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What's the Best Way to Score a Room Upgrade?

April 28, 2009 at 1:09 PM | by Jenna | 9 Comments

Everybody seems to believe there are tried-and-true secrets and strategies that will result in room upgrades. And, um, as much as we travel and as many hotels as we've checked into over the course of our nomadic hotel bed-jumping careers, we've yet to discover those mythical surefire methods of scoring that fabled room upgrade — sometimes our membership in a chain's loyalty program works out in our favor, and sometimes we just happen to smile at the right person and bat our eyelashes in the right direction.

About.com has put together a list of a few tips that may help you score that coveted upgrade — which, first and foremost, includes booking a room during a hotel's off-season (fall at a ski resort, for instance) or a slow time of the week (Sundays) to improve your chances. Some of their other recommendations:

· Be persistent with the request: "If the reservation desk can't upgrade you immediately, ask again a few days before your stay when you confirm your reservation. Still no luck? Ask again when you check into the hotel."
· Be nice to staffers and engage in a sincere convo. About.com adds, "It helps if you mention you're celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary." But, um, don't lie.
· The hotel may be more willing to grant your upgrade request if you've booked a big block of rooms for an event of some sort.
· If a hotel has majorly screwed something up — your room isn't ready or the room wasn't clean when you checked in or something — use it to your advantage, but be smart about it.
· Join the loyalty program!

We're not so sure about some of these, but we do know that joining the loyalty program is a good bet — though usually not an absolutely fail-proof strategy to score an upgrade every time.

But we want to hear from you: What are your upgrade experiences? What's worked for you and what really hasn't? Have any of these tips worked for you in the past? Tell us your stories, drop in your tips.

[HotelChatter OpenThreads are a place for readers to get in here and talk about hot stories and issues of the day in an open forum. If you are already a HotelChatter member log in to comment, if not become a member for free and comment away.]

9 Comments

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  1. mjp81

    HotelChatter Member

    Good tips!

    Only time this has worked for me was when I went to Majorca one time, got into my room, opened the curtains to be faced with about 75 people directly outside the window sunbathing!

    No privacy whatsoever, so complained and got moved to the top floor suite. Nice upgrade!

    April 28, 2009 at 1:44 PM
    #Permalink

  1. bangerang

    HotelChatter Member

    also...

    you gotta book through the hotel directly or use the brand's website.  booking on 3rd party sites is the best way to get a garbage room.

    it's risky, but showing up late can get you there.  everyone else has shown up and your room type is oversold, so they bump you up.  it can backfire and then you get something crappy, though.

    sadly, guests that are paying more for the same room type are also more likely to get something special.  hotel staffers see it as more fair to give the upgrade to someone from whom they're already getting a better rate.

    i usually try to hit on the front desk agent, but that fails miserably most of the time.

    April 28, 2009 at 2:40 PM
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  1. HighOccupancy

    HotelChatter Member

    Pay for it.

    If you want a suite, pay for a suite. Otherwise don't expect much.

    That said, hotels are hurting now. Simply by staying at a hotel these days with occupancies in the 50 to 70 range, you've got a good chance if you just ask.

    April 28, 2009 at 3:07 PM
    #Permalink

  1. pauls

    HotelChatter Member

    sweet suite

    I got an upgrade to a vista suite at Mandalay Bay when i arrived around 10 pm on a tuesday.  was there for a conference so it was still pretty busy despite that it was a tuesday in vegas.  the front desk agent 'splained that the room type that i had booked was sold out so i was getting upgraded to a suite.  it was huge w/floor to ceiling windows on the top floor.  can't complain about that!  
    April 28, 2009 at 8:28 PM
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  1. PaulCleese

    HotelChatter Member

    I wont Lie

    I won't lie. Ill just bend the truth hahaha. nice article. thanks for the tips
    April 28, 2009 at 11:16 PM
    #Permalink

  1. masinutze

    HotelChatter Member

    Nice

    Good article
    April 29, 2009 at 6:41 AM
    #Permalink

  1. jennm

    HotelChatter Editor

    Get engaged

    The night my boyfriend proposed, he checked in early to the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and had all this stuff he wanted to leave in the room--which wasn't ready. When my bf told the staffer that he was proposing that night, the staffer said, "No, problem. We'll take care of it." We came back later that night to a suite with an awesome view of the Chrysler Building, which my bf admitted he did not arrange for. Thought that was pretty awesome customer service!
    April 29, 2009 at 10:57 AM
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  1. Tim L.

    HotelChatter Member

    Smile and be nice

    I've gotten upgraded just by staying at a half-empty hotel and being friendly and nice when checking in. A loyalty card helps, but I've even been upgraded when booking through Priceline if occupancy was low. Never hurts to ask, as they say. I've also called up and said, "I've got a kid with me. Any way you can give us an open suite for your regular rate?" If they're slow, which is a lot these days, it works.

    Of course $20 in the right person's palm will work wonders in other cases...

    April 29, 2009 at 11:15 AM
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  1. ggarrickk

    HotelChatter Member

    best room upgrade in the hotel

    I'm a front desk agent or "hotel clerk" in a 1200 room hotel in San Francisco's Union Square. Getting a simple free upgrade is one thing but getting upgraded to the best room or suite that is available in the hotel for "free" means you know things that only the employees know. Of coarse there are many factors behind the scenes that make upgrades possibile, but for the most part, if the hotel isn't SOLD OUT then you have a chance. The biggest set back is whether there is a shortage on the highest category rooms and the manager put a STOP SELL on those rooms. This means these rooms are not available even if you pay the highest Rack rate. Before you ask for the free upgrade, ask what's available, then apply your skills of sweet talking. There's a great info site out there that gets into more detail called luxury-hotel-secrets.com
    July 21, 2009 at 5:26 PM
    #Permalink

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