I'm sure this is much too late to help the original poster, but we tried the $20 trick at the Mandalay Bay last summer. It's a long story, but basically, I held my credit card out to the clerk, along with a $20. I politely asked if there were any complimentary upgrades available. She put us in a strip view room which was Ok, and probably better than if I had not tipped. But there was a minor problem with our room. I called the front desk, and mentioned how we had tipped for a better room but instead got this problem ... we were promptly sent to the penthouse. It was awesome. I really think that -- in Vegas at least -- you can use any little mistake to your advantage. We have been to Vegas numerous times and have been upgraded about 1/4 to 1/3 of the time based on relatively small issues, like having trouble getting checked in in a timely manner (room promised to be ready several times, but not ready for hours), or plumbing issues in our room. I have patience for minor annoyances, but if the problem persists and isn't rectified pretty quickly -- and this has happened more than once -- I just go to the front desk and ask to speak to a manager. It seems from my experience that the manager on duty has quite a bit of discretion and can upgrade you nicely if they wish to do so. I think the trick is to be courteous and not angry about the problem. There's no need to be aggressive about it. Just politely ask for a manager, state the issue, and ask what they can do for you. Let them know that you really expected better service/accomodations from an establishment of this quality. It's amazing how far this polite approach can get you. I don't go looking for trouble, but stuff happens. You might as well use these happy accidents to your advantage. Years ago, we were upgraded to a lovely suite at the Riveria due to a simple lighting problem in the bathroom that was not rectified promptly after we reported it. Another time, we were upgraded to an impressive jacuzzi suite at the Monte Carlo with a fantastic strip view due to some problems and delays at checkin. On our last trip, we had the room of our dreams at Mandalay after our $20 tip trick combined with a mistake. If the clerk thinks you are about to punch them out, they probably aren't going to feel very generous towards you. On the other hand, if you just factually explain your problem, say how you understand they are busy and you can see how this happened, but .... Well, then you can usually get a deal. Also keep in mind that the upgrades available may be limited. The Motel 6 in Podunk TX isn't going to have much to upgrade you to. But the Venetian in Las Vegas will have unbelievable upgrades. Good luck!
