8 Tips that you can try to get hotel upgrades

If you are a frequent traveler, you may be one of those people who consider hotels in different corners of the globe as their home away from home. As a loyal client, you can ask hotels for a bigger room or extra amenities which can make your stay more comfortable. Most of the time the hotel will give in to your request.

A room with a better view or maybe a room with some extra space where you do more work is always a great treat from the hotel management.

Do you really need to have a magic hat and pull out a trick so the front desk or the hotel manager will nod to your request? Not really but you just can not call them up and ask for an upgrade. You need to inject a bit of finesse and flexibility so you can negotiate for a better deal, a good room upgrade, and other wonderful extras.

Take note that the demand for hotels is on a slump due to the bad economy and this environment makes it perfect for you to ask for an upgrade. The rule is simple. Don’t ask for an upgrade and you will not have an upgrade. How you request for the upgrade spells the difference. Here are some tips that you can use to get that travel upgrade:

Negotiate early

Travel experts suggest that the best way to close a good travel deal is to negotiate early. Do it before you book a hotel. You can call up the hotel and try to check if they can offer more than what they have on their website. You will be surprise to find out that they can drop the rates, give some additional amenities, or give you a bigger room with a great view.

You can also ask if they will be running any promotion near you date of stay. You just need to work with them and they will be more than willing to accommodate you and build up their customer loyalty.

Book Direct

Here is one insider secret when it comes to hotel deals: hotels give their partner websites a 30% commission whenever someone books through them. Looking at the math, most likely the cost for this is passed on to consumers. You can play around this and save some money by booking your hotel direct. Talking to the hotel directly may get you better rates than what you can find online. The success of negotiating for a room upgrade also has a higher chance of success. You can also get an x deal and agree with the outside rate as long as the hotel will give you a room with a better view or book you in a suite.

Ask when you check-in

When the demand for hotel rooms is low, this means that there are beautiful rooms in the hotel that remain unoccupied. Don’t forget that there will always be cancellation of reservations. These rooms may offer you a better view of the ocean, cityscape, or of the lush green of a golf course or a mountain. There is no harm in trying and asking when you check-in if a room upgrade is possible. It will be a win-win situation since hotels are more than willing to do anything to please their customers.

Be Nice

The long lines at the airport or a bad cab service may really get into your nerves plus all the baggage fees, flight delays, bad weather. Add this all up and you can be a cranky traveler. You might not intentionally do it but there will be times when you forget to wear a smile or be nice when you get to the front desk of your hotel.

Commit this mistake and you can say goodbye to your hotel upgrade. Before you step into the lobby of the hotel, you can drop all the hassles you have encountered during your travel. Smile and be very engaging when you speak to the manager or the receptionist. Use a non-demanding tone when you ask for a possibility of getting an upgrade. You can also show some enthusiasm about your stay and you give the person you are talking to a reason to be very nice as well.

Elevate the negotiation

Sometimes you talk to the front desk clerk, they don’t have the green light to decide about things that you request for. Elevate the negotiation and ask for the supervisor or manager who can decide on things and who has the task of making sure that they keep your business. You can even negotiate with the general manager of the hotel since he gets a zero if the rooms are empty.

Imply Loyalty

You can mention that you travel frequently and stay in their hotels or your company uses their facilities for events and functions. This can give you an edge because you suggest that you give them good business and most likely your upgrade requests will be granted.

You can also join loyalty programs which most often are free. You can tease for a deal by saying that you have tried one type of room but want to see what better things they can offer.

Be a first timer

You can also try telling the hotel that it will be your first time to stay with them. Tell them you visit the area often and you have tried the other hotels. Ask if you can get a room upgrade while showing some enthusiasm as a first timer may also bump up your accommodation.

The hotel has more than enough reason to please a first time visitor. It is always good for the business when you win clients over the competition so most likely the hotel will try to keep you happy.

Ask for Extras

When the hotel is fully booked, it might be beyond possibilities to get a room upgrade. This doesn’t mean that you cannot get more value with your stay. You can check if the hotel can offer extras like a complimentary breakfast, internet access, or a parking space. These extras may sound very small but it can save you some money. Think of what you need to make your stay great in the hotel and ask if its feasible to get them.