Do you sometimes get that feeling........?

[2cat_lady]

Is it just me? Maybe it's because this season just doesn't want to seem to end. Another booking for my least expensive room. Do you sometimes feel that they book the cheapest room when it starts to slow down, expecting you to upgrade them? I try to upgrade when I can. But, I just got one where the guest has some accessibility issues that they've decided are secondary because I've gotten such good reviews. But, they're my only room for that night so far.
Do you feel pressured to upgrade if they're your only guest for the evening?

 

[Morticia]

No. We will change the room if we feel like it. Maybe to make it easier for us to clean. You kind of have to decide to do these extra things because you will feel better somehow. For me, it's maybe less noise near my bedroom, a room with a bathtub we hate to clean, a room where I don't have to tiptoe around before breakfast.
Never do this (not that this is what you're thinking) to make the guest appreciate the stay more. They won't. ;-) They won't thank you. They won't tell all their friends how wonderful you are. Etc.
We had a guest who booked thru an OTA. We only had a fireplace room left. It was their honeymoon. He emailed and asked us to 'please put some kind of surprise in the room for his new wife' (no offer to pay for anything). So, this honeymoon couple got a nice upgrade and a gift from us and their review was all rosy except for value. It wasn't 'worth' what they paid.

 

[user 26]

Could be. How many rooms do you have? If I wanted to offer a switch, otherwise no. You love all your rooms, right?
When I had scant rooms booked ... that morning I blocked off my most expensive - yes usually biggest most difficult to clean - rooms. As dusk approached I would go in and turn on a light in those rooms so that from outside in the harbor looking back at the inn it didn't look like all black (empty) windows. People were always parking in our lot so there was no shortage of cars!

 

[Generic]

Nope. Upgrades are strictly for my convenience, not the guest's.
I have dupes of each room type. So what I do is I will move them on my reservation system temporarily, so that I still have one of each room available. If someone else books that room and now I have 3 in the cheapest room, the one who books first, gets the upgrade. The other two... don't. I will leave my better rooms empty. They could have chosen to pay more, they didn't. I don't have to give things for free.
If you give too many upgrades they will expect it and no one will ever book your cheapest room. You just need to make sure that there is a reason WHY they should book the more expensive room. Our next room up is significantly larger. They see it and understand. Sometimes they ask about the availability, we sometimes offer a discounted upgrade, but nope... not free. Do you know the value of free upgrades in people's minds? NOTHING. You didn't pay, it's free, no value.

 

[Lee2014]

Nope. Upgrades are strictly for my convenience, not the guest's.
I have dupes of each room type. So what I do is I will move them on my reservation system temporarily, so that I still have one of each room available. If someone else books that room and now I have 3 in the cheapest room, the one who books first, gets the upgrade. The other two... don't. I will leave my better rooms empty. They could have chosen to pay more, they didn't. I don't have to give things for free.
If you give too many upgrades they will expect it and no one will ever book your cheapest room. You just need to make sure that there is a reason WHY they should book the more expensive room. Our next room up is significantly larger. They see it and understand. Sometimes they ask about the availability, we sometimes offer a discounted upgrade, but nope... not free. Do you know the value of free upgrades in people's minds? NOTHING. You didn't pay, it's free, no value..

Nope. Upgrades are strictly for my convenience, not the guest's.
Do you know the value of free upgrades in people's minds? NOTHING. You didn't pay, it's free, no value.

I see your point here. But we do upgrades on our call. What we don't tell them is that we upgraded them to a room that costs the same as their room but is a little nicer.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I never upgrade unless there's a problem with the room they booked, like a plumbing problem, etc.
There's only 1 room we have that people would want to get an upgrade, and most of the time that room is the only one that was available. If we did have a 'better' room available, I would take them to their room and tell them this is our smaller room, if you're interested we have one of our suites available for only $x more. Would you like to see it?
people get what they pay for and if they want bigger, better, there is a cost to that.

 

[OnTheShore]

Like others, we upgrade at no charge only if there is a problem with the cottage they booked, or if moving them would otherwise benefit us somehow.

 

[Jcam]

Like others, we upgrade at no charge only if there is a problem with the cottage they booked, or if moving them would otherwise benefit us somehow..

ie we do it if say it means I can free up a run on another room to make say 3 nights etc

 

[April]

I only upgrade if I make an error booking or meed the particular bedroom to make the better (for me) reservation.

 

[Morticia]

Or you do it because when the guest walks thru the door he is 6'7" tall and has booked a room with door heights at just over 6'. He had to duck thru every doorway. I could see him cracking his head in the middle of the night getting into the bathroom.

 

[Lee2014]

Or you do it because when the guest walks thru the door he is 6'7" tall and has booked a room with door heights at just over 6'. He had to duck thru every doorway. I could see him cracking his head in the middle of the night getting into the bathroom..

Or you do it because when the guest walks thru the door he is 6'7" tall and has booked a room with door heights at just over 6'. He had to duck thru every doorway. I could see him cracking his head in the middle of the night getting into the bathroom.

Did one of my uncles just show up there?!? They claim grandpa bought this place so they can all give up ducking their heads.

 

[user 26]

haha morticia ... you 'nailed' it!

 

[MtnKeeper]

I've had those guests who you just know booked the least expensive and then start asking as soon as they arrive if they can see other rooms. If they wanted to pay for one of those other rooms they saw online they could have booked one of those. So I never upgrade those people. I do however upgrade military couples if I can or repeat guests. In addition, because our house isn't totally soundproof I once had all 3 couples in the same hallway. I moved one to each floor and spread them out giving two an upgrade - the two that were staying the longest or I hate to say it but we liked as soon as they came in.
Never feel like you have to upgrade - as someone said, they get what they paid for and if they paid for the least expensive option hoping to be upgraded for free then their hedged bet didn't work out for them and maybe they won't do it again.

 

[2cat_lady]

Couldnt edit original post.
The Rez turned out to be an adult daughter and a very elderly father. Even though I had warned them about the stairs (she had requested a main floor room. Don't have any. She never looked at my website and only briefly at the OTA), he was happy that the room was at the top of the stairs and not down any hallways. And even though their private bathroom was just across the hallway, she was happy to see that it was a walk in shower, no tub. She said her dad would be ecstatic to see that. Everyone had a tub at their previous few rooms.
Thats one way to promote the no bathtub situation. "We have walk in showers for your convenience."

 

[Highlands John]

Nope, never felt that at all and upgrading is not something I normally do either. Very occasionally I'll offer an upgrade if it suits me, like I don't want someone in the room above ours or by moving someone it saves someone else switching rooms during their stay (so less work for me).
If they're the only ones staying it means they had a choice of the better rooms and chose the cheaper option. They get what they ask for and what they paid for.

 

[Morticia]

Nope, never felt that at all and upgrading is not something I normally do either. Very occasionally I'll offer an upgrade if it suits me, like I don't want someone in the room above ours or by moving someone it saves someone else switching rooms during their stay (so less work for me).
If they're the only ones staying it means they had a choice of the better rooms and chose the cheaper option. They get what they ask for and what they paid for..

I'll put it in the guest notes - all other rooms open, they chose this one.