How do people get room upgrades?

[sparrow]

We don't travel often. Probably twice a year, during the off season, due to our business. I hear about people receiving room upgrades and I wonder how that happens.

 

We're leaving tomorrow for a quick 2-day mini-vacation. It's the middle of the week, a couple weeks before Christmas vacation. It seems likely the resort will not be very busy. I booked their standard room on a BOGO deal. I would LOVE for them to offer us a room upgrade when we check-in, but I'm not sure how that happens. We're a cute family, if that helps ;) . Do people actually ask for room upgrades? That's really not our style, but if that's what people do, I could try.

 

Thanks for any tips :001_smile: .

[KRG]

My husband and his co-workers travel quite a bit and are given room upgrades frequently. They are all also members of many hotel point programs and upgrades are one of the perks. One of his co-workers flies so much that the airline called him the other day and offered to upgrade him to first class. I don't know specifically about asking for room upgrades--well I have heard that slipping the desk clerk a $20 helps... Maybe someone else will have info on that.

[AnIslandGirl]

Slip a tip across the counter wile asking nicely if they have a better room available. Just know that many resorts will expect you pay the price difference (or a minimal surcharge if you're lucky) if you ask for a nicer room... it's not always a free upgrade.

[Jennifer in MI]

We are Marriott rewards members so I think that helps. When I get t a hotel, I usually ask how much an upgrade would cost. Most of the time, they give it to me for free. If not, most often it is a minimal amount ($20) and we pay it because it gets us access to the concierge level (free breakfast, drinks in the afternoo, appetizers before dinner, and desserts afterward).

[Alessandra]

We don't travel a lot, but have got upgrades witnout asking. Our best upgrade was in New Orleans when our two ordinary rooms were upgraded to a suite with four balconies and a kitchenette. I'm not sure exactly why they upgraded us, but my best guesses:

- we had stayed at the hotel chain (Omni) before and didn't wreck the room, steal towels, etc, lol.

- I made the reservation directly through the hotel's desk.

- I confirmed the reservation on the morning of the day we were to arrive. This is an old habit of mine from British travel. I also call if I am going to be earlier/later than expected.

- we tend to dress nicely when going to hotels, speak politely, kids say thank you, etc. (Our general look is not overly rich, but well brought up, I think.)

- and I always try to go at non-busy times.

[Dmmetler]

We've gotten a couple because DD loves riding in elevators, and when we check in, will often ask if we can get a room "High up"-we've twice gotten penthouse suites because no one else was in them, for room rates that were WAY under what the rack rate for that room was. I do think it helps that we're Hilton members (which includes multiple levels of hotel) and that DH travels several times a year for work, so we usually have bonus points available for an upgrade.

 

I also used to regularly get airline upgrades when I was traveling with musical instruments-when I'd appear at the desk with my saxophone and bag with my clarinet and flute in it, which had to go under the seat, I'd ask if I could upgrade to 1st class, and usually they'd let me do so free of charge-or at least, would find somewhere else in the plane that I could stash my gig bag (my saxophone rode in a lot of crew closets, especially on smaller planes). However, I haven't tried that for years, and now that everyone tries to avoid checking baggage, I'm guessing having more to carry than most is no longer a status that gets airline employees on your side.

[Wabi Sabi]

I've accidentally found that asking for a crib or a roll-away bed often ends up in us being upgraded if the room isn't large enough for the extra bed.

 

An example: in October we traveled to NYC. I checked into the hotel with my two young children and my elderly grandmother to discover that we had a room with one double bed (I had booked online very cheaply via Priceline.) I asked for a rollaway but was told that the room was too small for it. I inquired about the cost to upgrade to a larger room and the clerk informed me that they could give me a room with two beds for an additional $200/night. I genuinely couldn't afford it so I just smiled and very politely told him that we'd just make do with the one bed but asked if he could send additional pillows/blankets. He asked me to wait a moment, then came back and told me that since we were only there for one night that he would just give us a complimentary upgrade.

 

Moral of the story? A smile and a polite demeanor goes a long way. Having cute kids and an elderly person with you doesn't hurt either. ;-)

[sparrow]

Thanks for all of the information! Dh typically goes to check-in alone. I think maybe it will help our chances if they see the whole family together. I hate to say it, but we've gotten special treatment, on more than one occasion, because our kids were adopted from Korea :blushing: . You never know when someone has a beloved niece, nephew, cousin, or even their own kid that was adopted. Actually, the last time we were at this resort, the kids got free desert in the restaurant because they were so well behaved.

 

Fingers crossed :001_smile: .