mgm rewards

T-Mobile M life Partnership

T-Mobile and M life partnership

T-Mobile M life Partnership A T-Mobile M life Partnership beyond arena naming rights seems to be in the works.  Today T-Mobile announced their “Un-carrier 11”, also known as #GetThanked.  There were essentially three big benefits to T-Mobile customers that were introduced: Free Gogo Inflight Internet – 1 hour on every … Read more

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

The US Travel Association is once again running its Daily Getaways promotion.  Beginning April 4 there will be a different offer for a limited time each day.  As was the case last year, there is no added discount for using an Amex card as there has been in previous years.  You can find discounts on rental cars, hotels, and theme parks.  In this post I calculate the Daily Getaways 2016 valuation for the hotel offers.

Likely the most popular offers will be for the hotel stays that, for the most part, come in the form of loyalty points.  Below I have created a grid that shows the cost per point for each of the hotel point offers.

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M life Platinum Experience

M life Platinum Experience

M life Platinum Experience UPDATE 3: As of February 1, 2022, M life will become MGM Rewards and the Platinum Experience will be retired. UPDATE 2:  During my stay in September 2016 at Monte Carlo I asked at the VIP Lounge and was given this letter about my M life … Read more

Delano Las Vegas Review

One thing I have noticed about Las Vegas hotels: Good hard product, terrible soft product.  Like so much of Vegas; hotels have a flashy, beautiful sheen but go beyond the surface and it loses it’s sheen.  Delano Las Vegas is a great looking property with service that disappoints. Location: First you should know that … Read more

Mlife Changes Coming December 15

Mlife changes coming December 15

I spotted reports on FlyerTalk of certain benefits to Mlife members being cut — namely the elimination of free admission to the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, Mirage Secret Garden, and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.  I reached out to Mlife via Twitter and was told that there would be some Mlife … Read more

Mandalay Bay Renovated Rooms

This past weekend I spent three nights in Vegas in three different Mlife properties — Vdara, Bellagio, and Mandalay Bay.  I not only wanted to try out new properties but also wanted to get as many stay credits as possible towards Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond status for 2016. My favorite room … Read more

Mlife VIP Lounge

Mlife VIP Lounge One of the more mysterious benefits of Mlife Platinum or Noir status is access to the Mlife VIP Lounge in certain hotels.  The reason I say mysterious is because there is barely a mention of the Mlife VIP Lounge on any of the property websites.  I actually found … Read more

For the Record BAZ Las Vegas

There is a new star of the Las Vegas Strip and his name is Baz.  Technically Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director of Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Australia (2008), and The Great Gatsby (2013).  A new production at Mandalay Bay is For the Record BAZ Las Vegas which opened … Read more

Bonus Hyatt Gold Passport Points in Las Vegas

Hyatt Gold Passport points in Las Vegas

Hyatt Gold Passport points in Las Vegas

There has been a standing relationship between Hyatt and Mlife resorts in Las Vegas.  You can do an elite status match between the two loyalty programs and earn Hyatt Gold Passport points in Las Vegas when staying at an Mlife resort.

Today Hyatt announced a new bonus offer for earning Hyatt Gold Passport points in Las Vegas known as Third Night’s a Charm.  If you register at hyatt.com/vegassummer, you will earn bonus points after a three night stay through September 30.

Your room must be booked direct through Hyatt (I was told via a Hyatt rep on Twitter that bookings through Mlife don’t count).  Expedia or another OTA won’t work.  You also can’t book a room with points.  Cash + Point reservations are only at Hyatt properties so those are also not eligible.

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Daily Getaways Valuation

Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at 4.37.51 PMThe US Travel Association is once again running its Daily Getaways promotion.  Beginning March 23 there will be a different offer for a limited time each day.  An interesting change this: there is NO added discount for using an Amex card.  You can find discounts on rental cars, hotels, and theme parks.  Only the first three weeks’ offers have been posted as of this post.

Likely the most popular offers will be for the hotel stays that, for the most part, come in the form of loyalty points.  Below I have created a grid that shows the cost per point for each of the hotel point offers.

Read more

Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015

 

Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015

Note: As of June 1, 2015, the Hyatt Diamond Challenge 2015 has been updated.  Diamond status is now good through February 2017.  Reports are also in that you can directly contact Hyatt Gold Passport at 1-800-228-3360 to enroll in the Elite Tier Offer.  Read more here.

I first signed up for Hyatt Gold Passport last summer after I learned about their relationship with Mlife.  Since I was a Gold Mlife member I received Platinum status with Hyatt’s loyalty program.  I had signed up for hotel loyalty programs before, but with the purpose of earning miles on Alaska Airlines for my stays.  In 9 months I have accrued 20,000 points with HGP through my stays at Mlife hotels in Vegas and Hyatt hotels.

The benefits of Platinum HGP status are minimal; it was devalued even more last month when all guests were given free wifi.  Reports over at Flyer Talk have some people being offered a Hyatt Diamond Challenge (also known as the Hyatt Gold Passport Elite Tier offer) with 12 nights in 60 days.  Some said the offer was targeted only to those with a high number of stays in 2014 while others said they were able to enroll in the challenge by contacting the property of their upcoming stay.

I have four booked reservations between now and June so I emailed the two properties that had an email posted on their website.

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Aria Las Vegas Review

aria las vegasThis past weekend I spent three nights at Aria Las Vegas, one of the Vegas mega properties located in MGM’s CityCenter.  Other hotels that share the CityCenter location are Vdara and Mandarin Oriental… as well as what is left of the Harmon (it is getting smaller each day as they demolish it).  Aria, with 4,004 rooms, opened in December 2009 and is considered MGM’s top property alongside Bellagio.

I have stayed at the Aria five or six times, it is my go-to hotel in Vegas.  Good location, luxury, and a great spa.  I received a deal through Mlife that got me a rate of ~$200* for Saturday night and ~$130* for Sunday and Monday nights (*I include the mandatory $32 resort fee in this price).  The deal also came with an included $200 resort credit that I could use at onsite restaurants, spa, or show.

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