More hotel secrets for a better stay

❚ Leverage your loyalty: “If you have great status with one hotel company but want to try another, most brands will give you a status match,” says Haussman. That way, you needn’t start from zero when sampling the brands within another company’s hotel portfolio.

❚ Go for the new hotel: “Always look for the newest hotels where you’re staying,” he says. “They’ll typically have the fastest internet speeds and largest-screen TVs, plus everything’s new.” Also, frequent travelers are more likely to get the best upgrades, since it takes up to a year or more to ramp up a new hotel’s business.

❚ Remember, not all operators are equal: Now that you know who owns and operates that great hotel where you just stayed, ask which other properties they run. Most operate hotels flying flags from several of the major hotel companies as well as independents. “Then stay at those for even more great service experiences,” Haussman says.