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.

 

[samas]

Property: Hilton Cairns
Nights: 5 (here now 8 to 13 June)
Status: Diamond
Room booked: King Guest Room
Room Received: King Spa Room
Rate: Points, 45,000 point for the Thursday night, every other night 50,000 points. Total 195,000 with 5th night free. (Booked 6 months ago)

Some added detail:
received the usual Shiraz house wine and small block of Cairns chocolate delivered to the room about 1400 on first day. All my interactions during the stay have been quite pleasant just my +1 having the huff and puff at the front desk having a huff and puff initially haha!

Was offered extra water on check in.
Informed I could have breakfast in the lounge or downstairs.
Have found the staff very pleasant and the lounge offerings quite acceptable.
No problem getting a breakfast pack for tomorrow morning as I leave by 6:00am

I would have been happy with breakfast in the lounge every day (smaller selection but much quiter and nice balcony views) but the +1 preferred the full options and barista coffee downstairs in Cafe Sunrise, so I go the way the +1 wants.

Exec lounge well catered for each night. Sunday night was very busy. Just about every table taken at peak ~1840. Each night as we progressed from Wednesday onwards did progressively get busier. Even had a harpist playing in the lounge Saturday night.


Really impressed by the service in Cafe Sunrise for Breakfast. Every single morning we were advised there was no coffee tax with complimentary barista coffee for Diamond members. Also had a flag place on our table each morning to highlight we were diamond. (pic attached.)

Did have the in room safe fail and impossible to open - even the engineering member found the safe impossible to override with their special remote. Engineering had to drill out the safe which was about a 30 minute exercise.

Most times I travel I pack a bottle of Hardy's Magic Stick Shiraz with the intention to gift to someone who provides exceptional service during a trip. I bought nearly 100 bottles when they were in clearance back in 2020 when VA went into administration and have gifted a lot of them already. Those familiar with this drop will know that this was a VA commission/exclusive for Business Class and Lounge. I gave this with this printout from the Voyeur inflight magazine to the engineering team member who drilled out the safe to recover my trapped items.

I apologise I never shared on AFF the Magic Stick Shiraz clearance. Back in 2020 whilst a lot of people were out of work and on Job Keeper I was on the opposite end of the scale the most over-employed I have ever been so wasn't doing much above eating/sleeping/working at the time. It can still be purchased on Velocity wine store - but I was paying about half what it is on Velocity for now...

 

[bits]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Date: 12 June 2022
Room booked: King Guest
Rate: $161
Received: King Deluxe, 3pm late check out.

Queen's Bday long weekend and hotel was at full capacity. The exec lounge in particular was chock-a-block

 

[Berlin]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Date: 12 June 2022
Room booked: King Guest
Rate: $161
Received: King Deluxe, 3pm late check out.

Queen's Bday long weekend and hotel was at full capacity. The exec lounge in particular was chock-a-block

$161 on the long weekend- where did you find THAT rate? That’s extremely cheap for the Sydney Hilton- am I doing something wrong here?

 

[bits]

$161 on the long weekend- where did you find THAT rate? That’s extremely cheap for the Sydney Hilton- am I doing something wrong here?

Locked in all my stays for this year at the start of the year just before the economy reopened (and prices were rock bottom). Was also to ensure hitting the diamond renewal for 2023

 

[Berlin]

Locked in all my stays for this year at the start of the year just before the economy reopened (and prices were rock bottom). Was also to ensure hitting the diamond renewal for 2023

Ah- that explains it, smart move! We did the same with all our international travel and got really good prices even for Oktoberfest in Munich later this year. Which is close to a miracle in "normal" times.

 

[http_x92]

The Hilton Sydney standard rates are through the roof, around 300 per night even with the 4 night stay and save with breakfast rate.

Nice executive lounge with the full breakfast offerings and drinks though.

 

[Brissy1]

Some added detail:
received the usual Shiraz house wine and small block of Cairns chocolate delivered to the room about 1400 on first day. All my interactions during the stay have been quite pleasant just my +1 having the huff and puff at the front desk having a huff and puff initially haha!



I would have been happy with breakfast in the lounge every day (smaller selection but much quiter and nice balcony views) but the +1 preferred the full options and barista coffee downstairs in Cafe Sunrise, so I go the way the +1 wants.

Exec lounge well catered for each night. Sunday night was very busy. Just about every table taken at peak ~1840. Each night as we progressed from Wednesday onwards did progressively get busier. Even had a harpist playing in the lounge Saturday night.


Really impressed by the service in Cafe Sunrise for Breakfast. Every single morning we were advised there was no coffee tax with complimentary barista coffee for Diamond members. Also had a flag place on our table each morning to highlight we were diamond. (pic attached.)

Did have the in room safe fail and impossible to open - even the engineering member found the safe impossible to override with their special remote. Engineering had to drill out the safe which was about a 30 minute exercise.

Most times I travel I pack a bottle of Hardy's Magic Stick Shiraz with the intention to gift to someone who provides exceptional service during a trip. I bought nearly 100 bottles when they were in clearance back in 2020 when VA went into administration and have gifted a lot of them already. Those familiar with this drop will know that this was a VA commission/exclusive for Business Class and Lounge. I gave this with this printout from the Voyeur inflight magazine to the engineering team member who drilled out the safe to recover my trapped items.

