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.

 

[kyle]

When I was booking Hilton group hotels in Europe, the paid upgrades always show a discounted price. Not here in Melbourne LQS. Never ever.

 

[pjm99au]

Property: Conrad Tokyo
Booked: City View King
Received: Bay View King
Benefits: Full breakfast including Barista coffee, 2 bears (1 a special Halloween edition)
Cost: 95k points / night

A Conrad redemption story after New York. Beautiful hotel with large rooms and excellent staff. A bit out of the way but easy to get around

 

[twiningb]

I adore that property. It's gorgeous and the staff are wonderful.

 

[pjm99au]

Property: Hilton Manilla
Booked: King (40k / night)
Received: Executive King
Benefits received: Bottle of wine and macarons full breakfast

A great hotel which was perfect for an overnight stop before our flight to Amanpulo. Full breakfast at what is probably the most comprehensive buffet I’ve seen. The Casino precinct is crazy busy.

 

[kyle]

Question has to be asked though. Why are Australian Hiltons such tight cough in providing anything beyond the published benefits? Elsewhere in other countries (probably not the US), we get wines, biscuits, full breakfast, etc etc.

Is the hotel industry not competitive enough in Australia? At first I thought it's culture related as many hotels here are owned by Singaporean investors, but then you go to Singapore and you get showered with many things as an elite.

 

[WLGFlyer]

Sounded like $10 regardless - I was in a rush and the staff member seemed a bit confused herself.
Anyhow, my 2 cents as mentioned before. Trying to limit the free breakfast to certain items, which is near impossible to police anyways, just feels petty. I'm spending 50+ nights in your hotel and you draw the line at the occasional egg for breakfast which costs you a few cents. I can sort of understand that if you offer breakfast at the lounge, you want people to use it. Fair enough.

Update on the breakfast situation for Diamonds at the Adelaide Hilton:

Breakfast only free at the lounge - if you want to eat downstairs it's $10 for the full breakfast. If you're Gold you can eat downstairs for free (Continental only) or pay $10 for the full breakfast.

 

[kyle]

Update on the breakfast situation for Diamonds at the Adelaide Hilton:

Breakfast only free at the lounge - if you want to eat downstairs it's $10 for the full breakfast. If you're Gold you can eat downstairs for free (Continental only) or pay $10 for the full breakfast.

So if a Gold got upgraded to executive floor, then the Gold would have better benefits than a Diamond?

 

[DC3]

Breakfast only free at the lounge - if you want to eat downstairs it's $10 for the full breakfast. If you're Gold you can eat downstairs for free (Continental only) or pay $10 for the full breakfast.

Yes. Adelaide is different.

 

[WLGFlyer]

So if a Gold got upgraded to executive floor, then the Gold would have better benefits than a Diamond?

Yes it's frustrating. My Gold colleagues had various experiences though, upgraded to Exec Floor but no lounge access, full breakfast for free downstairs (well, who is checking that anyways) etc.

I tried to have breakfast downstairs a few times over the past months and was always quoted $10. Ended up going as the guest of a Gold

 

[justinbrett]

Question has to be asked though. Why are Australian Hiltons such tight cough in providing anything beyond the published benefits? Elsewhere in other countries (probably not the US), we get wines, biscuits, full breakfast, etc etc.

Is the hotel industry not competitive enough in Australia? At first I thought it's culture related as many hotels here are owned by Singaporean investors, but then you go to Singapore and you get showered with many things as an elite.

US is worse than Australia, IMO.

 

[bussyboy]

Well this was helpful


I already have 7/10 nights, 7+3=10 the last time i checked

 

[liamsal]

Hilton Sydney
September 2023
Booked King Deluxe Room
Received Junior Suite
Rate $295p/n
Check in was messy as the systems were down and the room wasn’t ready until after 3pm. Must’ve been chaotic as they didn’t respond to my app message from earlier in the day. But a nice upgrade so wasn’t too bothered. I ended up being charged double the room rate per night and emailed Hilton who said the system accidentally charged me for the upgraded room. They said the difference would be refunded to my card within 4-6 weeks (6 week mark is today so might have to follow it up). $10 buffet upgrade and coffee tax charged.

West Hotel Sydney Curio
September 2023
Booked King Banksia Room
Received King Banksia Deluxe room
Rate $278 p/n
Checked in online so had zero interactions with the staff there. Had an early flight so can’t comment on breakfast. Another bleh upgrade from this hotel, I really should stick with the Hilton SYD. The lounge and upgrades are a real draw card.

