Hotel Front Desk Secrets That Will Improve Your Stay

Hotel Front Desk Secrets That Will Improve Your Stay

Traveling is a wonderful pastime no matter what your age. But when you are on vacation, do you ever consider what those behind the front desk are really thinking and how they can help to improve your stay? Whether you are staying at 5-star resorts or a small hotel, here are some useful front desk secrets that will help to make your holiday unforgettable:

Upgrades

Everyone likes to get an upgrade for their room. Whether you are travelling on a business trip or a vacation with a loved one, it feels good to be upgraded. Although they aren’t guaranteed, you can always try to get an upgrade by asking nicely. You won’t get anywhere by demanding, but by explaining to the front desk the reason for your stay, you might be able to get a nicer room than the one you have paid for. Upon booking the hotel, it also doesn’t hurt to ask for a better rate than the one advertised online – often, if a hotel knows it is priced cheaper on a third-party site, they may be willing to offer a discount (as long as this is done politely of course).

Not every room is the same

Even though a hotel may have 20 double bedrooms, it doesn’t mean that they are the same size or quality. By asking the front desk for a higher quality room, you may be able to get one.

Getting a room through a third-party site isn’t always beneficial

It may be tempting to book a stay at a hotel through a third-party site because of the price. But often, the cheaper price is for a room of lower quality – hotels often offer the lower quality rooms to third-party sites and you can get a better room by directly booking through them. If the same type of room is more expensive on a different website, it is probably more luxurious.

Front desks have an array of items to borrow

This, of course, is dependent on the hotel itself, but many hotels have items that you can borrow. From umbrellas to phone chargers and adapters, there are many things that you can get from the front desk. This will save you on going out and buying the items from a nearby shop once you realize you’ve forgotten them.

You aren’t guaranteed to get into your room early

Even if you demand this, there’s a chance that you won’t get into your room until after check-in time. Often with early flights you will get to the hotel way before this, so you more than likely will have to leave your bags in the luggage area. This isn’t a fault of the front desk, so there’s no need to be rude to them. To help improve this, you could always ring ahead and let them know when you will be arriving—this may hurry the process along, but it isn’t guaranteed.

Read online ratings

Many hotels will heavily advertise their star rating. But often, these are based on the size of the rooms, the hotel’s amenities, etc. As it doesn’t include what the service is like, it is advisable to read reviews by previous guests to get an idea of what it is really like to stay there.