First time staying at the Hilton confused

[sshazam]

Hello all,

I've recently signed up to the Hilton HHonors program and i'm a bit confused on a few things.

Firstly you move from Blue to Gold by either having Four stays or 10 nights but wouldn't you have Four stays before 10 nights ? I might be missing something here?

I'm booking through Expedia 10% off your stay if booking 2 nights, meaning my room comes down to $205 per night. Can I still claim the points or do you only get the points if booking through hilton ?

Sorry if my questions seem really noob i've tried searching but couldn't find anything.

Thanks for all the help and if anyone could share any insight or tips and tricks to maximise the program i'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[markis10]

A stay is the period between check in and check out, which is why someone staying for 10 nights might move each day between hotels so that it becomes 10 stays not 1 if they stayed at the same hotel. And you cannot check out then re-checkin, as it will count as one stay.

Third party bookings more often than not do not count, such as expedia.

 

[TomVexille]

Hello all,

I've recently signed up to the Hilton HHonors program and i'm a bit confused on a few things.

Firstly you move from Blue to Gold by either having Four stays or 10 nights but wouldn't you have Four stays before 10 nights ? I might be missing something here?

Almost. Four stays gets you to silver. And some people might get to 10 nights in one or two stays, others in 10 stays. Hence the two different qualification methods.

I'm booking through Expedia 10% off your stay if booking 2 nights, meaning my room comes down to $205 per night. Can I still claim the points or do you only get the points if booking through hilton ?

I don't think so. But I'll leave it to the HH experts here.

 

[DC3]

You would need to sign up to a Gold fast-track offer (eg, MVP), if you haven't done so already. Is that what you are doing?

Regarding stays/nights, as an example, if you stayed for 6 nights and then for 4 nights, then that would meet the 10 night criteria. Or, 4 x one-night stays = 4 stays. So, 4 stays or 10 nights for the fast-track offer.

Checking-out then checking back in on the same day still counts as the one stay.

Booking through a third party does not normally count and would be against the conditions I would think.

Edit: Normally 20 stays to reach Gold.

 

[sshazam]

A stay is the period between check in and check out, which is why someone staying for 10 nights might move each day between hotels so that it becomes 10 stays not 1 if they stayed at the same hotel. And you cannot check out then re-checkin, as it will count as one stay.

Third party bookings more often than not do not count, such as expedia.

Thanks heaps that makes so much more sense now !

Are there any third party websites which count ?

You would need to sign up to a Gold fast-track offer (eg, MVP), if you haven't done so already. Is that what you are doing?

Regarding stays/nights, as an example, if you stayed for 6 nights and then for 4 nights, then that would meet the 10 night criteria. Or, 4 x one-night stays = 4 stays. So, 4 stays or 10 nights for the fast-track offer.

Checking-out then checking back in on the same day still counts as the one stay.

Booking through a third party does not normally count and would be against the conditions I would think.

Edit: Normally 20 stays to reach Gold.

Yeah I just signed up to MVP !, I entered my details but i'm unsure if I haven't received any notification to say i'm qualified.

Thanks heaps for the help guys, I had no clue there were so many promotions ! I've signed up to get the email promotions from them, are there any other good websites which offer specials ?

 

[moa999]

Hilton generally offers quarterly promotions (mostly double base points or equivalent) plus occasionally some credit card linked specials.

Generally stays booked through a corporate travel agent will earn points/stays/nights, but the online ones won't and certainly the non-transperant (eg wotif mystery, priceline) won't. Am sure there is a grey line there, but I generally book direct through Hilton to ensure my details are in the booking etc.

 

[get me outta here]

What is MVP and can I get fast a fast track... I just signed up my daughter for her ORD conference and AGM starting Thursday and she wanted the same place for the 2 weeks. The hotel is costing>$4,000 as it's convention season there.

Her hotel is on the double points offer, will she get them automatically?

 

[Princess Fiona]

What is MVP and can I get fast a fast track... I just signed up my daughter for her ORD conference and AGM starting Thursday and she wanted the same place for the 2 weeks. The hotel is costing>$4,000 as it's convention season there.

Her hotel is on the double points offer, will she get them automatically?

Here's the MVP link.
Normally need to register for points offers
https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/ProcessLanding/ProcessLanding/?lp=mvpftgold

 

[get me outta here]

She won't be spending much time in hotels, so would it be better to credit points to QF?

 

[DC3]

There are some 16 Hilton-chain hotels within the Chicago CBD and another 5 or six "near" the airport. No reason not to get a few separate stays in pretty quick. Then kick back as Gold after the four stays.

 

[get me outta here]

She wants to be right next to the conference so will stay in one place for the whole 2 weeks. I guess that means very few points anyway as only one stay.

There are some 16 Hilton-chain hotels within the Chicago CBD and another 5 or six "near" the airport. No reason not to get a few separate stays in pretty quick. Then kick back as Gold after the four stays.

