HHonors Gold Upgrades

[Willsmere]

Hi, I am having my first booking as a Hilton Gold member in a month or so in Japan. I pre booked the room some time ago. I have also downloaded the hilton app and I notice when I look at my booking on the app there is a button on the screen saying "request upgrade". Has anyone used this before? is it pushy to dive in and press it now weeks out from my visit? or should I just be pleasant at check in and see what happens? Cheers.

 

[kermatu]

I think request upgrade is actually for a paid upgrade (or possibly discounted). It's not a free upgrade button (otherwise everyone would just hit it).

No harm in hitting it and see what comes up.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi, I am having my first booking as a Hilton Gold member in a month or so in Japan. I pre booked the room some time ago. I have also downloaded the hilton app and I notice when I look at my booking on the app there is a button on the screen saying "request upgrade". Has anyone used this before? is it pushy to dive in and press it now weeks out from my visit? or should I just be pleasant at check in and see what happens? Cheers.

Hi Willsmere.
The "request upgrade" button is for a NOR1 upgrade. This is a paid upgrade to a better room type. Diamond members may see a $0 option to an Executive room but for the most part it will offer you various paid options to upgrade. If granted you pay the extra for your upgrade on top of the room rates. These are processed separately from HHonors upgrades, generally before them. It very much depends on the property and how much you want the upgrade as to whether or not you choose to do that.

 

[Denali]

You can hit the "Request Upgrade" button and it will give you some paid options. You can then back out of the app without committing to anything.

Im diamond and for a upcoming booking, Im only getting paid upgrade options so Im waiting for checkin to open and then see what I can upgrade to for free.

 

[Willsmere]

Thanks for all the replys. I clicked the upgrade button and as stated it gave me paid options. I had booked a King Jr. Suite at Tokyo Hilton. There were 3 options the first one was the same room I already had but with lounge access and breakfast (I thought I got breakfast anyway as gold??). With currency conversion it was another $100 a night. Maybe I'll just wait till check in?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Maybe I'll just wait till check in?

That's probably wise. Once I had the Nor1 upgrade applied even though the hotel told me it was a complementary upgrade. I'd suggest not choosing this option unless you know that you probably won't get an upgrade upon check-in.

 

[straitman]

Thanks for all the replys. I clicked the upgrade button and as stated it gave me paid options. I had booked a King Jr. Suite at Tokyo Hilton. There were 3 options the first one was the same room I already had but with lounge access and breakfast (I thought I got breakfast anyway as gold??). With currency conversion it was another $100 a night. Maybe I'll just wait till check in?

Just to clarify what you get as a HH Gold look here:

Loyalty Rewards From Hilton HHonors.

 

[BLK343]

Thanks for all the replys. I clicked the upgrade button and as stated it gave me paid options. I had booked a King Jr. Suite at Tokyo Hilton. There were 3 options the first one was the same room I already had but with lounge access and breakfast (I thought I got breakfast anyway as gold??). With currency conversion it was another $100 a night. Maybe I'll just wait till check in?

The King Jnr Suite is a nice and spacious room. As a Gold HHonors member, you will get complimentary breakfast in the main restaurant "Marble Lounge" or on level 2 reserved especially for HHonors members (Diamond & Gold free, Blue & Silver for a fee). If you get upgraded to a King Jnr Suite Executive, it will be a bonus else there are plenty of izakaya places around Shinjuku for you to enjoy some drinks!

 

[kermatu]

It's also worthwhile looking regularly to see if better rooms are available for sale in the days leading up to your stay. If they start disappearing or prices skyrocket, then a NOR1 upgrade may be worth it. If not, try your luck is my advice.

 

[JohnK]

As a HHonors Gold booking rooms in Thailand the request upgrade button offers a free upgrade and some paid room upgrades.

Take the free room upgrade all the time.

 

[Willsmere]

The King Jnr Suite is a nice and spacious room. As a Gold HHonors member, you will get complimentary breakfast in the main restaurant "Marble Lounge" or on level 2 reserved especially for HHonors members (Diamond & Gold free, Blue & Silver for a fee). If you get upgraded to a King Jnr Suite Executive, it will be a bonus else there are plenty of izakaya places around Shinjuku for you to enjoy some drinks!

Thanks for the info BLK343. Bit confused to what I will end up getting. We are travelling as a family of four. I contacted the hotel and they suggested booking as "spouse stays for free" so book for 3 and the 4 of us can stay in the room. When i look at my booking on the hilton app it says "king jr suite, continental breakfast for me and one guest", there are 4 of us of course so doesnt sound like we all get breakfast. On the upgrade button I can pay about 8500-9000 yen a night for executive lounge access. I think I will just wait and see what happens at check in.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I think I will just wait and see what happens at check in.

