Lastminute.com.au reveals the white lies Aussies tell to get hotel upgrades

JUST how far would you go to snag a better room? Turns out Aussies are willing to tell some far-fetched stories for the chance of a room with a view.

TURNS out many Aussies are willing to push the boundaries of truth when it comes to snagging a hotel upgrade.

A survey by lastminute.com.au has revealed that one in five people have spun a white lie to score an upgrade and three quarters said their interesting excuses worked.

The survey of more than 3300 Aussies showed that gen Y (18 to 34 years) were the most common age group to fib for an upgrade (29 per cent), but they were also the least believable with only 67 per cent securing a better room.

Those aged 54 and above were the least likely to request an upgrade based on a lie, however when they did they were most likely to succeed with 82 per cent of excuses working for this age group.

According to lastminute.com.au travel expert, Kate Norris, the survey revealed people are fairly sneaky when it comes to bagging a room upgrade, with many willing to tell a ‘porky pie’ to enjoy the luxury of a more extravagant room or a better view, minus the price tag.

“The more common white lies people admitted to included the usual birthday, engagement, anniversary or honeymoon excuses, however the research showed Aussies will go to great lengths to secure an upgrade, including making up pseudo names and fake job titles,” she said.

One Aussie pretended he was a famous racing car driver.

Some of the more creative white lies that actually worked include:

• I said I was a Diplomat

• I told them I was checking out the accommodation for a member of the Royal Family

• I casually mentioned I worked for the United Nations

• I had the same surname of the owner of the hotel, so I said I was a relative

• I said I was a manager of an Australian travel company

• We said that our baby wakes up multiple times a night and that she has a very loud scream so could we have a larger room so we don’t disturb other guests — however in reality, our baby never wakes through the night and is as quiet as a mouse

• I mentioned on check-in that I was a travel writer

• I dressed in a replica motor racing team uniform (the real racing team was in town) and I booked into the same hotel and said I was with them, and was granted a free upgrade

• I said I just found out I’m pregnant and want a beautiful room to surprise my partner

Norris said that there were guilt free ways to legitimately score an upgrade.

“If you want a better chance at scoring a legit upgrade, minus the guilty conscience, try and travel in low season when hotels have more availability, or make sure you mention if you’re staying to celebrate an occasion like a birthday or anniversary, and be ready to verify it.”