Hotel accommodations don't have to cost a fortune and you can enjoy a delightful getaway if you know a few tricks to getting better hotel deals. How do you do this? Below are four ways:
1) Go ahead and drop in a hotel. It's easy to get a room reservation by simply showing up at the front desk, provided it's not the peak season. Hotels will be eager to have guests off-season, so you can negotiate for a better room rate. Direct bookings in this case are better than online or third-party booking sites like Expedia or Travelocity, because hotels will factor in the incentives or commissions they pay to the sites.
2) Get the corner room. This has the better layout, the lowest noise level and better view among all other hotel rooms with similar rates, according to Life Hacker. If the hotel had its renovation recently, try asking for one of the newer rooms, but do it discreetly with no other hotel guests around, according to Reader's Digest.
3) Let the hotel know you're there for a special event. Celebrating an anniversary? Planning an engagement? Is it your partner's birthday? The hotel staff will be happy to make this more memorable, provided you let them know in advance. "If a guest tells us they're here for their honeymoon and they booked a queen room, we know they'll be cramped because they'll have luggage. Before they even arrive, we know they'll rather be upgraded," said concierge and hotel expert Freddie Floyd, via Pop Sugar. However, don't lie just to get the perks. The hotel staff will be able to tell if you're faking it.
4) Frequent traveler? Sign up for a loyalty or rewards program. You can avail of more discounts and free upgrades if you check into the same hotel each time. This could include complimentary breakfast and access to exclusive lounges, according to Refinery29. You'll gain more favors and perks if you become familiar with the service staff and call them by their names. Give the service staff good tips too. The next time you visit, you'll be treated like a VIP.
Also read: Holiday Tipping Guide: Who To Tip And How Much?
5) Be direct - but nice - with your requests. Hotel staff expect all sorts of request from guests and will always find ways to accommodate. However, the manner in which you ask this can matter to whether you're actually going to get it or not. "It's our job to help. But everyone is scared to take a guest who starts the experience complaining. We're way more willing to help and offer you things when you're nice and it seems like the upgrade will satisfy you," said Floyd.
