The receptionist in the hotel lobby smiled.

[Dopious]

The receptionist in the hotel lobby smiled.

I had just asked: "Is there any possibility of a room upgrade?"
"Yes," she answered cheerfully!

And just like that, the vacation got a nice little upgrade of its own.

In the middle of July, when hotels are fully booked, trying to negotiate a lower price is a losing battle. The smart move is to negotiate for higher value.

Personally, I’m all about the balcony and the ocean view.

For someone else, it might be late checkout. Free breakfast. Complimentary parking.

Don't get blinded by the price tag. Often, the best deals are made by expanding the value pie, not cutting the price.

• What can be added?
• What can be optimized?
• What can create a true win-win outcome?

How about you? Are you flexing your negotiation muscles during the off-season? I love the art of the deal and experiment constantly.

Drop your best negotiation hacks in the comments below, let's trade strategies!