How to ask for room upgrade

[LILOLO]

I know it may sound silly, but I was wondering how exactly you ask for a free room upgrade at check in? I've read that many times it can't hurt to ask. Coming from someone that's awful at negotiating, or mentioning referrals, this seems so hard for me to do. What exactly have you said to get an upgrade? TIA

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Honestly I wouldn't even ask for a free upgrade and if there is a specifc room you want then you should change your current reservation to get it, this way you won't be disappointed.

 

[iteachlit]

Here we go again...

 

[2binak]

The one time I asked I simply said, "Are there any upgrades available?" We were willing to pay for an upgrade if one was available but we were told there were no upgrades available at the time we were checking in. We were also told that we were welcomed to check back in the morning. We like to settle into our room for the week so we did not check back.

 

[n2mm]

Sorry, you don't ask for a free upgrade. Unless you don't want one. I've gotten a few and they were never asked for. The one time I ask to upgrade to a king room at POR and was willing to pay for it, it was not available. I even repeated that I was willing to pay for an upgrade (it was not available when I booked, so asked at checkin).

 

[scanne]

For our upcoming trip, I really, really wanted a Theme Park View room. I kept going back and forth in my head, checking Disney's website daily to see if the room cat. was open, and found myself hoping for a "free upgrade." Then, I stopped hoping and called WDW and booked it myself. Now I know what I'm getting and I know I will be extremely happy with the view. To me, the feeling of knowing and being satisfied and content with my reservation is worth the additional $$$.

Just MHO.

 

[catne]

Well, you can ask...although some will say that it CAN hurt because hotel clerks don't like people always asking for freebies (I know you don't always ask, but think about how many times a day a hotel clerk gets people asking for gimmees...about the 10th person asking would be getting under my skin, lol)

I guess I'd say you can try asking if a better room is available and what would it cost you to move up...if you're lucky, maybe they'd give you the upgrade for free. More likely, if the better room is available, they'll quote you a good price on the upgrade (not free, but cheaper than if you'd booked it that way in the first place.) I've seen that happen...where people ask about an upgrade & got offered the $150 a night upgrade for $50 a night. If you really want an upgrade though, expect to pay for it. And if you're positive you want the better room, book & pay for it in advance because they could sell out before you get there.

We have gotten a couple of minor free upgrades at Disney, and one really nice upgrade...but we didn't ask for them. We just showed up to check in, and there it was...our reservation had been changed to show the upgrade. My understanding from a relative in the hotel business is that generally free upgrades are given for a reason: to reward repeat customers, or to entice repeat customers to move up to more expensive rooms, or to compensate a customer for some inconvenience the hotel has caused (like the room not being ready until long after check-in time because they unexpectedly had to clean the carpet so instead they give you a better room.)

Good Luck

ETA: I see according to your sticker you're staying at POFQ...that's where we got 2 minor free upgrades. Once to a water view, and once to a king-sized bed room. Though nice, those aren't really high-ticket upgrades. The water-view at POFQ is not all that - you don't have a private balcony or patio, so the view doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Have to say, though, there's not a whole lot of difference in the rooms at POFQ- there's no concierge level to upgrade to, and preferred rooms are not really any closer to anything else (it's a small resort! One of the reasons we love it.) And if you were thinking maybe an upgrade to a deluxe resort...that is really extremely RARE. They did some during free dining from value resorts to SSR and OKW (DVC villa resorts) but that was because they over-sold the value resorts and wanted to free up room inventory at the values. They never moved anyone from the moderates to deluxes. We stayed at POFQ last year during free dining and the place was empty.

 

[mrbghd]

Sorry, you don't ask for a free upgrade. Unless you don't want one. I've gotten a few and they were never asked for. The one time I ask to upgrade to a king room at POR and was willing to pay for it, it was not available. I even repeated that I was willing to pay for an upgrade (it was not available when I booked, so asked at checkin).

WORST ADVICE EVER. I always ask and about 50% of the time I get some form of upgrade. I always make it a fun conversation and say something like does the mouse have any kind of upgrades available for me? The key is to be nice and treat the CM well no matter what the outcome.

OP, just ask, there is nothing wrong with it even though some of the people on here will treat you like the devil. The key is not to be disaapointed if you do not get one.

 

[Polydweller]

As a hotelier, I can say, it is always OK to ask for an upgrade. There are many business reasons why they will be given.

