Status Match to a “Free” Atlantis Bahamas Vacation

For a lot of world travelers, Bahamas and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, are two locations that sit near the top of their wish list. However, because these two locations are extremely popular destinations, trips to Bahamas or Dubai can be rather costly. Luckily, the Caesars Rewards program offers (almost) free trips to the Atlantis Bahamas and the Caesars Palace Dubai for members at certain status tier levels.

One of the best parts about the Atlantis Bahamas offer is that you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars at Caesars properties or sign up for any new credit cards to get this reward. All you have to do is request a status match from another rewards program, and you can instantly receive this free stay. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Dubai free stay award.

However, there are a few catches to be aware of before you start pursuing these awards. Let’s take a look at how you can get a “free” trip to Bahamas or Dubai with Caesar Rewards and why these awards may not actually be as valuable as they sound.

P.S. Check out the Best Ways to Fly to the Bahamas on Points and Miles to find great ways to book flights.

Caesar Rewards Free Bahamas Stay Award

Currently, Caesars Rewards is offering a free stay at Atlantis, Paradise Island in Bahamas for any member who has achieved Platinum elite status or above. However, the number of free nights that you’re able to receive and which hotel in the resort you’re able to stay at depend on what status tier you have and what time of the year you choose to visit the Atlantis.

The offer for Platinum elite status members is as follows:

• May, September, October, January: complimentary five-night stay at The Coral, including room taxes
• June, August, November, December: complimentary two-night stay at The Coral or The Royal, including room taxes

The offer for Diamond elite status members is as follows:

• May, September, October, January: complimentary five-night stay at The Coral, including room taxes
• June, August, November, December: complimentary four-night stay at The Coral or The Royal, including room taxes
• February, April, March, July, holiday periods: complimentary two-night stay at The Coral or The Royal, including room taxes

Some of these offers also include free slot play credits and special rates on additional nights.

Caesar Rewards Free Dubai Stay Award

Caesars Rewards is also offering a free stay at Caesars Palace Dubai for any member who has achieved Diamond elite status or above. Unfortunately, unlike with the Atlantis Bahamas free stay award, members with gifted or matched status tiers are not eligible for this award.

So, to receive this free stay, you’ll need to achieve Diamond status by earning the required 15,000 Caesars Rewards tier credits. Caesars Rewards tier credits can be earned by playing in Caesars Rewards casinos, dining at participating restaurants, spending money at participating entertainment venues, shopping online with Caesars Rewards partners and more.

How to Get a “Free” Atlantis Bahamas Vacation

Since you can’t earn a free stay at the Caesars Palace Dubai through status tier matching, let’s focus on how you can status match your way to the Atlantis Bahamas free stay award through the Wyndham Rewards program.

Earning your free stay at the Atlantis Bahamas is as simple as earning Platinum status or higher with Caesars Rewards. While you could reach this status tier through gambling at Caesars properties or with Caesars Rewards partners, there’s also a simpler way that won’t require you to spend any money out of your pocket.

Caesars Rewards now allows you to request a status match from Wyndham Rewards Platinum or Diamond status to Caesars Rewards Platinum or Diamond status, respectively. That means that if you already have Wyndham Platinum or Diamond status, you can status match and instantly get the Atlantis Bahamas free stay perk from Caesars Rewards.

In the past, it was possible to status match from another major hotel chain’s loyalty program to either Wyndham Platinum or Wyndham Diamond status and then status match from Wyndham to Caesars Rewards Platinum or Diamond status. Unfortunately, this is not an option anymore.

If you want to status match from Wyndham to Caesars, you’ll have to earn Wyndham status either by accumulating nights at Wyndham properties or by signing up for the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card, which comes with automatic Diamond status.

Let’s take a look at those two options for earning elite status with Wyndham Rewards.

Earn Wyndham Elite Status with Stays

As previously mentioned, to status match to either Caesars Platinum or Caesars Diamond status (which come with the Atlantis Bahamas free stay perk), you’ll have to achieve either Platinum or Diamond status with Wyndham Rewards.

The first way to achieve either of these statuses is by accumulating qualifying nights at Wyndham properties.

According to Wyndham, all of the following are considered qualifying nights:

• A paid, stayed night during a qualified stay at a participating property (so long as the qualified stay has an average daily rate of at least $25)
• A paid, completed Go Fast award night at any type of participating property
• A completed Go Free award night at any type of participating property

To achieve Wyndham Platinum status, you’ll have to complete 15 qualifying nights at Wyndham properties in a single calendar year. To earn Wyndham Diamond status, you’ll have to complete 40 qualifying nights.

Obviously, if you’re starting from scratch in the Wyndham Rewards program and your sole purpose in joining is to earn an Atlantis Bahamas free stay, then all you need to do is stay 15 qualifying nights, earn Wyndham Platinum status and then status match to Caesars Rewards.

