How to Actually Get Hotel Upgrades (No Points Required)

Everyone has a theory about hotel upgrades. Check in late. Dress well. Ask nicely at the desk. Mention your anniversary.

Some of those work sometimes. None of them work reliably, and none of them get you what a preferred travel advisor gets you before you even land.

Here's the honest breakdown of how hotel upgrades actually work — and how to make sure you're getting them every time.

The Points Myth

The most common upgrade strategy you'll read about involves hotel loyalty programs: earn enough points, hit elite status, and rooms start getting better. This works — to a point. But there are a few problems:

It requires consolidating all your hotel stays with one brand. If you want to see the world, spending every trip at a Marriott to protect your Bonvoy status is a significant compromise. The best hotel for a safari in Botswana isn't a Marriott. The best ryokan in Kyoto isn't a Hilton.

Status upgrades are "when available." At peak season — which is often when you're traveling — the suites you'd be upgraded into are sold. You get moved from room category 1 to room category 2, not from a standard room to the ocean terrace.

It takes years. You need to be genuinely loyal to a single brand, at significant spend, for multiple years to reach upgrade-eligible status. Most leisure travelers aren't doing that.

How Preferred Partner Programs Work (And Why They're Different)

The hotel industry has a second, parallel system that doesn't require points or status: preferred partner programs.

These programs — names like Virtuoso, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Hyatt Privé, Marriott STARS, and Rosewood Elite — are relationships between luxury hotel brands and a select group of travel advisors. The hotels give these advisors the ability to book clients at the same rate they'd find anywhere, with a set of perks stacked on top:

• Complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability, but genuinely prioritized — not just "if a better room is sitting empty")
• Resort credits ($50–$200+ to spend on dining, spa, activities)
• Early check-in and late check-out
• Welcome amenities (often a fruit plate, bottle of wine, or something the property knows is meaningful to you)
• Dedicated hotel contact who ensures everything is right before you arrive

The key difference from loyalty programs: these perks come from the advisor relationship, not your personal history with the brand. First time staying at a Four Seasons? Doesn't matter. Book through a Preferred Partner advisor, and you're treated like a returning VIP guest.

Why Hotels Offer This

It's not charity. Hotels in these programs give preferred partner advisors preferential treatment because those advisors consistently send them high-value, low-friction clients. A traveler who books through a Virtuoso advisor typically spends more, stays longer, and causes fewer headaches than one who found a discount on a third-party booking site.

The hotel is, essentially, paying the advisor's commission to acquire a good client. The advisor redirects that value to you in the form of perks.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Here's a real example of what a preferred partner booking gets you that a direct booking doesn't:

That's a $1,000 credit on a stay you were going to book anyway. At no extra cost to you.

The Tips That Actually Work Alongside This

If you're booking through an advisor who has these relationships, a few additional moves help:

Tell your advisor about special occasions. Anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons — the hotel will often add something extra when they know. Not always, but often enough that it's always worth mentioning.

Arrive in the afternoon. Upgrades are assigned as rooms become available after morning checkouts. An early afternoon arrival often hits the sweet spot.

Be specific about what matters to you. If an ocean view is the whole point, say so. If you need a quiet room because you're a light sleeper, that matters more than an upgrade. Your advisor can communicate these preferences to the hotel in advance so the right room is held for you.

Write a note after the trip. Hotels track which advisors send the best clients. A thank-you note to the property through your advisor builds the relationship that pays forward on your next visit.

The Honest Catch

Preferred partner upgrades are subject to availability, which means peak season at a fully booked resort isn't going to produce miracles. That said, a good advisor builds real relationships with properties — which means calls get made, notes get written, and your room gets more attention than a booking that came through Expedia.

I've had clients upgraded into ocean penthouses at sold-out resorts because the property manager knew the name on the Fora booking and wanted to make it right. That doesn't happen on a points chase.

Cameron Steagall is a luxury travel advisor with Fora Travel. He specializes in LGBTQ+-welcoming destinations, eco-conscious travel, honeymoons, and luxury itineraries with VIP hotel access across six continents.