Many years ago, when Sheraton began placing post-it notes on key packets at check-in stating “You’ve been upgraded!”, a realization emerged: if a hotel has to inform you of an upgrade through a standardized process, then the upgrade might not be genuine. A user by the name of "sailthesummerwind" shared this insight on Hilton's forum.
Travelers who are entitled to upgrades should not accept “nothing is available” from the check-in desk as the final answer. Instead, they can verify room availability by making a new reservation for their stay duration using the hotel's mobile app. If an upgrade-eligible room is listed for sale, it indicates availability. In cases where the hotel claims the room is “not clean yet,” guests should have the option to wait for housekeeping.
A discussion arose about wall-mounted bulk toiletries versus non-wall-mounted ones. One user recounted instances where housekeeping failed to refill bottles, leaving them empty even after a week. This sparked debate over whether it is better for there to be no bottle at all or an empty one.