Unconventional Requests That Hotels Often Grant (If You Ask Nicely)

The staff at your hotel is there to make your stay as comfortable as possible and they have way more power than you might think. Hotel personnel can use their influence to grant a wide array of requests you would never guess are available. You don't have to be staying at one of the most expensive hotels in the world to get this special treatment either. All you have to do is be polite when you make a request and there is a solid chance that they will help you. 

Being gracious toward these staff members builds a strong rapport and can make communication more effective. If you're not quite sure how to use this newfound power, no worries. Over the years, travelers have made tons of unusual requests that you might want on your next hotel stay. These are some of the strangest, funniest, and most useful things that guests have asked for at hotels and actually been granted.

Many travelers assume that they're completely stuck with the room they booked at a hotel and there is no way to change that unless they're willing to cough up more money. You may be excited to discover that it is absolutely possible for hotel staff to give guests a free room upgrade at their will when it's possible. One former hotel employee shared in r/TravelHacks "I worked at a hotel for a few years. If you ask nicely I'd upgrade you if I could. I loved giving people extra stuff." An upgrade could mean that you're given a bigger space, a room on a higher level, a larger bed, or a space with a prettier view. 

Apparently, arriving later in the evening is the best time to check in to a hotel to get a room upgrade. You have an even better shot of success when you're staying at a hotel during a low season. If you're there for a special occasion, such as an anniversary, it's a good idea to let them know that as well. 

Asking for an upgrade on a whim might feel a bit awkward at first, but the worst thing that could happen is that they tell you no. One thing to keep in mind is that it is not always possible for hotel staff to provide a free room upgrade. For this reason, it is best to just respect their answer if it turns out that they can't do it. 

The typical hotel check-in time is between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the average check-out time is around 11 a.m. Lots of travelers would rather check in to a hotel as early as possible, but they assume that their designated check-in time is a hard and fast rule. On the contrary, it is very possible to check in early or even leave your room a little bit later. As long as your room is fully prepared and ready for your arrival, hotel staff will typically fulfill this request happily.

If it's possible, try to reach out to your hotel in advance to determine whether they'll be able to accommodate an earlier check-in time. Similarly, you should let the staff know early on that you would like to check out of the hotel later than the specified check-out time. While there is a potential to get these things at the last minute, it will improve your chances to give some notice.

The pillow on your bed might seem like a small facet of your room, but it can make a big difference when you're not comfortable sleeping on it. While most travelers would simply accept the less-than-desirable cushion, this situation can actually be remedied by simply asking the hotel staff for a different one. In fact, these days lots of high-end accommodations provide their guests with a full-blown pillow menu to make sure they're sleeping like a baby throughout their entire stay. 

A pillow menu provides guests with a range of options that differ based on size, shape, softness, and the material stuffed inside. Do you want to sink into a soft, fluffy pillow that's filled with feathers or do you prefer a firm one that fully supports your neck as you slumber? Are you in the mood for one giant pillow or six small ones? Whatever your pillow preferences are, your hotel can likely accommodate them if you nicely request it. 

If you're staying somewhere for your birthday, anniversary, or on a honeymoon there are many things you can likely get for free. Hotels are even more likely to treat you to an over-the-top exceptional experience when you're celebrating a special occasion with them. Oftentimes, the staff will gladly set up decorations in the room for your big day to make the celebration even more memorable. 

Many travelers have successfully requested specific decor for their stay when they called the hotel in advance to ask for it. One Reddit user in r/Hilton shared their experience saying, "Stayed for a birthday celebration earlier this year, if you contact the hotel ahead of time they can arrange to have free amenity set up in room red wine and small cake. If you like something fancier they have better amenity like proper cake and champagne available at a fee." Just making this one query could make your birthday or romantic trip even more incredible. 

Shampoo, body wash, and hand soap are a given in every hotel room, but what if you need more than that? Even if you try your best to pack all your toiletries into your luggage, there is a good chance that you could still forget something crucial. Before you waste your precious vacation moments running off to the nearest store to try and find the products you need, consider asking the hotel staff for them. 

Most hotels have items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, a comb, mouthwash, razors, moisturizer, and even feminine products on hand for free in case any of their guests are in need. They're typically very generous with this stuff if you're willing to ask for it. One person disclosed in r/LifeProTips, "One time when I asked for extra toiletries at a hotel they showed up at my door with at least 30 tubes of each even though I was only staying 2 nights."

According to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics, over 17% of adults in the United States were on a special diet from 2015 to 2018. The most common of these restrictions include an intolerance to gluten, lactose, nut allergies, or being vegetarian/vegan. There is no need to skip out on the luxury of room service and breakfast in bed just because you have a particular diet, though. 

With such a sizable chunk of the population having these unique dietary requirements, it makes sense for most hotels to accommodate these needs upon request. Communicate your necessary meal alterations clearly with staff to ensure that everybody is on the same page and the dishes are safe for you. With that being said, it's a nice gesture to tip for your room service when you're requesting changes to accommodate your diet. 

Getting to a hotel room only to realize that your phone is dying and you can't find your charger anywhere is a huge headache. Particularly when you're traveling to a destination that you don't know very well and need your device to get around. This can be an even bigger problem when you're traveling internationally because different regions around the world each have their own type of outlets. 

While the United States, Canada, and Mexico all use Type A outlets, the majority of Europe and South America only have Type C outlets. If you don't have the proper adapter, you won't be able to charge up your devices even if you came prepared with a charger. Luckily, the hotel staff will usually be able to provide you with the juice you need when you ask to borrow a charging wire or a local adapter. It worked out for one Reddit user in r/NoStupidQuestions who said, "We went to Europe over winter vacation and didn't realize they used a different kind of plug over there, so we asked the front desk at our hotel and they had a charger we were able to borrow."

