Travel Deal of the Day (December 19, 2008)

This is a deal that has been mentioned previously, but is even more applicable during the current period of declining travel demand. If you are traveling to a hotel/resort to celebrate a special occasion, I would strongly suggest you mention the occasion to the hotel or resort. Many hotels/resorts will offer you amenities for your special occasion - examples may include a room upgrade, a corner room, a bottle of champagne or a special package deal. Given the current recession, hotels and resorts are likely to have more ability to accommodate such special requests as hotel occupancy rates are down.

How:
If you are celebrating a special occasion, send an email or fax a day or two in advance of your visit to the front desk manager. Many front desk managers will ensure that you are assigned the best possible room and may accommodate other requests or provide additional amenities. If your request is accommodated, be sure to thank the person that went out of his/her way to accommodate your request.