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.

 

[muppet]

…..

1. Zero amenities in room like disposable toothbrushes or bottles of water - nothing zilch nada. ….

Fully onboard with your rant @Cruiser Elite because it certainly sounds like a cough-hole.

However, you lost me at this … you travel First Class pretty much everywhere which comes with the accompanying amenity kits … how many disposable toothbrushes do you need?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

muppo yep you are on point as usual - but - given how small dog box was even getting carry on luggage up to level to open to get out travel toiletry bag to fetch brush and paste was a chore - anybody else stayed on a 5* hotel with no disposable tooth brushes?

 

[Gold Member]

Cruiser, it almost sounds like you booked the room outside of Hilton.com and the FD treated you as a nobody with the contempt of an OTA booking. I was there last summer and received the usual Diamond upgrade and solid Hilton service. Perhaps my room was far better than yours (no SHOB etc), but I had no major complaints except for the smell of cough in the corridors, especially nearby the Exec Lounge, which was very average. I am staying at the Hilton FRA next week and will report back any issues.

BTW, how good are the knuckles at Paulaner??? The 45 minute wait was well worth it.

 

[JessicaTam]

Well in the case of Hilton FRA Airport treatment of Diamond Member utter cough - but in thinking it through I would suggest anybody staying here prolly get same disgraceful treatment;
Booked King Guest Room for 1 nt as positioning for SQ flt to MEL next day - admittedly a tad delayed arr due to redicuclous wait for luggage arriving Into FRA - but arriving at hotel fun started:

1. First entered hotel at ~8pm and noticed temp sweltering - proceeded to check in and advised staff need turn up air con - check in staff pointed to 2 cooling fan towers behind them and said temp is fine here
2. Checkin processed with no offer of upgrade - my mind was totally on where we were going for dinner as we had not eaten since 7am that morn but YES I should have inquired about upgrade.
3. Escorted to Room by porter who had all our luggage on trolley - enter room and first thing you notice is room big as a dog box - check bathroom and it is as big as a postage stamp - and the ‘piece de resistance‘ SHOB - FFS - seriously? After hearing swearing porter exited very quickly
4. Quickly got ready to head to Paulaner in The SQUAIRE for pork knuckle for dinner - on way out past checkin inquired is Hotel 100% occupancy? Response was no about 50% - I then told them disgraceful they not offer Diamond Member an upgrade and doubly disgraceful they would ever put a Diamond Member in such a coughty room when plenty other rooms available - her response ‘But Sir this is the room assigned to you’ - FFS what a cowboy outfit
5. Return to room after dinner and then notice King Size Bed is Queen Size - definitely not as described - and bed as hard as a rock - and the weirdest small lumpy pillows
6. Go to have shower before bed and there is 1 towel in bathroom of a room booked for 2 - FFS - back on phone please send up an extra towel
7. Finally manoeuvre through a shower in the SHOB without breaking our necks and go to clean teeth - FFS the basin is blocked and water will not drain out of it - lean over bath and finish teeth cleaning over bath
8. Zero amenities in room like disposable toothbrushes or bottles of water - nothing zilch nada
9. No USB charging port beside bed but it did have 2 x AC power outlet on 1 side of bed - out with carry on luggage again and retrieve 2 adaptors and chargers to charge phones overnight
10. Down to brekky next morn and all appeared pretty ok - until chef who spoke English came out checking foods on offer - I asked could she fry me 2 eggs - no you must order through service staff - ok I can do that but service staff don’t speak a word English but I still thought I got her to understand 2 eggs over easy - eventually after sending some one to check progress 2 cremated eggs appears at table.
11. At checkout staff could not even find my email address which has been same on HH Account for >20yrs and which is same email address this and all other bookings are made with. No interaction from staff at all like ‘How was your stay? Did you enjoy our hotel?’ - which I was so desperately hoping would be forthcoming but alas did not occur

OMG - never EVER EVER again would I contemplate this coughpy hotel - I would never have imagined an alleged 5* Hilton could deliver such a coughty experience.

I stayed at the adjacent Garden Inn a couple of weeks ago and had a woeful experience too. I had booked a single room and found myself in a single accessible room. Back down to reception.

The woman serving me was very pleasant but the more senior chap had quite the attitude telling my that is what I had booked. Umm, no. He ‘graciously’ allowed my to have a different room as I was a diamond. So why was I not offered an upgrade in the first place?

Up to the room and door card doesn’t work. So back down for my third visit to reception. Very poor customer service.

