$200 sandwich??

Discussion in '$20 Trick Section' started by Ruark, Mar 15, 2014.

  1. Ruark

    Ruark Low-Roller

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    What would happen if you did the" sandwich" with a BIG amount like $100 - $200? Anybody ever tried it?
     
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  2. dankyone

    dankyone VIP Whale

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    At some point, you're just better off booking and paying for the room you want...
     
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  3. WHIVGOYTUBE

    WHIVGOYTUBE MIA

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    No, and please do not start a precedent. :thumbsdown:

    $20 and adjusted for inflation maybe $30-50. But $20 still seems like the norm, for most positive results. Lets keep it that way.... :thumbsup:
     
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  4. ABQJeff

    ABQJeff Low-Roller

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    I understand the intellectual curiosity that you have about this. But there's a certain point where risk does not equal reward...
     
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  5. hillwood24

    hillwood24 High-Roller

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    I have tried the $100 sandwich once and it didn't work.

    I had booked a regular room/suite at THEhotel and tried to upgrade to one of the bigger X2 or Media suites at Mandalay Bay, but the desk clerk was unable to make it happen. She tried really hard and even went back to check with her manager twice, but the reason they gave was that they didn't have the suites available for the entire duration of our stay (5 nights). They only had it available on alternating days. HOWEVER, they did offer me an upgrade to a penthouse suite for $250/night (I think it was called an M-Suite which isn't even on their website), which I thought was a stellar deal if I had really needed the room, but I wanted a $100 room, not a $1200 room lol.

    With that said, I'm 4 for 4 using the $20 sandwich. The 0 for 1 on the $100 sandwich really irks me and proves that $20 is probably enough to get the job done (if it can be done at all). Also, in my experience, the $20 trick is most successful at mid to lower level hotels. Mandalay Bay/THEhotel never seems very fazed by it. But Luxor always hooks it up.
     
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  6. 2VegasNuts

    2VegasNuts High-Roller

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    I have done a $100 sandwich(I just make it a tip) on 2 occasions. Once was to upgrade from a 1 br Panorama suite to 2 br Boulevard Suite at PH, and it worked. Other time was to upgrade at Aria from a corner suite to a penthouse suite, and it worked. For both of these I called the hotel anonymously on my way in to make sure the upgraded room was available. Aria was Thurs-Sun stay, PH over XMas 2013. I would not think this is worthwhile unless you are looking for a specific high end upgrade you have checked on.
     
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  7. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    I don't get the point.

    You have a $10/hour clerk. They either have discretion to give a no-charge upgrade or not.

    Assume that each check-in takes 10 minutes give or take. (Finding an upgraded room might take a little longer, but usually not much longer than finding the no-tip "quiet room on a high floor not too far from the elevators but not near the icemaker that still has a nice view.")

    With the $20 tip, they can earn an effective hourly rate of $120/hour to do something that's no sweat off their back. It's an outsized amount in comparison to their regular income, so is it not enough to motivate them to upgrade you if they can? How does increasing this amount change this dynamic? I don't think they are going to risk their job for $200, and do something against policy, so unless you want to fork over $$$$$ you are just wasting $180.
     
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  8. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    Cet front desk agents all earn well over 100k a year at ceasars palace with tips and upsells. Friend is a manager there, she confirmed it's fine to pass this info on. They are allowed to accept tips but not solicit them so keep the sandwich discreet for a better chance of an upgrade. Most of these people have or are getting college degrees and are very intelligent. They get 10% of any upsell so won't generally upgrade you to something they would make more commission on as an upsell. $20 for a view, no problem. $20 for a suite? Unlikely as they know there are plenty of rich people who will upgrade and earn them $200.
     
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  9. Roccoscollar

    Roccoscollar VIP Whale

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    I'm going to try the sammich next week at the Mirage. I don't feel very good about my odds since its MM weekend but will give it a go.
     
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  10. WHIVGOYTUBE

    WHIVGOYTUBE MIA

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    Based on the above, I'm taking back my post of saying $20, maybe $30-50 adjusted for inflation. Yep, for now it is $20. It was that way when I first went to Vegas in 2000, and it appears that is the norm. No reason to change anything.

    At some very distant future (I hope) when the $20 is not worth the clerks time anymore, we will all know. We will know this change when people start posting on a regular basis, the $20 did nothing, but $30 did.

    Keep the extra money in your pocket, go play some VP at the bar with some awful pay table and great drink service, and get yourself a Royal Flush instead. :thumbsup:
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2014
  11. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    Again, if you can commit $200 towards an upgrade, it may make more sense to reserve a better room than trying a tip. It would have to be pretty loose management policy for a clerk to be able to give a really significant upgrade to someone for nothing in return to the hotel.
     
  12. dglen

    dglen Low-Roller

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    The a Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood has a great sandwich, no need to spend $200. :evillaugh
     
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  13. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    I don't think it would help you that much... well, maybe a suite. You can usually get a paid upgrade to a suite for that. You'd probably just freak out the desk agent lol.

    I don't even do the $20 usually... I just book what I want, I just be nice and friendly. Besides as mentioned here, usually this just work for a high floor or a view. You don't think it would be fishy if they put the dude that paid $45 a night for his room in a $1000 a night suite?
     
  14. WHIVGOYTUBE

    WHIVGOYTUBE MIA

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    Everyone here is giving me encouragement to stay with the simple $20 trying to score an upgrade from a Guaranteed PHo.. Resort fountain view room....

    To a VISTA RESORT Fountain view room.

    I'll report back if the $20 was successful after our May trip.
     
  15. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    I've done a $50 sandwich twice.Both times were 5 years ago.

    First time at Bellagio got me upgraded to a corner lake view room for 4 nights.

    Second time was at Wynn.It got me upgraded from a standard resort room for two nights to a Tower King Room.

    I thought they were good investments .
     
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  16. WHIVGOYTUBE

    WHIVGOYTUBE MIA

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    ok, lets go purple..
     
  17. jrinct1

    jrinct1 VIP Whale

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    Ok call me an idiot. When I first saw this I thought had to do with food........:faint:
     
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  18. coolpacific

    coolpacific Low-Roller

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    100k/year? No wonder Caesars can't make money.
     
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  19. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    As I said, that's with tips and upsells. Basic is about $15 an hour I think.

    Before the recession they could make double that.

    Most agents live in and drive much nicer homes and cars than you or I.
     
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  20. coolpacific

    coolpacific Low-Roller

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    My car is ok :).

    From a business perspective it makes no sense to foster a climate where a check-in agent can make 100k. Every $ you pay above the going rate (15/hour as stated) is money coming off your bottom line.