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Mlife Gold Benefits

Discussion in 'Comps' started by luckydude, Sep 12, 2013.

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  1. luckydude

    luckydude Low-Roller

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    We just returned from 6 nights in Vegas 3 at the Mirage followed by 3 at Bellagio. We arrived with Mlife gold status expecting some of the advertised perks for the gold card and didn't get them at either resort. Supposedly we were entitled to a room upgrade and early check-in and we didn't get either at either resort. We arrived early in the day at each place and was told both times that a room upgrade wasn't available. I could see it if we checked in late and they were all gone already but that couldn't be the case. At the Mirage we booked a tower room on the 24&25th floor and only asked for a south facing view of the strip and Caesars. They only wanted to give us a pool view which I wouldn't accept. After being persistent and the best they would do for us was a north facing strip view and this was at 11:00 AM. We had to go back 3 times and didn't get a room assignment until around 1:00pm. At the Bellagio the best we could get was a 10th floor pool view in spite of asking for a fountain view.

    To make a long story shorter I feel that the Gold Benefits are a farse. Can you please share your experiences on the value of Mlife gold. The 20% bonus on earning points and express comps are good but that is the only perk we received and this left me with a bad taste in my mouth for Mlife.
     
  2. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    You are correct that the gold benefits are non existent. Except the line pass.
     
  3. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    I'm not sure what you're upset about. Sounds like you got everything you were entitled to from your post.

    They allowed you an early check-in. You insisted on a room that wasn't available and they gave it to you anyways, but then because it wasn't available you had to wait. Sounds like you made to me.

    Just because you showed up early in the day doesn't mean they have something available. The casino has reserved rooms, people are already staying in rooms, and you can reserve a room with an upgrade and pay for it. On top of that, when was the last time you heard someone check in to a hotel and asks for the least desirable, least expensive room? Everyone asks for a view or a more premium room. Everyone. Most of the time they give them away if they're available... even for people who aren't Gold at MLife.

    You just happened to show up on days when there were none available.

    If it makes you feel any better, I'm Platinum and have never been able to upgrade. But, I'd rather save that luck for the casino anyways. I could really care less about a more premium view since I'm in the room so little to begin with. I'm more concerned with proximity to the elevator.
     
  4. luckydude

    luckydude Low-Roller

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    I just wanted to add that we stayed at both properties several times in the past and had much better experiences. This was before they changed over to the latest Mlife program so I am trying to decide if it is time to switch to a non MGM property for our next trip.

    Another observation was that the people at the Mlife desk at the Mirage were great and very helpful. The people working the Mlife desk at Bellagio had an attitude and getting information out of them was like pulling teeth. They made us feel like we were bothering them and taking up their time even though we were the only ones there.
     
  5. ams722

    ams722 Side Bet Shunner

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    Buffet line pass and being able to use the Invited Guest check in line is about it, to be honest.

    I've never had a problem at any MGM hotel with checking in early though, but I never request a specific room type so something is always available.
     
  6. Travel Fanatic

    Travel Fanatic The Arbiter of Taste Caviar Kid

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    I think it has been written about on this board in the past, but the mlife tiers below Noir don't really get you much of anything other than a line pass
     
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  7. luckydude

    luckydude Low-Roller

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    Thank you for your replies. Everybody confirms that what we experienced is just the norm and the way things are now.

    Undathesea your response also confirms it. You are just more willing to accept being misled by false advertising than I am. Maybe it bothers me because I was a marketing manager for over 30 years.
     
  8. JustNgo

    JustNgo Low-Roller

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    I don't believe you were all that misled. The benefit states room upgrade *subject to availability. I believe gold is lowest on the upgrade ladder, so it's as if you had the lowest status at an airline and weren't upgraded to first class on a flight because there were many more people upgrading ahead of you with higher status.

    As for checking in early. Check-out is usually not until 10-11 AM (with many people getting late check-out at noon or 1) so getting there early in the day usually hurts your chances of an upgrade as fewer rooms are available.

    You also have to consider the possibility that not all of the more desirable rooms that are vacant are available for these upgrades (I'm sure they reserve a large number of rooms for people who want a room without a reservation and would pay for the room).
     
  9. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    Hmmm... I am happy at MLife. I've stayed most everywhere in Vegas and seen the other programs and thus have had time to evaluate the competition.

    What is the alternative?

    CET has dreadful hotels and poor gaming rules (the caveat is a few towers at Caesars). Total Rewards will offer you free rooms with a great view for gambling. You probably won't like the rooms at all but you'll get a view.

    Wynn and Venetian offer a great hotels, decent gaming rules, but the players club aren't that good. No real perks, like MGM's advertised perks. Love staying at the hotels, just don't care to gamble there... just not a fan of their casinos.

    Cosmo may have the best hotel and restaurants. Their gaming is lousy and the worst player's club on the planet. You think you get nothing at MGM! You may end up charged for some things that were advertised as free.

    MGM has nice hotels, great gaming rules, and a pretty good player's club. Their express comps on top of the other comps is pretty much the best you're gonna get on the strip. The additional perks may be non-existent, but other than CET, it's pretty much the standard and more than the competition. It's the best of everything.

