As any seasoned traveler knows, even among the same hotel room rates, there could be major differences in the accommodations. Perhaps one king suite overlooks the ocean, while the other has views of the parking lot. Or a standard queen could be either on the first floor (bring your noise-cancelling earplugs!) or the top floor (ah, peace and quiet). But if you want to get the best hotel room possible—without spending an extra dime—lifestyle influencer Lora McLaughlin (@lorafied) recently took to social media to share her secret two-word trick to get an instant upgrade.
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How the upgrade hack works:
McLaughlin starts her Instagram video by showing herself in a “massive” hotel room, complete with wrap-around windows and a cozy seating area.
“I got a huge upgrade just by asking for the corner room,” she says. “This was no extra money, but a ton of extra space.”
The corner room hack works because most hotels don’t charge extra for them, even though they’re usually larger due to the building’s layout. So if such a room is within your room class, it makes sense to request it rather than leaving it up to chance.
In fact, representatives from Hotels.com confirmed to the Daily Mail that these rooms typically have the most square footage and windows and are also the quietest.
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Try these other requests for the best stay.
Is there anything worse than being woken up in the middle night by rowdy hotel guests? This is why McLaughlin recommends requesting a room that is not near the elevators or the ice machine.
“If you’ve got a room next to one of these, it’s gonna be a long night,” she jokes.
A commenter on her video offers this additional nugget: “And don’t get a room near the interstate. Always ask for one across the hall.”
Hotels.com also suggests asking for a room on a higher floor since these are where suites are usually located, and they have less street noise.
However, if safety is a concern, McLaughlin has slightly different advice.
“You want to book a room between the second and the sixth floor of a hotel, so that fire truck ladder can reach you,” she says, anticipating any potential emergencies. To that point, she cautions against staying on the first floor because it’s more prone to break-ins.
Another commenter advises counting the number of doors to the nearest exit so that you’re prepared in case of an emergency.
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Here’s how to have the best chance of getting upgraded.
In the caption of her video, McLaughlin shares this advice to improve your odds of getting these upgrades.
“You can make any of these requests when you check in, but it’s best to call ahead and speak to the front desk at the hotel you’re staying at, not their reservation service,” she notes. “That way the team at your hotel can note your reservation requests.”
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.