MyVegas MyVegas Freeplay awards with Hotels.com room

[dbueler]

I've been reading the details on the MyVegas Freeplay rewards and saw a comment in the Sticky post that concerned me, so I'd like to ask the experts...

I'm pretty much done with MyVegas but have a boatload of gold coins. I'm not an MLife player, so I don't even get discount room offers of value. I'm a comped CET gal, but do have to pay resort fees.

I decided to book the Excal on Hotels.com for my upcoming trip and to burn a bunch of LP's in the process. I purchased the 3 FSP rewards for a total of $175. I also purchased several buffet rewards. I have a limit of 6 rewards due to some minor chip purchases in the beginning and the limit hasn't changed, so no issue there.

I noticed a post by Fugsworth saying he had first hand experience that you could not use MyVegas freeplay rewards if your room was booked through a third party, such as Hotels.com. Even though I'm not a fan of the changes, which has made the program of little value to me, I do understand why they would take the position of not combining free or deeply discounted rooms with freeplay awards. However, it makes no sense to me if a customer is paying essentially rack rate on Hotels.com, why would they not be able to use the FSP rewards?

Has anyone had recent experience with this?

If they two cannot be combined, then I'm going to cancel my Hotels.com reservation and cancel the rewards. I thought the limitation was tied to free or deeply discounted MLife offers, certainly not a third party booking, but perhaps I'm wrong.

I'd really appreciate any comments/experience with this. Thanks!
diane

 

[M_ILIS]

I have no first-hand experience with this, but I don't see how they could enforce such a rule when it says nothing to that effect in the reward terms. It just says you need to be an Excalibur guest.

Maybe call the Excalibur Mlife desk and ask for clarification?

 

[fugsworth]

The issue, as it was explained to me, was not how much one pays-- rather, it's whether you book direct or not. I book comps and heavily discounted rooms through MLife and MyVegas all the time, and I'm still able to use FP and other restricted rewards. I have attempted to use those rewards with 3rd-party bookings, including some fairly expensive ones, and was denied on multiple occasions at multiple properties. I don't understand their reasoning either, but that's been my experience.

I must concede that some people may have different outcomes, as I think we're all familiar here with the way these rules can vary depending on who's interpreting them or their boss' mood that day, but that's how it shook out for me personally each time.

 

[M_ILIS]

The issue, as it was explained to me, was not how much one pays-- rather, it's whether you book direct or not. I book comps and heavily discounted rooms through MLife and MyVegas all the time, and I'm still able to use FP and other restricted rewards. I have attempted to use those rewards with 3rd-party bookings, including some fairly expensive ones, and was denied on multiple occasions at multiple properties. I don't understand their reasoning either, but that's been my experience.

I must concede that some people may have different outcomes, as I think we're all familiar here with the way these rules can vary depending on who's interpreting them or their boss' mood that day, but that's how it shook out for me personally each time.

That's a bummer, because this isn't a case of them interpreting a rule a certain way. It's completely fabricating a rule that is not stated in the reward terms. I would've wanted to ask them to show me the language on which they based their decision?

 

[eaglejohn]

If paid room - you can use. If comp mlife room - you cannot.