How to Get a Free Hotel Room by Complaining

The dripping bathroom faucet grates on your nerves. Boisterous neighbors are partying the night away. Your supposed luxury bed is just a lumpy mattress. Plenty of problematic issues, both big and small, can arise during a hotel room stay. In order to have the best hotel stay possible, don’t be shy about voicing your concerns to the hotel manager. While you won’t necessarily be rewarded with freebies like a free night by complaining, you may be compensated in other ways, such as an upgraded room or a discounted rate. You may also receive something that’s hard to find these days – a satisfying customer service experience. Read below to observe Frequently Asked Questions about complaining about unsatisfying hotel stays.

It doesn’t make much sense to complain about events that are out of the hotel’s control, such as delayed flights or harsh weather conditions. Unless hotel chains have a special partnership with an airline or something similar, they won;t be able to help you. Legitimate complaints are situations the hotel can actually remedy, such as excessive noise or broken fixtures in your room.

Voice your complaint immediately, if possible. Don’t leave the hotel angry or unsatisfied, as ranting after you leave may be seen as a non-issue. Ranting to your friends on social media may bring momentary relief, but it won’t fix the issue either. By sharing your concerns with staff, you’re giving the hotel a chance to rectify the situation. Even if it is just a one night stay, most hotels and general managers want your stay to be as perfect as possible, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them.

First off, stay calm, cool and collected while complaining. The hotel staff is more inclined to help if you show them respect. No one has ever received a free hotel room by yelling and being rude.

The front desk staff is best equipped to address your complaint. Even if they can’t fix your problem, they can probably find someone with the authority or ability to do so. If you feel as if your complaints aren’t being taken seriously, ask to speak to a manager. If you still fail to get results, you may want to write a letter to the hotel’s corporate headquarters and explain the situation. Whether you’re complaining in person or in writing, offer as many details as possible, such as names and dates. Providing photographic or video evidence can help your case as well.

You should typically avoid asking for compensation. If the infraction is minor, a simple apology may do. If you truly believe you can’t enjoy a restful stay in the current conditions, then you’re within your rights to ask for a new room. If you feel as though you will not be able to sleep, asking for a late checkout instead of an unlikely room upgrade may be more realistic. Most staff members would be happy to offer that to a hotel guest who will be up all night.

As a whole, however, you should wait for the staff to offer compensation. In some cases, they will ask you how they can compensate you for your troubles. Try to keep your request in line with the problem at hand. For instance, if your room service arrived cold, don’t demand a free weekend stay. Instead, consider asking for a hot meal, free of charge. However, some conflicts like finding bed bugs are much more serious, and may warrant asking for larger perks than just a food voucher. If it was a minor inconvenience but you will still like to see some kind of compensation come your way, ask for free wifi service if they charge a fee. If you’re part of their loyalty program, you could try asking for additional points in their rewards program as well.

If the hotel successfully addressed your complaint, make sure you mention it at checkout or at some point before you depart. Most of the time, people like to let staff know about bad service, but it can be refreshing to let them know that you’re thankful for their good service as well. Thank them for their efforts. Businesses typically only hear from customers when they’ve done something wrong. Letting them know how they successfully resolved an issue may help them further improve customer service in the future.