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.

 

[boomy]

So they alienate status guests? Debatably, their most frequent customers? I doubt that.

When a business is struggling it must look at all options to increase revenue. I suppose they did the math and reached a conclusion that being more strict on HH benefits will do more good then harm. Take QF for example, they don't offer any status matches and even after they terminated shortcut to status, devaluation of benefits didn't stop. It doesn't make sense to alienate status members you say? If the savings are greater then the damage done by some members taking their business elsewhere, it makes perfect sense. We as costumers may not like that but in the end of the day loyalty is a meaningless word, it's all about the profit.

 

[i_hate_the_tulla_freeway]

I'm a humble Hilton gold and just had two nights at the BNE property @$199 per night booked through Hilton.com.

Usually stay at the Sofitel in Brisbane but after a run of upgrades at Hilton properties thought I'd try my luck in Brisbane.

No luck. Got the ordinary room I paid for and a continental breakfast downstairs.

so I'm sitting in the standard room thinking "this is cough, should have stuck with the Sofitel". Which in a way is entirely unreasonable cause I got what I paid for, but a few upgrades create the perception of expectation. This is not the hotel's problem but mine.

but the dissonance it causes is the hotel's problem. There's probably a PhD in it for someone to examine the cost benefit trade off of managing loyalty members -"first world wankers and their hurt feelings at the Hilton".

In an aside, I also note the increased room rates at local Hiltons in the last 12 months. The South Wharf and George Street properties are possibly worth a premium but Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Perth and Darwin are all bog standard hotels. Not unpleasant but not spectacular. Usually there's better and less expensive accommodation nearby.

 

[boomy]

The South Wharf and George Street properties are possibly worth a premium but Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Perth and Darwin are all bog standard hotels. Not unpleasant but not spectacular. Usually there's better and less expensive accommodation nearby.

Agree about everything apart from the statement that HSYD worth a premium. While their non-standard rooms are great, the guestroom/deluxe/exec are the worst rooms out of any Hilton in Australia.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Agree about everything apart from the statement that HSYD worth a premium. While their non-standard rooms are great, the guestroom/deluxe/exec are the worst rooms out of any Hilton in Australia.

I do like the Sydney health club downstairs inc the sauna and the spa.

 

[i_hate_the_tulla_freeway]

Agree about everything apart from the statement that HSYD worth a premium. While their non-standard rooms are great, the guestroom/deluxe/exec are the worst rooms out of any Hilton in Australia.

Look, I only stay there once or twice a year but it's one of the hotel's that have pushed me up into better rooms so I have a positive perception of it.

I also like Glass, but I do miss the retro San Fran Grill with its trolleys

IMHO the Sheraton on the Park and the Westin are better central CBD hotels and usually less expensive

Would it be stirring the hornet's nest to raise the issue of the Parmelia Hilton ? It's like sleeping on an Austin Powers movie set.

And I'm all hotelled out. I'm airbnbing tonight.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Have you looked at Rydges?

We stayed at Rydges in Canberra (the one on the way out) about 100 years ago and it didn't impress us one bit. A single ordinary stay can leave lasting memories..........OK, I promise to revisit Rydges (a different property this time).........but only after the triple point promo is finished at Hilton

 

[boomy]

IMHO the Sheraton on the Park and the Westin are better central CBD hotels and usually less expensive

Agree 100%, these are my usual choices in SYD.

Would it be stirring the hornet's nest to raise the issue of the Parmelia Hilton ? It's like sleeping on an Austin Powers movie set.

I don't mind the refurbished rooms, they are ok.
The suites can use some urgent renovation tho.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

When a business is struggling it must look at all options to increase revenue.

But the path they've taken will decrease revenue UNLESS there are too many freeloader status holders! That's the only reason they could pick up funds. Maybe they lost the high value clients you spoke of, simply because they became too greedy with the rates. I've certainly noticed H-BNE has introduced silly season rates all year round. They used to have some rock bottom rates, they don't now. And I can guarantee you the rates I pay are dearer than high end corporates but a lot of those corporate rates are non-earning as far as status goes so reducing status benefits doesn't effect them, but still they left!