Wise move. Don't try to read too much into the written text. That rarely (IMO) is all you get. I cannot comment on that hotel as I've never stayed there, but we have regularly had breakfast extended to all members of the travelling group. The booking with "Spouse Stays Free" is now "2nd Guest Stays Free" which may be read to mean a child stays free even though they do anyway, although this has not been my experience. In your case book for 1A + 2C (assuming your party is 2A+2C) and write in the comments field "Spouse Stays Free - Occupancy 2A + 2C". This has always worked for me (remembering though, a lot of rooms can only take 3 people).

Having said all that, I have had at least one hotel (Hilton Taupo), strictly apply the written terms so waiting for check-in is your best move. Expect what you've booked and you won't be disappointed and anything else will be an appreciated bonus! Don't be shy about asking for exec lounge access as a gold member......at worst, they can only say no!

 

[Willsmere]

Wise move. Don't try to read too much into the written text. That rarely (IMO) is all you get. I cannot comment on that hotel as I've never stayed there, but we have regularly had breakfast extended to all members of the travelling group. The booking with "Spouse Stays Free" is now "2nd Guest Stays Free" which may be read to mean a child stays free even though they do anyway, although this has not been my experience. In your case book for 1A + 2C (assuming your party is 2A+2C) and write in the comments field "Spouse Stays Free - Occupancy 1A + 2C". This has always worked for me (remembering though, a lot of rooms can only take 3 people).

Having said all that, I have had at least one hotel (Hilton Taupo), strictly apply the written terms so waiting for check-in is your best move. Expect what you've booked and you won't be disappointed and anything else will be an appreciated bonus! Don't be shy about asking for exec lounge access as a gold member......at worst, they can only say no!

Thanks swanning it. I pretty much did as you said. The hotel advised you can have 4 in those rooms and so then I booked 1A and 2C and put spouse as "2nd guest stays free". I'll take your advice, check in , if they offer bonuses, great, if nothing offered might politely ask for lounge access and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[jackthomas]

Thanks swanning it. I pretty much did as you said. The hotel advised you can have 4 in those rooms and so then I booked 1A and 2C and put spouse as "2nd guest stays free". I'll take your advice, check in , if they offer bonuses, great, if nothing offered might politely ask for lounge access and see what happens. Thanks again.

If it helps, I'm 2 years in as a Gold member (and about to maintain a 3rd for 2016) and I've never been denied Lounge access. It obviously depends on which hotels you frequent most, Hilton SYD for example has a new policy that Golds get lounge access regardless of room booked or received which is a great benefit now that they've taken away our buffet rights

I also find the SYD staff particuarly good with elite members, not always with ultra generous upgrades but they have a specific HHonors manager who goes out of their way to look after everyone if required, and the staff are especially lovely and friendly to visitors they remember.

Hilton South Wharf is the only hotel who once tried to deny me access last year, I paid for it at check in and called the duty manager to query, who immediately refunded it. The funniest part of that is that I find HSW most generous with suite upgrades. Out of my almost 10 stays there, I've only spent 2 or 3 nights in the standard/exec rooms. Some staff there really go out of their way to recognise elite members, some couldn't care less... I know who to avoid at check in now.

Bali and a few of the other Asian hotels are also very generous with golds/diamonds.

Other hotels just provide the bare minimum or go out of their way but the above few stand out as I've frequented them the most to have a good idea of consistency.

Have fun!

 

[lobos305]

As a Diamond, I am rarely upgraded ("Sorry - we have nothing available") but somehow if I am willing to pay in points or currency I can be upgraded. So what's the point of belonging?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

As a Diamond, I am rarely upgraded ("Sorry - we have nothing available") but somehow if I am willing to pay in points or currency I can be upgraded. So what's the point of belonging?

Are you referring to a particular hotel or across the board?

 

[jackthomas]

As a Diamond, I am rarely upgraded ("Sorry - we have nothing available") but somehow if I am willing to pay in points or currency I can be upgraded. So what's the point of belonging?

I see you are based in the USA where there are many more Hilton Elite members than here in Australia (and dare I say, not as aspirational hotels) as a gold I've never not received an upgrade let alone diamond however it was a different story on trips in America, with a reduced success rate.

 

[lobos305]

Rarely in the U.S., much better in OZ and other foreign destinations.

 

[Moopere]

Hilton South Wharf is the only hotel who once tried to deny me access last year, I paid for it at check in and called the duty manager to query, who immediately refunded it.

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. HSW no upgrades available - which at the time was really not the norm, even in Aus per my previous experience. Anyway, fine, these things happen. Asked to pay for an exec room, price was outrageous! Took at moment whilst I stood at checkin to check on my phone against the hilton website and found the exec rooms on there at a far far cheaper price. Told the checkin guy I'd prefer one of these (cheaper) options Anyway, turned out the guy was the night manager and he ended up putting it through as an upgrade and I didn't pay anything extra - so kudos, but I was pretty aggravated at the time (mainly the price differential thing).