7 Secrets to Hotel Room Upgrades

Suites in hotels often cost double, or even triple or more, the cost of a regular room. That multiple increases in the nicest luxury hotels. But who doesn’t want a room upgrade, without paying three times the cost? In this article, I’ll tell you some secrets to hotel room upgrades. No begging, whining, or bribery required!

1. Get a credit card.

There are many credit cards out there, but hotel chain-specific credit cards, and some special cards such as the Amex Platinum, can really help you. One of the biggest secrets to hotel room upgrades is to get a credit card. Here are my favorites:

• Hilton Aspire Amex – While it does have an annual fee, this is the ONE AND ONLY credit card that will give you TOP-TIER elite status at hotels. You get Hilton Diamond status just for having the Hilton Aspire Amex card, and that means serious upgrades – including 1,000-square foot suites, in my experience at the Waldorf Astoria New Orleans. See why I think the $450 annual fee is worth it here.
• World of Hyatt card – This credit card gives you Hyatt Discoverist status, which grants you room upgrades. You won’t generally get SUITE upgrades, but you will generally get larger rooms with nice views. Also, you can get a lot of value out of the Hyatt chain of properties. (One exception: I got a suite upgrade for being a Discoverist at the Eliza Jane New Orleans.)
• IHG Premier – You get automatic Platinum status out of this card, plus a free night up to 40,000 IHG points each year. IHG’s Platinum status will get you decent upgrades, maybe even to suites, as long as you pay cash for a room.
• Amex Platinum – This card gives you access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which will give you NICE room upgrades, plus $100 on-property credits and free breakfasts each stay. You can even book with points, as I describe from my stay at The Breakers Palm Beach.

2. Get status with a hotel chain.

You can earn elite status by staying in one hotel chain’s hotels. OR, you can “earn” elite status by getting a credit card. See #1 for details on how to do this. Personally, I like getting instant Hilton top-tier status just for having the Hilton Amex Aspire Card.

3. Write a nice note to the hotel prior to arrival.

After you’ve booked a stay at your hotel, write a note to the hotel directly. You should be genuine and polite, and you should NOT outright ask for an upgrade. But you can absolutely write a sincere note to the hotel stating why you’re looking forward to your stay. If it’s your honeymoon, say so!

Note: Do not abuse this. If you say it’s your honeymoon, but then you show up in a big group of girlfriends on a weekend reunion bender, the hotel WILL take note. Don’t lie, and don’t abuse their generosity.

Also note: You’re not entitled to an upgrade, so don’t get mad if it doesn’t work out for you! But it never hurts to ask nicely.

4. Book direct with the hotel.

Aside from hotels’ best-rate-guarantee policies, many of which have been debunked, the biggest reason to book direct with a hotel is to receive big benefits. (Indeed, Gary from View from the Wing actually calls best-rate-guarantee policies “scams.”)

But if you book directly with a hotel – whether it’s a chain or not – they don’t have to pay a commission to Expedia or any other travel agency. If you booked direct, the hotel is MUCH more likely to accommodate you into a nicer room. In my experience, it’s been easy for me to get early check-in, late check-out, and more updated rooms just for booking direct.

Even if the direct-booking rate isn’t the best, it might still be worth an extra couple dollars to get better treatment. One of the biggest secrets to hotel room upgrades is to book direct.

5. Pay for a slightly better room than the cheapest one.

At some hotels, you have a choice of 7+ different room types. The absolute cheapest room tends to be the most commonly-booked, and the most popular. But sometimes, for just a few dollars more, you can get the next-nicest room – and the hotel will be more likely to upgrade YOU to an even-nicer room.

Take this example:

You can get the Queen Guest Room for 142 Euro, or the King Guest Room Park View for 147 Euro. It’s only $5-and-change more per night, and chances are you’ll get a nicer room. Everyone else is going to book the lowest-priced rooms, and since you paid for the better room, the hotel will have to bump you up!

6. Stay for a short time.

If you’re staying at a hotel for a night or two, it’s a lot easier to get an upgrade than if you’re staying for a full week. Why? Because hotels don’t have unlimited suites, and if someone else booked a suite for a night, your week-long suite upgrade is harder to make happen.

I’m not saying you should completely alter your travel plans, or hop around from hotel to hotel, just for the chance to get a room upgrade! Just note that you’re more likely to get an upgrade on a shorter stay.

7. Ask nicely.

If all else fails, there’s no harm in asking the check-in desk nicely for an upgrade! If they don’t mention an upgrade when you’re attempting to check in, just ask them if there are other room types available. It’s possible they’ll be able to offer you a room upgrade for free, or for a very reasonable fee. I’ve asked nicely and gotten full suite upgrades, sometimes for free! Other times, the checkin agent has asked if I’d be ok with paying an extra $20 per night for a suite, which I think is a great deal. Totally worth it, especially when these suites sometimes cost twice or three times as much as regular rooms.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed my tips on getting room upgrades. I’ve gotten some amazing ones using these exact techniques!