Take QF for example,

Why? Airline status can't be compared to accommodation status. There are only two airline in Australian (+ 2 LCC spinoffs) whereas there are dozens of accommodation options. I truly hope no Hilton manager is foolish enough to base an argument to shaft status on "take QF for example".......

but in the end of the day loyalty is a meaningless word, it's all about the profit.

Hey boomy, it took a while, but finally something we can sit down and share a drink over, in agreement! :mrgreen:

 

[Deleted member 29185]

There's probably a PhD in it for someone to examine the cost benefit trade off of managing loyalty members -"first world wankers and their hurt feelings at the Hilton".

LOL.....I love it. QF has WP, Hilton has FWW! :mrgreen:

 

[Fifa]

We stayed at Rydges in Canberra (the one on the way out) about 100 years ago and it didn't impress us one bit. A single ordinary stay can leave lasting memories..........OK, I promise to revisit Rydges (a different property this time).........but only after the triple point promo is finished at Hilton

Ah, the old Rydges Eagle Hawk. Yes it was bad, really bad.
I think it is now an Ibis Styles :shock:.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Ah, the old Rydges Eagle Hawk. Yes it was bad, really bad.
I think it is now an Ibis Styles :shock:.

Ah Accor......I knew I disliked Accor!

 

[jackthomas]

It's a shame that so many H Hotels in Aus are devaluing status, especially considering my recent stay at our neighbours in H AKL had full buffet offered, a semi decent upgrade ( in a mostly sold out night), no coffee charges etc.
I agree that offering status to too many for free causes some problems with benefits being delivered to a high standard for true loyal members, however these programs certainly have their benefits.
Prior to gaining Velocity Gold, I would never stay at Hiltons ( much preferring Hyatts, Shangri La, Crowns etc) but now I stay exclusively with Hilton and maintained gold two years since.. *Some* of the free members do become loyal members..

 

[boomy]

But the path they've taken will decrease revenue UNLESS there are too many freeloader status holders! That's the only reason they could pick up funds. Maybe they lost the high value clients you spoke of, simply because they became too greedy with the rates. I've certainly noticed H-BNE has introduced silly season rates all year round. They used to have some rock bottom rates, they don't now. And I can guarantee you the rates I pay are dearer than high end corporates but a lot of those corporate rates are non-earning as far as status goes so reducing status benefits doesn't effect them, but still they left!

Corporate rates do earn stays, some of them at least. The lounge in HBNE used to be full of diamond corporate travellers.
Personally I think it's less to do with high rates (although price at HBNE did increase a lot) or status benefits and more to do with our declining economy. The office vacancy in BNE is growing every week as more and more companies are pulling out. There is not much hotels can do about that so they are looking into other ways to increase revenue. For example, if less people can eat and drink free in the lounge, maybe some will spend money in the hotel's restaurant and bar. Seems like this concept works well in PER where the bar and restaurant are usually quite busy (HPER don't have exec lounge at all).

Why? Airline status can't be compared to accommodation status. There are only two airline in Australian (+ 2 LCC spinoffs) whereas there are dozens of accommodation options. I truly hope no Hilton manager is foolish enough to base an argument to shaft status on "take QF for example".......

I was talking about the Int' arm of QF, where there is heaps of competition (the domestic arm wasn't struggling financially). Just tried to bring an example close to home. Can start talking about the USA market but it will be too much OT

Hey boomy, it took a while, but finally something we can sit down and share a drink over, in agreement! :mrgreen:

Any excuse to share a drink, I'll take it! Lol

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Any excuse to share a drink, I'll take it! Lol

You're on.......and I'll then pick you up on some of your comparisons.....like PER to BNE :shock:....chalk and cheese!

Do you prefer white or red?

 

[boomy]

Do you prefer white or red?

I'm easy, as long as it's not Bay of Stones

 

[Buzzard]

Thanks swanning_it for the 2 year tip. I'll have another look later in the week.

