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Hello all,
Just wondering a couple of things.
Can you upgrade reward night booking with cash? I assume it’s normally just the difference in price?
What’s the best way to book connecting rooms e.g. if I wanted to do one room reward night points and the other cash?
You’d need to contact the hotel.
Though I think upgrading a points stay is more what the hotel wants to charge you rather than just the cash price difference.
With connecting rooms I’d make the room bookings and then email the hotel asking to be put in connecting rooms but many hotels don’t have connecting rooms so the best you’d get is adjacent rooms.
Can you upgrade reward night booking with cash? I assume it’s normally just the difference in price?
I was offered 130 EUR / night by the IC Estoril to upgrade my reward night to a suite this week (stay is in April). I emailed and asked. It’s a reasonable offer and I think I’ll say yes.
If you’re an ambassador, and do a reward stay at an IC, they generally upgrade you a category of room. Often you can only book the most basic room on points, should you wait until check in for the free or included upgrade as part of ambassador then potentially upgrade that room for cash from that point as doing so before means you would be potentially paying for an upgrade you would have got anyway as ambassador? Does that make sense?
I always enquire in advance – I generally get offered a free 1 cat upgrade for being Ambassador or an offer to pay to upgrade to a much better room/suite. Also look out for any estandby offers e.g. last year I had 3 nights booked on points/free night cert at the IC BOS and was offered an upgrade to a massive 1 bedroom suite for $160 pn which was incredible value.
Also if you book a better room for cash them add on extra nights on points, they often let you keep the room for the entire stay in lieu of an upgrade. I always make the ratio at least equal though, i.e. at least one paid night per reward night booked so I’m not taking the you know what!I always enquire in advance – I generally get offered a free 1 cat upgrade for being Ambassador or an offer to pay to upgrade to a much better room/suite. Also look out for any estandby offers e.g. last year I had 3 nights booked on points/free night cert at the IC BOS and was offered an upgrade to a massive 1 bedroom suite for $160 pn which was incredible value.
Also if you book a better room for cash them add on extra nights on points, they often let you keep the room for the entire stay in lieu of an upgrade. I always make the ratio at least equal though, i.e. at least one paid night per reward night booked so I’m not taking the you know what!Ok thanks for the tips, might have to enquire then soon on some upcoming reservations. Yes for a suite that’s great value, no doubt the size was great too on American standards!
And yes agreed, I’ve done that and had some great rooms I was able to keep on points! Yes I wouldn’t go more than a half of a stay on points redemption behind a upgraded cash stay. Only trouble is I have found doing this upon check out the points haven’t been awarded correctly for the paid stay as they’ve merged the reservations and then requires email/calling to sort.I agree – aim to pay less than the cash price difference between rooms. If you don’t need the bigger room, there are often good deals on estandby (e.g. a suite upgrade costing hundreds might be £100) or negotiate with hotel near the time of your stay – they’d often rather have £100 from a paid upgrade than £0 from an unsold suite. Of course, if you need a particular room type you may have to negotiate in advance (though some hotels may insist on as much as or more than the cash price difference)
Thanks all for the responses. Very helpful.
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