Booking Awards at Hilton's

[k3nnis]

Hi All,

Just wondering if everyone else is experiencing the same thing as me. Basically I am searching for awards at Hilton SYD, Hilton Surfers Paradise, Hilton South Wharf in MEL, they are 50000 points per night. But If I search anymore than 1 night stay it won't show. If I search as a single night stay it will show. e.g. if I wanted to book say 30th March 2013 to 2nd April 2013 I can't. But if I search as multiple single night stays it works...

So does this mean I have to book it as separate nights???

I am HH Gold. Maybe I need to be Diamond???

Thanks,
K.

 

[mella2007]

It all depends on award availability and what the hotel has allocated for those dates as blocks. You will find the hotels in Australia have higher points redemption rates per night than any other country in the world, so depending on how many points you do have...save them for a time you can redeem on better properties with lower points rates (like Asia, some hotels in Europe etc)
Give the Hilton desk a call also and see what their search function comes up with.

 

[Danger]

I would have no hesitation in booking each night individually if that's what got you what you needed. In my experience, Hilton is notorious for charging the highest amount of all the nights, across the whole stay. So, for example, if you booked Monday by itself and it was $100 and Tuesday by itself and it was $150, I've found that if searching for a two night stay Sunday to Tuesday, Hilton will charge you $150 for both nights. On one four night stay at the Hilton Sydney I booked four individual nights because they tried to charge me the highest rate for all four nights if I booked it as one stay. It creates a problem for them at check-in because they assume you're only staying one night so then they have to reassign rooms etc. But as far as I'm concerned, they create the problem themselves.

 

[serfty]

This is 1) Easter & 2) The start of the AFL footy Season.

Having type that and done siome check - I see no issue now. Perhaps it's been fixed?

A four night stay should only cost 170K (4x42.5K) rather than the 200K (4x50k). I see that as a Diamond.

Also I can see 50K per night for the Easter period being requested 30thMarch->2ndApril

Searching while logged off still shows 3 x 50K and I can still spend the 150K if I wished.

 

[k3nnis]

Hi Serfty,

So when you searched while logged off, you can book 30th March -> 2nd April no problems using 50000 points per night??

What was the URL that you used to search offline?

This is 1) Easter & 2) The start of the AFL footy Season.

Having type that and done siome check - I see no issue now. Perhaps it's been fixed?

A four night stay should only cost 170K (4x42.5K) rather than the 200K (4x50k). I see that as a Diamond.

Also I can see 50K per night for the Easter period being requested 30thMarch->2ndApril

Searching while logged off still shows 3 x 50K and I can still spend the 150K if I wished.

 

[serfty]

I logged on, searched for March 30th through April 2nd and saw 50K per night.

Then did March 30th through April 3rd and saw 42½K per night.

Realised that as a Diamond I may see things differently, so logged out to here:

Hilton Hotels & Resorts | Hotel Rooms, Reservations & Business Hotels

Typed in Mel - waited for the options then selected "Melbourne, Australia", the dates, selected "Use HHonors Points" and away I went.

I did have to log on after selecting 50,000 HHonors points for "King Hilton Guestroom".

 

[k3nnis]

thanks. I think being a diamond you can see more awards compared to a HH gold like myself.

Also do you think HSW,HSP, HSYD are all worth 50000 points per night?

 

[serfty]

thanks. I think being a diamond you can see more awards compared to a HH gold like myself.

Also do you think HSW,HSP, HSYD are all worth 50000 points per night?

I think Diamond get access to more rewards booking at ridiculous point costs - if a Diamond can see a standard reward, so should a Gold.

As for value - they all pale into insignificance if you compare them with the Parmelia Hilton in Per at 50K.

 

[k3nnis]

thanks for the info Serfty. Is the Perth property that bad?

 

[serfty]

... Is the Perth property that bad?

Not really, I just don't think it's worth the 50K points. (They get away with it due to a scarcity of accommodation in Perth, especially during the week.)

No exec. lounge and it is also rather dated both in construction and decor - a bit old world, however SWMBO likes it.

 

[Danger]

thanks for the info Serfty. Is the Perth property that bad?

Not really, I just don't think it's worth the 50K points. (They get away with it due to a scarcity of accommodation in Perth, especially during the week.)

No exec. lounge and it is also rather dated both in construction and decor - a bit old world, however SWMBO likes it.

I think you're right about it being due to the scarcity of accommodation. I agree it's dated with wallpaper and the like but I do think it's quite well maintained. Of course, when you put it up against 40k for the Conrad or Hilton in Singapore, you really see the difference.

 

[k3nnis]

It's great value in SIN
Will probably go to the gold coast next year and will stay at the Hilton there, not sure if I should go for residences or hilton? Not much difference?
Will be going with wife and 2 year old.
And are my chances low for an upgrade to an exec room and lounge access as HH Gold?
Brekky anygood there?

 

[QF029]

How many points do you have in your account. I've noticed when I'm logged in that I often can't see rooms if I don't have enough points to book them but when I'm not logged in I can seem them fine.

 

[k3nnis]

I don't have enough points.

 

[serfty]

I don't have enough points.

I have found the booking engine will still quote the points and then offer to sell you enough HHonors points to make up the difference between your balance and the points required.

I just did a test.

Used the above link to search for awards (while not logged on) for which I would be substantially short on HHonors points, logging on only when it asked.

With the searches the quoted cost to buy these varied:

One was 91,946 HHonors Points for $1,958.38 USD @ US2.13¢ per point (Hardly good value).

Another was 36,946 HHonors Points for $369.46 USD or @ US1¢ per point (better, but not great).

In any case, you can buy up to 40K HHonors points per year at us1¢ each - I guess the lower rate apples for the first 40K.