Staying at a nice hotel feels like such an indulgence, but even the most basic accommodations can be quite pricey. To upgrade to a larger room or one with a scenic view, for example, may be desirable but does not always fit into your travel budget.

Fortunately, there are some ways to potentially score a room upgrade for free. There are no guarantees, of course, but these expert-backed tips will better your chances. Heres what you should know, according to travel experts:

1. Book with the hotel directly.

To increase your odds of getting a free upgrade, reserve directly with the hotel rather than using a third-party site.

A third-party site may restrict you to the specific room you booked, travel journalist and content creator La Carmina told HuffPost.

Chris Hutchins , host of the podcast All the Hacks, also said youre way better off if you book with the hotel directly.

When hotels see reservations come in from their reservation system, they think, Oh wow, heres a customer we have a chance to build a really great relationship with, he told HuffPost. If they see it come in through Expedia or Hotel Tonight or some channel like that, often times they think, This is a person who was just trying to book the cheapest room.

2. Make a request prior to your stay.

Most people ask the front desk for an upgrade when they check into the hotel. But you can increase your chances of getting one by making a special request when you book your stay, said family travel expert Katrina Morrison.

The hotel staff who assign rooms often review these requests, and you might get lucky due to room shortages or because they want to enhance your stay, Morrison, owner of Mocha Travel , told HuffPost.

Another option is to email the general manager or front desk about a week before your reservation, said La Carmina. Typically you can find their contact information on the hotels website or you can call and ask for it over the phone.

In the email, kindly express if youve been to the hotel before and loved it, are celebrating a special occasion, belong to the loyalty program or have featured the hotel in some way, such as in a post on social media, she advised.

Then, politely ask if it may be possible to have a room upgrade, and how much youll appreciate it. You can also try to request a specific suite by looking up whats available for your dates of stay. Chances are that the staff will do their best to provide you with an upgrade.

Even if you dont get a room upgrade, you may end up with another perk like a free bottle of champagne, comped parking or monogrammed pillowcases, Hutchins said.

3. Or ask the front desk when you check in.

Upon your arrival, ask the front desk staff if they have any complimentary upgrades available, said travel content creator Jen Ruiz , author of 12 Trips In 12 Months . Mention any special occasion you might be celebrating like a birthday, anniversary or graduation, she said.

Cameron Sperance , senior hotels reporter for The Points Guy, said it never hurts to ask the front desk for an upgrade, as sometimes certain room categories oversell and they have no option but to park you in an upgraded room category, he said. I had this happen to me recently in Munich during the Taylor Swift concert!

4. Sign up for the hotels loyalty program.

Want a better shot at a room upgrade? Sign up for a hotels loyalty program.

If an upgrade is available, its likely offered to loyal members first, Morrison said. In fact, some membership levels may include complimentary upgrades upon checking in.

Hotel upgrades these days are a lot like first-class flight upgrades: few and far between. said Sperance. Many of the better rooms and suites are set aside for loyalty members, so its worth sticking to a loyalty program and working your way up the loyalty tier food chain, he said

Choose the hotel group Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton or IHG, for example that works the best for your travel needs and preferences and commit to booking within that group.

You can start scoring upgrades just by staying at hotels youd normally book for work or leisure, Sperance said.