How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

[QF WP]

Just thought I'd create a thread for this - looking back over the last year, I thought I'd done a thread here as well as on Priority Club.

I'm a Gold member.

Friday, 22 May to Sunday, 31 May (yes, 9 nights)
Property: Hilton Cairns
Room booked: King Room
Rate: Travelzoo $135 package rate (included bottle of red wine)
Received: Upgrade to King Suite, card from GM and the wine, obligatory 2 free water bottles per day

Wednesday, 8 July
Property: Hilton Parmelia Perth
Room booked: King Room
Rate: Award room
Received: Upgrade to King Suite, card from GM and the obligatory 2 free water bottles

Thursday, 9 July
Property: Hilton Adelaide
Room booked: King Room
Rate: Award room
Received: Upgrade to Exec Floor, card from GM and the obligatory 2 free water bottles

Saturday, 11 July
Property: Hilton Brisbane
Room booked: King Room
Rate: Met Package (birthday present for Mrs LW, included 2 buffet breakfasts at Atrium Cafe & 2 tickets to Qld Art Gallery for Impressionists Showing from Metropolitan Museum New York - to get some culture)
Received: Upgrade to Exec Floor, card from GM and the obligatory 2 free water bottles

Got some more travel to do to Melbourne this Friday, so hoping to fly down Thursday night to sample the new Hilton.

 

[mhossen]

Have booked a standard queen room at the HPER, on OLCI have been upgraded to King Deluxe. Does anyone know which rooms have been renovated?

 

[kermatu]

I work in the industry. They’ll be using chat templates and canned responses. Expectation is probably for a single agent to handle 3 or 4 chars concurrently.

Just did another chat and got very generic responses which were totally irrelevant to my query. Then asked a very specific question - dates, location, room type, preferences. No response for a minute, then got a much more tailored answer with on-point follow-ups. Did the survey at the end of the experience and was given option to find out more about chat by going to a website (ai.24.7 or something similar) which confirmed these chats are a mix of chatbot and real agents, as I guessed.
Perhaps you need a bit of patience and persistence to get a real agent - then it works well.

 

[Pele]

Property: Conrad Singapore
Status: Gold
Date: early June 1 night
Booked: base room with free weekend night certificate
Received: she told me i got upgraded. Not to any executive floor but it was nice. Asked for late check out when i checked in and she said 1300. I went back later and negotiated a 1800 check out which was very much appreciated as i had a late flight.

Property: Adelaide Hilton
Status: Diamond
Date: 16-20 July 4 nights
Booked: Queen deluxe at $179 a night
Received: King executive on top floor (18th)

Property: Adelaide Hilton
Status: Diamond
Date: 20-21 July 1 night
Booked: King deluxe at $155 a night
Received: King executive on 17th floor

Was hoping to get a suite on the second stay but forgot to ask at check in. Hotel is probably due for a makeover. The $5 coffee charge at breakfast is a bit of a rort.

Pele.

 

[earlyriser]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Status: Diamond
Date: 21/7-22/7
Booked: King Hilton Guest Room, 31K points
Received: King Junior Suite
Pretty happy with the upgrade. The lounge wasn't busy. Little disappointed to be kicked out of the sauna at 7:35 pm when the official closing time is 8 pm but, I suppose I can't have it all.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Little disappointed to be kicked out of the sauna at 7:35 pm when the official closing time is 8 pm but, I suppose I can't have it all.

Unless there was a maintenance/mechanical issue, I'd be complaining about that. Often we book a hotel for the facilities they offer and when they don't provide them, it does need to be raised. It seems like a small thing, but I remember staying at a place when my kids were little, purely because they had a water park/playground including water slide into the pool. Well after "official" start time, they still hadn't started the equipment and when I enquired they stated bluntly they didn't want to run it as it used electricity which cost them money. I told them to refund me my accommodation costs and book me into a competitor place that provided similar (although not as good) and very quickly the pumps were started!

