WILL BE STAYING AT MANDALAYBAY, WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS HAS TRIED IT THERE FOR AND UPGRADED ROOM. HOW ARE MB ROOMS COMPARED TO THE OTHER MEGAS RESORTS.

The Senator will probably be best to answer this question. If my memory serves me correctly he's stayed there a few times, and he likes the $20 trick, so he'd be able to give you the information, I think.

What's the $20 trick for Mandalay Bay?

Last year, I got to see the suite the Senator got with his $20 ...the trick part is to casually display the $20 bill among your check-in papers, let the clerk know it's there and available while asking if there happen to be any upgrades available. I remember the room being a rather unusual shape, with a divider wall separating the sleeping area from the living room area, a large TV, a large bathroom with jacuzzi, and a nice view of the MB marquee<g>.

I've never quite understood how this works. You slip the $20 on the counter but then what do you say: "Are there any upgrades available" or "Are there any FREE upgrades available?"

I'm assuming we're trying to get a FREE upgrade so the key word is "free?"

I would think you could ask if there were any upgrades available and the clerk could say, "yes, for an additional $50 per night."

Could someone set me straightn on this?

i use a more direct approach and tell the clerk that i am to cheap to pay for a suite but i would tip him-her well if an upgrade to a suite was available.if i'm looking for a four nite upgrade i use a fifty that's about a takehome pay for most clerks and they will work real hard to make it happen.

Last person I know that tried the $20 trick caught some sort of social disease. <g>

I don't ask for an upgrade.
I put it a little differnt,
while I show the $20, I ask if there is available a little nicer. Or ask the clerk "is there anything you can do about getting a room thats a little special. I guess we all have our own way of asking. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But hey, we're here to gamble, right?
Sometimes I'm refused, because a manager is close, and then if he walks away am approached by the clerk when he say's something like, Oh I see I think I could do something for you. Looking in the direction of the departing manager. I've also had the pleasure of a clerk telling me to check out the room, and if I don't like it to come down tomorrow early and see him, there will be more available then. On more then one case, I was given an extremly nice room, then went down and tipped again! <S>
At some hotels it doesn't work, some it works sometime, others I'm batting 100%. I've had clerks remember me and pull me out of line as "thier customer" <VBG>