MyVegas First stay ever, using 2 MyVegas accounts

[eskEMO]

Hi!

Some quick questions, I used search and browsed for awhile, but didn't find quality answers specific to our situation! Any help is very much appreciated.

Girlfriend and I have booked tickets to Vegas for mid-May (16-22), but will be checking out Friday morning and heading to the Grand Canyon until we return Sunday night. Our loyalty balances are roughly 30,000 and 126,00 though I can bump up the 30,000 easily before then. We're intending on staying at the Vdara and have a standard MLife account. We may grab a Hyatt credit card before then which would bring us to Pearl status.

1) Is a BOGO 7-day Monorail pass worth the point redemption? This is our first time in Vegas and we'd like to check out quite a few of the casinos on the strip.

2) Can/should I redeem both the exclusive rates reward and the 25% off reward for mid-week stays?

3) The promotional calendar has the 16th, 17th, and 18th highlighted but not the 19th, which would be our checkout date. Is this an issue?

4) Does the 25% off rate apply to the already-discounted rates found on MLife's website? If so, is that a valid strategy for booking 3 nights at the Vdara? It looks like the Exclusive Rate Reward is $89 midweek, whereas MLife's discounted rate on the website shows $133/night avg. I'm assuming that both rates do NOT include $35 in tax/resort fees.

5) Aside from trying to score the cheapest 3-nights we can at the Vdara (unless you have a better recommendation...we'd like to be near the center of the strip, but slightly off-strip is ok), the plan is to use coins for free buffets. I read that there used to be rewards for TWO-free buffets instead of 2-for-1 or One-Free. Are those gone?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for any replies.

 

[michele14]

You will be fine with the 3 night you want to book as you are not "staying" the 4th day, you are checking out. If your dates are available I would book as soon as possible, that is a great rate at $85, I doubt you will find it cheaper. Also MyVegas only has a limited number of rooms available and when they are gone they don't replenish.

I am not a big fan of the monorail, it is at the back of all the resorts they serve and the amount of walking you do to get to it to me it's not worth it. I would get a 3 day bus pass which is $20 per person and you can use the bus up and down the strip and to the downtown Vegas area and North Outlets.

The 25% off rates are generally off the "rack rates" which are higher. You should be able to find a lower rate. You can book all 3 nights under one redemption for the exclusive rates. The rate does not include tax or resort fee.

I haven't seen the 2 buffet reward in over a year, I doubt it will return?

 

[Oitstwue]

I've been to Vegas about 100 times and cashed in on lots of MyVegas stuff. I've stayed at Vdara... if you have a dog, its the best hotel on the strip, but of that's not a requirement, better using a free comp night or 2 night stay at Aria or MGM. if you're a buffet person, the Aria is the best... & getting a 2-1 on dinner buffet is a great way to spend points. If you have any points left, grab a Cirque show ticket... I've seen them all... I like LOVE the best, but KA is a more traditional Cirque show... I'm no prude, but think Zumanity is the least interesting show.... plenty of naked girls to been seen elsewhere in Vegas if that's your thing.... K .. I think I spent all of your loyalty.... Oh yeah... the monorail is stupid. So in Summary: 2 night stay at MGM: 105K 2for1 MGM Buffet: 15k Show ticket to KA: 40K Total REAL $$ savings: approx. $130 + 40 + 65 = $235.