NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

TikTok user shares ‘script’ for getting free hotel snacks: ‘You don’t get it if you don’t ask’

NZ Herald
21 Mar, 2024 02:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A TikToker’s mum is spilling the beans on how to get free hotel snacks during your next stay. Photo / Supplied

A TikToker’s mum is spilling the beans on how to get free hotel snacks during your next stay. Photo / Supplied

When it comes to in-room snacks, fruit bowls and bottles of water in the mini-fridge, hotel bites often come with a hefty price tag.

Now, a TikToker’s mum is spilling the beans on how to get free hotel snacks during your next stay.

TikTok user Julia revealed on the social media platform that her mum often organises something special to be waiting at her hotel while she’s travelling.

Recently, Julia’s mum arranged something sweet for her while she was travelling to Vancouver for work. The thoughtful mum called the hotel and had them organise a gift basket for her daughter to surprise her in her hotel room.

“Literally from my mom, for free,” Julia shared while showing off the beautiful basket, which included Pellegrino sparkling water and Smartfood Popcorn.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“If you or your mom isn’t calling the hotel every single time you travel, you’re doing something wrong,” Julia added.

@thejuliabaird

Replying to @Zoe 🫶🏼 Mama knows best! Should i share more of her hotel/travelling tips?! #hotelhacks #travelhacks #hoteltips #traveltipsandhacks

♬ original sound - Julia

In another video shared to TikTok, Julia shed light on her mum’s acts of kindness and how she goes about it.

“OK, mom. The internet wants to know what you say to get free hotel snacks,” she asked her mum in the follow-up clip.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Her mum got candid about the process, revealing that she calls the hotel and builds rapport with the staff via the call.

“[I] tell them a little bit about myself and who I would like to send a little gift to,” she shared. “And just see if there is anything that they can do to help make the stay a little more special for the person.”

Her mum doesn’t just ask for the hotel to provide free gifts, but instead asks, “if they can do something.”

“You don’t get it if you don’t ask,” Julia’s mum added.

“I worked at a hotel and we picked each day someone to build a VIP gift basket for. it was usually someone celebrating an event or being kind to staff.”
“I worked at a hotel and we picked each day someone to build a VIP gift basket for. it was usually someone celebrating an event or being kind to staff.”

“We’re at a hotel right now, and they left us a bottle of Prosecco and some really adorable chocolates,” Julia revealed.

“That’s all. That’s the script,” Julia concluded.

The TikTok has now racked up 151,000 views, with people flooding the comments section to share their own stories.

One person revealed that they call the hotel in advance and let them know if they’re visiting for a special occasion. “Whenever I book, I always tell them why we’re booking (anniversary, birthday, etc) and they have always left us something too, usually chocolate or cake, one-time souvenir champagne glasses”, they wrote.

A current hotel worker commented: “i work in a hotel and she’s so right. building rapport and being kind deff gets u free snacks”

One former hotel employee wrote: “I worked at a hotel and we picked each day someone to build a VIP gift basket for. it was usually someone celebrating an event or being kind to staff.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, one person warned that hotels were pulling back on the free services, saying: “Hotels used to do this but now with the amount of people travelling and influencers it doesn’t hit the same for regular people.”



Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

15 Jun 07:00 AM
Travel

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

14 Jun 08:00 PM
Travel

Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

14 Jun 08:00 PM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

15 Jun 07:00 AM

From skipping the queues to planning your parade spot, here's all you need to know.

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

14 Jun 08:00 PM
Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

14 Jun 08:00 PM
This beach is the most complained about in the world

This beach is the most complained about in the world

13 Jun 08:00 PM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP