While new travelers tend to resort to surface-level luxury accommodations, veteran travelers know there are a few ways to get an upgrade for your hotel room. The hospitality industry comes with an endless list of tips and tricks, like a secret menu at a restaurant.
For this article, you’ll get a thorough breakdown of the art of hotel room upgrades. Use the following tips from travel insiders to your own advantage the next time you plan a VIP getaway.
Benefits of Hotel Room Upgrades
The immediate benefit of securing a hotel room upgrade is potentially avoiding the cost that comes with it. Outside of that, several benefits come with upgrading your hotel reservation.
Some of the following benefits are why people look for travel upgrades in hotels:
- Improved amenities and overall comfort
- An overall elevated and luxurious travel experience
- Cost savings that are too good to ignore
Even for those who aren’t too concerned with upgrading their room, rarely anyone will turn it down, especially if it’s on the house. However, with the prevalence of popular travel promotional offers and loyalty programs, room upgrades come with a few caveats. This is to be expected, but it’s important to look past the surface details to understand the full commitment.
Understanding the Nuances of Upgrade Policies
Depending on the offer and organization you’re dealing with, hotel room upgrade policies are bound to vary quite a bit. The fine print is significant here, and a few points stand out among the rest. In the hotel industry, there is a long list of promotional offers and upgrades that are available to visitors.
Whether it’s a room upgrade, simply a better view, or more access to amenities, hotels generally have these offers in place for incentivization. Details will also change whether it’s local, in popular U.S. destinations, or overseas. In the event the hotel doesn’t have an offer you’re interested in at the time, this is where loyalty programs can be helpful.
While one-off promotions aren’t uncommon in the hospitality industry, loyalty programs’ benefits can be extensive. One-off promotions and loyalty programs also tend to come with their own eligibility requirements.
Circling back on the fine print, these details act as the dividing line between you and a deal you don’t want to miss out on. Some common requirements associated with loyalty programs and promotional offers include availability and loyalty member status, to name a few.
Tips for Landing Hotel Room Upgrades
Take it from those who have been there: utilizing best practices to secure hotel room upgrades is in the best interest of any traveler.
Hotels and resorts often won’t make some promotional offers well-known, meaning you have to know when and where to look. Below, you can find several surefire tips that’ll help you secure a hotel room upgrade on your next luxurious adventure.
1. Use PrivateUpgrades to book the best luxury hotels with perks, benefits, and promotions.
PrivateUpgrades is a membership platform that offers luxury hotel bookings with added perks and benefits at no extra cost.
Members enjoy personalized attention, exclusive VIP perks, instant upgrades, special offers, unique experiences, flexible check-in/out times, and valuable extras that can significantly enhance the value of their booking.
The service is known for its curated selection of 5-star luxury hotels, insider tips from dedicated Travel Designers, and a commitment to ensuring members receive VIP treatment and the best possible deals during their stays.
2. Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are one of the easiest ways to earn benefits from a hotel or resort. Being a part of a loyalty program generally means you have first access to new offers, and you’ll be notified via email, SMS, or direct mail.
On top of that, you can find a wide variety of loyalty programs that are bound to suit your individual travel needs. If you aren’t interested in signing up for a loyalty program, there’s always the option of one-off promotional offers as well.
3. First come, first serve
This may be one of the more stressful aspects of hotel room upgrades, but the offers are usually only available for a limited time. It isn’t uncommon for travelers to carry the first come, first serve mentality, as cost-saving offers tend to run out fast.
However, many hotels offer hotel room upgrades that are available all year long. You can always expect there to be a few details and caveats involved, but being early to hotel upgrade deals is the best way to secure it before someone else does.
4. Don’t take every offer
Any veteran travel expert would happily tell you not to take the first hotel room upgrade offer that comes across your desk. It’s important to practice due diligence when traveling, as there’s always the chance you could find a better deal elsewhere.
This isn’t always a guarantee, but you don’t want to secure a hotel upgrade just to find something better a week later. Sometimes, the offer you want isn’t available, or the requirements may be less advantageous than you would like. It’s helpful to know when it’s the right time to walk away from a hotel room upgrade promotion.
These tips cover some of the most important details of navigating hotel room upgrades. Whether through direct offers or witty conversation at the front desk, you’d be surprised how many ways you could secure an upgrade for yourself or the whole family.
5. Leverage the Experience of Expert Travelers
It’s okay to ask for help when it comes to travel plans, big or small. Although this isn’t the first thought for most travelers, working with a veteran adventurer or a travel agent can positively impact the trip.
Speaking with a travel agent or those who have first-hand experience can help you avoid some of the same challenges and hurdles they went through. Regarding a travel agent, they’re likely to be the most helpful and comprehensive support you can find when it comes to traveling.
Having this bit of support throughout your decision-making processes can lead to a much more fruitful trip, less stress, and a more luxurious experience overall. Moreover, don’t hesitate to research stories, interviews, and historical information online. This can give you a better idea of what it’s like to travel and lodge in a foreign destination.
Strategies for Maximizing Hotel Upgrade Opportunities
Aside from the step-by-step process usually in place for hotel room upgrades, expert travelers use a few strategies to increase their chances. For example, planning a VIP travel experience around specific holidays or events can include a lot more promotional offers for room upgrades.
Of course, there are always multiple options on the table:
- Negotiate terms and offers with the front desk
- Check-in person and online for varying room upgrade deals
- Compare upgrade deals with other hotels in the surrounding area
Remember, there’s nothing wrong with a little research and negotiation. It never hurts to have a chat with the front desk and see if they can swing you any available upgrades or promotions at the time. You never know; some hotels like to be generous, considering they work in hospitality.
In conclusion
Most people would be ecstatic to land a hotel room upgrade, but these aren’t always available at every hotel or resort. Then again, these promotional offers aren’t always obvious upfront.
Through patience, due diligence, and experience, you can become an expert at securing hotel room upgrades on every trip. Use the expert-vetted information in this article to help make your next travel destination as luxurious as possible.
