Cheaper booking single nights compared to multiple nights?

[kyle]

Normally, I would expect the average per night price would be cheaper when booking multiple nights. But I'm looking at a four night stay at Hilton Osaka and if I do four single night bookings (or other combinations of 2+2, 1 + 3 or 3 + 1), the price is JPY23,000 for the basic room, but if I do a four night stay, then the per night price jumps up to JPY30,000 and it's for the basic room as well.

Has anyone come across such pricing?

 

[hydrabyss]

Years ago I remember booking 2 or 3 nights and they would have a discount if you paid upfront like 10-20% off.Now it's a matter of checking every combination until you get the cheapest rate.Just remember to check your points later as I have yet to have them merged into one stay and always end up with the last nights points and stay credits only and then chasing the rest up over the phone.

 

[JohnK]

Happens quite a lot with Hilton and IHG around holidays and busy periods.

Not sure why it's happening with your booking if all 4 nights have the lower rate available.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

if all 4 nights have the lower rate available.

I've always found this to be the issue. One (or more) nights being considerably more expensive then the nights actually checked for the individual night rate. I can't say that I've noticed all nights being cheaper than the average of a multi night booking. (or perhaps I have and just forgotten about it)

 

[Moopere]

I always start with the per night pricing then do combinations to find the cheapest way to book. Sometimes need to do 3 bookings across a single stay ... bizarre and absolutely an artefact of poor website pricing engines.

I cant work out any consistent system, it seems almost totally random. Sometimes a cheaper mid week rate will flatten out a rising weekend shoulder, but sometimes its the other way and the high weekend pricing will extend backwards to make a whole stay very expensive.

I saved over 30,000 points last week at Conrad DPS by splitting a rewards stay into two bookings as opposed to a single.

 

[Danger]

I don't have experience with IHG but Hilton plays this game with skill. It's pathetic. I have no issue booking multiple single night back-to-back reservations when this occurs. It causes an issue for the agent at check-in and I let them know why it's their fault, not mine.

In my experience, Hyatt doesn't rip you off the same way.

 

[kyle]

Strangely, the rip off pricing has gone and now back to the cheap rate for the four night booking.

 

[hossein_au]

Strangely, the rip off pricing has gone and now back to the cheap rate for the four night booking.

Maybe they've learnt from Expedia (remember those Brazilian bookings with booking fees that would disappear after a few hours of inactivity?)?

 

[kermatu]

I've certainly noticed this on Hilton before, but never (best I recall) on Hyatt or Accor - where the nightly rates are clearly explained even for multiple-night stays.

For those that do break up a 3 night stay into individual bookings at a Hilton - are there any 'consequences' from doing so, other than inconvenience at check-in? I assumed this wasn't allowed at least in terms of accumulating tier points/stays etc?

 

[hossein_au]

I've certainly noticed this on Hilton before, but never (best I recall) on Hyatt or Accor - where the nightly rates are clearly explained even for multiple-night stays.

For those that do break up a 3 night stay into individual bookings at a Hilton - are there any 'consequences' from doing so, other than inconvenience at check-in? I assumed this wasn't allowed at least in terms of accumulating tier points/stays etc?

No issue with the tier points/stays, as consequent nights are explicitly concatenated regardless of how many check ins and check outs one does during the "entire" stay.

 

[kermatu]

Thanks. So in my scenario of say 3 nights in a row on separate bookings, the 3 nights would count as 1 'stay' - nights and points would be as usual? I do recall that from the T&C so makes sense.

 

[Moopere]

Thanks. So in my scenario of say 3 nights in a row on separate bookings, the 3 nights would count as 1 'stay' - nights and points would be as usual? I do recall that from the T&C so makes sense.

Yes thats correct.

And thus was born the 'mattress run' where you stay at one hotel for a night, check-out, stay at another close by for a night, then back to the first one, etc, etc.

 

[kermatu]

Thanks for that. I will look out more closely to see if single nights are cheaper than a multi stay in future.

 

[drron]

The only problem I ever encountered when splitting a booking at the former Paris Hilton into a 6 +1 booking instead of 7 straight so saving several euros was on day 7 we received another complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolates.I was tempted to try splitting all future bookings.

 

[Cynicor]

Hilton have improved in this regard, believe it or not. They used to be even worse but it still happens for some hotels.

They biggest issues is getting points to credit when stays are broken up like this, so keep a close eye on it.

 

[kermatu]

The only problem I ever encountered when splitting a booking at the former Paris Hilton into a 6 +1 booking instead of 7 straight so saving several euros was on day 7 we received another complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolates.I was tempted to try splitting all future bookings.

I hope you sought compensation!

 

[kermatu]

Hilton have improved in this regard, believe it or not. They used to be even worse but it still happens for some hotels.

They biggest issues is getting points to credit when stays are broken up like this, so keep a close eye on it.

A mistake by the Auckland Hilton team had my two night stay split into 2. Perhaps this explains why no points have posted and I'm struggling to get them issued. Sadly no second bottle of wine for me!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

A mistake by the Auckland Hilton team had my two night stay split into 2. Perhaps this explains why no points have posted and I'm struggling to get them issued. Sadly no second bottle of wine for me!

I've said previously that I'm in two minds over whether this "error" is a mistake or not. The more I hear of the issue the more I'm tending to believe that it is a genuine computer glitch, but as it works so well for HH, they don't appear to be in any hurry to fix it or to alert their call centre staff about it. My last episode went through two staffers (one of which emailed me to say I had received the points due, when I hadn't) before landing on someones desk who actually knew the problem and fixed the missing point issue. It really makes me wonder how many millions of points per year HH don't award because of it!

 

[kermatu]

I've said previously that I'm in two minds over whether this "error" is a mistake or not. The more I hear of the issue the more I'm tending to believe that it is a genuine computer glitch, but as it works so well for HH, they don't appear to be in any hurry to fix it or to alert their call centre staff about it. My last episode went through two staffers (one of which emailed me to say I had received the points due, when I hadn't) before landing on someones desk who actually knew the problem and fixed the missing point issue. It really makes me wonder how many millions of points per year HH don't award because of it!

Pretty sure it's the first time I've had to chase points. But then again, I have never scrutinised my bill/points allocation to make sure I've been awarded the right amount - so I am now going to be a bit more careful.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Pretty sure it's the first time I've had to chase points. But then again, I have never scrutinised my bill/points allocation to make sure I've been awarded the right amount - so I am now going to be a bit more careful.

Four times for me this year and something like 300k-400k in points that would have gone south if I hadn't have noticed!