I understand them not wanting to run equipment if nobody uses it, but compare the above with Hilton Al Ain (who have a similar water park/ water slide). I had to ask them to turn the stuff on and without hesitation and with an apology they immediately rushed out to do it. Chalk and cheese.

 

[n7of9]

Little disappointed to be kicked out of the sauna at 7:35 pm when the official closing time is 8 pm but, I suppose I can't have it all.

Of course you can't have it all, it was probably knock off time!

I don't travel Australia often, but I recently spent a week in Perth and surrounds as a tourist and was disappointed to see that Australian hospitality just isn't on par with a lot of other countries in the world. It's not ''bad" and no one is "rude", but they don't really seem to give a cough about customers, and heaven forbid they might be inconvenienced while doing their job

 

[hydrabyss]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Status: Diamond
Date: 21/7-22/7
Booked: King Hilton Guest Room, 31K points
Received: King Junior Suite
Pretty happy with the upgrade. The lounge wasn't busy. Little disappointed to be kicked out of the sauna at 7:35 pm when the official closing time is 8 pm but, I suppose I can't have it all.

I am unsure who operates the gym downstairs so this may be a factor. I had a look at the gym 5 years ago on my first stay but never ventured back again and wasn't even aware they had a sauna so may have to go back for another look.

 

[Aeolus]

Little disappointed to be kicked out of the sauna at 7:35 pm when the official closing time is 8 pm but, I suppose I can't have it all.

Unusual indeed, I visited the sauna/steam room 5 times in the past 2 weeks, sometimes close to 30 mins before their weekday 9pm closing time and wasn’t told to leave before the closing time, maybe it’s just the individual but worthwhile letting the hotel know even though they don’t run the gym/pool.

Btw, great points redemption, HSYD’s rates have been very reasonable in the past 3 weeks but watch it soar up to four figures come Nov/Dec period!

 

[Virgin Bart]

Btw, great points redemption, HSYD’s rates have been very reasonable in the past 3 weeks but watch it soar up to four figures come Nov/Dec period!

Indeed and IMO a crazy spend for this hotel!

 

[earlyriser]

Unusual indeed, I visited the sauna/steam room 5 times in the past 2 weeks, sometimes close to 30 mins before their weekday 9pm closing time and wasn’t told to leave before the closing time, maybe it’s just the individual but worthwhile letting the hotel know even though they don’t run the gym/pool.

Btw, great points redemption, HSYD’s rates have been very reasonable in the past 3 weeks but watch it soar up to four figures come Nov/Dec period!

I agree, and it was Saturday night, so perhaps there was some extra motivation to get everyone out before 8 pm? I did raise it via text and was told they would pass on the comments to the LivingWell team. We fully expected a "closing in xyz minutes" warning, but not to be told the area was closing immediately. There was close to ten people using the pool area facilities at the time.

And, yes it was a great redemption. I prefer to save my points for other properties, but not this time!

 

[kermatu]

Back briefly at the Hilton Parmelia. No sign of Jocelyn @QF WP But will see what I can find out.

 

[kermatu]

I wonder whether Jocelyn (Guest Relations Manager) is back at work - she was off on maternity leave from July 17. Short, blonde, bubbly, has 15 year pin on her lapel.

Didn’t meet her but gather she is back at work - just a day and a half per week.

 

[QF WP]

Hoping to go back for a couple of nights in August, so will try and catch up with her. Thanks for the update @kermatu. I gather as you were there on the weekend that Jono wasn't on breakfasts.

 

[kermatu]

Hoping to go back for a couple of nights in August, so will try and catch up with her. Thanks for the update @kermatu. I gather as you were there on the weekend that Jono wasn't on breakfasts.

No he was not there. But I was well looked after anyway.

I’ll post about my stay later. And give details of the GRM who looked after me in the end.

 

[boomy]

Property: Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem
Booked: King Superior Room
Received: King Grand Deluxe

Classic luxury WA hotel, located in perfect location with plenty shops and restaurants near by and walking distance to the old town.