I think I will be avoiding FRA HHs in the future.

 

[I love to travel]

I stayed at the adjacent Garden Inn a couple of weeks ago and had a woeful experience too. I had booked a single room and found myself in a single accessible room. Back down to reception.

The woman serving me was very pleasant but the more senior chap had quite the attitude telling my that is what I had booked. Umm, no. He ‘graciously’ allowed my to have a different room as I was a diamond. So why was I not offered an upgrade in the first place?

Up to the room and door card doesn’t work. So back down for my third visit to reception. Very poor customer service.

I think I will be avoiding FRA HHs in the future.

I think you got unlucky. Stayed there many times in the last few years and had upgrades.

Post automatically merged: Jun 9, 2023

Cruiser, it almost sounds like you booked the room outside of Hilton.com and the FD treated you as a nobody with the contempt of an OTA booking. I was there last summer and received the usual Diamond upgrade and solid Hilton service. Perhaps my room was far better than yours (no SHOB etc), but I had no major complaints except for the smell of cough in the corridors, especially nearby the Exec Lounge, which was very average. I am staying at the Hilton FRA next week and will report back any issues.

BTW, how good are the knuckles at Paulaner??? The 45 minute wait was well worth it.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on Exec lounge

 

[Gold Member]

I think you got unlucky. Stayed there many times in the last few years and had upgrades.

Post automatically merged: Jun 9, 2023

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on Exec lounge

Just a large area of understaffed tables and chairs. Very limited booze and a poor selection of food options. No view outside (except atrium). Oh, and did I mention the corridor nearby the entrance smells like cough?

Much better off paying for an enjoyable experience at Paulaner or several other venues in the dining precinct outside of the property.

 

[boomy]

Property: Conrad Singapore
Booked: Deluxe King
Received: Two Bedroom Family Suite

Nice upgrade at our favourite SIN hotel. Didn’t use the second bedroom which is actually a separate room attached to the suite.

 

[Matt_01]

Property: Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Booked: King Deluxe
Received: Executive King Deluxe Lake View

 

[JessicaTam]

Property: Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Booked: King Deluxe
Received: Executive King Deluxe Lake View
View attachment 333171View attachment 333172View attachment 333173View attachment 333174

And I have the same booked and upgraded room type as well. Unless you have been taking photos of *my* room?

 

[3littlpigsfly]

That looks horrid. How much a night was it?

Def a contender for worst hotel. The land of Fawlty Towers indeed!

We stayed at the DT York in April for one night. Were booked to go back for 2 nights the next week but cancelled and booked Hilton instead. £20 difference per night and a world apart.
Front counter at DT were disinterested and unhelpful. Absolutely no recognition for Diamond, not sure they would even know what it was. Room was basic motel room (that's OK) corridors filled with boxes and Tradies changing old TV'S to new flatscreens. They came into room and changed TV over while I was in the room. Followed by housekeeping staff vacuuming and dusting.
Breakfast basic DT, clear your own tray to the trolley to make way for the next guest.
I had booked for convenient access to Railway station but decided a £5 taxi to the Hilton was a better bet for the following week. It wasn't so much the basic facilities that I took issue with but the front desk laziness and indifference.
York Hilton was a completely different experience. Great location for walking around the city. Good breakfast. Comfortable room. We were upgraded from King Room to Clifford Tower view room which was lovely by day and gorgeous at night. Super helpful staff in all departments. Very nice stay. Would be my first choice hotel in York.
Chalk and cheese between the two yet small difference in price.

 

[VPS]

Any comments on the Brisbane Hilton?

 

[liamsal]

Any comments on the Brisbane Hilton?

Great hotel with consistent recognition of status. My experience as Diamond is almost always upgraded to Executive Rooms and no charge for the full buffet and barista coffee for breakfast. Early check in and late check out is rarely knocked back either. Ladies in the lounge are fabulous too.

 

[Blackadder]

Any comments on the Brisbane Hilton?

Never had any issues there , great staff , rooms a decent size good furnishings etc.

 

[boomy]

Property: Conrad Dublin
Booked: King Superior Room
Received: Junior Suite with Balcony

Opened in 1989, this is the oldest Conrad still in operation.

While it lacks some amenities such as exec lounge and swimming pool it is still a solid 5* hotel with nice rooms and great service.

Location is ideal to explore the city by foot and parking cost only €20 per day (for hotel guests).

Breakfast is really good with both a la carte and buffet options. All items on the menu are complementary for diamond members.

