In the same way that airline passengers can sometimes get a free upgrade to business class or first class, it’s possible for a hotel guest to get a free room upgrade.
However, unlike with airlines, you don’t have to wait until you reach the front desk of your hotel to try and snaffle a room upgrade, though the desk agent may be your only hope if you haven’t got your upgrade before you check in.
But if you want a nice room upgrade, you need to go about things in the right way, as whether you’re staying in a luxury hotel or a business hotel, there’s no doubt that not every method of getting an upgrade you come across online will work.
So, here are our 8 proven ways to get a free hotel upgrade without annoying the hotel staff.
8 Proven Ways To Get A Free Upgrade On Your Hotel Room That Actually Work
An Off-Season Room Upgrade Request Is More Likely To Be Fulfilled
The hospitality industry works on an annual calendar, and there are times of year when most hotels have more space available than at others.
In peak seasons, it ought to be pretty obvious that hotels tend to be fuller (this is why, when booking hotels at this time of year, you tend to find things are at their most expensive) and thus your chance of a sweet suite upgrade is at its lowest.
In the low season, on the other hand, there are fewer other guests to contend with, and a standard room can often be turned into an instant upgrade on check-in as the hotel has vacant rooms to fill.
Why would a front desk agent choose to automatically upgrade you on arrival? Well, it’s because the other rooms in the hotel don’t really cost the hotel any more to maintain than the room you booked, and it’s in their interests to give you the best experience possible, so that you come back again in the future and so you tell your friends about how awesome your trip was.
There are other perks to travelling off-peak too, such as fewer crowds at the most popular tourist attractions, it’s easier to get bookings at the best restaurants, etc.
Bali’s off-peak season is the “rainy season”, but it doesn’t rain all day long, and a few hours of rain can help you save money and land a good hotel room upgrade.
Luxury Hotels Have Loyalty Programs – Join Them
Nearly every hotel chain now has a hotel loyalty program, and there’s no doubt that you can increase your chances of an upgrade by booking hotels directly through the hotel website rather than via third-party sites (though the rates may not be as good when going direct).
And hotels like to reward repeat guests, so if there’s a rewards program, join it. Get the points, even if you never get enough for a free night, you will find that desk staff are far more interested in seeing you get an upgrade if you’re a member of the official hotel loyalty program.
The higher your tier of loyalty program membership, the more your chances increase of an upgrade. There is some evidence in the trade that Hyatt Globalist rewards members at the highest tier are the people who get the best perks overall, including the highest chance of a free room upgrade.
Check Out High-End Hotel Curation Sites
Luxury travel sites like Skylark or luxury travel advisors with bespoke services often have better access to room upgrade programs than the more mainstream websites.
We would note that the more expensive your hotel, the more likely it is that you will get a hotel room upgrade at the front desk.
However, Booking.com has a Genius members program, and this often provides a hotel room upgrade as part of the booking process or at a later date if the hotel is looking emptier than usual. You also tend to get a free breakfast as part of this program, which is a nice extra touch.
Their level 3 membership seems to deliver substantially more free upgrades than the level 2 program, even though they both claim to provide free upgrades as a benefit.
Use A Credit Card For Hotel Room Upgrade Perks
It’s not just the hotel loyalty programs that provide complimentary upgrades; sometimes credit card schemes offer a better room or bigger space at certain hotels. Check the instant benefits on your credit card and see if they can help you secure a better room on your upcoming stay.
American Express has a pretty solid program, and if you combine the use of the card with their Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts booking program, your chances of getting an upgrade go through the roof.
You may also find that you can upgrade your flights with your credit card company’s air miles program. There’s something quite nice about reaching the airport to be told that even though you don’t have enough miles for the pre-booked upgrade, you do for an on-the-spot upgrade at the check-in counter.
In our opinion, flying business class always feels better than flying in economy, and we’d take a flight upgrade over a hotel upgrade any day of the week, particularly for a long-haul flight.
Just Ask For A Free Upgrade But Do So Nicely
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but pleasant guests at check-in get an upgrade more often than people who treat the staff badly.
Everyone can ask if they can get an upgrade; the worst that can happen is that they say “no,” but the front desk staff is under no obligation to provide such an upgrade.
They may not be able to move you to a higher floor or a better room even if you build rapport if they are fully booked, but we’ve found they’ll move heaven and earth to ensure you have a more comfortable stay if they actually like you.
