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Recently on one of the slot forums I frequent, I saw what is a common question: A player, planning their first trip to Vegas, trying to figure out the best deal for room rates.
Commonly, casinos are willing to comp you based on past history. But if you have no history, the first trip can be more expensive because you have to pay for what in the future could be free.
I wish I knew what I knew now when I first visited Vegas; my first Vegas trip I added on two nights after a work conference (which thankfully work had covered to that point), but spent hundreds of dollars on a hotel room. That never happened again, because I had built up comps that covered those costs from that point on.
Fortunately for us, there are a variety of ways that you can get free or discounted rooms for Las Vegas, even if you’ve never visited. Here’s some ideas to evaluate:
Deals From Your Local Casino
Las Vegas is an alluring destination for gamblers, and local casinos know this. So, there are a variety of ways that they make this possible.
Many casinos throughout the country are affiliated with casino companies that have casinos in Las Vegas. These include:
If you play at their casinos in another part of the country, you could very well qualify for offers in Las Vegas – since they have data about your play history, they can make an educated guess on an offer for Las Vegas.
But even if your local casino doesn’t directly affiliate with one of those companies, they may have partnered with them to offer trips to Vegas. Again, with knowledge of your play history, they can work with these casinos to extend opportunities, usually free nights at Vegas properties.
Just relatively nearby me in New England are Caesars and Mlife casinos in Atlantic City (and in Mlife’s case, New York and Massachusetts); mychoice has a casino in Massachusetts; a partnership between Foxwoods and Caesars; Mohegan Sun now manages a casino in Las Vegas; and Ocean Casino Resort has a partnership with Wynn Las Vegas. Also, still to be determined is Bally’s (which owns Twin River and Tiverton in Rhode Island) has acquired the Tropicana in Las Vegas.
So, a good starting point is to simply inquire with your local casino if they have a Las Vegas connection, and whether you qualify for anything. That can be the best chances for direct casino comps.
Hotel Chain Affiliations
I did a full post about this recently, but many hotel chains have relationships with Las Vegas casinos. If you have tier status or a pile of hotel loyalty points, you may be able to leverage that to success at a variety of Las Vegas properties or hotels, which can make a first Vegas visit more budget friendly.
Most of the major chains, from Wyndham to Hyatt to Marriott to Hilton to Best Western, have representation somewhere on the strip or just outside, so you won’t have much of an issue if you’re heavily into one of those systems.
Direct Discount Options
Some companies, particularly Caesars, run sales periodically that offer some healthy discount options. If you are price shopping, it’s good to watch for those sales.
Sometimes third party websites like vegas.com can run their own sales, sometimes offering additional savings or bonuses, and usually promising a best price guarantee.
Register for Comp Programs
At the very least, registering for Caesars Reward and/or Mlife if you don’t have an account, or logging in if you do, will generate a discount just for being a registered player.
If you’re new to the programs, note you may sacrifice an on-site sign up bonus (like a $10 drink voucher through Caesars, although in many cases your hotel savings will exceed that, so it’s worth it). But just for having the card, and being signed in, you’ll see a small discount off the advertised rates.
Do you have other ways you save on hotel rooms when offers aren’t available? Share in the comments!