 

[kyle]

We stayed at the DT York in April for one night. Were booked to go back for 2 nights the next week but cancelled and booked Hilton instead. £20 difference per night and a world apart.
Front counter at DT were disinterested and unhelpful. Absolutely no recognition for Diamond, not sure they would even know what it was. Room was basic motel room (that's OK) corridors filled with boxes and Tradies changing old TV'S to new flatscreens. They came into room and changed TV over while I was in the room. Followed by housekeeping staff vacuuming and dusting.
Breakfast basic DT, clear your own tray to the trolley to make way for the next guest.
I had booked for convenient access to Railway station but decided a £5 taxi to the Hilton was a better bet for the following week. It wasn't so much the basic facilities that I took issue with but the front desk laziness and indifference.
York Hilton was a completely different experience. Great location for walking around the city. Good breakfast. Comfortable room. We were upgraded from King Room to Clifford Tower view room which was lovely by day and gorgeous at night. Super helpful staff in all departments. Very nice stay. Would be my first choice hotel in York.
Chalk and cheese between the two yet small difference in price.

Make sure you put a review on TripAdvisor so others are aware.

 

[justinbrett]

I'm staying at a Tru for the first time next week (Milwaukee Downtown) - actually looks decent and was a better location than the higher brands.

But just received an email:
View attachment 332197

Does fun-size not mean the same in the US as it does here? The rooms don't look any smaller than normal in the photos (and in any case, I'd describe Hilton Sydney rooms as fun-sized). Now I'm worried- but I'm only there for a night.

I stayed here last night. Very mixed results - but room size was fine. It felt more spacious than Hilton Sydney which I find very claustrophobic. There was plenty of room to walk around the bed and store luggage, the bathroom was fine with a full walk in shower. I’ve never stayed at a Tru before but really looks like a Hampton Inn except instead of being 50 years old, it’s recently built with modern facilities (So I would rate them above Hampton Inn based on this stay).

On the map this looked like a good location, but after checking in i noted there isn’t much happening in the area. Later I found out there isn’t much happening in Milwaukee at all, so not unusual. It is only a few blocks to the city market, which has really good food (luckily, as there wasn’t a lot of other options in the area). There isn’t a single CVS, Walgreens or 7/11 in the downtown area. The place is dead.

As for being Diamond, no upgrade, you get two bottles of water and a snack - that’s about as far as status gets you.

Overall it was OK, not that cheap (US$160 for the night) and more than the HGI but this had a better location. I’ve stayed at worse hotels for sure.

 

[WLGFlyer]

Property: Hilton Sydney
Room booked: King Deluxe
King Received: King Deluxe
Status: Diamond

No upgrade but managed to select a top floor room when checking in online. No status recognition. Exec Lounge offering as usual. Had breakfast at Glass one morning as was told Continental only, with a couple of up sell attempts - annoying. More annoying, not a single hand sanitizer in sight at Glass or the Exec Lounge, not great for buffet style food handling. In room TV does not support streaming / chromecast, I think I only noticed it now since it's pretty much standard everywhere else. Overall decent stay.

Property: Hilton Adelaide
Room booked: King Deluxe
King Received: King Executive
Status: Diamond

Gave this another try after mostly staying at the Sofitel this year. Lounge still only open from 1pm, breakfast is meant to resume in July. Full breakfast downstairs (hello Sydney - see above). Zero status recogniction, besides the pseudo upgrade. Otherwise OK stay without any issues. Interestingly my no-status colleague was also upgraded to an Exec Room but did not receive lounge access - I thought that was normally the case, or is that only for Golds?

 

[bits]

In room TV does not support streaming / chromecast,

It's done via screen share (press the input selector button on the remote to access the menu) - does the job but not as user friendly as chromecast (not sure if screen share is Samsung specific).

 

[dairyfloss]

It's done via screen share (press the input selector button on the remote to access the menu) - does the job but not as user friendly as chromecast (not sure if screen share is Samsung specific).

Yes - painfully incompatible with many devices (like iOS). I don’t know why the hotels won’t unlock an HDMI port on their TVs. It’s not like anyone has purchased an in room movie in the last 5 or so years! (Not one that would be found on Netflix or Prime, etc., anyway )

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[justinbrett]

I travel with a travel wifi router (rebroadcasts hotel wifi as your own network) and a google TV stick.

It’s very rare I can’t change the TV to HDMI - there’s usually a trick to it, google the model number and someone will have figured it out. It’s like entering a cheat code on an old Sega console.