Getting the best price on Hilton Hotels - Advance Purchase/AAA/etc.?

[beardoc]

This post is about putting my experience up with booking Hilton Hotels to see what other people's experience is how people reserve their Hilton hotel stays. I am recently back from a trip through Europe, the Middle East and Moscow with my partner, and given nothing was going to change in our bookings (I have a partner that doesn't like change, and the Amex policy would have covered the prepaid expenses ill health forced a change in plans). So I booked a huge majority of hotels on Advance Purchase about a month out of travelling, thinking that might have been the best price I could get.

I did do some checking, however and noticed that in the great majority of the time, the pricing for rooms on the Hilton website had gone down closer to check-in. In some cases the pricing had gone down to the point that it was cheaper for a new booking on the day than it was for my advance purchase booking a month earlier!

As such, I'm wondering about the wisdom of purchasing advance purchase fares on overseas trips. In the US, there is the MVP rate for many places and that's flexible (can cancel with 24 hours notice). In Australia there is the Hilton Macquarie Card for 20% off. But in the UK, and Europe, there doesn't seem to be any consistent way to get things cheaper.

I'm thinking what I might do in future is just book the AAA rate or whatever the cheapest flexible rate is for a booking. Then if it gets cheaper, I'll book the new reservation and cancel my old one.

When you're booking Hilton bookings, what's your strategy for getting the best rate possible?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I look at all the options on the Hilton site at the time of booking. If AAA is close to AP, I'll take AAA for the flexibility but otherwise the AP. I do often think I should try discount accommodation sites and then use those rates (if cheaper) to try the BRG, but to be honest I couldn't be bothered (so far).

 

[lovestotravel]

Advance Purchase about 2 months out

 

[DC3]

I never lock in to the AP rate. Book the flexible AAA rate and keep checking.

 

[straitman]

I never lock in to the AP rate. Book the flexible AAA rate and keep checking.

I agree with this approach except in Oz when the Hilton Premium Club discount is available as the AAA rate does not qualify. In Oz I'm very careful and tend to use AP rates if I'm positive about my stay. On the odd occasion I have had an issue I have rung the hotel, pleaded my case and they have always changed it for me.

 

[lovestotravel]

I am not an AAA member so can't use that rate

I totally forgot about the Hilton Premium Club, used to be a member, but it's now discontinued and part of a credit card it seems

AP usually work for me as I don't change dates, or I just travel anyways...

 

[straitman]

I am not an AAA member so can't use that rate

I totally forgot about the Hilton Premium Club, used to be a member, but it's now discontinued and part of a credit card it seems

AP usually work for me as I don't change dates, or I just travel anyways...

The 20% discount also applies to AP bookings so it's certainly worth it for us. I rarely us the card as a CC. Just a few $$$ here and there.

 

[sutho58]

Usually book ap at the last minute which is 7 days prior to check in. If the AAA rate is cheaper then use that. It's pretty easy to get the AAA rate, I don't think i've been asked to produce my card once.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I never lock in to the AP rate. Book the flexible AAA rate and keep checking.

That's my strategy too ( as well as the occasional trawl of FT looking for current discount codes )

 

[repete]

Interesting re: the "FT discount codes"... I came across a code for Hilton the other day which seemed to let me be booking rooms for half price or so, but not for a club I'm a part of - so I didn't go ahead. I thought you would have to log in or something to use it but never seemed to ask for anything??

 

[beardoc]

That's my strategy too ( as well as the occasional trawl of FT looking for current discount codes )

I have never found a FT code other than PRO9PN and the MVP codes that worked for any hotel I booked.

 

[tuapekastar]

I have tended to book AP a fair way out, but for my just-completed US trip various distractions meant hotels were booked quite late in the piece. And this worked to my benefit. I had seen prices rising for each property but on the day (only a couple of weeks out at most) I decided I had to book, prices had come down a fair bit. I booked a mix of AP and AAA. Hilton Universal City LA wanted to see my AAA card. The check in lady was not liking the look of my RACV card till I pointed out the little AAA logo on the back.

I think in future I may adopt the "book flexible, check back later" approach.

 

[drron]

I always book a flexible rate a long way out unless it is a property I know or a known busy period.For example if you want to stay in NYC in December it is best to lock in the best prepaid rate as it is unlikely a room will get cheaper a few days out.One example I booked a 3 bedroom suite at the Affinia midtown as soon as bookings opened for the dates required for $US350.At checkin the agent said their last 3 bedroom suite was priced at $US1500 a night.
Not all Hiltons get cheaper that is why I do take advantage of the earlier pricing.My SPG strategy is no different as SPG often release their X*R prepaid rates 6-12 weeks out.

 

[Pooch]

Usually book ap at the last minute which is 7 days prior to check in. If the AAA rate is cheaper then use that. It's pretty easy to get the AAA rate, I don't think i've been asked to produce my card once.

In Australia, I've never found prices cheaper closer to the time - quite the reverse! Again, in Oz I've consistently found the govt rate the absolute cheapest available (I do work for a govt agency!), particularly if booked around 28 days out.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

in Oz I've consistently found the govt rate the absolute cheapest available

Depends upon the type of accommodation you want.

 

[turtlemichael]

In Australia, I've never found prices cheaper closer to the time - quite the reverse! Again, in Oz I've consistently found the govt rate the absolute cheapest available (I do work for a govt agency!), particularly if booked around 28 days out.

With regard to your first point my experience is it depends. I'm booked into Brisbane next week. Rates have been astronomical for months, probably because of a conference of rich doctors in the city. :shock: Today I see they are down around $100 a night. Still very high but not astronomical now.

 

[Pooch]

Depends upon the type of accommodation you want.

Not sure what you mean? As HH Diamond, I've never missed out on an upgrade ...

 

[Pooch]

With regard to your first point my experience is it depends. I'm booked into Brisbane next week. Rates have been astronomical for months, probably because of a conference of rich doctors in the city. :shock: Today I see they are down around $100 a night. Still very high but not astronomical now.

So there's hope for Sydney at the end of the month

 

[Deleted member 29185]

in Oz I've consistently found the govt rate the absolute cheapest available

Depends upon the type of accommodation you want.

Not sure what you mean? As HH Diamond, I've never missed out on an upgrade ...

Upgrades weren't mentioned. I was referring to your comment about Gov't rates "consistently being the absolute cheapest available".

My experience is, that's possibly true if you want a deluxe hotel room. If (like me) you look more toward the multiroom (or even multi bed) style accommodation, the Gov't rate is far from consistantly the cheapest, hence my comment, "depends upon the type of accommodation you want". If you need multi-room/beds, you cannot rely on an upgrade to get it and more often then not, AAA or AP are the cheapest options going.

 

[drron]

With regard to your first point my experience is it depends. I'm booked into Brisbane next week. Rates have been astronomical for months, probably because of a conference of rich doctors in the city. :shock: Today I see they are down around $100 a night. Still very high but not astronomical now.

It is the RACP annual meeting.Physicians are not top of the pecking order when it comes to income.