Many hotels provide their guests with a gym to get a workout in during their trip, but what if you want to do some exercise from the comfort of your room? As outlandish as it might sound, this could actually be in the realm of possibility. There are quite a few hotels that are willing to provide visitors with a yoga mat or other portable workout equipment so that they can stretch or exercise right in their rooms. 

Both Hyatt Hotels and Affinia Hotels state that they provide free yoga mats upon request. A Reddit user staying in Portland shared a photo in r/mildlyinteresting of the yoga mat that her hotel provided to her for free. Even if your accommodation doesn't explicitly say that they have this service, it's still possible that they could complete the request if you go out on a limb and ask for it kindly. 

Traveling with your pet can be very overwhelming, but your hotel might be able to lower your stress levels a little bit. Tons of pet-friendly hotels around the globe can provide amenities tailored to your furry friend's needs. Several major hotel chains openly welcome pets to their facilities including Aloft Hotels, Best Western, Hilton Hotels, and The Four Seasons. There are lots of things you can ask for at pet-friendly hotels to make your stay more comfortable for you and your animal.  

At the Four Seasons, you can request a cozy pet bed, dog bowls, and even a special room service menu created just for guest's animals. When you stay at a Best Western with your pet, they can give you a little welcome basket for them complete with toys, treats, and more. Other accommodations are willing to provide stuff like pet daycare services, doggy bags, and sections of the hotel where pets can run around to their heart's content off the leash. 

Throughout the excitement of a vacation, there's always a chance that you could get a rip in one of your favorite outfits. Instead of throwing out the garment altogether, consider asking your hotel's staff for help. They could very well come to the rescue with a portable sewing kit. It might sound unlikely, but it's actually a pretty common offering at nice hotels. 

As a Reddit user explained in r/mildlyinteresting "A lot of folks don't realize that most every hotel that's chain and/or mid-tier and up (think Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Best Western, etc.) has sewing kits available for free." However, this convenience is much more common at fancier hotels. If you're staying at a 4-star hotel or above, they may even be able to patch up the rip for you. A person on a different post in r/mildlyinteresting said "This is a standard amenity in hotels above 3 stars. If you don't see it, they'll give you one at the desk. Also most 4 and up have someone that will fix your clothing for you if you can't sew."

Nobody wants to deal with the dreaded post-vacation laundry pile. Yet, it's an inevitability that every traveler must face at the end of a trip. Instead of shoving all these dirty clothes back into your suitcase in a big hodgepodge, it's much easier and more orderly to stuff it all into a laundry bag. If this item slipped your mind while you were eagerly packing, you can always ask for a laundry bag from your hotel. 

Most accommodations will already have these supplied in the room hanging up in the closet. If you can't manage to find it after combing through the room, practically every hotel will supply one if you call down to the front desk. While you should never take items from a hotel room like towels and bathrobes, the laundry bag is one of the few extras that guests are welcome to bring home with them.

Most travelers get around their destination by calling taxis or exploring on foot, but there is another transportation method that can get you around a new city — a bicycle. Of course, it would be a major hassle to try and bring a bike with you on a trip. That's why lots of hotels these days will allow their guests to rent a bike from them to ride around the city. 

For instance, Hawthorne Extended Stay by Wyndham has a bike rental program for all the people who stay with them that is completely free. All you have to do is let them know that you'd like to use one of their bicycles and they will provide you with the bike, a helmet for safety, a lock in case you want to run inside anywhere, and a map of the place you're visiting. It's a much cheaper way to get around than booking taxis everywhere and you'll get some exercise along the way. 

Feeling parched in your hotel room and you're not in the mood to go to the store for drinks? Your hotel will likely be able to help you out with a few complimentary bottles of water. While it's not supplied by every hotel, many of them will bring drinking water to their guests upon request. 

Oftentimes, there will even be a bottle for each guest waiting in the room, but just make sure they are free before you start chugging one down. In the instance where there is no water in your room, it never hurts to ask for it. As one Quora user advised, "You will not look foolish for asking. Believe me, we have heard certain things numerous times daily! But I would rather have a guest that asks, than one who doesn't. That way we minimize misunderstandings."

One of the sillier requests that guests sometimes make at hotels is to have framed photographs of their favorite celebrity waiting in their room. It sounds ridiculous, but this is something that the hospitality staff has hilariously provided many times. HuffPost reported in 2016 that a man jokingly asked his hotel to stock up his room with several photos of Jeff Goldblum. Much to his surprise they actually fulfilled the request and put a bunch of framed photographs of the actor everywhere from the bedside table to inside the bathroom. 

While that sounds like it could only happen once in a lifetime, it's a fairly common demand for travelers to make. A former hotel employee shared in r/funny "I used to work in a hotel and we used to get requests like this all the time. My fave was a request for photos of '90s R&B singer Usher'. We obliged and he loved it." Next time you need a laugh at the start of your vacation, this could be the way to go. 

A neatly folded pile of towels is so boring when you could have a work of art instead. Towel art is kind of like a larger scale version of origami and it can be quite intricate. This gives a hotel's housekeeping staff a chance to flex their creative muscles and it's a fun way to be welcomed into your room, especially if you're on a vacation with young children. 

Towels can be folded into all types of things like turtles, swans, elephants, and more. When asked politely, many hotel workers are thrilled to provide a towel art piece for their guests if they're able to. One traveler shared a photo in r/marriott of the towel swan their hotel made for them and praised the gesture by saying, "Way to go Residence Inn Chicago Schaumburg! was pleasantly surprised by the towel art on the bathroom sink at checkin."