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.

 

[QF WP]

Jock28, here are my photo's of the Junior Suite:

 

[MrJetset]

Straitman and Lindsay Wilson thank you. I basically wanted to know whether the Spa suites, or Executive Suites had been renovated.

About a year ago I booked the Executive Suite, I believe there are two on the top floor. It was huge, however the decor was from the 1980s and the smell of mould was disgusting. I asked to be downgraded to a junior suite which was far more modern as Lindsay Wilson's photos shows. I'm only there for a night, so I'll leave my booking for the base room and expect an Executive. I refuse to hand over any money to upgrade higher simply out of principle.

 

[burrco]

HH Diamond (via Virgin)
Hotel: Hilton Copenhagen Airport
Rate - approx $250
4 nights
Booked King Hilton Guest Room
Upgraded: King Executive Plus Room - access to executive lounge, welcome note from GM, daily bottle of evian water and a daily small plate of assorted snacks:

 

[drross]

that is too cute!!!

 

[toronto]

Saturday, 24 to Sunday 25 October

Property: Hilton Sydney
Room booked: KING GUESTROOM PLUS
Rate: Flex Purchase with HPC Discount $166
Received: No Upgrade but full breakfast for two, Card from GM and comp. water

How to receive HPC discount. Do you need to be a diamond member or what?

 

[Moopere]

How to receive HPC discount. Do you need to be a diamond member or what?

The proper Hilton Premium Club (HPC) closed in Australia some time ago, to be replaced with a co-branded credit card from Macquarie with many of the same benefits .... except you need to apply for and be accepted by the CC provider. Details are here:

Hilton Macquarie - HOME

I don't believe you actually need to use the card to pay, though I guess its implied and would probably require a 'conversation' at checkout in order to use a better card but still obtain the very attractive 20% discount.

I went for it last points/CC season but was declined, along with Amex interestingly ... though was a very successful points harvesting season regardless.

 

[straitman]

Hilton Macquarie - HOME

I don't believe you actually need to use the card to pay, though I guess its implied and would probably require a 'conversation' at checkout in order to use a better card but still obtain the very attractive 20% discount.

As you say, there is no need to use the card to pay for the stay. That intact is one of the conditions presented to the ACCC as part of the card approval process. There is never any pressure, though there were some issues in the early days, to pay with the card. Simply show the card to prove eligibility.

For advance purchase night you pay in full when booking and then get the 20% refunded on checkout.

 

[drmikki]

Currently in Hilton Chennai, my first stay as Gold (Thanks to Virgin, Silver on merit). Very glad to see that the Gold appeared the morning I was due to checkin... 9 night stay as 3 separate bookings, $154 -205 AUD/night.

The sudden Gold status did cause some confusion - the letter printed for me that was there on checkin welcomed me as a Silver, and then the checkin guy tried to upsell me to a 'package' including breakfast, and I had to repeat a number of times that as a Gold it should be included. Eventually he asked someone else who agreed with me and it eventuated.

Booked for Double Guest Room - not completely sure what I have as the Executive room on the website looks exactly the same as a Guest Room. In any case, not on the Executive floor but I have access to the executive lounge including drinks and Canapes every evening (and yes, I know this isn't a gold benefit necessarily but not questioning it!). Full buffet breakfast daily in the 3rd floor restaurant (Vasco's) and free Internet also included. (I had to sign up for it and it should be deducted from the bill, anyway...)
This is 3 bookings connected together to give a 9-night stay. There was a plate of 3 apples and a separate plate of chocolate truffles on arrival, and a second plate of chocolates arrived a few days later.

It's quite a nice property, relatively new and near the airport and apparently the IT centre. Since I got sick on arrival (thanks Delhi!) I have spent a lot of time in my room and haven't left the property. 40' TV with cable channels, large rainshower and bath, massive window so I can watch the rain and thunder (it's not the best time to visit Chennai...).
There is a nice clean gym that is 24/7 (keycard access), and each of the machines has a TV with headphone jack - the staff provide headphones with fresh sweat-protective coverings. There is a roof top pool 0600-1800 (bar open later) which is about 20m long and ok for laps, certainly when I've been there I've been the only one swimming but that may be due to the monsoon rains. The pool is only 4 foot deep and has a great view of the traffic jam which resulted from the road in front of the hotel flooding the other day!

My only major whinge (other than the fact they keep trying to make me a bloke in all correspondence!) is that the laundry prices are just absurd, especially for India. $5 USD plus 14% tax for a T-shirt or singlet?? I don't think so... And there is no clothes line for drying things which is a tad annoying, and seems absurd for any hotel with a pool. I understand they don't want people like me handwashing everything... ;-)

Will provide updates if anything changes, but fairly good hotel overall. Airport transfer arranged through hotel was about INR1000/AUD$20 - expensive compared to taxi but worthwhile to avoid touts and other hassles. Included a soft drink and could be charged to room.

 

[cgoh]

HH Diamond (via Virgin)
Hotel: HSW
Rate: $250
1 night
Booked King Hilton Guest Room
Upgraded: King Yarra Suite - access to executive lounge, welcome note from GM with his business card attached, and bottle of water.

2/3 stays upgraded to King Yarra Suite now.

 

[beardoc]

Hilton Adelaide
HH Diamond
2-5 Nov 2011 (Business), 5-6 Nov (Personal).
Booked: 2-5 Nov: King Executive Room, $233. 5-6 Nov: Queen Hilton Room, $176.

Recieved:
Instant confirmation that I will be able to stay in Executive Room on 17th Floor (no suite, dammit!)
Personal welcome and tour of the hotel by the Guest Services Manager
Complimentary Full Breakfast for 2 in addition to the Executive Floor breakfast.

