chillout

I've never had luck with upgrades in Europe. I usually find European hotels very busy or sold out so that's probably why I've never be offered a free upgrade in Europe, though I've been upgraded without even asking a couple of times in New York.

Just wondering if anyone out there has had better luck than me. Did you have to ask for it? what kind of hotel was it?

adrienne

I've received better rooms when I've asked for them but I've not often asked - usually I've asked for a balcony when I've been given a room without one. I've also been given double rooms at the single room price (these I've never asked for). It depends on what is available. The rooms were all different types from small pensions to large tourist hotels.

In Europe it's traditional to view the room and then ask for something different if the first room does not meet your needs. Because often hotels have been created from old mansions/houses the rooms are not identical. In very large hotels you may be charged for a different type of room if it is at the higher price.

What type of upgrades are you looking for?

Christina

I don't think a double room for a single room price is exactly an upgrade. Most of the hotels I stay in do not even have such a thing as a single room that differs in any way from a double room. Their single room prices are just a little bit less than the regular price (sometimes, many times they are just the same and there is no such thing as a single room price) to reflect less cleaning, laundry, etc., I imagine. And if they had single rooms that were specific to that size and gave you another that was larger, it may simply be because they didn't have any left, no doubt, and had sold you that room rate so had to accommodate you. No hotel is going to give someone a bigger room than they paid for for no reason if they expect to need it for paying clients.

I am not even clear what this term means, but I guess a room with a posted rate higher than you paid for when you deliberately chose a cheaper rate (ie, a superior double versus a regular double). Most hotels do not have special rates for balcony rooms, that's the luck of the draw, for example (some do, I admit, but sometimes it is random chance as to what is free when you check in and sometimes it would be a different room rate category that those rooms were in, such as superior vs regular).

It wouldn't occur to me to expect a hotel to give me a room at a higher rate than I chose to pay for, and I would never ask for such a thing. If you want to know if a room is free at a higher level and you are willing to pay for it, sure, I can see that. I was given a very large triple room last year in a hotel in Paris when I was paying for a regular double room (mid-level or maybe superior), even though I was alone, and I can only guess that was because I wrote them a nice email in advance in French (which may not have had anything to do with it) asking for a room that had a certain view (I knew the hotel and knew which direction I wanted) and at an upper level, and that room must have been free and fit my request and they didn't need it for someone who had booked a triple. Most people staying in that hotel would have no idea how to even make such a request because they wouldn't know the location, the streets or even have an opinion as I did.

I'm not even sure that room was a different category than I booked. Other than that, I've been given rooms exactly as I booked and paid for. I have made requests about rooms facing certain directions or on upper levels, but they were always within the same rate category, so I don't call that an upgrade.

I've never been upgraded in any hotel anywhere in the world, actually, for no reason, but I don't travel more than a couple weeks a year and not for business. Many US hotels are just as busy as European hotels, I don't understand that logic. It depends on the city and the dates. A lot of NY hotels are very large, though, so potentially have more empty rooms.

TDudette

In Rome, the Hotel Raphael (near Piazza Navona) did. When we checked in, the desk clerk said, "You have been upgraded to a junior suite, at no charge."

We were too stunned to ask how it happened. Raphael is more expensive than we would have normally chosen but it was our anniversary and we wanted a splurge. Can't tell you more than that!

chapla

Christina.......?

Dukey1

Yes, on my last trip to Lausanne I was upgraded to a corner junior suite. I doubt it was because I have stayed in the hotel before although I have, and several times. I suspect it happened because they couldn't SELL the junior suite but they probably COULD sell the cheaper room I had booked.

I've had this happen on cruises, too, being upgraded from a cheaper accommodation without asking.

ympepe

I agree with Dukey1 on reason for upgrade.
Stayed at the new Mercure in Shanghai when it was 8 wks. old.
They upgraded us to a fabulous suite without our asking.
Have used this chain frequently in Europe and that upgrade was reflected in our stay on the french riveria in March.
Other upgrades we get are from the Holiday Inn group as we are Priority Club members. They did me a big favor in 2002 and I have not forgotten. We save our points and use in Intercontinental hotels (part of the chain).

ParisAmsterdam

Yes... in Amsterdam in 2007 at the Moevenpick. It was 200 euros
a night for a superior room for 3 of us. Upon check in the desk clerk said "We're out of superior rooms so I'm upgrading you to a junior suite." Not only was it very nice and roomier for 3 than a room, the minibar stocked with beer, wine and champagne was free for the first 2 nights plus we got breakfast free each day... normal price was 30 euros per person! So a very nice deal all around.

In 2009 in Paris at the Grand Hotel St Michel we were told upon check in "We are upgrading you to a deluxe room from the classic room you reserved.." That was 2 grades higher and resulted in a larger room with a sofa.

So I have no complaints about upgrades in Europe!

DAX

Maybe it's pure luck, but I have received several upgrades in european big hotels, too numerous to mention but the one I was most impressed was at the Westin in Venice where I booked two doubles and was upgraded to two sprawling 5 room suites with private library, dining room We were concerned that our young kids had their own 5 room suite but our library had a connecting door with their study! We didn't really ask for the upgrade nor were we loyalty members, however we played the nice game of complimenting the hotel and staff. Another memorable suite upgrade was at the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris, we got it twice, but probably because we're Hyatt loyalty members. The Berlin Marriott also tries hard to please their american guests so I normally got upgrades if I put the effort of asking nicely for long stays. I've received upgrades in other hotels in Berlin as well, probably the easiest city to get an upgrade as they have lots of hotel rooms.