    If you don't care about quality of your room and don't mind rundown casinos, head over to CET and start staying there. They have a ton of perks in their players club. If you do care about the quality of rooms and like a nice casino, I'd stay put at MGM and not worry about the perks so much.
     
  10. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Because "GOLD" is the third tier in the MLife program a lot of people really overvalue it and the prestige of being "GOLD"

    A good way to look at it is: it takes $15,000 coin through on slots to become MLife gold... it takes $25,000 coin through on slots to become Total Rewards Platinum

    And MLife is pretty generous with the tier credits when it comes to spending money at their resorts (25 TCs per $1 spent) that paying for a decent room for three nights is going to be worth about 10,000 TCs... if you are there for a 3-5 night stay and throw in a couple of dinners, some drinks and a show and its not that hard to get at least a third of the way to "GOLD" without even setting foot in the casino.

    I'm just saying that Bellagio and Mirage are pretty high end hotels and for somebody who is just gold it sounds like you got treated pretty good overall.
     
  11. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    It would take $22,500 coin-in on slots to become MLife Gold. But I completely agree with the rest of Auggie's post.

    One obvious takeaway from the way MLife works is the tier program is much more focused on non-gamblers than Total Rewards is. My brother and his wife just went to Vegas for a few nights a couple weeks ago, they're not really gamblers and prior to this never went to Vegas except for the occasional bachelor party or conference. But they stayed at Aria and made Gold on that one trip just from hotel spend, his TCs from gambling were immaterial.

    So not only are the tier benefits, other than line priviledges and bonus multipliers, pretty much useless (and I'd say for all tiers, not just those below NOIR).....but the tiers themselves are likely watered down a lot just given the ease of reaching them with resort spend. They're going to have a lot of people in them.

    Like Auggie said, MLife Gold is equivalent to TR Platinum. But just based on resort spend you can get MLife Gold in $3,000. It would take $25,000 of spend to get TR Platinum ($5 spend = 1 TC). The former is clearly much more focused on the non-gambler and looks more like a traditional hotel rewards program.
     
  12. DeMoN2318

    DeMoN2318 The DERS

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    Since I became GOLD I have always gotten an upgraded room at check-in...whether it be a higher/nicer room, with a view, or a size upgrade.

    I have also had WONDERFUL experiences with the MLife desk at Bellagio...We went for my then GFs 21st Bday and she wanted to get her card at midnight, but the MLife desk was closed. An associate saw us walk over and asked if we needed help, we explained that she just turned 21 and wanted to get her card...the associate said no problem and fired up the computer and got her all set up...
     
  13. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Yeah, thats another thing with "GOLD" and the upgraded rooms: just what is a room upgrade?

    Some will take that "upgrade" as meaning they can book a regular room and be upgraded to a suite, whereas from the hotel point of view the upgrade can be just to a larger room or a room with a view. Like the three times we stayed at Aria I got the "GOLD" upgrade each time: I got a room with a view. Yes, its pretty much the same room as I would have gotten otherwise, but my complimentary upgrade was the view part...
     
  14. gilly from philly

    gilly from philly Low-Roller

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    You are not entitled to either. From the website,

    "Room Upgrade (subject to availability)
    Priority Check-in Line & Priority Early Check-in/Late Check-out"

    Something you are "entitled" to wouldn't be subject to availability. As for early check-in, my host has always told me, if there are rooms available, you will get it, if there are not, you won't. Priority and guaranteed are two different things.
     
  15. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    They sell views. So, if you didn't book a view, that's the upgrade. Then it's the next size room. I always get offered a view, but I prefer a room near the elevator and always give up the view in lieu of my preference.
     
  16. Nevada1278

    Nevada1278 Low-Roller

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    I am happy with Mlife so far (Gold level at the moment). I'm never going to get much in the way of comps with my level of play, but like that I have a little extra chance of getting a higher floor and a later check out than if I wasn't a member. If either is not available, I wouldn't be offended.

    Have pretty much stopped using my TR card as I'm not going to stay in one of their properties again and have no loyalty to any their casinos.
     
  17. tuck78

    tuck78 Tourist

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    room discounts w/ tiers?

    Do the rooms discounts through MLife get better as you move up in tiers?
     
  18. JustNgo

    JustNgo Low-Roller

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    Very slightly. I believe there is a certain percent off you get per tier, but if you're a gambler, the discounts pale in comparison to the corporate, individual property, and host offers.
     
  19. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    Agreed! I'm not that high, I just hit Pearl. I rarely ever get comps really. I tried to be more CET exclusive last year, I had the credit card, and I was unhappy! I don't like their properties...

    Also all the things mentioned here are "if available" perks. Perhaps you were there during a busy time?

    Overall though just hang out where you want, gamble where you want. If can afford the thousands of dollars you are gambling I'm sure you can just pay for your room!
     
  20. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    IM GOLD IM 20,000 POINTS FROM PLATNIUM AND DONT CARE.ITS ALL ABOUT MY AVERAGE,

    IF FIND THERE TIERS EXCEPT NIOR WORTHLESS.

    when i went for gold i did becuase of the nite club access figured it was like diamond at cet and its not which suxs.except for a buffet line pass there tiers are worthless.seems i need a host to do anything at mgm properties.:poke:
     
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