HOTEL experts have revealed the three freebies you can often get delivered to your hotel room – as long as you ask them.
Savvy holidaymakers can elevate their hotel stay without breaking the bank and it only takes honesty and a smile.
Beyond the basics of securing a room upgrade, there are many overlooked freebies that hotels are happy to provide.
Hotels typically provide essential toiletries like shampoo and soap – but some can even offer additional items.
Jennifer J. Harrison, director of sales and marketing at the Cambria Hotel LAX, suggests checking with your hotel which items are available.
With some hotels you can get items delivered to your room – including lip balm and hair straighteners.
For tech lovers, other hotels provide chargers and adapters or even iPads and headphones.
But if what you need is to have a fun time in your room while abroad, you can ask for musical instruments.
Tetsuji Yamazaki, general manager of the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa said: “Guests can borrow ukuleles from the front desk for 48-hour periods.
“Beginners can visit the resort’s Shaka Shack and learn basic chords and songs with our on-site cultural advisor Jack Stone, while more experienced individuals can play at their leisure.”
But there are other perks you can get.
Hotels can go above and beyond to cater to people’s interests and preferences.
Guests can unlock personalised experiences – including local experiences, exercise classes or transportation.
Founder of travel website Bohemian Trails Megan Eileen McDonough said: “Consider asking if you can see a cocktail or cooking demonstration.
“While some properties create actual events around it, others are more casual. I’ve stayed at several resorts who didn’t mention that they’d be happy to show me an informal cocktail demonstration until I asked if it was possible.
“[One] hotel offered a complimentary tortilla making class, which served as my lunch that day because you get to eat your taco at the end.”
Money-savers can access to all these freebies and perks by just asking.
Bryant Soriano, general manager of Miami Beach boutique hotel Circa 39 recommends just being honest.
He said: “A smile goes a long way. And honesty helps a lot. When people reach out and say, ‘What can you do?,’ it’s human to want to help them and surprise them.”
However, for those looking to take their hotel experience to the next level, loyalty schemes can unlock many perks.
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Travel site Nomadic Matt owner Matthew Kepnes said: “The idea is to ‘hack the system’ and use rewards programs against themselves to get lots of points and miles without spending a lot of money or traveling a lot.
“So I’ll get a hotel room at the cheapest price and then use my hotel status that I ‘hacked’ to get an upgrade, or I’ll ‘pay’ for it with points.”
The best location to book a hotel
A TRAVEL expert revealed the best location to book a hotel for the weekend if you’re hoping to get a snazzy room upgrade.
Mark Johnson, founder of hotel search engine brand H18YC, may just be about to save you easy money with one little known hack – and it makes perfect sense.
Sharing his best tips for holidaymakers, Mark revealed that booking a weekend retreat in a business district provides the best chance of gaining a room upgrade.
Having successfully tried and tested this theory himself, he’s now encouraging others to do the same.
“If your hotel is in a business-centric location, it’s more likely you’ll be upgraded on a Friday or Saturday,” said Mark, according to the Express.
“This is because business travellers are more likely to stay during the working week, meaning better rooms often become available when they’ve all gone home for the weekend.”
