Instead, call the hotel and see if they’ll throw in a free upgrade for the same price if you book direct. It will still note the occasion on your booking, and it could nudge you higher in the upgrade selection process. Join the loyalty programmeYou might never plan to stay at another hotel in this particular chain again, but it doesn’t matter — simply joining the loyalty programme sees you bumped higher up the upgrade queue than other punters. Hotel-hopYou’re more likely to get an upgrade if you’re staying just a night or two, as hotels don’t have to worry about co-ordinating different bookings over long periods. So rather than booking one week at the same hotel, try booking short stays in a few different properties in your destination.

Source: The Times September 13, 2017 09:33 UTC