| 10 Secrets That Hotels Don’t Want You to Know |
You want a hotel to be your home away from home, but many aspects of hotel pricing and policy are anything
but homey. Here’s what you need to know...
Getting a room
You get the best rate by calling the hotel’s local number, not the 800 number, which usually links callers to
an off-site centralized call center. Instead of asking for the reservations desk, ask to speak with the manager
on duty, the general manager or the director of sales. These people have the authority to negotiate room rates.
It’s often possible to beat a hotel’s best advertised price by 20%, particularly if you call just a few days before
your visit. First, shop around for the best deal on a third-party Internet travel site, such as Expedia.com or
Hotels.com. Don’t take the deal -- just jot it down.
Then call the hotel and explain to a manager or director that you know these Web sites mark up room prices
by 20% to 40%. Tell the manager you would like to split the difference -- say you’ll pay 20% below the price you
found on-line. Unless the hotel is filled to capacity, the manager is likely to take you up on your offer.
Everything is negotiable. Think parking is overpriced? If the lot looks half empty, offer less than the daily rate.
Planning to make a lot of phone calls? Some hotels offer a per-day flat fee for long-distance in the US and
local calling -- usually $9.95 -- but you must ask for it.
Rooms are available even when a hotel has no vacancies. In any large hotel, a few rooms usually are listed
as “out of order” at any given time. The problem might be something as simple as a stain on the carpet or a
chair that has been sent out for repairs. If you’re desperate for a last-minute room in a hotel that claims to have
none available, tell the manager you are willing to take an out-of-order room that has only a minor problem.
You might even be able to negotiate a better rate, since the room would otherwise sit empty.
“Guaranteed” rooms really aren’t guaranteed. When you make a hotel reservation, you often are asked to
“guarantee” your room with a credit card -- but there’s still a chance that the hotel will give away your room if
you arrive late. Providing a credit card number improves the odds that your room will be held -- but it still pays
to call to confirm that you’re coming if you won’t arrive until after 9 pm.
Safeguarding Valuables
A thief takes one credit card, not your entire wallet. It’s no secret that crime is common in hotels. The new
twist is that some hotel thieves now take just one credit card when they find an unguarded wallet in a room --
and leave everything else untouched. Often, the victim doesn’t notice the card is missing until the credit line is
maxed out.
Travel only with the credit cards that you really need, and check your wallet carefully if you accidentally leave it
unattended.
Your bags aren’t safe with the bellhop. Even in elite hotels, luggage can be stolen right off the luggage carts
in the lobby. Though these bags theoretically are in the possession of the bellhop, the hotel assumes no legal
responsibility for the loss.
If your bag is going to sit for more than a few minutes, ask that it be placed in a secure room. Keep valuable
items in the hotel safe.
Helpful: High-end luggage might impress fellow travelers, but it also impresses thieves. The cheaper or uglier
your luggage looks, the greater the odds that a thief will target someone else.
It pays to tip the housekeeper every day. Exchange a few pleasant words with the housekeeper if you see
him/her -- and leave a $2 or $3 tip each day. You’ll get better service -- housekeepers are the most
overworked, underpaid, underappreciated people in the hotel, so any gesture will be appreciated.
Knowing the housekeeper also reduces the chances that your room will be burglarized. Dishonest
housekeepers are less likely to target guests they have met. If a thief enters your room while it is being
cleaned and pretends to be you -- a common ruse -- the housekeeper will be able to spot the impostor.
More Insider Secrets
Hotel rooms are infested with germs. Certain items in hotel rooms never get cleaned. The biggest trouble
spots include the TV remote control, telephone and clock/radio. Travel with a package of antibacterial wipes,
and clean these items when you arrive.
Also, while reputable hotels provide fresh linens, bedspreads might be cleaned only once every few months.
Remove them from the beds as soon as you check in. Ask for clean blankets as soon as you arrive.
Lost-and-found is a great resource for cell-phone users. If you use a cell phone, odds are that someday you’
ll forget to bring your recharging cord or lose it in transit. If you’re staying at a hotel, there’s no need to buy a
replacement. Recharging cords are the number-one item left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are willing to
lend cords from their lost-and-found -- but guests rarely ask.
Not all concierges are really concierges. A true concierge is the most connected person in town. He/she can
get tickets to sold-out events... reservations to popular restaurants... prescriptions filled in the middle of the
night... even a new heel on a shoe by 8 am. (A tip of $10 to $20 usually is appropriate -- more if the concierge
really worked miracles.) But not all hotels that advertise “concierge service” truly offer it. Many simply assign a
regular hotel employee the role each shift.
