Originally Posted by
arlflyer
Agree with Wally, plus one addendum - have a dummy booking queued you in the app when you walk to the desk. Like for your exact nights, with results showing. That way you have what is needed to call them out when they pull the “We are booked solid” line - “Oh really, that is interesting, I see five categories of suites for sale on the nights I’ll be staying.” It isn’t the friendliest approach, but neither is them lying to you. It often leads to an embarrassed agent, a discussion with a manager, and an upgrade.
I’ve tried this a few times in Europe and I’ve been repeatedly told that it was an error in the app and they’d get it fixed. At property I got that line when checking in for a one night stay, and then when I returned a few days later had the same desk clerk (who didn’t recognize me) feign surprise and tell me again that it must be an error in the app and he’d get it fixed immediately... No upgrades either time.