Status Match Perks: Free Dinners, Hotels, and Cruises

I just returned from a mostly free trip to Las Vegas and have a free 7 night Bahamas cruise planned later this year.  Below is how I did it...read on for more.  

If you need additional help with a personalized points/miles earning and/or redemption strategy, drop me a line at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com.  

It all starts with Wyndham Diamond status, which small business owners (whether a side hustle sole proprietor or a real estate LLC) can earn with a single Barclays credit card that comes with a $95 annual fee.  

The initial fee is immediately offset by the sign-up bonus of up to 100,000 points outlined below whereas the ongoing annual fee is further offset by a 15,000 point anniversary bonus every year as well as by the first step in our status match journey.

• 50,000 after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days 
• 50,000 after spending $15,000 in the first 12 months.  

Status Match 1 (Online): Wyndham Rewards to Caesar's Diamond.

Simply enter your Wyndham Rewards Number and Status (Diamond) to be matched to Diamond status at Caesar's Entertainment to be eligible for the following:

• $100 celebration dinner, redeemable at any Caesars-owned outlets, however always best double-check with the establishment (now requires 100 tier credits)
• $20 monthly sportsbook bonus bet provided you opt in and have placed at least $100 in cash wagers settled the prior calendar month (which earn up to 10 tier credits for every $100 of straight bets and up to 20 tier credits for every $100 of parlays)
• [Almost] FREE 4-night stay in the Coral Tower at Atlantic in the Bahamas any month excluding March, April, and July, by contacting Atlantis Casino VIP Services at 888.877.7592.  Resort fee not waived.

As long as this partnership between Wyndham and Caesars remains unchanged, re-matching is possible every February after Caesars status expires.  

Shortcut to free cruises leveraging your Caesars Diamond status 

• Carnival
• Holland America
• Princess

Status Match 2 (Must be done in Atlantic City, NJ):  Once matched to Caesars Diamond online, pick up your physical card at any Caesars property in Atlantic City and match at Hard Rock Atlantic City to receive the following:

• 2 FREE nights at Hard Rock Atlantic City (any day of the week), valid for 60 days
• $50 slot play

Note:  In January 2024, Hard Rock rolled out its new loyalty program in Atlantic City, which may jeopardize this status match in the future.

Status Match 3 (Must be done in Atlantic City, NJ):  Use your new Hard Rock status to match to Ocean Casino Prime to unlock the following:

• 2 FREE nights at Ocean Casino (Sunday-Thursday), valid for 60 days
• 2 FREE nights in at Conrad Resorts World Las Vegas including $100 slot play and $100 food and beverage credit, with resort fee waived!
• and a FREE Oceanview stateroom on cruises up to 10 nights anywhere MSC sails (except China).  Taxes/port fees are included and while a $400 deposit is required, it is returned as onboard credit and can be applied to gratuities.

My [mostly free] trip to Las Vegas

To start, I used American Airlines AAdvantage miles to fly direct from Philadelphia, with award flights as low as 9,500 miles each way.  I also paid just $38 for this unique exit row window seat with no seat in front for great legroom at a pretty good value.  

My outbound itinerary to Vegas was rescheduled to an early morning flight so I started digging for alternatives.  I found that I had a comp night at Mandalay Bay with a $20 resort credit that can be used to offset the resort fee of $45, so I re-booked my flight to leave the night before.

As I was meeting a friend in Vegas, we arranged for him to pick me up at Mandalay Bay.  Given that we wanted to see some sights outside of the strip, we rented a convertible on Turo.

After a quick lunch on the strip, we headed immediately to Mt. Charleston to see some sights, seeing as check-in at Resorts World was not until 4pm.

We made it to Conrad Las Vegas shortly after being notified that our room was available via the Hilton app.  Resorts World waives self parking for its rewards members, savings us over $50.

Our free room for two nights was in the Conrad tower (Resorts World's middle tier between Crockfords and Hilton towers). 

Once we were all settled, we stopped by the casino cage to redeem the $100 slot credit and $100 food and beverage credit to my player's card.  After playing through the $100 slot credit, I walked away with $56 of house money.

For dinner, we headed over to Fountainbleau where I was further able to status match Caesars Diamond to Fountainbleau Silverwhich comes with a $100 food and beverage credit.  With credit activated, we chose to dine at Komodo, which features a really good riff on a margarita, served in a Pikachu mug.

The next morning, I used part of my $100 resort credit at Sun's Out Buns Out, which had some pretty unique seating and incredible breakfast sandwiches.

After breakfast, we headed out for another drive, this time to the East to check out Hoover Dam which was well worth the ~45 minute drive.

The best views were saved for last after a short hike up a trail and halfway across the bridge that spans the valley.

After a quick lunch (leveraging the remainder of my food and beverage credit), we spent some of the afternoon relaxing at the resort's pools, which includes an infinity pool overlooking the strip.

Before the got too crowded, we made our way to Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den, a speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf at one of the stalls within Famous Foods Street Eats.  

On our way out for dinner, we made a quick stop at Alle on 66, the resort's top floor lounge with incredible views of the strip and surrounding mountains.

 

For our final dinner, we used my $100 Caesars Diamond Celebration Dinner at my favorite restaurant, Nobu.  For $99, we started with the three dishes I recommend the most:  Yellowtail Jalapeno, Tiradito (this time with scallops), and Salmon New Style.  Given that this was entirely covered by the celebration dinner credit, we splurged and tried something new, the Red Snapper Sashimi Dry Miso.  As always, nothing disappointed and I highly recommend Nobu as in my opinion, the most flavorful way to enjoy this perk.

When the time came to head our separate ways home, I covered the tab beyond our food and beverage credits, while my friend covered the cost of the car rental.  Overall a very indulgent trip for ~$500 per person.

If you'd like help making your own travel dreams a reality, don't hesitate to reach out at wheelsupwithpoints@gmail.com