The Great 'Hotel staff, tell us how to get upgraded' Hunt

jenny11648

A few ideas:

Join hotel loyalty schemes and read the e-mails they send you [annoying I know!]. You will be identified as a regular hotel user, but the chains know you belong to their competitors schemes too. In these difficult times, you will be targeted with the best deals. Earlier in the year Holiday Inn group were giving Priority Club members a free night anywhere in the world for every two you paid for, even on heavily discounted rates [but not if you booked through agents]

If you are offered a pay for upgrade, the check in staff will be on commission. The price will be seriously negotiable, as in many hotels the staff are rewarded on the number of upgrades they sell, not the revenue generated.

If you are not a menber of a hotel loyalty scheme, but are a member of a rival chain [ideally "gold" member], produce your card at check in. The "I thought I would check out the xxxxxx experience" line almost always works.

If travelling with a grup on business, present yourself at check in as the decision maker regarding choice of hotel. "My secretary booked eight rooms for us, can you see if my colleagues have booked in yet" is a good line.

Marie333

I worked in a small 4stars hotel, and we always offered at least 1 upgrade for people, who have birthday, when staying in the hotel

darrow_2

I can confirm that Raffles99's comment that having a famous name helps. My surname is the same as a famous car rental company. When the reception asks how I spell it, I say "as in **** car rental". Sometimes they say, "So pleased to have you stay with us. I have upgraded your room". :-D

FiscalFanny

Great thread, don't know why some folk are getting their knickers in a twist, we all love a bargain, that's why the majority of us fiscally aware peeps are on this site.

My experience:

Hotel in Rome, we booked a triple room to get better space, hotel also sold itself on retro modern furnishings.

Room # 1 was huge but clearly not refurbished as the website was so desperate to make out. Complained (most politely) and got moved up a floor (good sign).

Room # 2 had the modern retro feel it promised but was so small you couldn't throw a cat. Seeing as I had booked a triple for extra space, a small double was not what I ordered. Complained again (again most politely) and got moved up a floor

Room # 3 a fabulous top floor junior suite modernised with wrap around balcony, rack rate was a fraction of what we had paid.

My situation was not a clear blagging effort, but a mis representation. And I was polite and fair at all times. It was our 15th Wedding Anniversary which I did make clear it was a special trip.

Last week I booked a spa hotel for 9 of us girls, I was the lead name. Upon check in they issued the 4 rooms for us all, we had all booked the same type of rooms, but I got given the nicest one by far, bigger and more stylish furnishings. Guess the politeness did it or just for being the lead name? Whatever I shall do both again!

Flying: Have a friend who is a dolly for BA and she says NEVER ask for an upgrade but be very nice to check in staff, they decide who gets upgraded. Did try that this year on way to Naples, but shucks it didn't work.

Fanny x

horsewidow

An over riding theme is "be courteous", I reckon that is an age old trusted skill people on this site still have shedloads of.

walkman50

Be careful about waht 'upgrades' you accept! I love a bargain, and managed to find the second cheapest room in Dublin - at the Royal Marine, down by the sea. 4 star for 42 quid. Amazing place, but they had overbooked. They upgraded me to a five star - one of the 'top 10 hotels in Ireland' with free breakfasts thrown in and free taxi transfer, a £200 deal. Delighted at the upgrade offer and accepted. VERY disappointed though, as when I got there the location and transport connections were terrible, and the posh 5* services available in the hotel were useless to me. And they did NOT have a swimming pool as promised, like the hotel I had booked. (It was an extremely hot day.)

janiebquick

A few years back we were backed into two standard rooms at the Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore while en-route to Australia. Little did we know that there was a major hotel refurbishment going , so found ourselves at least double upgraded into a suite with private balcony and all!

pennypinchUK

Ooh, do you know, from this thread I've just found out why I've been upgraded as many times as I have....whenever I arrive at my hotel I always ask for a quiet room (nothing more annoying than being continually woken by doors slamming in the corridor, etc.). It's never occurred to me that the receptionist has taken that as a cue to upgrade me.....

Now I know, I bet I never get upgraded again!

sebdangerfield

I was upgraded on my last Holiday to Kefalonia.

A few days before the trip I emailed the manager and stated I was looking forward to my stay as i'd heard several good reviews about the hotel. I was traveling with my partner and as it was our aniversary would like to enquire about the cost of an upgrade for a surprise for her. I didn't hear a thing back from the manager and assumed it was typical greek service!

On arrival at the hotel we found he'd automaticaly upgraded our room two levels for free. When I went to thank him he then gave us champagne with our meal on the evening!

cheesy*wotsit

malkie76 wrote: »

I'm unsure in what way I'm not being calm? I'm prepared to pay for the room I want in the first place rather than look or request for an upgrade. You'll notice from the detailed responses in this thread that indeed the number 1 tip is to pay for the service that you want.

The other pretty sensible tip (as detailed above) is join a loyalty scheme and stick to a particular hotel chain or group. You'll find that many people who travel alot and generate significant money for hotel groups will routinely experience a better service. However I'd guess that about 90% of MSE users don't fall into that category and are actually looking for tips for their annual holiday.

Malkie, surely the number 1 rule (or nearly number 1) of MSE is to save as much money as possible... therefore being cheeky/polite/early/late/drunk (lol) to get a free upgrade must be a good thing?