Myth Busting the $20 Trick

What is the $20 Trick? Is it real? Does it really work? What in the world am I talking about? Those are some of the questions I’m asked when I mention the $20 Trick. Even after answering those questions, I still get a reaction mixed with doubt and disbelief. In short, the $20 trick is method to getting very travel hack to get upgrades at hotels. This article is everything that you need to know about the $20 Trick!

What is the $20 Trick?

Obviously in order to check-in to a hotel, you’ll need to present your credit card and identification. The first step to pulling off the $20 trick is to slip a folded $20 bill (of course) between your ID and credit card. The front desk host will likely set it aside. When they do, you should make your intentions clear – ask for an upgrade. Do not demand one!

What You Should Know Before Trying

When attempting the $20 Trick, you should not try it without some due diligence. You need to know a few things:

• What kind of room did you book?
• What do you want to end up with if you succeed?
• What rooms are available?

Why should you know what you booked? The cheapest rooms aren’t always the worst rooms. You’ll want to know what you have reserved so you will be able to know how what you get compares to it.

Why do you want to know what you want to end up with? As with many things in life, it’s good to know what you want. With regards to the $20 trick, it doesn’t hurt to be specific. So doing a few minutes of research and knowing what kind of rooms a hotel has would aid that.

Why should you know what rooms are available? This is simple. Let’s say you want to stay in a corner suite at the Aria. If you ask for a corner suite and there isn’t one available, they may not offer you an alternative.

Does This Really Work?

Allow me to be snarky and answer that by asking a question. Would I really be spending time to write this if it weren’t real or didn’t work? Of course not! So yes, this does work. Does it work every time? No. Does it work everywhere? Not at all. When it doesn’t work, you’ll likely have your $20 returned to you. On rare occasions will they keep your bribe tip without giving you an upgrade.

The $20 Trick works at places where tipping is not just customary but also expected. While there may be other places the $20 trick will work, it is most common in Las Vegas. In fact, it works most of the time at most hotels. That depends on how vacant the hotel is. Keep in mind that vacancy in Las Vegas is quite seasonal and higher during the week.

Conclusion

MYTH: CONFIRMED…with a technicality.

While it’s possible for the $20 Trick to work outside of Las Vegas, it is fairly unlikely. It is more likely that it will work if you follow the steps above. In Las Vegas, you should find yourself getting some kind of upgrade roughly 75% of the time.

Here’s what one of my friends said about it recently!

Aim high. Don’t be afraid of tipping more than $20 if there is a very nice room available. Jeanne at LeChicGeek once tipped $100 and almost got a villa at the Bellagio!

Have you tried the $20 Trick? If so, what kind of upgrade did you get? Share your experiences below and while you’re at it, check out the latest hotel rates in Las Vegas!