How to Get Hotel Upgrades: What Actually Works

Upgrades are decided by the front office, usually the day before or the morning of arrival, when rooms are assigned. The hotel looks at who is arriving, which better rooms are empty and who it most wants to please: elite members, guests booked through valued partners, repeat guests and people celebrating something. Length of stay matters, because a suite has to be free for every night you are there.

Guests on deeply discounted or opaque third-party rates usually come last, and some booking sites’ reservations don’t earn loyalty benefits at all.

It can. Empyrean is affiliated with Andavo Travel, a Virtuoso member agency, so stays at Virtuoso partner hotels typically include an upgrade when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit, early check-in or late check-out when available, and Wi-Fi. Your advisor also adds notes about the occasion, room preferences and arrival time to the reservation.

Rates are generally comparable to booking direct, and the amenities are added on top. See what Virtuoso is and Virtuoso advisor vs booking direct for how it works.

A lot, at the top tiers. In the major hotel programs, the highest tiers typically promise space-available upgrades, sometimes including suites, along with late checkout and lounge access. Lower tiers mostly get points bonuses and the occasional better view.

Status comes from nights stayed, some co-branded credit cards and occasional status-match offers. It is most valuable when you concentrate stays in one family of brands. For one-off luxury stays at independent hotels, advisor amenities usually do more.

Ask before you arrive, not at a busy desk. A short, friendly note through your advisor or the hotel’s reservations team mentioning an anniversary or a preference for a high floor reaches the people who assign rooms. At check-in, a simple “Are there any upgrades available today?” is fine; pushing or bargaining rarely helps.

If the hotel offers a paid upgrade before arrival or at check-in, compare it with the price difference when you booked. These offers are often good value on longer stays.

For trips that matter, yes. On a honeymoon or a milestone birthday, book the category you would be disappointed not to have, such as an overwater bungalow with direct lagoon access, and treat any upgrade as a bonus. Our choosing the right hotel room guide explains what each category name really means.

Be wary of run-of-house rates, which let the hotel assign any room. They are cheaper for a reason and rarely lead to upgrades.