Arrive early in the day or late at night. Peak check in time at the MGM Grand is between noon and 6 p.m. While the hotel's front desk always is buzzing, the lines are shorter, and the agents are less stressed during the slower periods. A frazzled, overworked front desk agent is less likely to grant you a freebie.
Ask nicely and smile. Front desk agents have the power to grant you access or put you in that room near the elevator. The last thing a front desk agent wants to hear is a demanding, ranting customer saying he "deserves" an upgrade. Smile and ask politely. You may not get the penthouse, but you're more likely to get a room on a higher floor or a room in the MGM Grand's more contemporary West Wing.
Pay up. This either may mean giving the front desk agent a cash tip or the paying the hotel its standard upgrade charge. The MGM Grand has prearranged charges, usually $50 or $100 per night, for certain upgrades when available. Try the so-called "$20 trick" in which you slip the agent a $20 bill between your credit card and driver's license. After the front desk agent tells you the upgrade charge, offer to pay the agent a percentage of the fee, which usually is 20 to 40 percent. If the daily upgrade charge is $50, and you stay for three nights, tell the agent you'll give a generous tip of $50.
Use your imagination. Sometimes "white lies" are your ticket to upgraded rooms. Each time front desk agents upgrades a guest, they must enter the upgrade reason into the hotel computer. Honeymoons, anniversaries and divorce celebrations are justifiable reasons for upgrades. Be creative.
Become a MGM Mirage Players Club member. Like all casinos, MGM Grand allows guests to become Players Club members, who earn points while playing slots and table games at all casinos owned by MGM Mirage, including nine Las Vegas casinos. Guests can earn points for free show tickets and complimentary rooms and upgrades.
Create the perfect storm. While getting a room upgrade at the MGM Grand is no sure bet, combining all the steps will help even the odds. And even if you didn't get that room upgrade, remember that you won't spend too much time confined to the room.
