Things You'll Need:
- nothing but the skills the how to will provide.
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Step 1
One of the first things is to know that EVERY hotel fee is negotiable and easily changed. The thing is nobody seems to ever ask. Try to stay in hotels that offer guarantees like a "Hampton Inn". These hotels will often give you a night free or take half off of your bill for simply noticing obvious problems with your room, or the night sleep you had. If you are staying in a 3-5 diamond hotel they often do not give you free nights but will instead reduce your bill or give you free breakfast or drinks at the bar which are worth quite a bit!
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Step 2
How to know what to complain about after your hotel stay is often times awkward and intimidating but it is much easier than it seems. The first thing to notice is the condition of your room... especially the bathroom. If there is anything wrong or it is not SUPER clean make a mental note. Check the tv, does every channel work? Is the reception clear? Check the phone, is there static? Does the climate control not work like it should? Did you run out of toothpaste and you call and they do not have any after having a sign in the bathroom that they do? Do you hear other guests while in your room?... ALL of these things qualify for YOU to complain either before or after the stay and request that you get a bill reduction or that you are very unhappy with your stay and put the ball in the front desk persons court. Remember that if you complain before you check out they might say they fixed the problem but you can counter. At check out let them know that your stay required issues to be resolved and made it difficult to enjoy your experience. Whatever you do never let them say "I am sorry" make sure they give you something back for your bad experience.
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Step 3
When you want to get a room upgrade you will want to before checking in evaluate any associations you have with military, societies, AAA, AARP, and various other special groups. This will give you an amazing amount of leverage in negotiating. When you check in and say you served in the military first ask if the hotel gives a military discount? If they say no then ask if that person might have a COMPLIMENTARY room upgrade available? Be very polite and warm as this will only help. I have stayed in hundreds of hotels and I almost always get room upgrades especially at the nicer hotels.
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Step 4
Most of this information might seem obvious but the key is to really be observant during your hotel stays and remember everything that might have gone wrong. The hotel industry is probably the only travel industry that you can truly negotiate for lower costs or better rooms whether you stay at a 1 star hotel or a 5 star hotel. Lastly, I prefer to avoid using "priceline" because you pay the hotel cost in full before you get to it, the front desk cannot reimburse you or put money back on your card if you go through this type of service. If you can call the hotel directly and ask for the STANDARD room, if you do this you have room to negotiate up and if it does not work you are not forced to pay for a deluxe room!
