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.

 

[markis10]

Status: Diamond
Date: 5-6 Aug 2013
Property: Hilton Brisbane
Booked: King Guest Room
Received: King Executive Room
Rate: $293 prepaid

Wasn't expecting the suite at this property from the comments on here they seem a bit more hit and miss here than down south.

Lot less suites on offer does not help.

 

[JessicaTam]

Lot less suites on offer does not help.

I think they only have 4, but I may be mistaken.

 

[boomy]

I think they only have 4, but I may be mistaken.

Close enough, they have 5

 

[beardoc]

Status: Diamond
Date: 2-3 Aug 2013
Property: Hilton Sydney
Booked: King Deluxe Room
Received: King Executive Room, but after discussion with the front desk manager was upgraded to a Relaxation Suite.
Rate: $299 (less 20%)
Extras: Bottles of water (on request), wi-fi for 4 devices, breakfast in Glass

Dinner in Glass was nice too. Eric knows me well and looks after me all the time in the Executive Lounge at night, and Tomiko does the same in the morning. I love the lounge here because of them.

Status: Diamond
Date: 3-4 Aug 2013
Property: Hilton On The Park
Booked: King Guest Room
Received: King Executive Room (no suite upgrade, but the hotel website was listing "no rooms available")
Rate: $205

Have to admit the room was really ordinary. Wi-Fi failed constantly (on all four devices the internet connectivity would fail for 2-3 minutes - sort of like an authentication server was rebooting constantly) - the Movielink people couldn't fix it until when I was checking out. Bathroom shower curtain tracking was unstable and fell apart.

Probably the most uncomfortable thing was that the staff at breakfast seemed overly keen to receive positve feedback and went into that "servile" sort of service rather than friendly and comfortable service you usually get with Hilton. It was sort of creepy - almost needy. I wonder what sort of management situation led to the staff doing that?

Maybe it's time for me to try HSW again. Or are both HOTP and HSW going downhill in Melbourne now?

 

[JessicaTam]

I have had mixed results at HotP recently. But after a chat to management, it seems to have righted itself. The rooms can be hit and mix, but I find the service makes up for that. Breakfast is always friendly, and I have never thought overly so.

If you want to be certain of a good room, then HSW for sure. I will tend to HotP for the service.

 

[turtlemichael]

Status: Diamond
Date: 31 Jul -6 Aug 2013
Property: Doubletree Suites Hotel Times Square
Booked: King Suite (2 rooms)
Received: As booked
Rate: 37.5K points x 6 ( booked pre-devaluation) and very good value given the BAR is in the $400 and $500 per night range
Extras: 2 bottles of water, breakfasts (plus a selection of small vodkas, juices and nibbles as compensation after we got stuck in their lift one day!)
Pleasant huge busyhotel, very well located for tourist activities. Dated carpets and furnishings but huge for New York rooms in good condition. Breakfast was extensive but of average quality. It was never busy given that it was $27.95 ++ which was way overpriced. Generally friendly helpful staff but very brusque New York front desk staff. Excellent wifi.

 

[Moopere]

Probably the most uncomfortable thing was that the staff at breakfast seemed overly keen to receive positve feedback and went into that "servile" sort of service rather than friendly and comfortable service you usually get with Hilton. It was sort of creepy - almost needy. I wonder what sort of management situation led to the staff doing that?

Mmm, yes, I've noticed this too. I think they have had a complete staff change at the in house restaurant, and a good thing too. Continual bad feedback about lazy forgetful service probably triggered this imho. So, someone got a kick up the backside, and rightly so, and now we've seen the service go in the other direction but in an odd sort of way. Frankly, if these are the only two choices I'll go with what they are doing now.

Maybe it's time for me to try HSW again. Or are both HOTP and HSW going downhill in Melbourne now?

Its tough. HSW have staggered considerably since the heady opening years. Rooms are already showing serious signs of wear, broken and discoloured tiles in the bathrooms are really showing up as a major problem .. otherwise the rooms are larger and generally the views are better IMHO. The exec lounge at HSW is bigger and generally better in my view, but then, lack of pool will soon annoy me as the weather in MEL starts to heat up. Service at HSW in the last year (roughly) for me has been appalling.

On the other hand, HoTP is not as convenient in its location for me, though I do like the eastern side of MEL generally speaking. Rooms are small but don't seem to be degrading at quite the rapid rate of HSW (or ... perhaps have already degraded to a stable minimum level hehehe, far from new after all). View from either side of the hotel is nothing to talk about. Service is good, though I find I have to keep them honest and have a fair chat at check-in relating to my expectations - which are nothing out of the ordinary, just standard stuff with the expected status stuff thrown in for good measure. HoTP feels a lot warmer to me as a building and always has, must be the wood tones or something

All in all, if I'm going for a suite then I'll still go HSW as theirs are far superior as a product and suite customers still seem to get a bit of extra love which helps get past their otherwise _very_ ordinary service level. Outside of that I'll pretty much choose HoTP as the service there is good and the hard product not so bad as to turn me off completely.

 

[Hvr]

Status: Diamond
Date: 30 Jul -31 Jul 2013
Property: Conrad Bangkok
Booked: King Room
Received: Three room suite
Rate: THB5,000

Extras: A fruit platter in room, four bottles of water, extra water put in room when bed turned down.

