A couple of weeks ago, I checked in to the Hyatt Crystal City VA and was given a "Jr suite" upgrade. It was a really nice large corner room with separate kitchenette, dining, and sleeping areas. I was in DC for a 2 day meeting in which I would be in the hotel for little more than sleeping. I felt I should have turned down the upgrade so that they could give it to someone who could have enjoyed it more.

How often do you get hotel upgrades you don't need?

"How Important" >

could also be leisure travel at expensive hotel/resort

at expensive properties, even single category upgrades can be worth hundreds (or thousands) of dollars per night

Some times it is genuinely useful (as stated, on leisure stays) but yes, for most, including me it is an ego stroke!

And it works!

It is great to get them, but I value long haul flight upgrades more...

A bed is a bed. But sitting with my knees in my face is just the pits.

I've gotten upgrades when I've arrived late at night and had to check out the next morning. Those times, it's completely wasted on my. I've also had upgrades for multiple night stays and, while it is a nice ego stroke, it's largely lost on me as a usually-solo traveler.

I've NEVER gotten an upgrade when traveling with my wife (although I have gotten lounge access) or with the kids (usually on points and to Residence Inn or Embassy Suites style hotels, where we get suites anyway).

Depends. Unless it's standard--->club floor or X--->suite, it is lost on me. I generally book mystery hotel rates (10%-15%) or through agoda (80% of the time offers the cheapest rate on hotels I have looked at in Australia, HK, Singapore, Bali, Edinburgh and London). With my rock-bottom rates, I do not expect upgrades, but they miraculously happen anyway. Most of the time, I'd barely notice, as most of my upgrades are "standard queen to corner queen" where the actual difference is small (purported view, maybe a few square feet difference). While the dollar view for that ocean view room might be substantial, it is wasted on me as the value I derive from a room is the spaciousness and what is in it. The typical upgrade I get doesn't usually improve on that.

Have to agree, for business travel, when pretty much just there for sleeping, is a waste. Would be great during lesiure travel ... for sure

When traveling solo or on business, I could care less about a room upgrade. When with my wife, and ESPECIALLY with our 1.5 year old who has a crib. Getting a larger room or a suite where we can put the crib is a big help since he's usually asleep by 8pm. Then we can have some wine and watch tv.

or even better when bathroom or closet is large enough (really big) for crib/bed
(maybe more for older kids than infants)

Business travel: doesn't matter. Just give me high floor, away from elevator, right bed type, nonsmoking. A handful of times in my life, I've been given massive Presidential suites for solo travel. I've genuinely wished there was a way to find a family staying in the hotel and swap rooms with them.

Personal travel: it becomes very important, enough so that I'm likely to select a property or chain based on how much I think they will value my elite status when it comes to room assignments and other benefits.

We have this question often on FT: which would you rather have, an airline operational upgrade (long-haul) or an awesome hotel suite once you reach the destination? My non-answer answer is that it varies depending on how many of us are traveling and what kind of hotel stay it will be. A week at a beach resort for 4 of us traveling, we'll slum it in coach one night to get 7 nights in the suite. City stay for just me or even just my wife and I, then I'll take the airline upgrades...

wow, ive missed the OP UP threads. id take a $20K/nt villa over 2 SQ A380 suites. because i can (almost all even if not SQ A380 suites for example) air via award.

(ive only seen the threads about domestic F, which doesnt do anything for me)

That would be a GREAT idea! The only time I've been given a presidential suite, though, is when I arrived past 10pm and was checking out at 8am the next morning. Talk about it being wasted on me.

This is what we try to do when not in a larger suite. Works great in resort hotels that have slightly larger hotels and/or bathrooms. We were able to do it at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands and Melia Puerto Vallarta.

I've very rarely gotten significant upgrades on hotels, even when I was Hilton Diamond. Most upgrades turn out to be things like higher floors or better views. They are nice, but in the end not that important to me. Even an upgrade to a suite isnt that significant.

What IS important to me is being able to get a non-connecting room, or a room in the corner, or on a quiet floor. So in that sense the status is worth it. But to me just an upgrade in what I look at or how much floor space I have isnt hugely important.

*Very* important, if I'm bothering to pay a substantial premium to Priceline/OTA rates just to be eligible for elite benefits.