Four Tips for the Next Time You Stay in a Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS: Before you book your next hotel room, here are four things you might not know: If you book it on a discount site like Orbitz, you're more likely to get a room with a bad view . . . hotels overbook, and if you only stay one night, there's a higher chance there won't be a room for you . . . they're never confident about when the minibar was restocked, so if you're a good liar, you can usually get the charges taken off your bill . . . and if all else fails, tipping the desk clerk goes a long way.
FULL STORY: Did you know that booking a hotel through a discount site like Orbitz almost GUARANTEES you'll get a crappy room with a terrible view?
That's according to Jacob Tomsky, a longtime front desk clerk in New York and author of "Heads in Bed: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality".
Apparently, they know that if you booked your room through a discount site, there's less of a chance you'll be a returning customer. So while YOU get a view of the parking lot, someone who booked through the hotel's website gets a view of the pool.
Here are three more things you should know before you book your next hotel.
1. If You Only Book One Night, There's a Higher Chance You'll Get "Walked". Which is what they call it when they're overbooked and have to send you to another hotel.
It happens because a lot of people who book rooms don't show up. So hotels cover their profits by overbooking by up to 10%.
You're MOST likely to get walked if you're only staying one night, you've never stayed at the hotel before, and you booked your room using a site like Expedia.
2. A Decent Tip Will Usually Get You a Better Room. Not necessarily a SUITE or anything. But at most hotels, some of the "standard" rooms are better than others . . . as in, a bigger bathroom, a bigger TV, or a better view . . . even if they claim "all the rooms are the same."
Obviously if you're staying at a discount hotel, it's not worth tossing out twenty extra bucks. But if it's somewhere nicer, just ask if there's something with a better view, and slip them some cash.
If they really DON'T have a better room available, they usually have a ton of other perks they can offer you.
3. You Can Get Out of Paying for the Minibar by Lying. Minibar charges are the most common thing people dispute on their bill.
And since the people at the front desk know the minibars aren't always restocked every night, they're usually willing to take those charges off your bill if you insist you didn't take anything. Especially at nice hotels.
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