Not everyone is a gambler, and not everyone has gambled in a market they plan on visiting. If you want to have a cheap or free stay, plan B can be leveraging a tie to a hotel chain that accepts points as a form of payment for a stay.
When it comes to a large market like Las Vegas, there’s plenty of hotels links to various hotel chains within the area, but many of the casino properties also have some sort of an affiliation. Knowing who’s linked to who can help you accomplish the goal of getting a free room, but keep in mind, particularly in a market like Las Vegas, the conversion rates may not always be ideal.
With that in mind, here’s a fairly complete (but probably not exhaustive) list of hotel chain connections to various casino properties.
Wyndham
Caesars Rewards is linked to Wyndham, allowing tier matching between the two companies, and allowing Wyndham members to book into Caesars properties with their Wyndham Rewards points.
The number of points required per night will vary by property, but I didn’t see an option below 15,000 points a night, and some were 30,000 points a night. Some off the strip locations that are more standard Wyndham fare were 7,500 points a night, by comparison.
Hyatt
For Mlife Rewards members, the Hyatt connection is pretty key. Like Caesars with Wyndham, you’re able to tier match between the two companies. And you can sign on to Hyatt’s website to book using points instead of paying cash.
I saw points values ranging from 12,000 points a night (Luxor or Excalibur) up to 25,000 points a night (Bellagio). Standard Hyatt properties in Vegas were under 10,000 points a night, so you are paying a premium on point redemption for a strip location.
Separately, on the horizon, the Rio, formerly owned by Caesars, is going to see a heavy renovation that will bring the Rio into the Hyatt network.
Hilton
There are a variety of options for Hilton members, some open now and some coming soon (as of this writing).
Starting with open now, the recently-opened Virgin Las Vegas is affiliated with Hilton’s Curio Collection, which although off strip is reasonably close to provide some access. Tropicana in Las Vegas is currently linked to Hilton, but was recently acquired by Bally’s and that could change in the future.
Hilton Grand Vacations at the Flamingo, Elara and the Waldorf-Astoria are all expensive options, but for those with larger point caches give additional options; by comparison both Virgin and Tropicana are less than half the points required than those other three.
Coming up in June, the brand new Resorts World will be linked to multiple Hilton brands, including Conrad and Hilton, which fall in between the two extremes (although closer to the higher end than the lower end of the point spectrum).
Marriott
Marriott’s main tie is to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, which is part of their Autograph Collection. They even allow point conversion between Marriott and Identity, the Cosmo’s comp system, but the point conversion rate is less than ideal.
In line with the Cosmo’s high-end property reputation, The Cosmo is the top category Marriott offers, meaning a very expensive point redemption rate (ranging between 70,000 and 100,000 points a night depending on if it’s on peak, off peak or standard). But if you have a large cache of Marriott points and really want to avoid spending the cash, it’s an option you can look at.
That said, you might find converting the points, even at that poor valuation, a better redemption rate than booking a Category 8 night or nights with your points – it will depend on the cost per night for the night you’re looking at.
Radisson
Treasure Island is affiliated with Radisson, and with room renovations recently completed, it’s an alluring choice for those members. You’re able to redeem for points with Radisson as well, with a weeknight recently showing 44,000 points required in a check during this write-up.
Best Western
The small but mighty Casino Royale is attached to a Best Western Plus, so if you’re in heavily on the Best Western system this will give you access to a hotel on the strip with a link to your rewards program.
Bottom Line: More Ways to Stay Free
If you’re not a gambler or more invested in the hotel rewards programs, you might find it easier to comp yourself in another way than gambling. Keep in mind the various hotel affiliations, and take advantage of the best deal that makes sense for you, so you can enjoy your next trip to Las Vegas!
Are you aware of other hotel chain affiliations on or near the strip? Have you used hotel rewards points instead of casino comps to stay in Las Vegas? Share your experiences in the comments!
