Can Asking For A Corner Room Score You A More Spacious Hotel Stay For The Same Price?

If you spend any amount of time searching travel content online, you've no doubt run into outlandish claims of secret loopholes promising everything from free flights and hotel upgrades to hacks for a quick TSA experience or better sleep on a long-haul flight. It's hard to know what's worth your time and what's just more travel clickbait. One such claim is that requesting a corner hotel room when you book or check in can result in a bigger room for the same price. But is it true?

Assertions of the best-kept industry secrets are rarely the golden tickets they claim to be, but that doesn't mean they're not worth looking into. "If there's a rumor of a travel trick, it's always worth exploring," Victoria Fricke, a travel agent and owner of the luxury travel agency Vic's Vacations, tells us. "Worst case, it's not true or doesn't apply to your specific trip, best case it is!" Speaking exclusively with Islands, Fricke separates fact from fiction when it comes to corner hotel rooms.

The travel expert says scoring a corner hotel room isn't always an instant upgrade. "It really depends on the hotel and the layout," she explains. "Oftentimes, corner rooms are a different room category – an elevated one like a suite." So, if you booked an entry-level room and are hoping for a free upgrade to a corner room, know that a hotel likely won't make the change without charging you the difference. However, Fricke says requesting a corner room could be worthwhile if you booked a suite in the same category and noticed the corner room is bigger. But in her experience, a corner room is not a guarantee for more square footage.

While corner rooms aren't necessarily the upgrade they're portrayed to be, they do have one easy tell that does result in an instant upgrade if you can make the switch: a larger balcony. Speaking exclusively with Islands, Victoria Fricke says, "Often the balcony can wrap around the side of the room versus just being on the front, allowing for more outdoor space!" It's worth training your eye to notice when a hotel features a wrap-around corner balcony. If its corner rooms are priced as a suite, consider booking a suite and requesting a corner room when you book, being sure to confirm your selection at check-in.

"Requests ... are absolutely hit or miss," Fricke warns. "The reality is the reservations team is just too busy to see, note, and honor each request that comes in." She explains that, when receiving guest requests, hotel booking systems make note of everything from whether the reservation is coming from a domestic or international source to whether you book a room on your own or through a travel agency. They also take note of if you booked directly through them instead of a third-party site, which can be a great way to save on your hotel so you can splurge elsewhere. Ultimately, the travel agency owner says the most important thing is to follow through. "Once on property at check-in, ask," she advises. "Worst thing they can say is 'no.'" One thing that can make a big difference with hotel bookings, according to Fricke, is having a high status with hotel brands. "Make sure you're booked direct and your loyalty number was used at booking," she says. "Hotels know you have choices, so they do try their best to keep loyal customers loyal."