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.

 

[Buzzard]

Interesting kermatu that you asked for a suite. As a Diamond I have never asked for an upgrade, am I doing something wrong?

 

[QF WP]

Knowing your entitlements as a Diamond and asking for them if you don't receive is important.

 

[Cynicor]

Knowing your entitlements as a Diamond and asking for them if you don't receive is important.

Whilst I probably wouldn't use the term "entitlement" for a suite upgrade, if it matters to me I will occasionally ask them if a suite is available, and mention I am happy to wait for it.

In Bali the manager knows I like the top floor suites with private plunge pool

 

[blackcat20]

Whilst I probably wouldn't use the term "entitlement" for a suite upgrade, if it matters to me I will occasionally ask them if a suite is available, and mention I am happy to wait for it.

In Bali the manager knows I like the top floor suites with private plunge pool

You're entitled to an upgrade (space dependent) but certainly not a suite per se.

 

[Cynicor]

You're entitled to an upgrade (space dependent) but certainly not a suite per se.

And the upgrade can be to a "preferred room", not even a one-category upgrade. HH minimum upgrade benefits are very poor, luckily most APAC hotels go above and beyond.

 

[Buzzard]

Knowing your entitlements as a Diamond and asking for them if you don't receive is important.

I should refresh myself on what the Diamond Benefits are prior to my next stay.

 

[blackcat20]

And the upgrade can be to a "preferred room", not even a one-category upgrade. HH minimum upgrade benefits are very poor, luckily most APAC hotels go above and beyond.

Yup that's what I was getting at. No where does it say that a Diamond is entitled to a suite...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Interesting kermatu that you asked for a suite. As a Diamond I have never asked for an upgrade, am I doing something wrong?

Not really, no. I'm hesitant to actually ask for a suite but occasionally I casually mention that I like the suites at wherever. I'm still fairly cautious of OnQ notes as it would only take one clerk to think you're rude and you could end up with an unfriendly note in OnQ, which for a frequent Hilton guest, may be very detrimental. The only exception is H-SYD where I always ask for a suite as I know they will play the "minimal extra cost for an upgrade" game, which can often result in a King Suite for not much more than the cost of the base king guest room, but it can be an excruciating ordeal to win the game!

 

[Aeolus]

Another more subtle option is to remember the preferred room numbers by hard and politely ask if that room number is available and if there's any chance you could be allocated to that. Once they are familiar with you, they'll remember and allocate the room by default anyway whenever possible. No brown nosing required, just common courtesy and treat them like how you'ld like to be treated.
This recipe seems to work, had my 6th consecutive suite stays this week, I only asked once, the rest were automatically assigned.

 

[Jellybean50]

Curious... what is OnQ please?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Curious... what is OnQ please?

OnQ is Hiltons way of tracking clients. It's the program which let's them track your preferences......a particular room you like, what drinks you ask for so they can be ready for you, what your worth is to them, how big a PITA you are, or alternatively, what a pleasure it is to have you as a client. Basically, OnQ is lauded as knowing everything about you......the good and the not so good.

Hilton themselves have even said it helps them identify which clients they will suggest should stay elsewhere! :shock: ie...bugger off, you're not worth the hassle!

 

[QF WP]

I found this slideshow to be of more than passing interest about OnQ. Particularly enlightening was slide 7 to the end

Hilton OnQ system

Also these slideshows:
ONQ Data driven hospitality By Hilton hotels corp case study
http://www.slideshare.net/sandeeppa...omer-relationship-management?next_slideshow=2
http://www.slideshare.net/AnggaKusumanegara/angga-share-mm?next_slideshow=3 (You must look at slides 13 to 16 - the latter is a gem!!)

 

[JessicaTam]

I hope I am never regarded as "Unvaluable"!

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Another more subtle option is to remember the preferred room numbers by hard and politely ask if that room number is available and if there's any chance you could be allocated to that. Once they are familiar with you, they'll remember and allocate the room by default anyway whenever possible. No brown nosing required, just common courtesy and treat them like how you'ld like to be treated.
This recipe seems to work, had my 6th consecutive suite stays this week, I only asked once, the rest were automatically assigned.

I just ask to stay in the same room as last time. Ie last time was upgraded to a junior suit. Once I've done that a few times reservations / the system seems to remember. ( obviously the same hilton property, traveling a few times a month).

 

[Buzzard]

Another more subtle option is to remember the preferred room numbers by hard and politely ask if that room number is available and if there's any chance you could be allocated to that. Once they are familiar with you, they'll remember and allocate the room by default anyway whenever possible. No brown nosing required, just common courtesy and treat them like how you'ld like to be treated.
This recipe seems to work, had my 6th consecutive suite stays this week, I only asked once, the rest were automatically assigned.

Maybe we need a separate room number thread.