Since it’s a WA property I was expecting the minimum one level upgrade to Deluxe and was positively surprised to get double upgrade to larger room with balcony.

Diamond perks (apart from the upgrade): Two small and one large bottle of water in the room, bottle of red wine plus bottle of Prosecco on ice and chocolates at turndown. Two drink vouchers (include coughtails) and full buffet breakfast.

The breakfast was definitely a highlight with choice of rich buffet and a-la-carte. The dining room decor and attentive table service gave the feeling eating in a fancy restaurant rather than hotel buffet.

Jerusalem has quite a few fancy (and expensive) hotels but this is the only one belongs to a large chain AFAIK and they treat HH elites very well.

Couple of photos of the hotel foyer and room:

 

[kermatu]

Property: Hilton Parmelia Perth
Date: July 2018
Status: Diamond
Booked: Queen Suite
Rate: Under $200. One night.
Received: King Premier Suite 10th floor, them Queen Suite 10th floor, then King Premier Suite 10th floor.
Benefits: Several waters, platter of fruit, and bottle of wine. Two sets of tapas vouchers. Full breakfast. No charge for juice or coffee.

So a mixed but ultimately excellent stay. Prior to arrival emailed hotel to say how much I appreciated the service recovery from Amanda on my previous stay. Got nice email back, confirming I would unequivocally get the room I booked this time or a King Premier Suite upgrade.

Two days out saw in my account and the app that I had indeed been upgraded to the King Premier Suite.

Get to hotel - Queen Suite. Ok, that’s what I booked, but when I mentioned to the agent (no idea who she was) that I thought I was upgraded I was just ignored. Totally dismissive.

Only one night so was happy enough. The Queen Suite was nice. But then I got a text asking if I was enjoying my stay and was there anything I need. I’m clearly becoming grumpy in my young-to-middle age and/or a bit DYKWIA. So told them I found the promise of an upgrade only to be revoked was really poor. And that I wouldn’t be returning given both the Hyatt and the IC treat me far better with lower status.

Within minutes I get emails and a text offering to make it right. To cut to the chase, Oswaldo, the guest relations manager, explained the issue, met with me later in the evening to apologise and facilitate a move to a King Premier Suite. It was terrific. In addition to the wine and fruit, he gave me an extra tapas voucher.

Once again, terrific service recovery.

Had breakfast early. No Jono in the restaurant, but was really well looked after. Had fresh juice and a barista coffee without charge. Not the norm however and suspect I got lucky with new staff!

Genuinely torn about whether to stay here again or not. I don’t like the old hotel, and lack of lounge. But service is good, and service recovery is the best I have experienced.

 

[drross]

Adelaide 8th august - very quick trip only booked the day before

Government rate - $160 - booked basic room

Diamond

upgraded on check in to Junior suite on 13th floor - 1305

lounge was great - no coffee tax downstairs at breakfast

great staff and a great stay

 

[Aeolus]

Adelaide 8th august - very quick trip only booked the day before

I think you meant July unless you are Dr. Who and travelled in the future?

BTW, West Hotel started the coffee tax! Also coughtail no longer available as part of the drinks vouchers but they allowed me to use 2 vouchers for 1 coughtail.

 

[drross]

I think you meant July unless you are Dr. Who and travelled in the future?

BTW, West Hotel started the coffee tax! Also coughtail no longer available as part of the drinks vouchers but they allowed me to use 2 vouchers for 1 coughtail.

Silly Dr Ross - July it was

 

[hydrabyss]

BTW, West Hotel started the coffee tax! Also coughtail no longer available as part of the drinks vouchers but they allowed me to use 2 vouchers for 1 coughtail.

When I stayed earlier in the year I only received vouchers for beer or wine so was under the impression the coughtail offer had already ended. Shame they are charging for coffee now considering the last time I was staying there only 2 -3 tables occupied at breakfast so not a lot of extra work load.