And if there’s no free room upgrade available, you might enquire about the cost of an upgrade (most of the top tips for upgrades omit to mention that you can pay for an upgrade), and they may well be able to swing you a discount on the usual per-person rate mentioned on the website.
Complaints Sometimes Results In Complimentary Upgrades
Hotel staff often offer room upgrades if you have a reasonable complaint about the room you are staying in. Years ago, the author of this piece was staying in a large chain hotel in central London in the UK.
It was the middle of a very hot summer, and on entering the ground-floor room, they discovered the door was damaged (and could be easily forced open) and that the AC did not work.
A return to the front desk to complain about this state of affairs resulted in an immediate upgrade from a standard room to the presidential suite!
Again, you need to be patient and pleasant throughout the complaint process; acting in an aggressive or obnoxious manner might see them upgrading another guest and you being moved into their room, instead.
It’s very important to remember that they are never obliged to provide you with an upgrade.
Long-Stays Are Sometimes Rewarded With Upgrades By Hotel Staff
Hotels love guests who stay for long periods of time. If you’re checking in for a month or more, then an upgrade might be automatic simply because, as far as the hotel is concerned, you’ve earned “elite status”.
This happened to the author on a one-month stay in Bangkok, where an ordinary room became a stay in their best suite and every time the author returns to that hotel, they get upgraded for free, no matter how short the stay.
So, if you need to stay for a long time in one place, it can be worth booking just one hotel room rather than moving around the city.
Mention Special Occasions When You Book
Special occasions are a great chance for a hotel to help ensure your special day goes swimmingly, and one of the easiest ways for them to go the extra mile is to give you an upgrade.
Whether you book directly with the hotel or through an agency site, make sure to tell them what you’re celebrating in the “other info” section of the booking form.
Birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, etc., are all worth mentioning. And in our experience, even if you don’t get an upgrade, you may well get something else for free, like a bottle of wine, or a floral bath or an early check-in.
FAQs
How Do I Ask For An Upgrade In A Hotel Room?
Just ask politely at check-in, “Is there any chance of an upgrade, please?” It’s important to remember that not all hotel staff can give you an upgrade and that even if they can, there may be no spare rooms to upgrade you to.
Always be pleasant about this interaction, as pleasant guests are much more likely to see staff go the extra mile for them than rude guests.
What Is The Washcloth Trick In Hotels?
This is a security tip that says you should place a small hand towel from the bathroom around the door’s safety latch before you close the latch hook.
They say that this is meant to prevent people from using any kind of device to work the safety latch off and thus open the door from outside while you are sleeping.
We have to be honest and say this seems pretty pointless in Bali, where there is absolutely no record of anyone ever having forced a safety latch to get into someone’s room, but if you feel it’s going to help you sleep better, go right ahead; it won’t get you into any trouble.
We can see why in big cities like Las Vegas or Paris, this might make more sense, though.
Is It Okay To Ask For An Upgraded Room At A Hotel?
Yes, it’s perfectly fine to ask for an upgraded room. You don’t have to give a reason for your request and in general, the hotel will probably give you an upgrade if they have one available and you meet their criteria for an upgrade (which can vary a lot between hotels).
However, you must remember that it’s also perfectly OK for the hotel to say “no” to a request for an upgrade. As long as they provide the room that you have paid for, they are not obligated to give you a better room under any circumstances. So, if they decline, please don’t take it personally and treat the desk person with respect.
Why Do Hotels Give Free Upgrades?
Hotels have many reasons for giving upgrades. The primary reason is simply to make your stay a better experience and to build customer loyalty.
However, they might also upgrade you if they’ve sold out of the room type you booked and thus, have to upgrade you or if you have a certain status in their loyalty program, etc.
It’s always nice to get the upgrade, and it makes people feel special. Even if the upgrade comes as a result of a complaint about your initial room, you are very likely to leave the hotel with a positive impression if you go from a standard room to a suite for free.
Final Thoughts On Getting A Free Hotel Upgrade
It doesn’t cost the hotel, as a business, very much money to give you access to a better room. So try using our tips above to get an upgrade.
Just remember that while free perks are nice, they aren’t guaranteed. And you must remain pleasant and decent in your dealings with the hotel staff, whether or not they can grant your request.
If you enjoyed this, you may also appreciate our guide to the Michelin Key hotels in Bali and our piece on how hotel ratings work here.
