Plan on traveling soon? Did you know there are ways to get around paying for hotel movies and minibar snacks? There are even ways to get hotel stay upgrades absolutely for FREE! Check our some of our favorite tips & tricks discovered to make your next hotel stay a memorable one.
Standard front desk lies
1. All the rooms are basically the same size.
2. Of course I remember you! Welcome back!
3. There is nothing I can do.
4. I appreciate your feedback.
5. I’m sorry the bellman made you uncomfortable. I will certainly alert management.
6. I didn’t mean to sound insulting.
7. I will mail this immediately.
8. My pleasure.
9. I would like to offer my deepest apologies.
10. We hope to see you again!
Want to get beyond the standard hotel jargon and get invaluable results? Check out these DO’S and DON’TS below…
Things a guest should never say
“My credit card declined? That’s impossible. Run it again.”
“They told me I should ask for an upgrade.”
“Don’t you remember me?”
Things a guest should never do
Do not continue your phone conversation during the entire check-in.
Do not snap the credit card down on the front desk.
Do not hold out your hand for the change you’re waiting on.
Do not threaten a front desk agent—ever.
Advice from the Hotel Insider –
Things every guest must know
You never have to pay for using the minibar.
Minibar charges are, without question, the most disputed charges on any bill. Why? Because it’s done by people. The traditional minibar, before they invented the sensored variety, is checked (maybe) once a day by a slow-moving gentleman or lady pushing a cartful of snacks. Keystroke errors, delays in restocking, double stocking, and hundreds of other missteps make minibar charges the most voided item. Even before guests can manage to get through half of the “I never had these items” sentence, I have already removed the charges.
You don’t have to pay for the in-room movies either!
Here’s how, in three easy steps: 1. Watch and enjoy any movie. 2. Call down and say you accidentally clicked on it. Or it cut off in the middle. Or it froze near the end. Or it never even started. Would you like them to restart the movie for you? No thanks. You need to go to bed/leave now. Just remove the charge, please. 3. Order another movie.
And you can easily avoid a same-day cancellation penalty.
This little move will not work with online prepaid reservations—only what we call “natural” reservations, booked through any channel as long as it’s not prepaid. Call the property directly and ask for the front desk.
“Good evening, thank you for calling the front desk, my name is Doesn’t Matter, how can I assist you?”
“Excuse me, are you the manager?”
If the person says yes, hang up and call back. What we want here is certainly not the manager.
“No, I am not. Would you like to speak to the manager?”
“No, actually, I just have a quick request. I think you can help me. Well, I was supposed to fly in late tonight, but my 12-year-old daughter is sick – “
Let me stop you right there, dear guest. Sure, you need a reason, but what you don’t need is a 45-minute story. Try again.
“No, actually, I just have a quick request. I think you can help me. I’ve had a personal emergency and won’t be able to check in tonight. However, I have already rescheduled my meeting for next week. Do you think you could just shift tonight’s reservation to next Friday without a penalty?”
“Sure. Next Friday, the 24th, all set. Same confirmation number. See you then.”
“Thank you.”
Done. Now you have a reservation all set for next Friday! Why is that good? Well, tomorrow, whenever you get around to it, call the hotel back (this time no need to inquire about a manager), and just tell the front desk you want to cancel your reservation for next Friday, as you are well within your rights to do. No problem.
Finding your agent
What are we looking for in our agent? Someone who is efficient and not at all nervous, almost bored. If the agent is overly zealous or nervous, he or she might have just begun working at the property. Not only does the agent have to be comfortable playing the game; the agent must know the property and the system well enough to play it properly.
Tip up front: Let the agent know you are serious immediately. Here’s how I do it: I walk up, smile without showing teeth, give the agent my CC, drop a 20 on the desk, and say, “This is for you. Whatever you can do for me, I’d appreciate it.” Boom. If I am after something specific, I will include that as well: “This is for you. Whatever you can do for me, I’d appreciate a room upgrade, late checkout, wine, whatever.”
Finally, if you happen to have a successful experience, then make a point to memorize the agent’s name.
Jacob Tomsky has worked in hotels for more than a decade, doing everything from valet parking to manning the front desk. And in Heads in Beds, he pulls back the curtain on the hospitality business, revealing the crazy yet compelling reality of an industry we think we know. Prepare to be amused, shocked, and amazed as he spills the unwritten code of the bellhops, the antics that go on the valet parking garage, and the housekeeping department’s dirty little secrets.
