Founder of the travel brand Pocket Wanderings shares her insider tips for getting a free hotel room upgrade at luxury hotels across the world.
Do some people just have good luck when it comes to getting a hotel room upgrade, or are there some secret hacks to get that sought-after room upgrade?
Founder of the Pocket Wanderings travel blog and frequent traveller Jessie Moore reveals how to improve your chances of a hotel room upgrade.
Book through specialised platforms
Some specialist booking sites enable you to get free room upgrades and other perks. For example, those who book through the luxury hotel booking engine ASMALLWORLD get access to VIP benefits like room upgrades and late check-outs.
With some of the best hotels in the world on the platform, it’s the perfect way to enhance your luxury travel experience without paying a penny extra.
Hotel rewards programme
If you have a favourite luxury hotel chain, check whether they have a loyalty programme. This is another great way to improve your chances of an upgrade. Some of the best hotel rewards schemes include World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Le Club AccorHotels, Shangri-La Circle, Leaders Club (Leading Hotels of the World) and Hilton Honors.
Even if your favourite luxury hotel brand doesn’t have a loyalty scheme, make sure you use the same email each time you book and your loyalty may just get you a free room upgrade thrown in.
Book directly with the hotel
If you’re not booking through a specialised booking platform, such as ASMALLWORLD, then your next best bet is to book directly with the hotel. A hotel is far more likely to reward someone who has booked directly with them, rather than a generic third party marketplace where the hotel doesn’t make nearly as much money on the booking.
Booking direct also opens you up to loyalty benefits if you tend to book with the same hotels or chains.
Mention a special occasion
If you’re celebrating a special occasion, make sure you let the hotel know – you can use a bit of a creative licence here too. For example, perhaps you’re travelling in your birthday month – although it may not be a birthday trip per se, you could easily make it one!
Don’t completely fabricate a special occasion though, as they’ll likely have access to your passport information so they can see when your birthday is. If you say that you’re on honeymoon, note that a number of luxury hotels now require proof of your marriage certificate!
There will often be the option to add a booking note at the time of booking, so you can mention a special occasion in a more subtle way than emailing them directly.
E: Information
W: Pocket Wanderings
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