I don't know how anyone else feels about this but - for me, at least - staying in a hotel is one of the most exciting parts of a holiday. You get your bedsheets changed for you every day, you usually get to enjoy the luxury of an en-suite bathroom, and - if you stay in a fancy enough place - you sometimes come back to a foil-wrapped chocolate on your pillow.

However, there is always a hierarchy when it comes to hotel rooms, and for us folks on a budget, we very rarely get the best.

Sure, you might get the maid service and the bathroom, but all too often you end up with a terrible view, noisy neighbors, and a 20-minute trek to the pool. Which, while you're happy to be away and enjoying the sunshine, is not what you paid all that money for. Luckily, however, there is a way to up your chances of scoring a nicer room.

Essentially, as long as you're staying in a hotel that actually gives a hoot about its reputation, the staff there should be obliging (if not eager) to ensure you have the best stay possible. So, when you first turn up at your room and find that it overlooks a car park and smells faintly of the last guest's cigarettes, all you have to do is say something to the manager.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge complaint - after all, you don't want to irritate the people who will be in charge of deciding what happens with you. However, a firm but friendly insistence that you expected a better accommodation will more often than not mean that you'll be reassigned a room.

Plus, if you're daring enough, you could always ham it up a bit in order to swing a little sympathy in your favor. Maybe complain about the shuttle bus from the airport, or mention that the pictures online made the hotel out to be much bigger than it actually is.

"Providing an explanation for why an upgrade would be helpful can make a difference," says Zach Honig, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy. "For example, if you plan to spend a lot of time working from the hotel room rather than exploring your destination, explaining that the extra space would make for a more comfortable working environment could land you a larger room or suite."

One of the most important things to remember when doing this is not to get too pushy. After all, you're talking to the people who have the power to give you a week of luxury... or the cheapest room in the whole place.

Essentially, as long as you're polite and willing to reason with staff, you should be able to score yourself a few extra perks for no extra cost. Of course, there's always a chance you'll get turned away - but there's no harm in trying, right? I mean, just think of all those complimentary chocolates you'll be missing out on if you don't.

I don't know how anyone else feels about this but - for me, at least - staying in a hotel is one of the most exciting parts of a holiday. You get your bedsheets changed for you every day, you usually get to enjoy the luxury of an en-suite bathroom, and - if you stay in a fancy enough place - you sometimes come back to a foil-wrapped chocolate on your pillow.

However, there is always a hierarchy when it comes to hotel rooms, and for us folks on a budget, we very rarely get the best.

Sure, you might get the maid service and the bathroom, but all too often you end up with a terrible view, noisy neighbors, and a 20-minute trek to the pool. Which, while you're happy to be away and enjoying the sunshine, is not what you paid all that money for. Luckily, however, there is a way to up your chances of scoring a nicer room.

Essentially, as long as you're staying in a hotel that actually gives a hoot about its reputation, the staff there should be obliging (if not eager) to ensure you have the best stay possible. So, when you first turn up at your room and find that it overlooks a car park and smells faintly of the last guest's cigarettes, all you have to do is say something to the manager.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge complaint - after all, you don't want to irritate the people who will be in charge of deciding what happens with you. However, a firm but friendly insistence that you expected a better accommodation will more often than not mean that you'll be reassigned a room.

Plus, if you're daring enough, you could always ham it up a bit in order to swing a little sympathy in your favor. Maybe complain about the shuttle bus from the airport, or mention that the pictures online made the hotel out to be much bigger than it actually is.

"Providing an explanation for why an upgrade would be helpful can make a difference," says Zach Honig, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy. "For example, if you plan to spend a lot of time working from the hotel room rather than exploring your destination, explaining that the extra space would make for a more comfortable working environment could land you a larger room or suite."

One of the most important things to remember when doing this is not to get too pushy. After all, you're talking to the people who have the power to give you a week of luxury... or the cheapest room in the whole place.

Essentially, as long as you're polite and willing to reason with staff, you should be able to score yourself a few extra perks for no extra cost. Of course, there's always a chance you'll get turned away - but there's no harm in trying, right? I mean, just think of all those complimentary chocolates you'll be missing out on if you don't.