An elite concierge wears a gold key on his lapel. It’s the symbol of Les Clefs d’Or -- French for “Keys of Gold” --
a prestigious international concierge organization.
but homey. Here’s what you need to know...
Getting a room
You get the best rate by calling the hotel’s local number, not the 800 number, which usually links callers to
an off-site centralized call center. Instead of asking for the reservations desk, ask to speak with the manager
on duty, the general manager or the director of sales. These people have the authority to negotiate room rates.
It’s often possible to beat a hotel’s best advertised price by 20%, particularly if you call just a few days before
your visit. First, shop around for the best deal on a third-party Internet travel site, such as Expedia.com or
Hotels.com. Don’t take the deal -- just jot it down.
Then call the hotel and explain to a manager or director that you know these Web sites mark up room prices
by 20% to 40%. Tell the manager you would like to split the difference -- say you’ll pay 20% below the price you
found on-line. Unless the hotel is filled to capacity, the manager is likely to take you up on your offer.
Everything is negotiable. Think parking is overpriced? If the lot looks half empty, offer less than the daily rate.
Planning to make a lot of phone calls? Some hotels offer a per-day flat fee for long-distance in the US and
local calling -- usually $9.95 -- but you must ask for it.
Rooms are available even when a hotel has no vacancies. In any large hotel, a few rooms usually are listed
as “out of order” at any given time. The problem might be something as simple as a stain on the carpet or a
chair that has been sent out for repairs. If you’re desperate for a last-minute room in a hotel that claims to have
none available, tell the manager you are willing to take an out-of-order room that has only a minor problem.
You might even be able to negotiate a better rate, since the room would otherwise sit empty.
“Guaranteed” rooms really aren’t guaranteed. When you make a hotel reservation, you often are asked to
“guarantee” your room with a credit card -- but there’s still a chance that the hotel will give away your room if
you arrive late. Providing a credit card number improves the odds that your room will be held -- but it still pays
to call to confirm that you’re coming if you won’t arrive until after 9 pm.
Safeguarding Valuables
A thief takes one credit card, not your entire wallet. It’s no secret that crime is common in hotels. The new
twist is that some hotel thieves now take just one credit card when they find an unguarded wallet in a room --
and leave everything else untouched. Often, the victim doesn’t notice the card is missing until the credit line is
maxed out.
Travel only with the credit cards that you really need, and check your wallet carefully if you accidentally leave it
unattended.
Your bags aren’t safe with the bellhop. Even in elite hotels, luggage can be stolen right off the luggage carts
in the lobby. Though these bags theoretically are in the possession of the bellhop, the hotel assumes no legal
responsibility for the loss.
If your bag is going to sit for more than a few minutes, ask that it be placed in a secure room. Keep valuable
items in the hotel safe.
Helpful: High-end luggage might impress fellow travelers, but it also impresses thieves. The cheaper or uglier
your luggage looks, the greater the odds that a thief will target someone else.
It pays to tip the housekeeper every day. Exchange a few pleasant words with the housekeeper if you see
him/her -- and leave a $2 or $3 tip each day. You’ll get better service -- housekeepers are the most
overworked, underpaid, underappreciated people in the hotel, so any gesture will be appreciated.
Knowing the housekeeper also reduces the chances that your room will be burglarized. Dishonest
housekeepers are less likely to target guests they have met. If a thief enters your room while it is being
cleaned and pretends to be you -- a common ruse -- the housekeeper will be able to spot the impostor.
More Insider Secrets
Hotel rooms are infested with germs. Certain items in hotel rooms never get cleaned. The biggest trouble
spots include the TV remote control, telephone and clock/radio. Travel with a package of antibacterial wipes,
and clean these items when you arrive.
Also, while reputable hotels provide fresh linens, bedspreads might be cleaned only once every few months.
Remove them from the beds as soon as you check in. Ask for clean blankets as soon as you arrive.
Lost-and-found is a great resource for cell-phone users. If you use a cell phone, odds are that someday you’
ll forget to bring your recharging cord or lose it in transit. If you’re staying at a hotel, there’s no need to buy a
replacement. Recharging cords are the number-one item left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are willing to
lend cords from their lost-and-found -- but guests rarely ask.
Not all concierges are really concierges. A true concierge is the most connected person in town. He/she can
get tickets to sold-out events... reservations to popular restaurants... prescriptions filled in the middle of the
night... even a new heel on a shoe by 8 am. (A tip of $10 to $20 usually is appropriate -- more if the concierge
really worked miracles.) But not all hotels that advertise “concierge service” truly offer it. Many simply assign a
regular hotel employee the role each shift.
An elite concierge wears a gold key on his lapel. It’s the symbol of Les Clefs d’Or -- French for “Keys of Gold” --
a prestigious international concierge organization.
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