Small, stuffy and directly above the parking lot – the disappointment is great when vacationers realize that they got the worst room in the hotel. But that doesn’t have to be the case: we’ll tell you a few simple tricks on how to get the best hotel rooms in the future.
The hotel room has no real flaws, but you just don’t like it? Then you should change it right away rather than worry about it for a long time. There is no legal entitlement to a more attractive room anywhere in the world. But every good hotel will try to make you a happy guest. FOCUS Online asked the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga what you can do to get a better room.
The magic word is communication
Stefan Wild, head of the hotel department at Dehoga, first explains: “In an industry in which people work with people for people, the magic word – as in many areas of life – is communication.”
He therefore recommends simply contacting the hotel personally, either by e-mail or telephone: “This is the easiest way to find out whether the room you want is generally available in the hotel you have chosen and whether it is still available on the date in question.”
When booking by phone: Better rooms, better prices
In addition, the booking is then often cheaper than booking the room online via booking portals, as these usually charge additional fees. Wild explains: “In general, you have to imagine online bookings like this: if a guest books via an online booking portal, the booked room category is usually entered randomly into the hotel’s internal booking system. However, the booking systems cannot automatically record the wishes expressed, such as “quiet room” or “with a bathtub ”, which can be entered in the notes.”
Early arrival can be an advantage
In addition, an early arrival can be an advantage. “The fewer guests who have already moved into their rooms, the more leeway the receptionist has to switch rooms manually or get the upgrade that may actually have been automatically allocated to another booking due to overbooking in a room category.”
Never too late: This way you can get a better room even after booking
Even if you only find out when you arrive at the hotel that your room doesn’t suit you, we have a few tips for you:
They were looking forward to one. But now you’re being taken to a room that faces the street, where the elevator creaks next door and a jackhammer thumps downstairs? Then it is better not to put your suitcase down in the first place, but to ask for a quieter room immediately. The experienced hotel guest remains routine and friendly and says with a smile that he is convinced that the hotel employee can definitely do something for him.
View the room before moving into it
If you know that you are not a simple guest: Don’t simply ask for the next best room, but ask in advance to be allowed to take a look at the room assigned to you. You can usually tell right away if you like it.
It is often possible to be shown two or three rooms upon arrival, from which you can then choose one.
Do not book the cheapest category
The room was a bargain, the price suspiciously low, and now you’ve got the cramped flophouse right above the kitchen with exhaust rattling all day? Put earplugs in your ears and next time don’t book the cheapest room category, but a step up. That may cost 10 or 20 euros more, but combined with a small compliment, it is often the key to the very best rooms in the house.
Appreciate the staff
Keep one thing in mind: kindness to staff always pays off. If you say hello, maybe start a little conversation, don’t make a phone call during check-in and express your appreciation to the staff at all, you’ll get appreciation back – and often an upgrade
Let us know if it is a special stay
Are you celebrating a birthday during your stay, are you honeymooning there or is it your first stay at the hotel? Informing the staff may in some cases result in an upgrade or a courtesy.
Book a new hotel
Sometimes you should try something new. In this case, it could even be of great benefit, because newly opened hotels often offer deals to attract customers and build a customer base.
Book spontaneously
If you like to be spontaneous, it is also a good idea to book at very short notice. Most hotel rooms can be canceled 24 to 48 hours before the planned arrival. Therefore, some rooms will become available again in this time window and with a little luck you can then find good and possibly even inexpensive accommodation.
If there is mold, defects or bed bugs: change rooms immediately!
Do you not only have a bad feeling, but also an objective reason for refusing the room? Is there mold behind the closet, does it smell sweet and stale like bed bugs, is the shower broken? Then it’s no longer about goodwill. Politely but firmly explain what you saw and change rooms immediately. And preferably the hotel.
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