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One of the most frustrating things I encountered when working as a hotel receptionist was guests asking for a room upgrade – but I finally have a solution to this common complaint

Before embarking on my journalism career, I spent several years behind the desk as a hotel receptionist. During this time, I honed my skills in anticipating guests’ needs.

We were always more than willing to accommodate any request, no matter how peculiar or extravagant, but there was one that consistently got under my skin.

Regardless of the type of room a guest had reserved, more often than not, they’d be angling for an upgrade. And I completely understand why.

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Who wouldn’t want to add a touch of luxury to their stay without parting with a single extra penny? However, one question from guests that never failed to irk me was, ‘Can our room be upgraded?’ Of course, there’s no harm in asking, but it’s generally frowned upon for good reason.

There were countless instances when I’d be on the blower with someone booking a standard room, only for them to immediately follow up with, ‘Can our room be upgraded?

‘ The response was invariably, ‘We don’t provide upgrades until the day before arrival’, but internally I’d be thinking, ‘If you’re after a larger room, book a larger room’.

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I worked at a high-end hotel and spa with 35 rooms, where upgrades were typically set aside for those celebrating a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary. Furthermore, we’d only upgrade rooms the night prior to a guest’s arrival, ensuring we knew exactly which rooms were free – we wouldn’t bump someone up to a superior room before it could have been booked online.

It’s astonishing how many guests inquire about an upgrade, even when larger rooms are readily available for booking. The second most irksome time to request such a privilege is post 3pm on a Friday evening, during the peak check-in period and when all rooms have already been assigned.

There were countless instances when a guest would bluntly ask me at check-in if their room had been upgraded, as though it was a given. That said, it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t consider giving you an upgrade.

We’re more inclined to offer an upgrade to those who haven’t explicitly asked for one. After all, we’re only human, and we’d much prefer to surprise someone with an upgraded room who will truly appreciate it, rather than someone who feels entitled to it or demands it.

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Informing the hotel that you’re celebrating a special occasion is the top strategy to secure an upgrade, just ensure you do so prior to your arrival. Alternatively, checking in early is another clever tactic to help bag an upgraded room, and here’s why.

While upgrades are usually organised for the next batch of guests the night before, with key cards already allocated, situations can change. If we’re feeling particularly magnanimous, and the hotel is buzzing, we might spontaneously offer you an upgrade, even if that means downgrading someone else’s previously upgraded room.

Our guests weren’t made aware of any upgrades until their arrival, so if there were any changes, they’d be none the wiser, and we’d rather get you settled into your room. However, from my experience, these were reserved for guests who would least anticipate an upgrade, not those who impolitely demanded one.

Have you got a hotel secret to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

After two turbulent years with Eamonn Holmes at GMTV, Anthea Turner walked away from the show on Christmas Eve 1996 – she still believes his envy of her National Lottery show was the problem

A popular television presenter who worked with Eamonn Holmes says there was almost instant friction when she joined him on an iconic daytime TV show.

Eamonn has been one of the most recognisable stars on British television for decades and has worked with a long line of famous faces, including his ex-wife, Ruth Langsford.

But he hasn’t jelled with every colleague he has ever worked with. According to Anthea Turner, Eamonn took exception to her background when she joined him on the GMTV sofa in 1994.

“Eamonn is a trained journalist and I’m not,” she told The Times. “That caused tension from the start… The other thing was I didn’t have my ass on that sofa for very long before I was asked to present the National Lottery too, and I think that also annoyed him.”

Anthea’s first lottery show appearance attracted a huge TV audience of around 22million. Eamonn reportedly lobbied GMTV bosses to get her sacked, accusing her of being “too ambitious” and giving her the disparaging nickname ‘Princess Tippy Toes.’

She told The Sun: “I was always asked if I was ambitious and, if I said yes, I was made out to be a ruthless person who would walk over anybody to get where I wanted. It would be said that I was hormonal, or I was stamping my feet.’

She added: “And yet ask that question to a man, and if he’s ambitious, we think: ‘What a guy’. You’d never hear anyone say that about Eamonn or Phillip Schofield. No, they’re just doing their job.”

Anthea walked away from the “toxic” situation at GMTV on Christmas Eve 1996. Over a decade later, the former Blue Peter presenter said she was still “hurt” by the way she was perceived.

Speaking on the Miranda Holder Weekly Fashion Podcast, she said: “I haven’t weighed myself down with anything from the past, or any of that negativity.

“Nobody likes injustice, nobody wants to be misrepresented. It hurts, it really hurts.”

In a televised reunion in 2018, Anthea said that she had mixed feelings about Eamonn, saying: “There is a fine line between hate and love isn’t there? We were chatting in the break, Eamonn and I are a bit lazy and it’s easier to stay friends.”

Her remarks sparked a somewhat tense atmosphere in the This Morning studio, with Eamonn’s then-wife Ruth Langsford visibly taking exception to Anthea calling him her “ex.”

Ruth stressed that she and Eamonn were “properly married,” before Anthea interrupted her, saying: “Ah but we were telly husband and wife.”

While Anthea and Eamonn were said to have put an end to their bitter feud with her This Morning appearance, she later said that any talk of a friendship was exaggerated, telling the Express:”I don’t think Eamonn and I speak lots. “Those are just headlines saying that we reunited.”

She added: “Obviously, there was the hullabaloo. In fact, I went to Belfast where he was doing a show, and I remember going up there, it must have been about 15 years ago, and we signed a Good Friday Agreement.”

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