Get bonus points and elite perks with the HotelUpgrade app

There are a lot of travel websites out there that offer extra perks like room upgrades, breakfast, and spa credits for travelers who book their hotel stays with them. Some of these websites require you to book using a certain credit card, fill out a form and wait for a travel consultant to respond to your request. Sometimes you end up paying a little more for those extra benefits. The HotelUpgrade mobile app aims to circumvent these obstacles.

How HotelUpgrade Works

All you have to do is download the app, select the city you’re looking to book your stay, then select a participating hotel from the list. The good news is that HotelUpgrade does partner with major hotel chains like Hilton and Starwood. The bad thing about the app is that they don’t yet have a large selection of hotels to choose from.

That will likely change in the future, but it’s still worthwhile to check the app for the hotel of your choice in case it is included in the network.

Once you see the list of hotels, simply adjust the number of nights you’re staying (it’s pre-set at 5 nights) to see which extra perks are available at which hotels.

Your travel dates are irrelevant. The only thing affecting the perks offered by the hotel are the number of nights you’re staying.

For example, I did a search for hotels in Chicago. Two hotels came up: The Hilton Suites Magnificent Mile and the Renaissance Suites O’Hare. The following benefits were offered at each hotel, depending on the number of nights booked:

Stay up to 4 nights

• Hilton was offering 500 extra Hilton HHonors points
• Renaissance was offering an extra 2,000 Marriott points. 

Stay up to 9 nights

• Hilton offered an extra 2,000 points
• Renaissance offered 5,000 points, Executive Lounge access and a suite upgrade upon availability. 

Stay 10 nights or more

• Hilton offered 4,000 points, free internet (something that is offered to those who book their stay through Hilton.com anyway), and club lounge access.
• Renaissance guests were offered 10,000 points, executive lounge access, and a suite upgrade upon availability. 

The great thing about HotelUpgrade is that you book your stay through the hotel website and then simply enter your confirmation number into the app to receive the extra benefits. This sounded too good to be true, so I reached out to the HotelUpgrade team to get clarification about a few key points, which they answered below:

HotelUpgrade Q&A

Do I need to click through to hotel website via the app in order to qualify for the extra benefits? Or can I simply book it any way I want (i.e. via the web, third party website, phone, etc.) and then simply enter the booking number into the app?

You have to book on the hotel’s brand.com (direct) website. I.e. Hilton.com, Westin.com, etc.

Do award nights or Points + Cash stays qualify for Hotel Upgrade benefits?

Unfortunately, no. Only paid stays.

Will using HotelUpgrade affect the points and elite qualification I would normally earn through the hotel’s reward program?

The points and upgrades you get through the HotelUpgrade app stack on top of your normal points and credits!

I’m looking at the Aloft Dulles Airport North. The app offers an extra 2,000 SPG points. If I were to take advantage of this offer, will I still earn the standard 2 points per $1 from the SPG program?

Yes, you would!

Are there any blackout dates? Or can I book any date available on the hotel website and still get access to Hotel Upgrade perks?

Any available date on the hotel website and you get access to the HotelUpgrade perks!

It’s definitely worth keeping the HotelUpgrade app in mind for your next hotel stay. It can be stacked with ongoing hotel promotions and you don’t have to do anything special to get the extra points and elite benefits – just book your stay through the hotel website and then enter your reservation number into the app.