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.

 

[Flashback]

This is precisely what Hilton has started sneaking in for the past few months- trying to “offer” rather overpriced paid upgrades (even on the app, as a so-called “Diamond”) and then not offering said upgrades for free anymore.

Which is further eroding the value of Hilton status which already hasn’t been the best given the floods of free Diamonds due to credit card memberships (more of that than in Australia in other geographies even!) and endless Covid extensions. That’s why myself have made the conscious decision not to pursue it any longer. Gold status through my Amex charge card will do in the few instances where Hilton is the only feasible option. Every other hotel night now goes to Hyatt (and I know of many who do similar things with Marriott instead).

Nice little adjustment in points required for stays at Hyatt, recently.

 

[Berlin]

Nice little adjustment in points required for stays at Hyatt, recently.

Still much better value than most Hiltons if you ask me…

 

[Danger]

Nice little adjustment in points required for stays at Hyatt, recently.

How do you mean?

 

[levelnine]

How do you mean?

New Award Chart Category

world.hyatt.com

 

[Danger]

New Award Chart Category

world.hyatt.com

The post from flashback read to me as though the member was referring to an across-the-board points adjustment.

 

[levelnine]

The post from flashback read to me as though the member was referring to an across-the-board points adjustment.

There hasn't been one.

 

[Danger]

There hasn't been one.

Exactly.

 

[Berlin]

New Award Chart Category

world.hyatt.com

That's just the annual adjustment though- some go up (mostly in the US I see) and some go down (a lot of properties here in Asia pacific actually).

Far less bad than some of the Hilton revolutions over the years. But this whole part of the thread should probably move to the Hyatt forum rather!

 

[liamsal]

Hold on. I'm scratching my head on this one. Isn't the deal as a diamond you get a space available upgrade? So if there is a room available as paid option, surely you should get that for free as a diamond. What am I missing here?

The best part is when you get to hotel and they say there's no upgrades available despite there being several paid options still showing on the app.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Both stays as Diamond

Hilton Sydney
1 night, March ‘23
Rate: $270~ Govt.
Booked: Corner Room
Received: Corner Room
Couldn’t select a room during check in on the app and got the message ‘we don’t have any rooms to show you but check in now and we’ll do our best to upgrade you’. I forgot when I got to the hotel and when I got up to the room I realised it was the room type I booked. Spoke to reception and they offered a deluxe which I declined, then they offered an executive room but I had already messed the bed up so didn’t want them to have to clean the room so I also declined that. Lounge was great, $10 pp for buffet upgrade at breakfast (first time at Syd, staff said it started being charged on 01/03/23).

West Hotel Curio
1 night, March ‘23
Rate: $330 Govt
Booked: King Banksia Deluxe Plus
Received: King Banksia Deluxe Plus
Asked about an upgrade upon check in but was told only paid options available (could also see these on then app). Left prior to breakfast starting so can’t comment on that. Didn’t really use any of the facilities/bar etc, however the rooms are modern and nice. Love the in built speaker that you can Bluetooth music to.

Upgrades have been non-existent lately. Such a shame

If I book a King Corner at Hilton Sydney I will decline any upgrade unless it’s a Junior Suite or better.

The Corner rooms are larger and upgrade from them to Exec etc is actually a downgrade in comfort.

 

[cbourl]

Hilton MEL LQS 1 night 88K Award for Premier Heritage 1 night King Deluxe with City View back to back
Contacted Hilton MEL LQS, mention free upgraades to suites at WA Berlin/Jerusalem, Hilton Berlin, Hilton SYD Hilton Tel Aviv Hilton PAR PERTH, Doubletree PER/MEL RitzCarlton PER etc etc
The kind team at Hilton MEL LQS applied upgrade already for a late March stay to Premier Corner Room
Status Diamond
I'm happy with that - see if anything happens on check-in day

Post automatically merged: Mar 9, 2023

If I book a King Corner at Hilton Sydney I will decline any upgrade unless it’s a Junior Suite or better.

The Corner rooms are larger and upgrade from them to Exec etc is actually a downgrade in comfort.

Gov rates at Taxpayers' Expense State Govs force staff to repay frequnet flier/stayer points My upgrades as Gold and Diamond at Hilton SYD to Relaxation Rooms/Relaxatio nCorner Suites with upgraded rooms (sure by now it is fully renovated)

 

[kyle]

If I book a King Corner at Hilton Sydney I will decline any upgrade unless it’s a Junior Suite or better.

The Corner rooms are larger and upgrade from them to Exec etc is actually a downgrade in comfort.

What is your opinion of the premium king? That's what I booked.

 

[cbourl]

What is your opinion of the premium king? That's what I booked.

All rooms, inc Executive at Hilton SYD are tiny unless Relaxation or above

 

[kyle]

All rooms, inc Executive at Hilton SYD are tiny unless Relaxation or above

Hmm... I couldn't see relaxation in the room categories when I booked.

 

[cbourl]

Hmm... I couldn't see relaxation in the room categories when I booked.

Sorry thay changed it to Junior Suite,NOT CORNER Junior which is better again

 

[kyle]

Sorry thay changed it to Junior Suite,NOT CORNER Junior which is better again

Ok, let's see if I'll get an upgrade to junior suite...

 

[BEH]

Doubletree by Hilton London Chelsea
Tier - Gold
3 Nights March 2023
Rate: 330.00 GPB/$592.82 AUD - HONORS SALE
Booked: Double Guest Room
Received: Double Guest Room
Other Benefits: Complimentary upgrade to full buffet breakfast for entire stay & 2 x bar vouchers for house beer/wine

Overall fairly good stay. Lobby, bar and rooms newly renovated. Tesco express right outside and overground 1 min walk away with train to central London taking about 20-25 mins.

Bar staff was fairly rude on visit on the last night

 

[Berlin]

Doubletree by Hilton London Chelsea
Tier - Gold
3 Nights March 2023
Rate: 330.00 GPB/$592.82 AUD - HONORS SALE
Booked: Double Guest Room
Received: Double Guest Room

Woohoo, London certainly hasn't gotten cheaper than pre-Covid!

 

[VPS]

Doubletree by Hilton London Chelsea
Tier - Gold
3 Nights March 2023
Rate: 330.00 GPB/$592.82 AUD - HONORS SALE
Booked: Double Guest Room
Received: Double Guest Room
Other Benefits: Complimentary upgrade to full buffet breakfast for entire stay & 2 x bar vouchers for house beer/wine

Overall fairly good stay. Lobby, bar and rooms newly renovated. Tesco express right outside and overground 1 min walk away with train to central London taking about 20-25 mins.

Bar staff was fairly rude on visit on the last night

I stayed there in February and the bar staff were hopeless then too (and the lift was broken at the train station

 

[Happy Dude]

Woohoo, London certainly hasn't gotten cheaper than pre-Covid!

I was hoping that @BEH's rate was for the stay, but kinda knew it was per night. Just didn't want to believe it.