Three ways to get a hotel room upgrade without having to pay for it – according to experts
TRAVEL experts have revealed their top tips on how you can get yourself a free hotel room upgrade without it costing you a penny.
It’s always that extra-bit special when you’re staying in a plush room along with a fantastic view – but you’ll invariably have to pay for the privilege.
Your budget though might be telling you go for the no-frills, bargain-basement room instead.
While experts say there is no guarantee their hacks will get you a free upgrade, they will increase your chances of getting an extra bit of luxury at no extra cost.
Book your room directly with the hotel
To increase your chances of getting a better room without having to pay for it, it is always best to reserve it directly with the hotel, rather than using a third-party site.
Blogger and travel journalist La Carmina told HuffPost: “A third-party site may restrict you to the specific room you booked.”
Chris Hutchins, who hosts the podcast All the Hack, said “you’re way better off” if you book with the hotel directly.
He added: “When hotels see reservations come in from their reservation system, they think, ’Oh wow, here’s a customer we have a chance to build a really great relationship with.
“If they see it come in through Expedia or Hotel Tonight or some channel like that, often times they think, ‘This is a person who was just trying to book the cheapest room.’”
Make a request before your stay
While many people ask the front desk for an upgrade when they are checking in, you can increase your chances of actually bagging one if you make the request when you actually book.
The owner of Mocha Travel and family travel expert Katrina Morrison told the news outlet: “The hotel staff who assign rooms often review these requests, and you might get lucky due to room shortages or because they want to enhance your stay.”
If that doesn’t come you could always try to contact the general manager or front desk about a week before your stay.
Their contact information can usually be found on the hotel’s website, or if not just call up and ask for it.
Katrina said: “In the email, kindly express if you’ve been to the hotel before and loved it, are celebrating a special occasion, belong to the loyalty programme or have featured the hotel in some way, such as in a post on social media.
“Then, politely ask if it may be possible to have a room upgrade, and how much you’ll appreciate it.
“You can also try to request a specific suite by looking up what’s available for your dates of stay.
“Chances are that the staff will do their best to provide you with an upgrade.”
Chris added that even if you don’t get an upgrade you may end up with other perks such as a free bottle of champagne, complimentary parking or monogrammed pillowcases.
Where and when to get the best hotel upgrade
Mark Johnson, founder of hotel search engine brand H18YC, revealed that booking a weekend retreat in a business district provides the best chance of gaining a room upgrade.
Having successfully tried and tested this theory himself, he’s now encouraging others to do the same.
“If your hotel is in a business-centric location, it’s more likely you’ll be upgraded on a Friday or Saturday,” said Mark.
“This is because business travellers are more likely to stay during the working week, meaning better rooms often become available when they’ve all gone home for the weekend.”
With your hotel likely to be quieter, you can expect a more relaxed stay than normal and less inconvenience from other guests.
As a result, it may be worth choosing a cheaper room when initially booking your stay due to the chances of getting a nicer room for no extra cost when you’re there.
However, Mark makes it clear that you must be realistic when asking for an upgrade.
“Ask politely but don’t be unrealistic,” he said. “If you’ve booked an economy room, don’t seek an upgrade to a luxury suite with a private balcony.”
Mark also recommended travellers to join loyalty programs to increase their chances of getting an upgraded stay.
Ask the front desk at check in
Travel content creator Jen Ruiz, author of 12 Trips in 12 Months, says there’s no harm in asking when you arrive at the front desk.
She said it helps if you mention any special occasion you might be celebrating such as a birthday or anniversary.
Senior hotels reporter at The Points Guy, Cameron Sperance, says you don’t lose anything if you ask for an upgrade “as sometimes certain room categories oversell and they have no option but to park you in an upgraded room category,” he said.
“I had this happen to me recently in Munich during the Taylor Swift concert.”