 

[Princess Fiona]

She won't be spending much time in hotels, so would it be better to credit points to QF?

There are multiple airline partners to double dip with including VA, QF and AA.
Base points earning is separate to this.

 

[Princess Fiona]

She wants to be right next to the conference so will stay in one place for the whole 2 weeks. I guess that means very few points anyway as only one stay.

It's 10 base points per USD so that's 40K HH points roughly which is definitely enough for a nights reward stay at a medium hotel or a 5 star hotel on points plus pay

 

[Deleted member 29185]

She wants to be right next to the conference so will stay in one place for the whole 2 weeks. I guess that means very few points anyway as only one stay.

As an example for sshazam, your daughter is choosing to spend the whole 14 days in one hotel continuously, which is more for convenience and is spending circa US$4000. For that, as a blue member, she earns approx. 40k HH base points, 1 stay credit and 14 night credits.

To gain HH status a member needs to earn (ignoring MVP and CC status) in each calendar year:
- For silver: 4 stays or 10 nights
- For gold: 20 stays or 40 nights or 75k base points
- For diamond: 30 stays or 60 nights or 120k base points

If she were to be interested in chasing HH status, by mattress running (staying each night in an alternate hotel), two hotels in a near vicinity of each other could earn her 14 stays rather than just 1 stay and put her damn near 1/2 way to diamond status.

As an example, diamond status gives the member:
- Room upgrades (even to suites from time to time from base bookings)
- Executive lounge access for two (and more occasionally) including afternoon tea and pre-dinner canapés (including complementary alcohol at most lounges)
- Complementary breakfast for two (and more occasionally) with some properties allowing that to be taken from a full buffet menu
- High speed internet
- Late check-out when available
- 1000 bonus points per stay
- 50% more bonus points over base points
- each 5th consecutive night free
- complementary bottled water
- Newspaper (at least it used to be a benefit ... not sure where that went, but it seems to be currently missing off the benefits list)
- 48 hour room guarantee (debatable benefit)

plus other common benefits like free access to the gyms, second guest stays for free, express check-out, e-upgrades, e-check-in.

 

[DC3]

She wants to be right next to the conference so will stay in one place for the whole 2 weeks ..............

get me outta here, your daughter has no interest in Hilton status benefits, has she?

 

[get me outta here]

What a terrible lost opportunity, but even if I said I could tell her how to save the $4000, she'd still go for convenience. She's one of those people who will never be rich in that context anyway. She's successful in other ways, and this is her first big conference overseas and going alone. But, well have a good laugh over the 'mattress run'.

As an example for sshazam, your daughter is choosing to spend the whole 14 days in one hotel continuously, which is more for convenience and is spending circa US$4000. For that, as a blue member, she earns approx. 40k HH base points, 1 stay credit and 14 night credits.

To gain HH status a member needs to earn (ignoring MVP and CC status) in each calendar year:
- For silver: 4 stays or 10 nights
- For gold: 20 stays or 40 nights or 75k base points
- For diamond: 30 stays or 60 nights or 120k base points

If she were to be interested in chasing HH status, by mattress running (staying each night in an alternate hotel), two hotels in a near vicinity of each other could earn her 14 stays rather than just 1 stay and put her damn near 1/2 way to diamond status.

As an example, diamond status gives the member:
- Room upgrades (even to suites from time to time from base bookings)
- Executive lounge access for two (and more occasionally) including afternoon tea and pre-dinner canapés (including complementary alcohol at most lounges)
- Complementary breakfast for two (and more occasionally) with some properties allowing that to be taken from a full buffet menu
- High speed internet
- Late check-out when available
- 1000 bonus points per stay
- 50% more bonus points over base points
- each 5th consecutive night free
- complementary bottled water
- Newspaper (at least it used to be a benefit ... not sure where that went, but it seems to be currently missing off the benefits list)
- 48 hour room guarantee (debatable benefit)

plus other common benefits like free access to the gyms, second guest stays for free, express check-out, e-upgrades, e-check-in.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

she'd still go for convenience.

And nothing wrong with that either. Mattress running certainly has it's drawbacks!

 

[sshazam]

I accidentally booked for a one night stay at $219 last night instead of two, when I went to change the booking to two nights it said it would be $258 each night (not sure why the first nights price moved up to $258). Looked at the cost of a 3 night stay in November and it said it would be just less than $200 each night.

Today I went to extend my booking the price seems to be $300 each night and the November booking is $400 each night ! I get prices can change here and there but such a huge difference over a 24 hour period ?

Not sure if i'm

 

[DC3]

Why don't you do dummy bookings, each for one night, just to check the pricing that way?

You may find that the entry-level rooms are booked out on some nights so the price you are getting for 2 or more nights is for availability across the whole period on a higher-priced room type.

Also, there's the issue of supply and demand.

 

[get me outta here]

Also, maybe clear your cookies etc.