upgrade... who to ask?

positivenote

hi all,
im after booking two nights away for my wifes birthday and it'll be the first time we've been away from our young kids since we tried to get away for my birthday a few months ago... this proved t be a big let down for a lot of reasons, accomadation being one of those. Im after booking in to the radisson blu in galway as it looks beautiful and have leisure facilities etc which will be great. But, i'd love to make it a little bit more special and if we could get an upgrade it would be unbelievable. Im just wondering how people usually go about asking for upgrades and are they usually successful? should i google who the general manager is and send off an email or wait till we get there and ask at reception... do people even request specific rooms or floors to be situated in?
any advice would be great, even if you think im wasting my time.
Thanks

Bassfish

positivenote wrote: »

hi all,
im after booking two nights away for my wifes birthday and it'll be the first time we've been away from our young kids since we tried to get away for my birthday a few months ago... this proved t be a big let down for a lot of reasons, accomadation being one of those. Im after booking in to the radisson blu in galway as it looks beautiful and have leisure facilities etc which will be great. But, i'd love to make it a little bit more special and if we could get an upgrade it would be unbelievable. Im just wondering how people usually go about asking for upgrades and are they usually successful? should i google who the general manager is and send off an email or wait till we get there and ask at reception... do people even request specific rooms or floors to be situated in?
any advice would be great, even if you think im wasting my time.
Thanks

Ring the hotel and turn on the charm. I've gotten upgrades three or four times doing this. Say basically what you said in your post, you're coming to the hotel with the wife for a special occasion, you want to make it as nice as possible so you're wondering what the nicest room in the hotel is or the room with the nicest view and would it be possible to be booked into that room.
Often when hotels aren't very busy, as they usually aren't in November, they will do their best for you, especially when you're staying two nights. Of course it depends who you talk to on the day and big chain hotels like radisson may have certain policies about these things but if you don't ask, you don't get.
I once stayed in the Sneem hotel in Kerry and rang ahead a few days prior with a very similar spiel and they moved us to a room with a mountain view and left a bottle of wine in the room.
Best of luck with it, enjoy the weekend.

Ponster

This isn't exactly what you're looking for but something which have done 4 or 5 times to great success is to write to the hotel explaining that it's an anniversity/birthday and that I'd like to see the prices to have a bottle of something sparkling ready in the room when we arrive. Each time we either had a free bottle delivered or a complete selection of drinks and food (USA, Canada, Germany) but I've never asked in Ireland.

positivenote

who should I write/email to? as I think ringing up could get me on to a receptionist who would have no swing in these type of things... if I do ring who should i be looking to talk to?
thanks

Bassfish

positivenote wrote: »

who should I write/email to? as I think ringing up could get me on to a receptionist who would have no swing in these type of things... if I do ring who should i be looking to talk to?
thanks

Maybe ask for a duty manager but these days receptionists usually are given a fair amount of responsibility in managing rooms. I would definitely ring over sending an email. They're far more likely to help a human on the other end of the phone than react to an email.

athtrasna

The hotel has a club floor, I think it's called Level 3 but a check on google should find it. I'd try and sidestep your wife at check in and ask how much an upgrade would be and offer to pay. Chances are if it's not fully booked you will be upgraded for free. Better than if you just ask straight out.