 

[kermatu]

First time I asked for a suite and was granted. Have tentatively asked for upgrades before and never received. Not an expert so can't judge what the best method is - but I am always polite and now see no harm in asking. Once have had to 'stand my ground' when given a poorer room than I had OLCI'd to but still remained calm - hopefully no damage done to my OnQ rating...

 

[boomy]

Status: Diamond
Property: Hilton SYD
Booked: King Guestroom
Received: King Junior Suite
I've given up on this hotel quite a while ago as I got sick of the lousy service and tiny rooms but this week I had a last minute change of plans and since my other preferred hotels were overpriced or sold-out I've decided to book a stay here and see if anything had changed for the better since my last visit. There were some good and some bad things this stay. I'll start from the negative and finish with the positive.
The Bad
At check-in I was informed complementary breakfast is only served in the lounge now. Ok, why? The answer I got was so absurd that I wasn't sure how to react at first: "Our management found out guests are receiving far more benefits at this hotel compared to other Hiltons in Australia so they decided to adjust the Gold and Diamond benefits accordingly". Umm... What?! This statement is not only inaccurate, it's completely wrong! The reason I gave up on this Hilton is they offer LESS then other hotels in the same category, including other Hiltons. The service is LESS good (staff still keeps lying to guests, unbelievable!), the standard/ deluxe/ executive rooms are LESS big and if I'm not mistaken HSYD was the first to introduce the notorious $5 coffee tax. So what exactly are they providing MORE then other Hiltons? AFAIK breakfast is still offered complementary everywhere around Australia, except SYD!
I also had to ask what's the difference at this property between Gold and Diamond benefits. The answer was: "Golds don't always get lounge access". Not always? Depends on what exactly? Depends on the circumstances was the answer, whatever that means... To me it looks like diamonds are no longer appreciated at this property.
Back to the breakfast, the exec lounge offers a very basic one, the only hot item were some boiled eggs. The coffee is self serve Nescafé.
Another very annoying thing is the restriction on alcohol a-la PER QP in the lounge at evening service. People must queue up for drinks and are not allowed double-shots in mixed drinks. I don't recall other Hiltons in Australia doing that and the GM here actually think they offer more then everyone else
The Good
Got a nice upgrade to Junior Suite. The name is a bit deceiving because it's larger then some executive suites I've seen in other hotels. The room has decent size living area but no divider between it and the bed (hence the name 'junior'), bathtub with TV set, big shower and two toilets (something even full size suites don't always have).
It never stops to amaze me the huge contrast at this property between the extra small rooms and extra large suites.
Another good thing was the exec lounge, good place to relax and enough food to have full dinner when traveling solo (despite the annoying drinks policy). I even got to meet a nice AFFer there who apparently calls this place second home
All in all I had a good stay in a very nice room but can't ignore the poor attitude this hotel has towards loyal HH members which basically says: 'we're going to give you the minimum benefits and we know you will return because we are the only HH property in SYD'.

 

[blackcat20]

I also had to ask what's the difference at this property between Gold and Diamond benefits. The answer was: "Golds don't always get lounge access". Not always? Depends on what exactly? Depends on the circumstances was the answer, whatever that means... To me it looks like diamonds are no longer appreciated at this property.

Gold only get lounge access if they get an exec room.

 

[moa999]

boomy, Just try a US Exec lounge.... PAYG.
Given the complaints about queues at the glass restaurant for breakfast I can sort of understand the restriction - overseas there is a mix on whether you can alternately take breakfast in the main restaurant if you have Exec Lounge acces.

Have a stay at SYD tonight as Gold (Stay number 29 for the year).
Interestingly when I went to e-checkin yesterday was only able to select King Plus up to floor 25 (so certainly no lounge access) - I therefore declined to select.
This morning I had a pre-allocated Exec Room and choice of Exec Rooms up to floor 38.

Hypothesising, but suspect I may not have got the upgrade had I checked in earlier.

 

[boomy]

boomy, Just try a US Exec lounge.... PAYG.

We should really compare to the Asia-Pacific region rather then US or EU.

Given the complaints about queues at the glass restaurant for breakfast I can sort of understand the restriction - overseas there is a mix on whether you can alternately take breakfast in the main restaurant if you have Exec Lounge acces.

It's not only about having breakfast in the lounge, I wouldn't mind that if it was decent. It's mostly about them lying to guests, what seems to be a chronic disease at this hotel. Telling guests something that is in fact THE OPPOSITE from the truth is unacceptable.
I don't buy the long queues excuse either. I've eaten at Glass many times in the past with no queues at all. There may be some delays at certain times in the morning but this situation is not exclusive to HSYD. For this reason guests can choose to eat in the lounge or at the restaurant if they are not in a hurry and can afford to wait a bit.
The truth is very simple IMO. Sure they can't tell it to guests as it is but they should at least make some better excuses and improve the breakfast in the lounge.