The Conrad treats Diamond members very well, also they know me here having spent several nights here last year. You're taken to your room for check in once they know you're a Diamond level customer.

The check in lady asked me if she could bring a trainee to the room to show her the process. Of course was my response. Upon entry into the room I sat on the chair leaving the couch free for them but they insisted on kneeling on the floor beside me. I found this a bit embarrassing.

The room was magnificent and I was shown all of the features. The bed was delightfully hard.

The executive lounge is just a delight with quiet professional drink service which never runs dry. Upon entering I was speaking with two other men and we continued our conversation in the lounge. Turns out they were FlyerTalkers so we had a great time swapping travel stories within an appreciative audience.

When one of them accidentally knocked over our drinks the lounge staff realised the couch was too wet to use so moved us to another table with new drinks.

Breakfast is a bit different with the toaster way too slow to cook to Australian standards (i.e. actually cooking the toast).

Lots of food and the hot chocolate was quickly served.

 

[boomy]

Status: Diamond
Date: 30 Jul -31 Jul 2013
Property: Conrad Bangkok
Booked: King Room
Received: Three room suite
Rate: THB5,000

Extras: A fruit platter in room, four bottles of water, extra water put in room when bed turned down.

The Conrad treats Diamond members very well, also they know me here having spent several nights here last year. You're taken to your room for check in once they know you're a Diamond level customer.

The check in lady asked me if she could bring a trainee to the room to show her the process. Of course was my response. Upon entry into the room I sat on the chair leaving the couch free for them but they insisted on kneeling on the floor beside me. I found this a bit embarrassing.

The room was magnificent and I was shown all of the features. The bed was delightfully hard.

The executive lounge is just a delight with quiet professional drink service which never runs dry. Upon entering I was speaking with two other men and we continued our conversation in the lounge. Turns out they were FlyerTalkers so we had a great time swapping travel stories within an appreciative audience.

When one of them accidentally knocked over our drinks the lounge staff realised the couch was too wet to use so moved us to another table with new drinks.

Breakfast is a bit different with the toaster way too slow to cook to Australian standards (i.e. actually cooking the toast).

Lots of food and the hot chocolate was quickly served.

Sounds like a great hotel and fantastic service. I love Conrad hotels. Too bad they gave up on Australia

 

[JessicaTam]

Status: Diamond
Date: 30 Jul -31 Jul 2013
Property: Conrad Bangkok
Booked: King Room
Received: Three room suite
Rate: THB5,000

....

A three room suite and you didn't tell us! Next time, party at your place.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Just made a crucial error. Looking on wotif, saw Parmelia Hilton Perth for $128 (whhaaatt!!??!)

So booked it. Whoops. Should have booked on hhonors.

So q is, can i add my hhonors number abd will i get points and a stay credited??

 

[Princess Fiona]

Status : Diamond
Date : 08-10 Aug
Property: HSW
Booked : Standard King
Rate: $199 Govt
Received: Relaxation Suite

Finally !!!!! Feeling the Diamond love tonight at HSW
My third suite upgrade ever ( 2 previous at Conrad Hong Kong)
My faith in humanity is restored

 

[ataline]

Do upgrades at HSW normally show the day before checkin? Or are they only done at the actual time of checkin?

 

[drross]

Short answer Boris... No

 

[Boris spatsky]

Short answer Boris... No

Thought that might be the case. Got too excited by the price

 

[Princess Fiona]

Do upgrades at HSW normally show the day before checkin? Or are they only done at the actual time of checkin?

FYI this was showing 2 days ago, thought it must be a mistake :!: Very unusual

 

[ataline]

FYI this was showing 2 days ago, thought it must be a mistake :!: Very unusual

Bummer - I guess I'm not getting an upgrade tomorrow then!

 

[robbie1984]

Just made a crucial error. Looking on wotif, saw Parmelia Hilton Perth for $128 (whhaaatt!!??!)

So booked it. Whoops. Should have booked on hhonors.

So q is, can i add my hhonors number abd will i get points and a stay credited??

I have done this before and somewhere (cant recall atm) you dont earn on none direct bookings but i have phoned the hotel and asked to check my booking had my HH number and had them add it.

 

[boomy]

Just made a crucial error. Looking on wotif, saw Parmelia Hilton Perth for $128 (whhaaatt!!??!)

So booked it. Whoops. Should have booked on hhonors.

So q is, can i add my hhonors number abd will i get points and a stay credited??

I saw the same thing on wotif. It showed 128$ Friday & Saturday but Sunday was 256$. Then I logged in to Hhonors and managed to book all 3 nights for 115$ per night. What an awesome deal!!

 

[coolumbla]

Ive lost the love i think

Gold status

HSW 2 weeks ago and Sydney last night
I got what i booked! DYKWIA?

although i suspect i may have a note in my file of "tries to rort macqurie discount " after a discussion on the phone yesterday

Booked MIL a room at HOTP using my hhonors acct (her fave hotel it seems) using the discount card i had with the code activated and rang to ensure her name was actually on teh booking
"you cant use that code she's not entitled to your macquarie discount"

"ive booked in her name used her credit card to guarantee it and yes im using a discount guest card"

"you cant do it "
"oh yes i can !"

seems that giving my wife my macquarie card to pay for her last stay was wrong and i cant do that and thus im rorting the system

So when Mrs C keeps telling me that whats hers is hers and whats mine is hers shes actually wrong???? ( but i wont tell her that!)




C