Sing for a room upgrade at Joie de Vivre hotels -- and get on YouTube too

It’s not exactly like getting a room for a song, but it’s close. Several Joie de Vivre hotels offer a free room upgrade to guests who can carry a tune -- or try to. One upgrade is awarded each day to the first guest to belt out “Hotel California” or “California Dreamin’ ” or other songs while checking into one of the chain’s Southern California hotels.

The deal: Singing for an Upgrade offers a quirky way to score a perk at the Hotel Erwin inVenice, the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, Hotel Angeleno in Los Angeles and Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach. Clearly, this deal is subject to availability; no amount of serenading will get you an upgrade if the hotel is full.

Here’s how it works: Each hotel has a song list for guests to choose from. Be the first of the day to sing a song, and you receive a more posh room on the spot.

Don’t for a minute think no one’s going to hear. The hotel makes a video of each singer and posts it on its Facebook page and YouTube. (Check out videos of guest-singers so far.) Note too that posted videos are automatically entered into a “Singing for an Upgrade” contest, in which online voters determine who is the best (or worst?); check the website for rules and prizes, which include free hotel stays.

When: The offer is good until Sept. 30.

Tested: I didn’t sing at any of the hotels, but I did look for availability to see how this deal might play out.

For example, I found a deluxe room for two nights starting Aug. 5 at the Hotel Erwin for an advanced booking rate of $329 plus tax a night. If I were the first singer of the day, and if upgrades were available, I could be sleeping in a room with a partial ocean view that typically starts at $389 plus tax a night. So my singing would save me $60.

Contact: Joie de Vivre website or individual hotels.