Help! -Hotel Room Upgrade??

pbright

Would really like a room upgrade at an upcoming stay in London. I booked through the hotel site(Sheraton) and know for a fact that the hotel is pretty quiet that weekend. I am wandering whats the best way to try and get a room upgrade as its a special occasion. Maybe i should email or phone in advance....and what would you say??

Thanks.

steveo3002

be super nice and mention its your wedding anniversary, or a special birthday , ask if theres possibly any chance of a complimentary upgrade

pbright

Get in touch with them in advance about this or is this a waste of time/or annoying to them??

chartreuse_2

Generally upgrades come with being part of a frequent flyer/frequent visitor plan. Most of the advice about dressing up nicely etc tends to be, shall we say, a little optimistic.

That said, you do catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and the desk clerks at hotels still have more power to vary rates etc than the reservations staff, so it can't hurt to be pleasant and ask.

At the end of the day, though, if it's really important to you, your best bet is to pay the extra.

plane_boy2000

Sorry, but this is a bit tiresome - everybody wants upgraded flights / hotels etc without paying for it. If you need / want it then pay!

UnitedFlyer

With Sheraton its difficult...
If it was a single hotel brand you might get away with it.

Sheraton though is VERY different!!
It upgrades its best customer free of charge, but I suspect you are not a member of their frequent customer program and/or and elite member of it.

However ... in a dis-agreement to the above post, you are posting this on MSE ... if you want it, you want it for free or cheap .. that's the whole point of this website!!

Paying for it is the obvious option, but you DON'T have to do that!

If I was you, I would join the Sheraton frequent customer program ... Sheraton Preffered Customer (I think!)

Then ... and only then ... PHONE the hotel and ask to speak to the Manager or Asst Mgr.

Say its a special occassion and you would really appreciate a room upgrade if its possible and that you'd be very grateful for it.

Think of it this way ... the worst they can say is no!
If that fails, when checking in, ask then!

From previous experience, if your taking your g/f / wife, get her to sit down in the reception area while YOU check in for the two of you on your own.
Mention its a special occasion and it usually looks authentic (even if its not!!).

Hope that helps.

WiseInvestor_2

I strongly disagree!

This website is about being money-wise, not encouraging blatent lying ("it usually looks authentic even if it's not") to get a freebee.

There's nothing wrong with asking how to get a great room cheaply, but that's very different from expecting a superior product to the one you're willing to pay for.

UnitedFlyer

From the ops first post, the whole event is a special occasion of some kind ... mentioning that at checkin and asking for an upgrade is not lying in any way that I can see.

saveapenny

many hotel offer upgrade if its a quite time to card holders I know Hyatt do if you get thier gold pass. Its a good idea to sign up to them all even if you dont want to use it right now.
Special occasion or not a room upgrade for FREE is always nice
I have blagged many upgrades and the hotels expect it so coming up with more orginal reason is always a challenge. Read Hotel Babylon and pick up a few tips

ajtrader100

I worked in a hotel for a few years, definately drop an email or ring ahead. Speak to the Duty Manager (not hotel manager, its not his department!)

Say its a special occasion (as said before), and you are trying to pack in as much to your visit as possible. If you have stayed with them before, mention this as it shows loyalty. If not then its an opportunity for the hotel to convince you to come back again.

Most hotels run at 60% occupancy levels (maximum), the hotel I worked at was above 95% every night due to it being a specialist health farm...... and even then you could "upgrade" someone if there was a problem etc.

Like they've said above........... they can only say NO!

Good luck