Room upgrades are a perk most commonly associated with elite status, but it’s possible to get upgrades even if you don’t have status. Ready for the secret trick? Here is it: Ask! Yes, it really is that simple. It won’t work every time, especially if you are traveling during peak times when the hotel’s occupancy is high, but it’s certainly worth trying every time. This has worked twice for me just in the last two months!

Here are some tips for how to ask for an upgrade:

1. Manage expectations.

About a week before your stay, pull up the hotel’s website and start a dummy cash booking for your dates. The idea here is to see if premium rooms are even available. If the hotel is sold out, or there aren’t any other room types available that you would want, then asking for an upgrade is unlikely to be successful. 

2. Find the hotel manager’s name and email. 

You can usually figure out who the hotel’s manager is by Googling “[hotel name] general manager.” While email addresses for these staff members are not usually listed on the hotel website, I’ve found that you can often find them within the reviews on the hotel’s TripAdvisor page. Hotel managers often respond to people’s compliments and complaints on TripAdvisor, and invite them to contact them via email. 

You can also deduce the hotel chain’s email format, and take a guess at the person’s email address once you have their name. For example, Hyatt emails are generally firstname.lastname@hyatt.com. 

3. Tell them how excited you are for your stay. 

Draft an email telling them how much you’re looking forward to visiting their property. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, like an anniversary or birthday, mention it. Say that you’ve read many positive reviews of the hotel, and if possible, mention something specific about the hotel or from the reviews that you’re particularly excited about. 

4. Tell them when you’re coming. 

Include your confirmation number and the dates of your stay. 

5. Ask for what you want.

You can say something like, “If possible, we’d be so grateful to be upgraded to a premium room.” If there’s a specific room type you have your eye on, like an oceanview room or a balcony room, you can mention that, or you can just say “premium room.” 

6. Say thank you.

Thank them for their consideration, and tell them again how much you’re looking forward to your trip. 

Then sit back and wait for a response! 

If they’re not able to grant you an upgrade in advance, you can try asking again at check in. I recommend this episode of the Daily Churn podcast about the four magic words, “Any chance you could..?” When you check in, try asking, “Any chance you could upgrade us?” The worst they can say is no!