I've recently learned that the word "accommodations" means more than a simple stay at a hotel. They are willing to do extra things for you in order to get your business. One option is to request early check in. They generally won't guarantee it, but they will try to make it work for you. More hours added to your stay without extra charge? Yes, please, especially since I'd really like to sneak in a nap and a shower once I arrive (after driving all night). We can go elsewhere, but I'd rather not wait until 3:00 or 4:00 to check in. They said they would do whatever they can to make it happen. I guess the moral of the story is just ask if you want or need something extra. Even if it's not a sure thing, they will apparently try to go the extra mile.
There are always extras you can get, you just have to know how to ask and when. Some perks are reserved for frequent guests, but it's how you ask. You can often get early check in or late check out, and also upgrades to rooms depending on what is available. For early check in, I arrive early and sit and wait, and they usually find a room fast for you, because it's easier than have you come up and ask every 10 minutes if a room is ready.
Our most recent trip was to Hongkong in the last week of June this year. We stayed in Guangdong Hotel right in Tsiim Sha Tsui in the heart of Hongkong. The check-in time is 2 pm and we arrived in the hotel at around 12 noon. We had to wait until 2:30 pm for a vacant room that is amid our request. So it depends on the availability of the room. The best hotel in our experience is Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The checkout time was 11 am but since our flight back home was 9 pm, we would be in the airport by 6 pm and that's quite a long time to wait. The hotel manager offered us a free room where we can stay until such time we leave for the airport. And the free room comes with complete amenities. Remember the hotel - Majestic Hotel. What a great hotel and very elegant too.
I have experienced this from some of the different hotels that I stayed at. I had one hotel where they allowed me to reserve a hotel for one week after hours when they generally were not supposed to do that. It was a manager that was there who let me do it. I had another one that allowed me to switch into a different hotel room because they put me in one that was for smoker, and I don't like smelling that stuff, so it was good that they did that.
I have never thought to enquire about little extras like that, which is just silly because businesses (good ones!) are always happy to go the extra mile to accommodate their customer's needs. -and as we know, if you don't ask, you don't get! Maybe it's something I should start making more of an effort to do. It doesn't hurt to ask, the worst they could do is say no.
I did this on my last vacation in Hawaii and they said that our room was not ready, but they would call us when it was. Well, they never called us but they did keep our bags up front so we could enjoy happy hour at the bar outside. It was nice, but I just wanted a shower!
I've never been good about asking for stuff. It's just not my thing, I guess, but I'm learning to do so more often lately. As you said, the worst they can do is say no, so you're no worse off than you were before. With the high costs of things today, it just makes sense to get the most out of the money you spend. The lady on the phone was particularly nice too, which is always a bonus. I got a great deal on the hotel to begin with, plus the discount by way of gift cards I'd saved up. It's a nice hotel (not fancy, but nice). I think I will look to them first in the future, so it's win / win. I'm starting to look forward to this trip, even though it's going to be a bit of a whirlwind, and I'm going to end up wrung out when it's over, ha ha.
@Zyni.... I remember seeing this TV show once and this respected finance advisor saying that we should never buy anything without trying to haggle, especially if you're spending a lot of money all at once. He said he never ever buys without negotiating, no matter how ridiculous or impossible it may look! I'm glad you were able to get a nice deal on your hotel room, and hope you have fun on your holiday
I have heard that too, but I guess I just don't feel it in certain cases. I mean, certain things have set prices. I can't see walking into a clothing shop and saying, "Those jeans are marked $89, but I'll give $69.00." There is a limit, but I do think it's a great point to make when talking about big ticket items. Never pay the sticker price for a car. There is always some wheeling and dealing to be done to get a better price. This is usually true of other high mark up items such as furniture as well. They have plenty of "wiggle room" if they really want to make a sale, so if you are up for the haggle, it's to your benefit to work it.
