Many travelers use hotels as their accommodations while en route or visiting a destination. Have you ever wished that you could get that free upgrade or goodies at the hotel? What about the best room in the hotel? Yeah, me too. By working in a hotel, I have learned some useful tips that I now plan on using while traveling on a budget.
- The first may seem like a no-brainer, but unfortunately for many people it’s not. Be polite, genuine and courteous to the hotel staff. Being a jerk will not help your case. The hospitality industry aims to make the best customer experience for guests. The hotel staff would like loyal customers to return to their hotel and recommend it to others traveling to that area. Most hotel staff members have the ability to somehow improve your stay (hello free drinks, snacks, upgrades, etc!) just because, and they are more likely to do so when you give them a reason to like you.
- Booking through a third-party site can screw you over. What most people don’t realize is that by doing so, the hotel can see the booking channel you chose, and direct is by far going to get you the furthest with the hotel staff especially if you’d like to get a better room.
- I don’t know about you, but I sleep extremely lightly anywhere that is not my bed at home. For that reason, I prefer rooms that don’t have noises that may awaken me or make it difficult to fall asleep. (Isn’t that the worst?!) Typically, the quietest rooms are on a higher level, away from the elevator/ice machine, and on the side of the building that does not face the road. I would recommend requesting these features upon arrival. Some hotel chains have loyalty programs that you can join for free that allow you to put these requests in your profile, and the hotel staff will usually accommodate these as much as possible prior to your arrival.
- Tipping goes a long way, especially when it is upfront. Tip, say please and thank you, and you shall receive!
- The front desk/concierge has coupons! Local businesses such as restaurants, rental shops, clothing shops, etc. come to us so that we tell guests to go visit them. Many times hotels have coupons for these businesses that we can give out as much as we want to guests. In addition, there is usually a kickback for the hotel staff. You as the guest win, and the staff member wins. A word of caution on this note: Our recommendations can largely be decided by such programs, so take recommendations with a grain of salt. 🙂
Take ’em or leave ’em, these are my budget travel suggestions for getting the most out of your hotel stay.
Do you have more tips? What are your experiences?