Over the past 14 years, Wendy G. has worked her way up from hotel front desks to operations and beyond. She’s trained hotel reservationists to negotiate prices… and she knows better than anyone how to work the system.
Here are her five tips for getting a great deal on hotels with three or more stars:
1. Book directly with the hotel.
Call the front desk and ask to speak with the “on-site reservationist.” Avoid the reservations 800 number, which will usually connect you to an outside company that isn’t open to negotiation and can’t access the best deals.
2. Appeal to the “human factor” for negotiating power.
Once you get an on-site reservationist on the phone, let her know why you’re excited about going to that particular hotel. Going on your honeymoon? Let your excitement show.
3. Be nice.
“If you’re nice,” Wendy told me, “you’re much more likely to get what you want. If you’re unkind, you’ll pay full price for the room by the elevator.”
4. Try someone else.
If you still don’t get the deal you’re looking for, call back a few hours later to see if you can catch someone on the next shift.
5. Ask for a nicer room.
If you’re already getting a discount, you’ll be less likely to get upgraded to a nicer room for free. But if you’re paying full rate, make sure you ask if a room upgrade is available.
[Ed. Note: Keep up to date on the latest travel tools, tricks, and tips by signing up for The Right Way to Travel FREE e-letter, brought to you by AWAI's Travel Division. Sign up here.]
Similar Articles:
- What’s Missing From YOUR Business? – The hotel in downtown Cleveland is clean and quiet. The staff is courteous and helpful. The rooms ar…
- Can Your Employees Make Things Right for Unhappy Customers? – On a recent trip to Chicago, our hotel suite was a mess. The door between the living/kitchen area an…
- Word to the Wise: Euphemism – A "euphemism" (YOO-fuh-miz-um) is a nice way of saying something that is not nice. The wor…
- How to Avoid the World’s #1 Copywriting Mistake – I’d say it’s the #1 mistake most untrained or beginner copywriters make… I’m talking about focusing …
- The Dirtiest Hotels in the U.S. – You are doing a little research online before making reservations for your upcoming vacation, and yo…
- It’s Good to Know: How to Find a Lost Cellphone – So you can’t find your cellphone. No problem. You just pick up another phone and call it so you can …
- Working for the Tip – It must be the only hotel in New York City, nay, the world, that doesn’t have automatic doors. But w…