I have to say I like this hotel a lot more than Brisbane. The renovations are very good, and the service was excellent. Staff were incredibly friendly, especially in the Executive Lounge. And Lounge Checkout was a godsend - the lines were 5+ deep at the checkout desk when I left.

I'll be back in two weeks on a very cheap booking ($225 for two nights). It'll be interesting to see if I get the upgrades on the cheap booking.

 

[MrJetset]

Hilton Adelaide
HH Diamond
2-5 Nov 2011 (Business), 5-6 Nov (Personal).
Booked: 2-5 Nov: King Executive Room, $233. 5-6 Nov: Queen Hilton Room, $176.

Recieved:
Instant confirmation that I will be able to stay in Executive Room on 17th Floor (no suite, dammit!)
Personal welcome and tour of the hotel by the Guest Services Manager
Complimentary Full Breakfast for 2 in addition to the Executive Floor breakfast.

I have to say I like this hotel a lot more than Brisbane. The renovations are very good, and the service was excellent. Staff were incredibly friendly, especially in the Executive Lounge. And Lounge Checkout was a godsend - the lines were 5+ deep at the checkout desk when I left.

I'll be back in two weeks on a very cheap booking ($225 for two nights). It'll be interesting to see if I get the upgrades on the cheap booking.

Lucky you. I am a return guest to the hotel, checked in yesterday, and received zero Diamond recognition. Booked a base room, and chose the NOR1 upgrade to the junior suite. Interestingly this property doesn't send a card from the GM, nor food and beverage amenity. This is the first HH I have known not to do this.

That said, I really dislike this hotel. The suite is modern but the couch and carport are covered in stains. The common areas are in serious need of refurbishment. I'm afraid this city has very few other choices.

 

[QF WP]

Jock28, I am surprised and dismayed by your report. I have sent a copy of your comments to the Director of Business Development at Adelaide Hilton - hopefully he'll contact you. That's just not the level of service that a Diamond member should yet - there had better be some good extenuating circumstances. Given your feeling about being no equal hotels in Adelaide, if you need to stay there again then you want to feel confident that you'll be appropriately recognised.

 

[straitman]

Jock28, I am surprised and dismayed by your report. I have sent a copy of your comments to the Director of Business Development at Adelaide Hilton - hopefully he'll contact you. That's just not the level of service that a Diamond member should yet - there had better be some good extenuating circumstances. Given your feeling about being no equal hotels in Adelaide, if you need to stay there again then you want to feel confident that you'll be appropriately recognised.

I thought about doing this but as we had already offered to pass the details along I considered that as enough.

 

[QF WP]

A response is already forthcoming:

Thanks very much for your note – I appreciate you taking the time to alert us to this recent issue.
As is happens, I have relocated to Hilton Singapore early this year, so I won’t be able to investigate what happened in Adelaide in person.

I have forwarded your note to the team in Adelaide and I would expect they will get back to you shortly.

I've re-told him to get back to Jock28, not me.

 

[GCC]

HH Gold
Hotel: HOTP Melbourne
Rate: $239
1 night
Booked: Queen Hilton Guest Room
Upgraded: Much larger than normal King room on 19th floor, with breakfast but no lounge access - informed "lounge was fully booked" - and 2 bottles of water.


​

 

[MrJetset]

A response is already forthcoming:


I've re-told him to get back to Jock28, not me. [/FONT]

Lindsay Wilson, I received an email from Dallas today (HH HQ I presume) and have said that the property will be in contact shortly. I'm rather amazed they could identify me from my username

 

[Moopere]

I'm rather amazed they could identify me from my username

Yeah, there is something 'smart' going on. I occasionally email hhonors and very often forget to leave my hhonors number or other positive id, yet they always respond with "Dear Mr Moopere" (using my real name of course), so they know who I am via usernames and email addresses, possibly call-in phone numbers too.

 

[QF WP]

Great, you deserve to have the Diamond Desk escalate the issue directly through the property and have suitable recompense.

I like to make a difference where I can and this was one where I had specific knowledge to do so. Was quite easy really, I told them the information I knew from your posts - how many Diamond members from Sydney checked-in for one night on the day you did, with a standard room upgraded to an Exec Floor? Had to be down to one or two at worst.

Lindsay Wilson, I received an email from Dallas today (HH HQ I presume) and have said that the property will be in contact shortly. I'm rather amazed they could identify me from my username

 

[QF WP]

Just got this email from Hilton Adelaide:

Thank you for passing on the feedback regarding the stays of these two guests. I was very disappointed to hear the negative feedback regarding one of the gentleman’s experiences with us. For those guest’s who book suites they also have access to our Executive lounge & we include a full buffet breakfast complimentary, we also give all of our Hilton Honors members a personalised Welcome letter. Our Guest Services Manager meets to welcome all first stays at the hotel Hilton Honors guests which may explain that he did not receive this but certainly we welcome & recognise all our HH members, particularly our Diamond members. The only explanation is that his HH number was not put into his booking.

I am unable to investigate further without a name, however if there is any additional information you can provide me with as I would very much like to be able to give this guest the best experience possible on his return to Adelaide. I hope I have helped to clarify this issue in some way & again I would like to thank you for providing us with the feedback. Thank you.

Kind Regards,
(name)| Front Office Manager | Hilton Adelaide

Other than the errors in the reply, Jock28 should have had some response directly from them as well

 

[MrJetset]

Just got this email from Hilton Adelaide:



Other than the errors in the reply, Jock28 should have had some response directly from them as well

My Diamond number was certainly in the booking. It appeared in 'My Reservations' on the HHonors website. At check in, regardless of chain, I always present my credit card and elite card. The general reply is "Mr Jock28, we already have your Diamond/Platinum details on file, thank you." I prefer this method than the DYKWIA method. See Hotel Check-In, Diamond Member - YouTube