 

[emef]

I'm Diamond Hhonors and rate Hilton ADL as the worst for status value. Next is PER and BNE. SYD is a stand out. AKL is average. In HKG the Conrad is average as their Midtown property in NYC. Consistency, or lack thereof, is the issue.

 

[Moopere]

What a shame things are getting so ordinary at Hiltons in Australia. You are right, 20 stays a year to RETAIN is no small task.

Indeed. I had a good long gripe when the bar for this was raised a couple of years ago. I travel mostly for pleasure these days, probably only 20% is business. In both cases I try for Hilton stays when its possible but sometimes it isn't, so its actually a very high bvar for someone like me. Alls fine in the game but having achieved the asking quota if the benefits of doing so diminish ... well ....

Perhaps too many fast tracks and free gold statuses to new customers is the problem and those of us who are actually loyal are the ones who suffer.

I've long thought, and posted here I think, that if this is truly the case then running side by side schemes would be the logical answer, one 'loyalty' scheme as status benefits were maybe 2-3 years ago, and one 'promotional' type scheme where benefits of some type are granted but perhaps more like the AU offering now ... stingy upgrades, pay for coffee, no decent breakfast, no cards, gifts, etc. Give the incoming punters a taste test but reserve the real goodies for those who've earned it the hard way. To be honest I'd probably be in the 'promo' style scheme right now if it were run, but my expectations would at least be more realistically aligned with reality.

I think IHG runs along these lines, at least partially - I haven't looked at the fine print but their 'Ambassador' status, which is purchased seems a bit like this ... a sort of mini status that confers a lot of benefits above a walk-in-no-status pax but still isn't as wide ranging as full loyalty based status.

 

[Moopere]

Has anyone but me noticed that the rates at Hiltons in Oz have also increased rather dramatically in the past couple of years? The cheap rates that were possible seem to have gone the way of the dodo.

Yes, I've definitely noticed. I'd actually be okay with that, more or less, if proper good-old-days status benefits were still retained. My expectations would be set, and met - they act and charge like a proper 5 star. Perhaps I've become overly sensitive but they seem to be charging like a 5 star whilst trying hard to deliver 3.5-4 star experiences.

However, I've been looking at the other hotel programs just lately as I can possibly maintain two concurrent loyalty programs and I have to say that none of them that I find achievable for predominantly domestic travel comes even close to Hilton offerings to status. In particular, Accor have a good number of hotels in Cairns, but the status offering is ordinary and only the lowly Ibis can beat the rate I can get at the Hilton or Doubletree. Pay more but get less does not entice me.

This last gripe pretty much sums up my feelings about Hilton AU at the moment. I feel like I'm being asked to pay more, but I'm also being asked to expect significantly less. I don't get up to QLD all that often so I can't include them in my generalised whinging, though recent posts re: BNE appear on the surface to fit the emergent mould for the rest of AU.

 

[Moopere]

There is no direct evidence that too much "free" status leads to cutting benefits. For example, Asian hotels are coping with more freeloaders then Australian hotels but they don't cut any benefits. Even in Australia, although there is more then one way to receive "free" HH diamond status through airlines and CCs, the benefits haven't changed that much over the years, at least not enough for me to stop chasing diamond.

Yes - and I suppose I'd probably whinge a little less if I didn't have Asia to compare with. Certainly in my relatively short experience of HH (only about 4 or so years) the Asian properties have always outperformed the AU ones and they've managed to maintain that high standard even as the T&C at HH have changed and the AU properties have decided to cut as close to those changes as they can. Something smells fishy - together with what I perceive as a generalised poor performance of a lot of service industries in AU I really am probably over sensitised to it.

I know for a fact that HBNE is struggling financially since the loss of some lucrative contracts. These kind business hotels make most of their profits from companies who put their employees there and from conferences. I suspect any decision to cut elite benefits has less to do with the number of status freeloaders visiting this property and more to do with desperately looking for ways to increase profit.

The trouble in AU is that we always seem to choose the wrong path to try and claw back from financial difficulty. Changes in a business are made and customer numbers recede, surely the way back is to review those changes rather than simply trying to squeeze your remaining customers to the point where they too move on to the competition???