 

[Disco]

Hilton Madrid Aeroporto
October 2023, 2 nights
Booked King guest, 190 euros +points
Received King Relaxation Executive Corner room.
Very happy with upgrade, very quiet and spacious room. Although hotel is accessed via a convoluted freeway system could see runways, four of. Could perhaps be used sequentially in various combinations dependent on wind, conditions etc, almost simultaneously. Busy airport. Executive lounge food offerings very limited.

 

[60165636]

A few reviews from a recent Europe trip:

I am Hilton Gold.

Property: Doubletree by Hilton Rome Monti
Booked: King Superior Room
Received: King Superior Room (reception staff tried to find me an upgrade but was very apologetic - I didn't expect one anyway given it was August in Rome and the hotel was at capacity++)
Benefits: Full breakfast including hot items and barista coffee (and prosecco by the bottle!)
Cost: ~300 euros per night

Brilliant hotel and would return anytime. 10 minutes walk from Roma Termini, and a 5 minute walk to Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (where we by chance saw the Pope when visiting here!), and a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum, with many excellent restaurants just outside the door. Lovely modern design, well equipped gym which is rare for Italy, a rooftop bar with amazing views, and large, spacious and modern rooms with USB charging ports, TV with casting and streaming, and good showers. Staff extremely helpful despite being run off their feet and couldn't stop apologising for not being able to offer an early checkin or room upgrade after we had arrived from Australia, despite us not expecting it in the least.

Property: Hampton by Hilton London City
Booked: Queen Room
Received: Queen Room with sofa bed (essentially a bigger room with a handy couch to put the suitcase on!)
Benefits: Full hot breakfast including (terrible) machine coffee, and on check in an amenity of a drink and a snack
Cost: about 150 quid a night

Another excellent and brand new hotel, having opened in June 2023. Room upgrade given without asking and status specifically thanked by duty manager. Room quite large for London, with modern amenities like USB charging, streaming TV etc. Also has a modern gym. I like the area, on Brick Lane in Spitalfields, though some may find it a bit dodgy. I personally prefer East London as it's more "real" and the Aldgate East tube station is 3 minutes from the hotel. Also a 15 minute walk from the Tower of London and The Gherkin. Would happily return.

Property: Hilton Garden Inn Evora
Booked: King Room
Received: Deluxe King Room
Benefits: Full breakfast
Cost: A bargain at 95 euros a night

Wonderful hotel in a wonderful city. Brand new and ultramodern, with a rooftop pool, gym and bar, which was very much appreciated on the 40 degree day. Full breakfast included including hot items. Rooms huge, modern and really quite luxurious - the nicest Garden Inn I've ever stayed in and better than some actual Hiltons in Australia.

 

[kyle]

Finally got a card, brut and a suite upgrade (from premium king) from LQS!

 

[Spacetravel]

Well this was helpful
View attachment 349663

I already have 7/10 nights, 7+3=10 the last time i checked
View attachment 349662

Has there been any other offers like this going around? Im 5 nights off renewing diamond (on top of my planned stays). 5 night mattress run is a bit much, especially at current rates.

 

[QF_Flyer]

Property: Hilton Manilla
Booked: King (40k / night)
Received: Executive King
Benefits received: Bottle of wine and macarons full breakfast

A great hotel which was perfect for an overnight stop before our flight to Amanpulo. Full breakfast at what is probably the most comprehensive buffet I’ve seen. The Casino precinct is crazy busy.

View attachment 349040View attachment 349041

I arguably prefer this hotel to the Conrad Manila, although I like both. They're very consistently good, I agree with everything you've said.

Stayed on three separate occasions in the last 12-18 months, each time on 40k per night redemptions of between 1-3 nights, every time upgraded to King Exec, macaroons and bottle of wine in the room on arrival, swift check-in in the lounge. The timing of QF19 means you can arrive in time for the evening drinks, etc., and every time they've offered to get me some food etc. ready (as I always insist on heading for a shower after check-in, for the benefit of myself and others around me after an afternoon on a plane). Very good.

Conrad Manila has also been good though, again redemptions of 1-3 nights on two occasions, one was upgraded to a King Bay View Exec, another to a One Bedroom Suite - good restaurant breakfast at both, but the Hilton just nudges it for me over Conrad. My experiences are Diamond.

 

[QF_Flyer]

Recent trip to Asia (last week) involved two Hilton properties.

Conrad Bangkok - booked Standard King (A$250 ish), given King Exec. Some Conrad branded snacks in the room on arrival, along with several bottles of water and a Conrad elephant. Breakfast in either lounge of restaurant, I would actually pick the lounge here - the restaurant gets very busy, very quickly. The lounge has an a la carte menu with your usual breakfast stuff (eggs benedict, etc.), but it depends what you're after, I guess. The lounge in the evening is really good, the drinks are free flowing and food is excellent, they had a whole peking duck which was being carved up and made into duck pancake rolls, I couldn't get enough.