Underhill

We were given an upgraded room at the hotel La Pérouse in Nice, back in the days of the very useful Club de France discounts. That's long gone, alas.

joannay

I once received an upgrade at what, I believe, was then the Hilton on Bath Rd. at Heathrow. I find from time to time as a single woman traveler I'm aware of getting rather the short end of the stick when assigned rooms, tables and the like. This day a very snippy young thing gave me what had to be the worst, shopworn room in the place. I called and asked for the manager who apologized and upgraded me to a beautiful suite.

This year, also in the UK, I felt I had not received what I'd been promised, also from a young woman at check-in, so as I was leaving I asked for a manager and will now have a free night at this very nice country house hotel when I'm next in the area.

Maybe this is not the sort of upgrade situation you had in mind but I guess my point is if you are clearly unhappy it doesn't hurt to go straight to the top.

annhig

well, it hasn't happened often, but last week, having booked a single at the Castle hotel in Taunton [at a terrific rate I got through Late rooms, about 1/2 the rack rate] the hotel itself phoned me and asked if I wanted to upgrade to a double for £10 a night.

i bit their hands off! the room was lovely and very spacious. of course I didn't see the single, but I was very happy.

TheFlannerpooch

On my first Euro trip, I discovered on night 1 I was supposed to be sharing with the Boss and Mrs B.

Bloody cheek. Would you put up with that? And I made sure they knew it.

On night 2, we checked into the Manoir de Beauvoir near Poitiers - earlyish - for a couple of nights. They upgraded us to a rambling mini-flat - so I got a room to myself. The Manoir has a golf course, and a sensible attitude both to letting us into the restaurant and making sure the help slip us decent French cheese when the Bosses aren't looking (some damnfool health obsession they've got. And you should see the amount they put away).

So with proper walks, decent food and a sensible amount of space I didn't have to share with humans, it was just like being back home.

I think the Management (the delusions these humans suffer from) have taken the hint. Now it's always somewhere within a day's drive from home, and adequate personal space. And proper cheese. Comte, or 20-month Parmesan, if you ever bump into me.

Some upgrades can change your life...

qwovadis

Do it a fair amount usually for free

First join EVERY hotel preferred guest program you can

Top 4 spg.com marriott.com hilton.com ichotelsgroup.com

then I go to www.betterbidding.com book bidding priceline

even 5 stars from $45 recently Budapest Intercontinental.

Then on check in I present my Preferred guest card and kindly

request all applicable upgrades to best available for the

evening. If I do not get satisfaction I nicely ask for the

manager who accomodates usually with club floor view or suite

100% success with IC Rome Ville and Sheraton Rome WEstin

Venice recently always works for me unless 100% booked.

Do all the hotel credit cards lots of free room perks great

deals there... Good luck!

tuscanlifeedit

Only once in London, and it was because the desk clerk was unable to work the computer and check us in to our standard double. We ended up with a big junior suite and a fabulous view, after waiting three hours to check in.

nytraveler

On business trips I almost always get upgrades and often gifts of wine, fruit, chocolate etc- but then I'm usually bringing a number of guests for several nights.

On vacation I have gotten free upgrades several times - but this will happen only when the hotel isn't full. (Why should they give you something free when they can sell it to others). We often travel in May - sometimes in Oct - and find that you have a better change of upgrades than when hotels are bursting at the seams.

joto

Flannerpooch, it's nice to see a post of yours. I thought you were in the dog house, or even worse, the "big house". Happy travels.

michele_d

Not exactly a room upgrade but rather a hotel upgrade in Rome. There was a plumbing problem, so at check in we were told we would have to stay around the corner at their sister hotel for the first night. It was a big upgrade (got to give us a chance to see how the other half lives)from the hotel we were staying at(and the front desk clerk made sure we knew it every chance he got!)

But really, if I have a clean room and bed, that's all that really matters. After the first night they moved us back to our original hotel, which was just fine with us.

MelJ

Once, in London, we had booked a hotel for a couple of nights before and after returning from a side trip of one week to Edinburgh. When we checked in the room they gave us was miniscule even by European standards--bed against the wall tiny. We didn't say anything because it was clean, inexpensive and in a great location. Besides, we were only there for two nights each way.

When we returned after a week in Edinburgh, the manager greeted us like old friends and walked us to our room, which was a HUGE suite! I said there must be some mistake, but he said that we were very gracious to take the tiny room (apparently the only one available) and he wanted to make it up to us.

Very nice.

StCirq

I don't know if I'd call it an upgrade, but there are two hotels in Paris I have been booking at for 25+ years and I do find that when I ask to book a room, I get a great one, always bigger than normal, with a balcony, etc. It pays to be a long-time customer.

But I don't think it's a typical deal. And I have made friends with the people who run these hotels and speak French, so I suppose they might mark me as a "better" customer than others. I've gotten plenty of free drinks and champagne, too. It's all business.