However, if you already have either Platinum or Diamond status with Wyndham Rewards, you can request a status match to Caesars Rewards immediately and receive the Atlantis Bahamas free stay perk.

Sign Up for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card

Alternatively, a much quicker way to achieve Wyndham Diamond status is to sign up for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card. This card, issued by Barclays, has an annual fee of $95 and comes with automatic Diamond elite status.

Of course, you have to be a business owner to qualify for this credit card. However, gig workers, freelancers, self-employed business owners and most other business structures qualify you for a business credit card.

So, if you want to get a free stay at Atlantis Bahamas the fast way, you can sign up for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card and earn Diamond status with Wyndham Rewards automatically. Then, you can request a status match to Caesars Diamond and receive your Atlantis Bahamas free stay perk.

When to Redeem Your Free Atlantis Bahamas Award

Once your status match has gone through with Caesars Rewards, redeeming your free nights at Atlantis Bahamas is easy. However, be aware that when you stay may determine what kind of room you will get.

If you choose to use your free stay award during May, September, October or January, you can stay for five nights for free. However, you will get the option to stay at The Coral only. If you choose to visit during June, August, November or December, you can choose to stay at The Royal or The Coral, but you will only get a two-night stay for free.

While The Royal is the newer of the two hotel towers and probably the nicer one, some people prefer The Coral for its proximity to certain attractions. We recommend using your free stay award during May, September, October or January and getting the five nights free rather than sacrificing three free nights to stay at a marginally nicer hotel.

Once you’ve decided when to travel, you’ll need to call 1-888-877-7592. The agent will check available dates, and you can complete your booking over the phone. Make it clear that you’re calling to book a Caesars Rewards complimentary package, as some dates during off-peak months may not be available.

The Catch

As mentioned earlier, there are some catches to this deal. Let’s take a look at what you should expect, and why this isn’t the phenomenal deal that it initially seems to be. You know what they say: “When things sound too good to be true, they probably are.”

Your “Free” Stay Isn’t Actually Free

This is probably the biggest bummer of them all. We’ve talked about resort fees before, and they’re really a nuisance at the Atlantis Bahamas. You’ll have to pay the resort fee of $55.94 for every night of your stay, plus a gratuity of $10. So, you’ll essentially still have to pay $66 for every “free” night that you stay.

Now, considering that a night at either The Coral or The Royal usually costs several hundred dollars, even during off-peak times, this is still a pretty solid deal. Still, it doesn’t feel good having to shell out cash when a stay is advertised as free.

Food at Atlantis Is Expensive

Unfortunately, even if you save money by getting free nights at Atlantis Bahamas through Caesars Rewards, you’re still going to spend a ton of money on food while you’re there. There aren’t many options for food in the area around the resort, so you’re pretty much stuck paying the exorbitant prices that the restaurants within the resort charge.

For instance, a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks is going to run you around $9; a slice of cheese pizza is usually around $7; and the buffet at The Royal is around $40 for lunch and as much as $75 for dinner. So, really, the only way to stay cheaply at the Atlantis Bahamas is to starve yourself, which we don’t recommend.

On top of that, the high prices of the food aren’t accompanied by high quality. At many of the restaurants in the resort, you’ll be paying the same as you would for a high-end restaurant in New York City or San Francisco for low-quality food.

Atlantis Doesn’t Honor Marriott Bonvoy Benefits

Did you know that the Atlantis Bahamas is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection? Given that it is, you might expect that you can use your Marriott Platinum Elite benefits at whichever Atlantis Bahamas hotel you pick, but this is hardly the case.

Unfortunately, Marriott exempts Atlantis from extending all Marriott benefits to guests. Although you’ll get a welcome gift if you’re Platinum Elite, your status won’t automatically get you a free room upgrade or free breakfast.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get an upgrade, but you shouldn’t count on it, especially if you’re traveling during peak season when the resort is busiest. Unfortunately this is when an upgrade would provide the most value.

Final Thoughts

By completing a status match from your Wyndham Platinum or Diamond elite status to Caesars Rewards elite status, you can get a free stay at Atlantis Bahamas for up to five nights.

Although the stay comes with a few catches, you might still find it to be worthwhile. Paying $66 per night at Atlantis Bahamas is far better than the typical nightly cash rates that can run up more than $500. However, be prepared for some high costs for food while at the resort.

At the end of the day, Atlantis Bahamas is an amazing destination. If you were already planning a trip to the Atlantis, status matching your way to a free stay through Caesars Rewards is an especially great way to save a ton of money.

Caesars Rewards is also currently offering a two-night free stay at the Caesars Palace Dubai for Diamond elite status members. However, this award is not available to elite members who status matched their way to Diamond status.