10 Tips From A former Hotel Concierge You should Consider.

As someone that has worked in the hospitality and hotel industry, I’ve seen & and learned a lot, so here are a few tips I hope you’ll keep in mind for your next hotel booking.

Be nice

I shouldn’t have to say this but BE NICE and you shouldn’t be nice, expecting something in return, because that’s not genuine but because it's the respectable way to be. Eployees don’t know what you’re going through and vice versa. Guest seem to forget employees are human too and not defined by their job. We don’t care if you’re a celebrity, wealthy, or loyal hotel guest.  Employees are there to do their job, not to be stressed or belittled; acting entitled won’t get you your way, nor will employees go above and beyond. Friendly guests, especially those who tip, will definitely get better treatment, whether it’s a complimentary upgrade, champagne, or some other nice gesture.

Request

Want a room on the highest floor or want to be away from the elevator? Call or email the hotel ahead of time. Well, as soon as you book your reservation and put in the notes your request, please remember a request is not a guarantee, but doing so in advance allows the hotel to try to accommodate you.

You need a credit card

You cannot stay in a hotel without a matching ID and credit card. Most don't understand this, and you're asking, Why? What if there’s damage in the room, or you or your guest smoked? What if there’s you’re urine or blood in bed? If you pay with cash and check out, there’s no way to charge you for these extra damages, so having a credit card on file will hold you or the credit card holder responsible

During checkout, you can pay in cash, but a credit card must be authorized for your stay.

3rd Party Bookings

Booking through a 3rd party has pros & cons. I love a good deal just like the next person, but if you’re traveling with the family or trying to impress a date, I suggest calling the hotel and seeing if they can match the rate that you see online. Most third-party sites like hotel tonight have the cheaper option to let the hotel choose the room for you, and most guests ignore the tiny details, so when they show up at a hotel, especially later in the evening, they’re upset because they are given an undesirable room, but this is not the hotel's fault. This is your fault. The hotel chooses the available rooms.

Don't expect an upgrade through a third party; I’m not saying this can’t or doesn’t happen, but the hotel would rather reward someone who booked directly or a returning guest. Being rude won’t help you either. During my recent stay in Berlin, I booked directly through the website and received 5% off, got a daily drink voucher, and upgraded my room type.

Complimentary Early Check-in/ late check-out

Again, this is where your communication comes in. Usually, it's no big deal, especially during a low season, and you're kind.

Buying packaged rates?

Speaking from the perspective of a solo traveler, I’ll never buy package rates. I would compare the cost of everything separately and see the difference. Sometimes hotels will put out a promotion that might “save you” $5 or $10 maybe, especially if it’s through a third party; sometimes, the price is marked up higher & appears to be a deal,

Drop the ego!

I live in LA and have deal with celebrities daily, from Justin Bieber, Jhené Aiko, rappers & athletes, to my most memorable guest Azealia Banks, which was an experience I’ll never forget, that is all I'm going to say. We don’t care who you are. It doesn’t change how we treat you from the next regular paying guests, and you shouldn’t expect extra privileges, but if you’re nice, sometimes employees might go an extra step, and what’s crazy is it’s usually the D-list celebs that act the most entitled.

Free cancellation?

This doesn’t always work, especially with nonrefundable rooms, but if you booked a refundable room, but something came up or found a better rate, change your arrival date, so you have more time, then cancel a few days later, so you don’t get a penalty.

We keep tabs

Whether you’re a new guest or returning, the hotel will keep notes. Whether you're rude, you smoked in the room in the past, brings questionable guest or just been very friendly and you tip, the staff will make notes on you, so we know how to approach your reservation in the future.

Supply & Demand

If you’re traveling during the summer, during holidays, or if there’s a concert or sporting event nearby, expect hotel rates to be expensive, and you may not want to pay for that. Still, unfortunately, that rate isn't budging unless it's after midnight. So plan early with alternatives.

Bonus -Card Authorization

If you have a tight budget, I would suggest calling the hotel ahead of time to ask what is the incidentals amount. Some hotels charge you a daily deposit for the entire stay others charge you a small flat amount—for example, a one-time charge of $50 for your stay or $100per day which is for incidentals which is taken all t once. One thing people misunderstand is that a hold on your credit card is not a charge; you’ll see it pending on your credit card, but this is just a hold this drops once you check out of the hotel, depending on your bank; you'll see this usually within the 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS. Using a debit card, however, will take the funds immediately from your card.

Was this helpful for you, or do you have any tips? Feel free to leave a comment and share