From tipping strategies to booking mistakes, hospitality insiders share their best advice.

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Two people with suitcases approach a reception desk in a hotel setting — Guests walking through a luxury beach resort lobby. Credit: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Hotels are designed to keep secrets, sometimes right under guests’ noses.

A guest can check in and be escorted out for bad behavior before ever making it to their room. A celebrity may be enjoying an under-the-radar vacation just down the hall. Most of the time, guests never know these things are happening—but hotel employees do.

Several high-end concierges and hospitality professionals spoke to Travel + Leisure for Travel, Unfiltered to share stories—and a few secrets—from their decades in the industry. Here’s what we learned.

Tips Go Far

Hotels are one place where carrying cash can still pay off. “The most I've ever had someone give me upon arrival without even speaking to me is $300,” one concierge told T+L. “You're getting the best room in the house. I'm not gonna charge you an upgrade fee. You're gonna get breakfast on me, and you have two cocktails coming your way as soon as I give you this room key.”

Being Nice Is Underrated

Even if you’re not handing out hundred-dollar bills, there are other ways to make a good impression. Start by being kind. “People underestimate how much of a difference it makes,” one hotel veteran said. “If you treat me like a real person, now I feel good about this interaction. I'm gonna be helping you out.”

How You Book Matters

Booking through an online travel agency like Expedia, Priceline, or Hotels.com can limit your options if something goes wrong during your stay. “If there's any issue, we're limited on how we can compensate you for that,” one of the hotel staffers explained. “I cannot touch the rate. I cannot offer a refund.”

Those third-party sites may not always deliver the savings travelers expect. “By the time you add in all those extra fees, it ends up being about the same price,” one hotel staffer said. Hotels also pay commissions on those bookings, so they’ll often match rates for guests who book directly.

Regardless of how you reserve your room, another hotel veteran had one piece of advice: avoid non-refundable rates whenever possible. “If you are not psychic, don't do it.”

Broken Lamps Are Not Incidentals

“A lot of people think incidentals means in case you break something, it's actually just for food and drinks and different activities that the resort might offer,” one concierge said. “Generally, if something's broken, unless it's extremely significant, we just deal with it internally. But please don't break anything.”

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Hotel Concierges Reveal the Secrets They Wish More Guests Knew—and the Mistakes to Avoid