Hotel expert reveals room upgrade secret

THIS former hotel worker spent many years working the front desk of luxury establishments. So if anyone knows the trick to a free upgrade, it’s him.

HAVE you ever wondered exactly how to get an upgraded room in a hotel?

We all want the master suite — with the roll-top bath — but how do we get there when we’re on budget prices?

Hotel expert Jacob Tomsky, author of hotel memoir Heads In Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles and So-Called Hospitality, worked in the hotel business for 10 years.

In an interview with Sun Online Travel he explained how to get an upgrade for minimal cash.

Mr Tomsky said tipping the front desk was always a winner in the hotels he worked at.

“When I was working in a hotel I’d check in up to 200 guests a day, and front desk positions aren’t normally tipped, like a doorman or bell boy would be,” he said.

Jacob Tomsky is a former hotel worker and author of the New York Times bestseller Heads in Beds.

“If you offer front desk a tip — whatever you feel is appropriate — that gesture alone will put you ahead of the other 200 people who are checking in.”

This should be avoided in any countries where anti-bribery laws prohibit staff from offering, promising or giving an advantage in return for a bribe. But there’s a cheaper and much less risky way to make sure you get great service from the front desk.

“You may not realise it, but the person on front desk has a whole host of powers when it comes to deciding what room you’re in,” Mr Tomsky said.

“The main thing that people need to do is slow down their check in and treat the front desk agent like a human being who is making some very important decisions that will affect their stay.”

Be nice to the front desk staff — they could make or break your hotel stay.

Mr Tomsky said there were a number of things front desk staff had the power to do.

“They have the power to put someone in a smaller room, or a room where the amenities aren’t functioning,” he said.

“They can put someone in a room right by the elevator where it’s loud and busy or in a room that’s where the trash pick-up happens.

“There are all sorts of ways to pick the worst possible room if guests are rude.

“And what lots of people don’t realise, the agents know this! They’re used to hearing complaints about the rooms that people don’t like and they will put you there if they don’t like you.”

Being rude to the hotel staff could have consequences.

Mr Tomsky said being polite and friendly could also bag you that upgrade.

“There’s a positive side — I’ve also helped people out and upgraded people,” he said.

“Hotels, especially luxury ones, will empower the employees to go above and beyond so the guest has a great stay.”

Mr Tomsky had one more tip for getting an upgrade, and it had to do with establishing a relationship with the hotel before you even got there.

“Another way would be to call up ahead of your stay and establish a friendly relationship ahead of your stay,” he said.

“Make sure you call the actual hotel front desk and not a reservation line — you can check to make sure you reservation has come through.

“You can ask the person you speak to if they’ll be there when you check in. This will give you a face to front desk. You’ll be more than a bank transaction and more likely to curry favour with them.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.