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.

 

[JessicaTam]

I'm sure you can figure his email out from the article below
Hilton Adelaide Appoints Peer Norsell as General Manager and Go Kondo as Director Of Operations | Hilton Hotels & Resorts Global Media Center

I am sure I can.

What got me was that the front desk staff actually refused to give me his details.

 

[DC3]

Property: Hilton Adelaide


.... When I checked out, I asked for the GM's contact details. I was refused them, and offered his/her PA's instead! :shock:

Who are these over-protective types at the Hilton Adelaide? I see that the GM readily provides his email address to anyone on Tripadvisor:

 

[jackthomas]

When I checked out, I asked for the GM's contact details. I was refused them, and offered his/her PA's instead! :shock:

I've had the same in Syd, even when emailing the GM's direct email, PA still replied.

 

[Cynicor]

That's shocking, and all just part of the Aussie "service" industry I reckon, but that's for another thread.

Conrad Singapore: booked 2 x king classics.
Received : 2x high floor king execs
rate: cheapest possible
Easter long weekend
Full lounge access for all 4 of us, another excellent stay. Rooms still tired and need of refurb and many more power points.
Doesn't really compete with similar priced hotels in Singapore but if diamond then you save $100+ on the lounge and breakfast. That's why I stay here when I'm alone, and go to the Fullerton with a partner. And for the points. Stacked so many bonuses that I got 50k points on 1k spend, and that's enough for a 400/night room in niseko...
Oh, also got late checkout til 7pm, free!

Conrad Istanbul
Booked base room
Cheap Team USA rate of some sort.
Received- park view suite.

Amazing room. Seriously. Electric mirror with tv embedded in it in the bath room, huge suite (for a city hotel), great staff, friendly and excellent all around.
All recently refurbed I believe, but not certain on that, my room definitely was.
Loved this place, did not like Istanbul.
Day tour to Gallipoli was decent too, but a very long day. Out 17 hours for basically a 4ish hour tour.

Happy to answer any questions.

 

[boomy]

Property: Hilton Adelaide
Rate: Advance purchase
Booked: King room
Received: King exec room

Two bottles of water.

Another disappointing stay, recognition wise. Apart from a high floor (17th) there is no difference between this room and a standard king. The breakfast area has moved temporarily to an internal viewless room. There is no food cooked to order, just a buffet - yet coffee still costs $5. I declined.

Peter in the lounge was as always excellent. He is a standout for the hotel.

When I checked out, I asked for the GM's contact details. I was refused them, and offered his/her PA's instead! :shock:

Am I expecting too much, or are they really not trying to keep loyal HHers loyal?

Technically exec room is a proper upgrade even if it's similar size as deluxe (same as in HSYD). Agree the new breakfast area is below standard. I complained about it and got a laconic apology saying they are sorry but there are no proper facilities to add chef stand in that room. Will have to minimise my stays there until the renovations finish in September.

 

[blackcat20]

Technically exec room is a proper upgrade even if it's similar size as deluxe (same as in HSYD). Agree the new breakfast area is below standard. I complained about it and got a laconic apology saying they are sorry but there are no proper facilities to add chef stand in that room. Will have to minimise my stays there until the renovations finish in September.

Makes more more glad we moved to the Playford (and thats ignoring the base room to spa suite upgrade we got)

 

[JessicaTam]

Property: HSW
Rate: points
Booked: King room
Received: Relaxation suite

Two bottles of water, welcome note from GM, bottle of wine, soy in fridge, note from staff member advising soy in fridge.

I checked in online but did not select a room. When I got to the hotel (a bit early) I asked if they were busy and was told they were full. There goes my upgrade chance, I thought. However, I was still upgraded! Nice. I of course had no option but to ask for a late checkout (1pm). The breakfast area has been shrunk into the dining room, with the old area now a conference room. The cook to order area is smaller, but still managed to produce a great eggs florentine.

My new favourite Hilton.

 

[QF WP]

Property: Hilton Adelaide
Dates: Saturday, 12th April
Rate: Points (50K)
Booked: King room
Received: King Suite (Corner)

Turned up in a hire car, chose concierge parking for $34 over self parking for $18. The rate was only $5 more than the closest parking spot.

Given the renovations going on with the restaurant and bar, the pared down Lobby wasn't a surprise so it took no time to check-in and find out they had upgraded me to Suite. Was expecting an Exec Floor King, so happy (I suppose 13 years of stay history here helped).

