Wondering how to get hotel room upgrades? When it comes to booking hotel accommodations, making sure your room is comfortable should always be a top priority—after all, a night spent tossing and turning in bed can entirely derail travel plans, site-seeing, and relaxation the following day. However, navigating cost-free hotel upgrades can be a little tricky from time-to-time, so here are our top tips and tricks for getting that hotel room upgrade you deserve.
1. Be Direct And Ask!
Getting an upgrade can occasionally be as simple as just asking for it upon arrival. Of course, this method isn’t always sure to work, but after inquiring about specialty services, mentioning your excitement about staying at the property, and providing the hotel with your elite status ahead of time, this method of inquiry is straight-forward and gets to the point quickly. If you do choose to pursue this manner of asking for an upgrade, make sure to do so with a positive, polite attitude, and understand that asking for an upgrade does not mean you’re entitled to one.
2. Get Your Timing Right
If you know in advance that you’d like to request an upgrade, consider whether your trip takes place during the destination’s peak season, or if it takes place during an off-peak time. If you’re traveling during an off-peak, hotels may be more likely to offer you a room upgrade, as the occupancy may not be as high as during the peak travel season.
3. Check Availability Ahead Of Time
Prior to arriving at your hotel to check-in, simply check the hotel’s room availability for the entirety of your stay. Doing so will show what types of rooms the property will have open for the duration of your travels and will give you a better idea of what kind of room upgrade may be possible.
4. Arrive Promptly At Your Check-In Time
Arriving promptly at your time of check-in seems mundane when considering what factors contribute to your potential upgrade, but it does make a difference. Think about it like this: the closer you are to your check-in time, the less people will be in front of you requesting the accommodations you’d like, and the more likely you are to get an upgrade over another traveler.
5. Be Flexible
If you’re looking to upgrade your room, something to keep in mind is that being flexible is in your best interest. Rather than being closed-minded about what type of room you’re in the running for, recognize that the more flexibility you give hotel representatives, the more leeway they have with providing you with an upgrade.
Though there is no guaranteed method, these tips and tricks will get you as close as possible to getting a hotel room upgrade, and hopefully, you’ll have some luck!