How to Get a Hotel Upgrade

For most travelers with gumption, hotel upgrades work like this: We ask. We smile. We hope for the best.

But for those travelers looking to improve their chances of being bumped up from a standard room to a suite, there are more fine-tuned strategies.

According to Travel + Leisure, you improve your chances of staying in a suite if you go to places with low occupancy rates, especially in the current economic downturn, because they are more likely to be nice to the guests they have. Destinations in this category include Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Hawaii and Orlando.