Oh wow, what a room:

Lounge view (looking directly back to door)



View to opposite wall



View from door: room furniture - work table



Separate toilet near entrance door



Lounge view part 3 - lounge seats and TV

 

[QF WP]

Part 2 of photos:

Bedroom furniture



King bed



Bathroom sink & amenities



Combined shower & spa bath



I actually found the entry into and exit from the spa bath quite concerning. When the step is wet, very dangerous. Put down towels to catch spray so exit wasn't perilous. Would have preferred normal shower in the room

 

[QF WP]

Part 3:

Got an online survey on Tuesday, completed it and got this response from the GM by email today:





So I presume that's his PA

 

[JessicaTam]

So that's what a suite looks like!

That email is the one I was given, so yes, his PA.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

So that's what a suite looks like!

That email is the one I was given, so yes, his PA.

Now JT......is that steam I see exiting your ears?

As much as I see a big space, that suite looks to me like it needs to be redirected to the Vinnies bin and start again. I'll try to dig out some H-CNS premier suite pics to compare (it's a comparable hotel).

 

[JMFK]

Technically exec room is a proper upgrade even if it's similar size as deluxe (same as in HSYD). Agree the new breakfast area is below standard. I complained about it and got a laconic apology saying they are sorry but there are no proper facilities to add chef stand in that room. Will have to minimise my stays there until the renovations finish in September.

The Mayfair down the road is very good. Very good.

 

[hydrabyss]

Status: Gold
Property: Hilton Sydney
Rate: $227AAA
Date: 17 April
Booked: King Hilton Guestroom Plus
Received: King Relaxation Suite
Last minute booking at 5pm and before leaving home at 6pm showed Deluxe room plus exec loung access.Wasnt too worried at the lack of upgrade as my partner decided to stay home and I needed the extra stay to get to diamond by end of the month.

Arrived at 7.30pm and when asked what floor was told 30, so I mentioned if I could get something higher to get away from the traffic noise.Next thing he tells me he has a room on the 29th but it is a suite.Yes no worries room is big enough to absorb the traffic noise and thanked him for the upgrade.Plus it was on the Pitt st side which turned out to be very quite.

Not sure what to make of it as I did not ask for an upgrade and the previous week they wanted to upsell one.
Having dropped from diamond to silver and now gold after they finally fixed my account starting to think frequency may give better upgrades than status.Although I had been told rooms had a set minimum price before they could be allocated for upgrades.

So I am currently enjoying april as a gold and being grateful to receive very good upgrades although you dont get a card in your room saying how they are grateful for your loyalty.Next month I will be back to diamond and complaing to my partner about lack of upgrades etc.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Status: Gold
Property: Hilton Sydney

starting to think frequency may give better upgrades than status.Although I had been told rooms had a set minimum price before they could be allocated for upgrades.

That does make some sense. A few times I've been given an upgrade to a suite, only if I pay a levy to do so. The levy has not been anywhere near the difference between the suite rate and the rate I had booked, so I have wondered previously about how they arrive at the "levy" rate for upgrade. However, I have also been given a king suite from a base king guest booking........ so go figure.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'll try to dig out some H-CNS premier suite pics to compare (it's a comparable hotel).

Cairns Hilton premier suite (sorry for dodgy iPhone pics).

My assessment, good value, large suite (different shape, but I'd say very similar size to a H-SYD King Suite), love the floor to ceiling glass which really captures the fabulous views.

Rate $539 (?? I think) Gov't rate


Bedroom


Bedroom


Ensuite


Ensuite

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Living area


Living area


Living area


Kitchen

 

[Deleted member 29185]

View south


View north

 

[boomy]

Looks good, hope I'll get one of those in October

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Looks good, hope I'll get one of those in October

One of those?

There's only one and as such, I don't think they ever give it out as an upgrade. I booked it outright as I had the whole family here for my wifes birthday and the size made a great "gathering" room (I booked three rooms in total). Hilton did very well by us and along with the premier suite, they upgraded both other bookings (from the base guest room) to another 9th floor exec. king and an 8th floor relaxation spa twin....all with exec lounge access and included breakfasts. It was an excellent stay and a thoroughly enjoyable break!

As a regular diamond stayer at H-CNS, my usual upgrade is to a 9th (top) floor exec room. Suites (they have a few relaxation suites as well as the premier suite) are not usually given as upgrades.