HHonors Golds getting less Executive upgrades in Oz these days?

[IainF]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

I had stayed at the Sydney Hilton previously, but far less often. Similarly at HSW & HOP.
Maybe I should make a "dual" booking and see which one gets the upgrade (If at all).

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi IanF, I've never had a suite upgrade either, didn't consider it to be a gender thing but now I'm curious.
After being disappointed a couple of times at Hilton Sydney I now nearly always take the NOR1 upgrades.
At HSW, I've given up expecting an upgrade and now just book the suite ( usually welcomed at check-in with the inevitable "We have upgraded you to a suite " )
For me the benefit of Diamond is the Exec Lounge access and breakfast in the Restaurant. The upgrades are a fantasy.
FWIW although I am a VA HH Diamond, I was Gold for 18 months prior to this and will comfortably re-qual Diamond in base points.

 

[k3nnis]

Looks like it may be a female thing! Which is very strange...

 

[anat0l]

Hi IanF, I've never had a suite upgrade either, didn't consider it to be a gender thing but now I'm curious.

Next thing you know it, it'll be determining whether the HH system is biased towards men. Oy gevalt.....

Of course, it makes it harder for AFF to verify all of this, given that most of the members on AFF are male.

After being disappointed a couple of times at Hilton Sydney I now nearly always take the NOR1 upgrades.
At HSW, I've given up expecting an upgrade and now just book the suite ( usually welcomed at check-in with the inevitable "We have upgraded you to a suite " )

As it seems, HH have successfully milked their status out of you. They've made you book the higher class rooms

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Looks like it may be a female thing! Which is very strange...

One property and I could imagine that being possible.....two properties, unlikely.......multiple would infer a chain-wide discrimination policy which is almost impossible to believe. Unlucky perhaps?

 

[drron]

Well mrsdrron is 0/5 over 3 countries.(as HH diamond)

 

[straitman]

Sorry to spoil the theory re male-female thing.

Last October we booked two rooms at HSW both at the cheapest rates. We had 3 adults and 3 children staying.

One for my wife as a DJ Diamond and one for me as a qualified Diamond.

I got an Exec room and SWMBO got a two bedroom apartment which we gave to our daughter and the 3 kids.

It actually worked out well in our case.

 

[Moopere]

No problems there - no IHG or SPG properties to worry them

Yes, indeed - and, surprise surprise, they are only meeting their minimum HH requirements as a result (no doubt). Competition really is good for customers.

Actually, given both Brisbane and Perths reported hotel occupancy rates, I find it astonishing that the big players are not looking at these cities more seriously.

 

[simongr]

Not just the occupancy rates in Perth/BNE - the room rates as well!!

 

[anat0l]

Sorry to spoil the theory re male-female thing.

Last October we booked two rooms at HSW both at the cheapest rates. We had 3 adults and 3 children staying.

One for my wife as a DJ Diamond and one for me as a qualified Diamond.

I got an Exec room and SWMBO got a two bedroom apartment which we gave to our daughter and the 3 kids.

It actually worked out well in our case.

Are you sure you're not just the exception which proves the rule?

 

[kamchatsky]

I have a booking with Hilton Sydney next month (on a Saturdsay) using free Amex CC hotel nights. It is booked as Deluxe Room. I wonder whether I will get upgraded to Exec Level (I'm Gold). I did send them an email about it but they said it depends on availability.

I noticed that in the booking the rate is marked as "Wholesale". Maybe I should try to get Nor1 upgrade, or upgrade at the counter if I don't get it?

 

[k3nnis]

Would like to know if you get GOLD benefits on the AMEX free hotel nights. Like free breakfast. Please let us know

Also what is a Nor1 upgrade? Sorry haven't heard of this before?

 

[kamchatsky]

Would like to know if you get GOLD benefits on the AMEX free hotel nights. Like free breakfast. Please let us know

Also what is a Nor1 upgrade? Sorry haven't heard of this before?

Nor1 upgrade:
eStandby® Upgrade | Nor1

I will see in about 2.5 weeks. Whilst I think it would be unlikely due to wholesale rate booked, I am hopeful that I get upgraded to Exec floor with free breakfast.

 

[serfty]

It has only this year that upgrades to any type of "Suite" has been a defined benefit of HHonors - prior to that the T&C specifically excluded them. Maybe the properties are re-aligning themselves.

Does not mean such upgrades won't happen; as a Gold in 2010, I and SWMBO were upgraded to a top floor suite with Bedroom/Ensuite, Lounge, Kitchen/Dining & Bathroom at the Hilton Stadpark in Vienna (3 night stay).

 

[k3nnis]

Hi serfty,

Did you have to request such upgrades before arrival or do they tell you at checkin?

 

[QF WP]

According to their bible (as linked by edison above):

eStandby Upgrades are confirmed at check-in only if the hotel has inventory available, making the eStandby Upgrade non-guaranteed.

Now having said that, we can generally check within 24 hours and find that we have a new room type - I now use the Hilton App and it's only once failed to deliver

 

[IainF]

I watch the room booking to see if the room booked changes, mine have changed the morning of arrival normally...

 

[serfty]

Hi serfty,

Did you have to request such upgrades before arrival or do they tell you at checkin?

Simply rocked up and checked in - was advised I had been upgraded (but not to what) on check-in.

We went to the lift; noted it was the top floor, went to the door, I opened it for SWMBO and in she went. I turned around and grabbed our bags and followed here in 10 seconds - she had 'disappeared'.

I had a similar 'random' upgrade to a multi room suite at the Hilton Newark Penn Station in 2010 and some great upgrades at Sydney - all as a Gold.

Having posted that, I have had over 140 room nights at Hilton family hotels during the last 7 years.

 

[QF WP]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

I wanted to throw this out there... Not complaining, just observing.
MrsF has stayed at the Sydney Hilton, HSW & HOP as a diamond now for the last 11 months. Off the top of my head, she has stayed at Sydney Hilton about 9 times this year alone, HSW X 5 and HOP X 5 and for every stay books an exec room (as per her corp travel policy allows). They are booked direct with Hilton
Only ONCE has she received a suite upgrade and that was part of a service recovery by HOP....
To contrast, when rooms have been booked in my name as a Diamond member, I am 4 from 5 in getting upgrades to a suite from a standard room this year.
She is currently at Sydney Hilton & got nothing as a welcome.... Not a card, a bottle of water or anything... let alone a suite.
I checked and there were, and are, suites available all week.

Could this be a female/male thing?

Now that's one you and I haven't chewed the fat over yet...but I'm wondering if it's a revenue thing...

Thats why I am querying the male/female thing....
I cannot find any other reasonable explanation as to her lack of upgrades.
She is not one to make a fuss at check in though, so put's up with it.

Now that surprises me, but given the amount of travelling she's doing, by the time she gets there, all she wants is a bed and to talk (download) to you her latest non-upgrade experience

I had stayed at the Sydney Hilton previously, but far less often. Similarly at HSW & HOP.
Maybe I should make a "dual" booking and see which one gets the upgrade (If at all).

Time to try all the permutations to see if that shifts the balance - they can't all be full every time she checks in....

Interesting that Princess Fiona has had similar and books the higher revenue room as well...

 

[IainF]

Re: How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

I now check the hotel's booking avails on the day she checks in. Every single time at Sydney Hilton there has been suites from the basic relaxation suite up to the big king suite. Should I just get her to ask for one on check in ???