Upgrades and More in Vegas and AC!

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On a recent trip for work, I reserved two nights at the Aria Las Vegas in a Strip View King.  To my surprise, upon check-in, I was upgraded to an almost 1500 square foot one bedroom penthouse on the 37th floor.


Keep reading to learn how you can earn elite status and reap a variety of rewards!



When I first opened the door to my suite, my jaw simply dropped.  I was greeted with music and the shades automatically retracted to reveal almost 180 degree views of Las Vegas. 


Now for the details...while upgrades aren't a given, it certainly helps to have status.  

I was lucky enough to have M-Life gold status through MGM Resorts which owns the Aria thanks to the American Express Platinum Card.  While the card has a high annual fee of $550 (keep reading!), it's easy to make the most of the card's benefits!  

The Platinum Card provides $200 in airline incidental credit (intended to be used on checked bags, seat assignments, food/drink, etc, but can be used on Delta or Southwest gift cards in $50 denominations) as well as $15 monthly Uber credits (can be used on Uber Eats) with $35 in December, totaling another $200.  

Additionally, it offers a $50 Saks credit each in the first and latter half of the calendar year, for a total of up to $500 in statement credit per calendar year, in addition lounge access at the Centurion Lounge (now at my home airport PHL) and the Priority Pass Lounge Network with over 1200 lounges across the globe. 

Also, if you don't have it already, the Platinum Card will reimburse the application fee for Global Entry (which includes TSA Pre-check) once every 5 years!

Finally, there is currently a 60,000 point sign-up bonus on the card after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.  This can be redeemed for $600 worth of travel through the American Express portal or transferred to airline partners for an even greater redemption value.



Alternatively it's also possible to achieve M-Life Gold status with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, which comes with a $450 annual fee but immediately provides $300 back in the form of a statement credit for Marriott room charges, along with a free night every year on your card anniversary.  

There is also a 100,000 point signup bonus on this card after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.  Those points can be redeemed for 4 nights (with the 5th night free) at Le Meridien in the Mauritius as well as a variety of hotels in South Africa or Thailand for example.

    
Sunset - Pointe aux Piments BayLe Meridien Mauritius, Image courtesy of Marriott Hotels

Achieving M-Life gold status does require a little effort, both cards above only provide Marriott Gold status, but you can easily take a screenshot of your Marriott status and match online to Wyndham Rewards Diamond.  This status is only good for 90 days, so you should immediately match Wyndham Diamond to Caesars Diamond online.  Status at Caesars resets on Jan 31, so keep that in mind to maximize the benfits.  Once this second match clears, you can pick up your physical Caesars Diamond card in Atlantic City and drive across town to the Borgata to match to M-Life Gold!  From there, you can also match status at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in AC.

Beyond just status matching with the hopes of upgraded rooms, status with these casinos offers a ton of benefits below:

Caesars Rewards Diamond benefits

  • A $100 "Celebration Dinner" credit at most restuarants on Caesars properties.  This benefit is automatically loaded on your card within the first month.
  • Four free nights at Atlantis.  For this benefit, you must call the reservation desk at Atlantis in the Bahamas and mention that you would like to redeem this benefit as a Caesars Diamond member.  Note that you MUST still have Diamond status at the time of the stay to take advantage of this benefit.
  • Two free show tickets each month in Las Vegas
MGM M Life Gold Benefits
  • 1 free night (good for 90 days from status match)
  • $100 free slot or match play
Rock Royalty Benefits
  • 2 free nights (valid through May 23rd 2019)
  • $100 free slot play
  • 2 free tickets to Howie Mandel's comedy club
  • 1 free entry for two to Fresh Harvest Buffet or Legends Lounge

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