The Surprisingly Effective Hotel Upgrade Strategy Anyone Can Use

I am sitting here in a gigantic suite that I got as a complimentary upgrade and wanted to share how I typically will ask for upgrades when staying at hotels. I’ve found that while it doesn’t always work, I find that it tends to work more often than not. Note that this is different from airline upgrades, which are very much handled by a formula with little discretion from the gate agent or anyone else.

Before I start, let me clear that this isn’t some sort of amazing “secret hack” that you have never heard of. It’s pretty obvious, but if you’re like me, someone with middling hotel status (from credit cards) and no real road warrior status, I find it works pretty often. So I thought I’d share so you can try it the next time you’re checking into a hotel.

Just Asking

This is the strategy I use when asking for a hotel upgrade.

I just ask.

Specifically, when I am checking in, if I want an upgrade, I will ask “Are there any upgrades available for Diamond (or whatever my status) members?”

I will say that this works more often than not. Here’s a picture below of an upgrade I got to basically a full-on apartment

Factors That Increase Your Chances

Of course, there are a few factors that will increase the chances of this working and you actually getting an upgrade

1. Actually having elite status with the hotel
2. The higher status the better, of course, and even better if you have actual nights stayed instead of just the status that comes with the co-branded credit card.
3. You’ll need to be at a hotel that actually has different rooms to upgrade you to – I don’t bother with this when I’m staying at a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn because the best you’re going to get is a fake upgrade to a “higher floor” or “view room”.
4. I also find this works better when you’re staying at more “random” hotels than what people think of as top-tier hotels like a Hyatt Regency or Ritz-Carlton.
5. Typically I don’t bother if I’m only going to be there for an airport stay or if I’m by myself or don’t really “need” an upgrade.

My Historical Results

Another similar strategy I’ve used before is emailing the hotel beforehand and asking for a complimentary upgrade. I’ll use that when I’m traveling with my whole family and an upgrade is essential. I’ll use the “just ask at checkin” strategy when an upgrade would be nice but if I don’t get one it’s fine.

Here are a few of the times I’ve been upgraded using these strategies

1. Chateau Moncton – Moncton New Brunswick. I asked at checkin if there were any upgrades available for (Wyndham) Diamond members – the lady at the front desk “had to check with her manager” because the upgrade was “3 levels up” but I was upgraded to the Monarch Suite (partially pictured above)
2. I mentioned this before, but the best hotel upgrade I’ve ever gotten was at a Days Inn in Coeur d’Alene Idaho where I was upgraded to basically a full apartment.
3. We booked a standard room at the Homewood Suites in Orlando International Drive for a Universal Studios trip and then emailed to get upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite.
4. Samem thing at the Staybridge Suites San Francisco Airport – staying with my family of 8 but booked a standard room and got a complimentary upgrade to a 2 bedroom suite.
5. We were upgraded to a 2 STORY room at the Comfort Hotel Roma Airport Fiumicino – seriously, our room had a staircase and an upstairs balcony!
6. Back when I was a Hyatt Globalist, we got upgraded to a huge suite at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui (pictured below)

The Bottom Line – Asking For Hotel Upgrades

While I know that the idea of “just asking” for hotel upgrades is nothing crazy and may seem super obvious, it works pretty well for me, and I thought I would share it with you in case you don’t regularly ask for upgrades. Give it a try on your next hotel stay and let me know how it goes!

What is your success rate with hotel upgrades? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below

Newsletter Signup

Join the PWaC newsletter filled with credit card and travel tips

Join Now!

You have Successfully Subscribed!