How to Score a Hotel Upgrade and Other Industry Secrets

As the host of Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible, Anthony Melchiorri has seen just about every hotel horror. The hotel-fixer stopped by Daily Shot to share his wisdom about how to have the most pleasant – and most sanitary – hotel stay.

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Everyone wants an upgrade, but not everyone goes about it in the best way. Anthony’s top tip is to use social media and post on a hotel’s Facebook wall about why you’re coming and why you’re excited. “They will see that and they will typically automatically upgrade you,” he says. “Or call the front desk, let them know before you get there that it’s your birthday or anniversary.”

When you get in your room, Anthony says it’s important to make sure everything’s up to par. There are certain things he will always clean himself. While it's common knowledge that a TV remote rarely gets cleaned, he says an even germier item is the handle of the toilet. “People wash their hands AFTER they use the toilet, so that to me is the most disgusting thing,” he says. "That’s why you use your foot” to flush.

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He also offers a word of caution to those who reach for a drink of water. “Never, ever, ever drink out of a glass in a hotel room,” he says, citing the many times he’s seen housekeepers wipe down a room and use the same rag to clean a glass. Use a plastic cup instead.

So what are the strangest items hotel guests leave behind? Watch today’s Daily Shot to find out, and check out Anthony on Hotel Impossible Monday nights at 10pm on Travel Channel.