A SEASONED TRAVELER likely knows about the little freebies hotels offer. A cup of coffee from the lobby urn. Or a small tube of toothpaste from the front desk. But many hotels give out perks that guests may not realize they can request. The key is to know how to ask. This may seem obvious, but it isn’t to many harried travelers: Just be nice. “Hospitality thrives on human connection,” says Harry Francis, director of lifestyle at Hotel Heron in Alexandria, Virginia. “When guests are kind, curious and engaged, staff naturally want to go the extra mile.” —Lauren Ellman