Pro tip: I saved over $80 on a hostel in Prague by asking for a 'long stay' rate after my first night.

I was in Prague last fall and booked a hostel for three nights online. The price was okay, but not great. On my second morning, I just casually mentioned to the guy at the front desk that I was really liking the place and might stay longer. He said, 'Oh, you should have asked for our weekly rate when you booked.' I told him I was thinking of staying four more nights, and he offered to switch my booking to a seven-night stay at a much lower per-night cost. It ended up being cheaper to pay for the whole week than the three nights I had originally booked, and they just refunded my first booking. I never would have known to ask if I hadn't just been chatting. Has anyone else had luck getting a better deal just by talking to the staff after you arrive somewhere?

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.laura14d ago

Casually chatting" is the real pro tip here, it opens doors.

emma45513d ago

The problem with casual chatting is it can feel fake if you're just doing it to get something. I tried that at a conference last year, asking generic questions about people's trips. It got awkward fast because they knew I was just working the room. Real connections start when you actually listen to their answer and follow up on it, not when you're ticking a networking box.

nelson.gavin13d ago

Totally! I see this all the time with small talk about the weather. People just say "cold out, huh?" and move on. But if you actually notice someone's cool boots and ask where they got them, the whole vibe changes. It's that shift from a script to actually seeing the person in front of you.