Hilton Macquarie card is enhanced into Hilton HHonors Macquarie card

[Deleted member 29185]

and not guaranteeing each with a credit card.

Wise move!

I had a HSP booking last Sat night which I totally forgot about (must be all those memorable stays ) but I did have it confirmed by CC. Bugger!

 

[markis10]

Wise move!

I had a HSP booking last Sat night which I totally forgot about (must be all those memorable stays ) but I did have it confirmed by CC. Bugger!

You need awardwallet that tracks your bookings (and lets you know when room types change)!

 

[DC3]

I see that the Macquarie website is not showing the Hilton HHonors Macquarie card yet.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

You need awardwallet that tracks your bookings (and lets you know when room types change)!

I also need to take more notice of my iPhone calendar reminder notices......I can claim extenuating circumstances though. On Friday arrived back from OS and Saturday out boating on the broadwater. I could spitefully add that my brain was obviously concentrating on enjoyable activities :shock: !

 

[JohnK]

While the Diamond route is tempting, I don't value hh points anywhere near as much as airline points

I have accumulated ~70,000 HHonors points over the past 6-7 years which is not worth very much at all.

The double dipping on airline miles has been much more fruitful over that time as I tend to stay in the "cheaper" Hiltons.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The double dipping on airline miles has been much more fruitful over that time as I tend to stay in the "cheaper" Hiltons.

I tend to agree. Double dipping to miles appears to be a better value and as soon as I can move most of my travel offshore, I hope to emulate your resolve WRT the "cheaper" hotels. (not all though :shock

 

[quokka77]

You can currently buy HH Gold via a milepoint membership for $50 here (valid through Feb 2015). Premium Membership P2
ALternatively, you can earn it with 4 stays or 9 nights (whichever comes up sooner) via the Carlson Wagonlit offer (just search above).
I was considering getting this card for the discount only (not the diamond status spend criterion), but am now thinking hotel loyalty is a wasted effort, and will probably just focus my efforts on OTA BRGs, coupons, priceline, hotwire and similar generic deep discounts...

Here's one blogger who totally agrees with me:
http://boardingarea.com/thewanderingaramean/2013/02/a-bit-of-hotel-loyalty-program-schadenfreude/

So, free breakfast at Hilton is good, as I'm often travelling with partner and kids, and if I'm travelling alone, work is sometimes picking up the tab... but otherwise the value may not be there. There seem to be other, much better deals out there if you're willing to forego points / loyalty programs.

 

[kamchatsky]

This is a great deal for Mile point. I may buy it just for that 1 year extra for Hilton Gold! No need to get the Hilton Macquarie card! Full Breakfast for 2 people for 1 day worth of Hilton stay easily covers this great deal!

 

[paultiffen]

You heard it from me first

Next dream is a 1 to 1 Spg direct earn card.....

 

[Flashback]

I wonder what brought about this change.......

 

[serfty]

Trying to increase revenue with a status carrot?

Certainly, for me, being Diamond, the cost/benefit is conclusive:

...
For me the calculation is simple.

In the last 12 months I spent ~$3500; the discount was ~$700 for a net $2800. I also used my $99 night at at Sydney where the going rate was ~$210. So that's an approximate saving of $800 for my $275 annual fee (grandfathered) at a cost of 10,500 HHonors points earn.

Taking the same expenditure under this new 'enhancement' I'd get an additional 14,000 HHonors points @ 4 per $. So I would be 24,500 HHonors points better off at a cost of $810 - using the (generous) ½¢ per point valuation, that's $122 worth for my annual fee of $275.

Summary: An additional 24,500 HHonors points under the 'enhanced' scheme would cost me ~$690.

[Side Note: I can directly purchase 25,000 HHonors points for USD250 (and that is generally considered poor value).]

Conclusion: I will not be renewing this card.

 

[serfty]

I was looking at booking my last $99 stay for next year in Melbourne but could not find any availability at either property past Dec 30th.

Trying to get booking in by Nov 1st.

Looked right ahead to end of Oct 2014.

Does anyone know of any $99 availability anywhere in Oz after Jan 1st?

 

[beardoc]

I'm looking into whether this might work for me. The idea is that for $295 per year, I get HHonors Gold all the time. But I'm wondering, if I cancel the card, and get re-approved for a new Macquarie HHonors Visa just after the 1st April (say, 2nd or 3rd April), so my anniversary date is then. The deal is that if you have spent $40,000 on the card when your anniversary dates arrives, then you are upgraded to Diamond. From what I understand, if you're upgraded to Diamond on or after 1st April 2014, then you get to keep it until 30th March 2016, right?That way, every second year prior to 1st April (so, 2014, 2016, 2018, etc.) I spend the $40K on the card and get upgraded to Diamond and it lasts almost two years. Then just repeat the process in every second year.The only issue would be that there would be a period of downtime at Gold in early April whilst your previous Diamond membership expired and your new approval for Diamond membership is processed. For people on the Velocity Diamond deals, etc., how long does this processing take?This might be a way of getting off the constant searching for Hilton stays and nights. No longer will I be forced to stay at Hiltons to get the stays I need, or move between two Hiltons in the one city to get more stays. I can just focus on enjoying the benefits of Diamond (which I probably will do for about 30-40 nights a year, if not more!).What do you think?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

What do you think?

I agree with your logic. I'm thinking the exact same thing and it also makes it fairly easy to hold HH Diamond (at least gold), IHG Gold (through Amb membership) and SPG gold through stays (or card when available). The lifetime benes of SPG is attracting me in that direction, but I'm not convinced I can continually make the stay/night requirement. Of course the rumoured IHG plat benefit changes may change my thinking as well.

I agree totally about the mattress running being a total PITA .

 

[markis10]

I agree totally about the mattress running being a total PITA .

Depends where and when you do it, someone may have done three rooms for $80 a night this week to get three stay credits at a SPG property, and in doing so also earned 6500 starpoints, making the net cost per room of $20

 

[JohnK]

I found 2 old HPC special $99 night cards. Obviously I have forgotten to use them?

Are these still valid? I know it has been a while but anyone used these recently?

Also found 2 member for a stay cards.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Depends where and when you do it, someone may have done three rooms for $80 a night this week to get three stay credits at a SPG property, and in doing so also earned 6500 starpoints, making the net cost per room of $20

Sounds like a BRG lurk coming home to roost to me!

 

[serfty]

I found 2 old HPC special $99 night cards. Obviously I have forgotten to use them?

Are these still valid? I know it has been a while but anyone used these recently?

Also found 2 member for a stay cards.

You have to book before Friday.

Booking for the $99 cards may be problematic- see post #52.

The 20% may be of more use.

In any case you have only three more days to book.

As I have posted it's the end of this facility for me as I can't see any value in continuing.

 

[JohnK]

You have to book before Friday.

Booking for the $99 cards may be problematic- see post #52.

I did not notice that post before. So I am guessing the new membership still used the card system. Olive colour?

"CHECK-IN WITH THIS GREAT RATE"
"HILTON PREMIUM CLUB"

The 20% may be of more use.

In any case you have only three more days to book.

As I have posted it's the end of this facility for me as I can't see any value in continuing.

I have a a couple of stays planned for next year so the 20% off should come in handy.

But totally agree with you about the program losing value.

 

[beardoc]

But totally agree with you about the program losing value.

As with everything in the loyalty game, it's about changing goalposts. Some things are a disadvantage (I'll miss the 20% discount), but other things are getting better (I'll have more flexibility because I'll get the benefits of Diamond (or at least Gold) when I want it without the hassle of sending ALL my stays to Hilton).