3 Business Traveler Insights From a Hotel Front Desk Clerk

Most business travelers are at the mercy of their employer's travel policies when it comes to where to stay. But once you get to your hotel, you'll need to impress a different power broker to make your visit as comfortable as you can: the front-desk agent. With a few keyboard taps, these often-forgotten employees can control whether you stay in a noisy closet-size room or get a primo suite for the same price, according to Jacob Tomsky, a former hotel front-desk agent and author of Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality. Getting these people on your side can lead to a better room, better perks, and far better service. “Hotels seem impersonal, but they are very personal, and you're dealing with human beings who are making decisions about your stay,” said Tomsky. Here are his top tips for dealing with front-desk agents and getting their hotel to treat you like a VIP whether you're a grunt on a sales visit or