Holiday freebies/upgrade for special occasion?

superhez

Hi not sure if this is the best place to post but looking for some cheeky advice.

Myself, my partner and 2 kids are going to one of the First Choice holiday villages at the end of June this year, while we are away it will be my partners 40th birthday.

Being a mse'r I would love to see if we can get any freebies (bottle of wine etc or upgrades while we are there because of the special occasion but don't know if these things can really be done and how you would go about asking.

Any advise or is this just something you see on the telly etc? Never mentioned it when booking and feel a bit cheeky just to contact them and say by the way it's my oh's 40th incase they turn round and say, so what?

Was thinking of contacting hotel to see if I could arrange something special anyway?

blue_haddock

The standard way of getting an upgrade on your holiday is to pay for it.

40 isnt exactly a major celebration and they will probably have quite a few people on hols for special occasions so i think you stand pretty much no chance of them throwing free champagne at you.

claire16c

You have nothing to loose by contacting them.

I would email the hotel direct, that can sometimes work better than going through a tour operator who probably doesnt really care! I would just mention you are coming to the hotel on x dates, and whilst you are there it is your partners 40th and you are really looking forward to it, and is there anything they can do for a special occasion. Ive heard of people doing this and asking for certains rooms in hotels and its worked.

If it doesnt, then it doesnt, you tried!

superhez

Thanks guys I think you're right claire16c it's worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained

lady1964

We've booked a week in Bali in September for our 25th wedding anniversary and as I booked it direct with the resort, whilst booking, I mentioned our anniversary and they emailed me to say they will give us a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach on the day itself

Nothing ventured etc.....

give it a try, the worst they can do is say 'no'.

stephb34

If you've booked with a travel agent when they process the boking there are 2 questions they can put answers in for :- Is it anyones birthday whilst on the holiday, or is it your wedding anniversary and they can aslo put requests on the booking, some hotels give things and some don't so i'd mention it, you've not lost anything by doing so.

Enterprise_1701C

We went to El Gouna a couple of years ago for a belated Silver Anniversary celebration. We generally use a small travel agent (OK - he is also a friend!) who tries the resorts himself and knows the managers. We ended up with an incredible suite in the resort, and we also ended up with a room overlooking the Pryramids in Cairo while we were there! We only paid the basic price.

I think if you want an upgrade it is best to use smaller travel agents.

superhez

stephb34 wrote: »

If you've booked with a travel agent when they process the boking there are 2 questions they can put answers in for :- Is it anyones birthday whilst on the holiday, or is it your wedding anniversary and they can aslo put requests on the booking, some hotels give things and some don't so i'd mention it, you've not lost anything by doing so.

Thanks for that, going to call to pay the balance soon so will mention it then and see if they say anything

photome

Different destination I know but in Vegas you can almost gtee an upgrade or something special if you tell them its your bday etc.

Last year I emailed the Wynn to tell them it was my 50th, just after getting to the room I had a box of hand made chocolates delivered to my room with a card

daisiegg

I've never been more mortified than last summer when we went to California and for our hotel on the first 2 nights near San Francisco, OH had ticked the 'we are on our honeymoon' box when booking the hotel months previously, as a joke. We had both completely forgotten we'd done that and were really embarrassed when we arrived and they congratulated us, upgraded us to a suite, where we found a bottle of champagne, plate of handmade chocolates, fruit platter, congratulations card and rose petals on the bed.

daisiegg

I remember trying to hide my (ringless) left hand and hissing to OH as we went up in the lift, "You've JINXED me, I'll never get married now!!"