us who are too unlucky to win at anything? Are we supposed to pay for what others get for ‘free’? I was in Vegas for one week which is one week too much. The eating, drinking, and lack of sleep catches up quickly to even the most astute Vegas-goer.
The trip became a mini mattress run to requalify for Hyatt Diamond. Five out of the six nights I stayed at M Life/Hyatt properties including the Hyatt Place which was much nicer this time around, the Excalibur, which may look like a castle but the guests are treated like peasants, the MGM, an overrated hotel past its prime, and the Luxor, my favorite low-cost Vegas hotel.
I exploited my M Life Platinum status at each hotel and at sister properties to get the most bang for my resort fee buck. Here is the Top Ten List of freebies:
- Free Pool Party Entrance: I went to Wet Republic, the loud, too much house in your face pool party at the MGM and was spared the $100 entrance fee.
Bass in your face! 
Daylight Mandalay - Free Beer: The Luxor and Excalibur had a mini-fridge stocked with beers for guests. The MGM said that my Platinum status wasn’t good enough for the VIP Lounge which is reserved for the Noir players. Mandalay only served coffee and snacks.
The alternative is two buy 2 25 oz beers for $16 and get a free shot. - Free Snacks: Sometimes you need a Baby Ruth or Kit-Kat to keep the blood sugar up between drinks. The Lounge has chips, candy bars, water, and coffee.
Excalibur lounge - Free Club Entrance: Vegas doormen are interesting characters. They truly enjoy their power. Although the clubs are owned and operated independent of the hotels, I used my M Life card to gain free access to the clubs.
The door guy - Free Peeping Tom: Entrance to the tame topless pool at the Mandalay Bay is usually $20. It is free for M Life Platinums. While it’s called the Moorea Beach Club, I saw as many similarities to the real Moorea in French Polynesia as I did with the Mandalay Bay Hotel to the real Mandalay in Burma.
Creeper cam! - Line Bypass for the Buffet: The lines are ridiculous for the $25 fat man’s special. M Life lets you cut the line and expedite the gorging process.
I didn’t like the ribs 
And the pizza was meh - Expedited Check-In: People are probably still waiting in line to check-in at the Excalibur from yesterday. The line is massive and the service is so slow and inefficient. M Life members get their own line. If you are staying at the Luxor, check in at the lounge.
Excalibur is so busy there’s a line for the elevator. - Free Parking: Vegas used to provide free parking. Now MGM hotels charge for self-parking and valet. This is not the case if you have M Life status.
I used Uber/Lyft when I could find the pick up spots. - Complimentary Room Upgrades: The front desk claims that M Life Platinums are given better rooms. I was upgraded at the Luxor but not at the Lower Calibur. I was given a room upgrade at the MGM which I thought w
So Egypt 
$80 up charge at MGM for spa suite which I was not told about. They later refunded it after I complained. - Late Check-Out: Again, this is up to the discretion of the front desk and your ability to schmooze.
Get me on the fastest thing out of here, keep your late check-out
Late c/os are a hit or a miss. The latest is usually 12PM unless one pays the additional charge for a later c/o (IIRC, 50% of the room mrte for c/o’s before 4PM and 100% of the room rate for c/o’s after 4PM). If you’re a gambler, you can always call for a host or VIP Services and ask for a later c/o. If you truly put in a high level of play at that property (varies depending on the property), the hosts or VIP Services usually grants a 4PM or later c/o for free.
Im grateful for what I get for not gambling at all.
Excellent compilation. Thanks!
No problem. Thank you for reading.
You had me at free beer…
That’s very Jerry Maguire of you…incidentally that’s why I was in Vegas.
Given the whole sports agent motif, it seemed the thing to do.
Ha, exactly!
Is it really free access to pool parties even on holiday weekends? Do you have to do anything special or just show your card for entrance?
I can’t say holiday weekends, I can say it was free on the weekend I was there. Yeah, I just showed them my mlife # on my phone and my ID.