However, never ask for a free upgrade. That is a great way to not get any upgrade. Hotels give them for business reasons and losing money on a room is never one of those. Reasons include good will, hoping you will reserve the upgraded room the next time (but you've got to look like you'd come back for that one), maintenance issues with your assigned room, cost reductions and so on. If you get one, be happy and be sure to thank the staff.

 

[momtobrynncess]

Here we go again...

Maybe someone should start a sticky on this subject so it doesn't keep coming up every 5 minutes......

 

[mrbghd]

As a hotelier, I can say, it is always OK to ask for an upgrade. There are many business reasons why they will be given.

However, never ask for a free upgrade. That is a great way to not get any upgrade. Hotels give them for business reasons and losing money on a room is never one of those. Reasons include good will, hoping you will reserve the upgraded room the next time (but you've got to look like you'd come back for that one), maintenance issues with your assigned room, cost reductions and so on. If you get one, be happy and be sure to thank the staff.

This is a great post!

 

[MickeyEars]

Thanks Polydweller for sharing your professional opinion, I also think it would be fine to ask for a paid upgrade. I would definitely ask!!

Carla

 

[fall08CP]

WORST ADVICE EVER. I always ask and about 50% of the time I get some form of upgrade. I always make it a fun conversation and say something like does the mouse have any kind of upgrades available for me? The key is to be nice and treat the CM well no matter what the outcome.

OP, just ask, there is nothing wrong with it even though some of the people on here will treat you like the devil. The key is not to be disaapointed if you do not get one.

As a former front desk host, I respectfully disagree. The PP was spot on. Do you know how many times a week a guest mentions, "Is the presidential suite available? Cause I'd take that for free!" If they offer a paid upgrade and you're only willing to take a free one, it honestly does damper the entire conversation. It makes you look cheap, even if you're not.

 

[mrbghd]

As a former front desk host, I respectfully disagree. The PP was spot on. Do you know how many times a week a guest mentions, "Is the presidential suite available? Cause I'd take that for free!" If they offer a paid upgrade and you're only willing to take a free one, it honestly does damper the entire conversation. It makes you look cheap, even if you're not.

I have had very good success with my approach so I respectfully disagree. Of course I don't go crazy asking for the presidential suite so that may help

 

[skipperkim]

Well, you can ask...although some will say that it CAN hurt because hotel clerks don't like people always asking for freebies (I know you don't always ask, but think about how many times a day a hotel clerk gets people asking for gimmees...about the 10th person asking would be getting under my skin, lol)

I guess I'd say you can try asking if a better room is available and what would it cost you to move up...if you're lucky, maybe they'd give you the upgrade for free. More likely, if the better room is available, they'll quote you a good price on the upgrade (not free, but cheaper than if you'd booked it that way in the first place.) I've seen that happen...where people ask about an upgrade & got offered the $150 a night upgrade for $50 a night. If you really want an upgrade though, expect to pay for it. And if you're positive you want the better room, book & pay for it in advance because they could sell out before you get there.

We have gotten a couple of minor free upgrades at Disney, and one really nice upgrade...but we didn't ask for them. We just showed up to check in, and there it was...our reservation had been changed to show the upgrade. My understanding from a relative in the hotel business is that generally free upgrades are given for a reason: to reward repeat customers, or to entice repeat customers to move up to more expensive rooms, or to compensate a customer for some inconvenience the hotel has caused (like the room not being ready until long after check-in time because they unexpectedly had to clean the carpet so instead they give you a better room.)

Good Luck

ETA: I see according to your sticker you're staying at POFQ...that's where we got 2 minor free upgrades. Once to a water view, and once to a king-sized bed room. Though nice, those aren't really high-ticket upgrades. The water-view at POFQ is not all that - you don't have a private balcony or patio, so the view doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Have to say, though, there's not a whole lot of difference in the rooms at POFQ- there's no concierge level to upgrade to, and preferred rooms are not really any closer to anything else (it's a small resort! One of the reasons we love it.) And if you were thinking maybe an upgrade to a deluxe resort...that is really extremely RARE. They did some during free dining from value resorts to SSR and OKW (DVC villa resorts) but that was because they over-sold the value resorts and wanted to free up room inventory at the values. They never moved anyone from the moderates to deluxes. We stayed at POFQ last year during free dining and the place was empty.