I apologise I never shared on AFF the Magic Stick Shiraz clearance. Back in 2020 whilst a lot of people were out of work and on Job Keeper I was on the opposite end of the scale the most over-employed I have ever been so wasn't doing much above eating/sleeping/working at the time. It can still be purchased on Velocity wine store - but I was paying about half what it is on Velocity for now...

Had the same safe failure (actually my memory failure) at a Hilton (Conrad) bali and they got in by cutting the hinge. Took ages. Their master code didn't work as I'd tried too many wrong codes.... lesson, call for help early.

 

[straitman]

Property: Hilton Melbourne
Date: 27 May 2022
Room booked: King Deluxe
Rate: $340/night X 2 nights
Received: King Deluxe high floor and 1330 checkout.

 

[straitman]

Property: Hilton DoubleTree Sonaisali Island Fiji
Date: 30 May 2022
Room booked: Queen Guestroom Beachfront
Rate: $FJ192/night X 5 nights
Received: Double King Ocean View Bure

 

[desafinado74]

Just out of curiosity, if you book the executive room at Hilton Sydney, do you have to pay for breakfast at the Glass restaurant ? (If you choose to eat there instead of the lounge)

 

[bits]

Just out of curiosity, if you book the executive room at Hilton Sydney, do you have to pay for breakfast at the Glass restaurant ? (If you choose to eat there instead of the lounge)

Interesting you ask this question. I was at Glass today for breakfast and they have a sign near the entrance with words to the effect of "breakfast for guests in executive rooms or suites is offered at Level 36 lounge, and optional for Diamond members".

This suggests they are trying to differentiate:
- if you are Diamond, eat wherever you like.
- if you aren't Diamond but have paid for exec room or suite (or been upgraded to), then your continental breakfast is in the lounge (this is the standard offering as per room description).

I think they are doing this to try to control demand at Glass, and hence the +$10 charge that occasionally gets mentioned. But I suspect in practice the policy isn't strictly enforced (but the $5 coffee tax is)

 

[desafinado74]

Interesting you ask this question. I was at Glass today for breakfast and they have a sign near the entrance with words to the effect of "breakfast for guests in executive rooms or suites is offered at Level 36 lounge, and optional for Diamond members".

This suggests they are trying to differentiate:
- if you are Diamond, eat wherever you like.
- if you aren't Diamond but have paid for exec room or suite (or been upgraded to), then your continental breakfast is in the lounge (this is the standard offering as per room description).

I think they are doing this to try to control demand at Glass, and hence the +$10 charge that occasionally gets mentioned. But I suspect in practice the policy isn't strictly enforced (but the $5 coffee tax is)

How interesting !

 

[bits]

Property: Hilton Melbourne
Date: 27 May 2022
Room booked: King Deluxe
Rate: $340/night X 2 nights
Received: King Deluxe high floor and 1330 checkout.

How's the buffet breakfast quality and variety?

 

[straitman]

How's the buffet breakfast quality and variety?

Reasonable. Pretty much a standard hotel breakfast, meaning nothing special but nothing bad.

 

[bits]

Property: DoubleTree Melbourne
Date: 19-21 June 2022
Room booked: Queen (Interior)
Rate: $128
Received: King Skyline Riverview room.

Diamond status was well acknowledged at check in. 25% off in house dining was promoted, as was the daily happy hour ($6 for selection of beverages). Free bottled water provided, together with the house cookies.

 

[bits]

Property: DoubleTree Melbourne
Date: 19-21 June 2022
Room booked: Queen (Interior)
Rate: $128
Received: King Skyline Riverview room.

Diamond status was well acknowledged at check in. 25% off in house dining was promoted, as was the daily happy hour ($6 for selection of beverages). Free bottled water provided, together with the house cookies.

Continental breakfast is free for Diamonds, +$10pp to upgrade to the hot buffet as mentioned previously. Continental selection is quite OK.

 

[abefroman]

Property: West Hotel Curio Sydney Hilton
Date: 15 June 2022
Room booked: King Acacia Room
Rate: $192/night X 4 nights
Received: King Sussex Suite

Continental breakfast is free for Diamonds, +$10pp to upgrade to the hot buffet

 

[bits]

Continental breakfast is free for Diamonds, +$10pp to upgrade to the hot buffet as mentioned previously. Continental selection is quite OK.

Interestingly today with the continental option, I was offered choice of eggs free (fried, poached, omelette, just tick the option). Seems a little weird continental gets eggs cooked to order also, but I'm not going to turn it down if offered!

 

[DC3]

Interestingly today with the continental option, I was offered choice of eggs free (fried, poached, omelette, just tick the option). Seems a little weird continental gets eggs cooked to order also, but I'm not going to turn it down if offered!

Good to see that you are being looked after.

 

[Flashback]

Interestingly today with the continental option, I was offered choice of eggs free (fried, poached, omelette, just tick the option). Seems a little weird continental gets eggs cooked to order also, but I'm not going to turn it down if offered!

Whereas at the Hilton Anchorage where the daily diamond F&B credit doesn't even cover the continental buffet... The upgraded option to 'hot' includes cooked to order eggs and that's it. $4+tip more than the continental option.