Hilton Singapore Orchard - booked 65,000 point redemption, given King Exec. Just bottled water in room on arrival, but the hotel is very new/modern (apparently the largest Hilton in Asia?), it used to be the Mandarin Singapore. Lounge is cavernous, no issues getting a seat. Plenty of drinks variety, but food for both afternoon tea and evening is a bit lacking in variety. I usually pick the Conrad in SG, but had never stayed here before and thought I'd give it a go, for something different. I definitely like it, but Conrad wins, even though they have stopped the bears now . Anyway I digress, 16:00 checkout at Orchard was granted (as a Diamond benefit apparently, not sure what they'd offer to anyone else) which was perfect for my 20:05 flight back to Australia. I didn't bother with breakfast, but did eat at one of the restaurants the last night I was there, it wasn't cheap, but they do offer a dining discount of 25% to Gold/Diamond members, I think (it was on a sheet I was given at check-in that I can't currently locate), which eased the pain somewhat.

 

[kyle]

Recent trip to Asia (last week) involved two Hilton properties.

Conrad Bangkok - booked Standard King (A$250 ish), given King Exec. Some Conrad branded snacks in the room on arrival, along with several bottles of water and a Conrad elephant. Breakfast in either lounge of restaurant, I would actually pick the lounge here - the restaurant gets very busy, very quickly. The lounge has an a la carte menu with your usual breakfast stuff (eggs benedict, etc.), but it depends what you're after, I guess. The lounge in the evening is really good, the drinks are free flowing and food is excellent, they had a whole peking duck which was being carved up and made into duck pancake rolls, I couldn't get enough.

Hilton Singapore Orchard - booked 65,000 point redemption, given King Exec. Just bottled water in room on arrival, but the hotel is very new/modern (apparently the largest Hilton in Asia?), it used to be the Mandarin Singapore. Lounge is cavernous, no issues getting a seat. Plenty of drinks variety, but food for both afternoon tea and evening is a bit lacking in variety. I usually pick the Conrad in SG, but had never stayed here before and thought I'd give it a go, for something different. I definitely like it, but Conrad wins, even though they have stopped the bears now . Anyway I digress, 16:00 checkout at Orchard was granted (as a Diamond benefit apparently, not sure what they'd offer to anyone else) which was perfect for my 20:05 flight back to Australia. I didn't bother with breakfast, but did eat at one of the restaurants the last night I was there, it wasn't cheap, but they do offer a dining discount of 25% to Gold/Diamond members, I think (it was on a sheet I was given at check-in that I can't currently locate), which eased the pain somewhat.

Oh no more bears? I was there in August and didn't get one and didn't ask for one because I already got a few.

 

[desafinado74]

Recent trip to Asia (last week) involved two Hilton properties.

Conrad Bangkok - booked Standard King (A$250 ish), given King Exec. Some Conrad branded snacks in the room on arrival, along with several bottles of water and a Conrad elephant. Breakfast in either lounge of restaurant, I would actually pick the lounge here - the restaurant gets very busy, very quickly. The lounge has an a la carte menu with your usual breakfast stuff (eggs benedict, etc.), but it depends what you're after, I guess. The lounge in the evening is really good, the drinks are free flowing and food is excellent, they had a whole peking duck which was being carved up and made into duck pancake rolls, I couldn't get enough.

Hilton Singapore Orchard - booked 65,000 point redemption, given King Exec. Just bottled water in room on arrival, but the hotel is very new/modern (apparently the largest Hilton in Asia?), it used to be the Mandarin Singapore. Lounge is cavernous, no issues getting a seat. Plenty of drinks variety, but food for both afternoon tea and evening is a bit lacking in variety. I usually pick the Conrad in SG, but had never stayed here before and thought I'd give it a go, for something different. I definitely like it, but Conrad wins, even though they have stopped the bears now . Anyway I digress, 16:00 checkout at Orchard was granted (as a Diamond benefit apparently, not sure what they'd offer to anyone else) which was perfect for my 20:05 flight back to Australia. I didn't bother with breakfast, but did eat at one of the restaurants the last night I was there, it wasn't cheap, but they do offer a dining discount of 25% to Gold/Diamond members, I think (it was on a sheet I was given at check-in that I can't currently locate), which eased the pain somewhat.

Does Conrad still provide the rubber ducks? I hope this lack of bears is not gonna be a trend amongst Conrad hotels.