Having stayed at POFQ before if you want a room with a king bed, you'd better upgrade now. It may not be available when you check in. Now if you want a river view, that may be entirely possible. But it's something I avoid there since it's just further away from everything. Not that anything is real far at POFQ. I walk enough at WDW, so I prefer building 3 near the fountain.

 

[LILOLO]

Maybe someone should start a sticky on this subject so it doesn't keep coming up every 5 minutes......

if the topic is so bothersome to you, why did you choose to read, let alone add to the thread??

thanks to all your responses, i understand about not wanting to be disappointed, but i definitely wont be. i will be happy with any room given, i was really just curious is all. i don't think i could ever ask for a freebie like that, thats why i was asking how people go about bringing it up. trust me though, i will be quite excited about the simplest of rooms!!

 

[n2mm]

WORST ADVICE EVER. I always ask and about 50% of the time I get some form of upgrade. I always make it a fun conversation and say something like does the mouse have any kind of upgrades available for me? The key is to be nice and treat the CM well no matter what the outcome..

Actually this proves that your advice is actually wrong. I've been upgraded 95% of my stays at delux resorts. I've gone over 60 trips now (4-5 trips a year) and every stay at a delux was upgraded except one (CR). Since upgrades at values are not very possible (and yes I have been upgraded from standard to preferred and once from Pop to CSR, I don't really include them). Now that I'm DVC (5 years now) upgrades do not exist for us DVC members unless there is a maintenance problem.

So considering I checkin and am very friendly and pleasant, and we always will chat with the CM and ask if we have a really nice location this time, I guess that is good enough for the CM and I've never asked for an upgrade ... or is it that since I'm a regular visitor, they see that on my screen and offer us upgrades because of that. Heck even when my DH was a CM for 8 years and we were getting 50% and 60% off our rooms we still got upgrades. I booked a standard for every delux stay and I've only been in a standard room once (CR-South Wing).

I just wanted the OP to see that you got upgrades 50% of the time by asking and I got upgrades 95% of the time by not asking. (My percentage is based on delux stays). (For my stays at moderates, I've gotten upgrades 50% of the time, mostly because there is not alot of room for upgrades here, and I've always booked standard and have had my share of water views, corner rooms, and king beds.)

 

[ElizabethB]

We've stayed numerous times at deluxe hotels. Our percentage of free upgrades has been no where near 50%, let alone 95%. Of course, we don't ask, so perhaps that is the problem.

Having said that, we were upgraded at GF from garden view to GF RPC, that was nice. As someone else said, it made sense for Disney to do that. We've never booked a non-club level room since. We also were upgraded to a two-bedroom/three-bath suite for a week's stay once due to construction. That was neat. So, I guess that even though we've only been upgraded twice, the two upgrades were worth a lot!

As for an upgrade at POR, as another poster pointed out, there's really not very far to go. From two beds to a king? One had better just book a king room from the start. There really may not be any available at checkin. And, from standard to preferred? Nice, but not that big of a deal. And, a preferred room doesn't cost that much more than a standard room. Why not just book what you want?

 

[tallen429]

Having just gotten a very big upgrade, I can tell you that #1, it was because Disney screwed up, and #2, we didn't ask for it.

 

[goofy4tink]

WORST ADVICE EVER. I always ask and about 50% of the time I get some form of upgrade. I always make it a fun conversation and say something like does the mouse have any kind of upgrades available for me? The key is to be nice and treat the CM well no matter what the outcome.

OP, just ask, there is nothing wrong with it even though some of the people on here will treat you like the devil. The key is not to be disaapointed if you do not get one.

Have to disagree. It is good advice. You've been extremely lucky. In well over 30 trips, several trips a year, I have gotten one upgrade..and I still think that is because our TA called and asked for it before we even checked in.

If you want an upgrade, be willing to pay for it. Can you imagine if everyone starting 'nicely' chatting up the front desk CMs, expecting to get upgrades??? There are only so many available rooms....the vast majority of guests are going to be disappointed by no free upgrades.
If you get to the front desk and ask if there are any upgraded rooms available and what is the cost, then you may get one. You may be expected to pay for it, but you may get some magic..and the CM will tell you to put your credit card away.

But basically? It's always best to book the room you want and can afford. Do NOT depend on CM magic happening. It just doesn't happen all that often..unless Disney messes up and wants to make it good for you.