Hilton Singapore skimping on points

[thewinchester]

I'm posting this for anyone else staying at this or other Hilton group properties in SIN, so you can be on the lookout and check you've not been shortchanged.

After a recent visit to this property, it seems that this property enjoys skimping on the HHonors points due for your stay.

It happened to myself and two other colleagues who were also staying on property, all on a corporate rate (different rate plans). On checking, they've shorted us to the tune of 8,547pts each.

The shorting seems to have come from the property, which hasn't credited points for the service charges (approx. SGD 350 on each folio). The property is treating as a local tax/charge thus not making it be seen as an eligible folio charge.

Per HHonors T&C's "Accrual of Points", Points 7. and 9., all local taxes are considered ineligible folio charges. In Singapore, the only item on the folio that meets this definition is the 7% GST.

The service charge doesn't meet this definition as its entirelly the hotels discression to charge this, and GST is also levied on top of the service charge per local tax laws.

Managed to have this sorted out pretty quickly, thanks to Hilton HHonors' Twitter team. A quick tweet and email with all the details and guest folio, and it was resolved in under 2hrs. They also added 10k in additional points as an apology, which was neither requested or asked - but a nice albeit unnecessary gesture on their part.


Here's the math showing how I was shortchanged on the points:

Assumptions

1. SGD to USD conversion at rate on check-out date of 8 FEB 2013 being 1 SGD = 0.8078 USD

[TABLE="width: 500, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Line item
[/TD]
[TD]Value (SGD)
[/TD]
[TD]Value (USD)
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] Room charges[/TD]
[TD]4158.00[/TD]
[TD]3358.64 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]F&B charges[/TD]
[TD]60.50[/TD]
[TD]48.46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]3407.10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Expected points[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Base[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]34070[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] 2013 Q1 Double promo (100%)
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]34070[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] MyWay 50% Bonus[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]17035[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Gold VIP 25%[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]8517[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MyWay preference bonus
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total expected[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]=[/TD]
[TD]94692[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Less credited points[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-[/TD]
[TD]86118[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Shortfall[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]=[/TD]
[TD]8574[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[jetlagger]

Well done for your auditing & an applause for the speedy recovery by HH, though I guess it would go unnoticed by many.
I also rarely do monitor my points earn maximisation & have been duped many times, particularly by some hotels not posting to airline miles.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

been duped many times, particularly by some hotels not posting to airline miles.

Would it be the individual hotels posting to air miles or HH themselves?

 

[serfty]

Would it be the individual hotels posting to air miles or HH themselves?

No, it's simply to save on the 5% or so commission on points eligible expenditure they have to pay HHonors

 

[HKGNZL]

Which Hilton in SIN?

 

[Gonetroppo]

Assumptions

1. SGD to USD conversion at rate on check-out date of 8 FEB 2013 being 1 SGD = 0.8078 USD

The exchange rate is at Hilton's 'discretion'. Meaning they can make it whatever they like! Case in point - a recent stay in New Zealand where the hotel used a 1.36 exchange rate. The last time the NZD>USD exchange was hovering near that was nearly two years ago in March 2011, followed by a single day in November 2011 when it almost reached 1.36

The actual exchange rate was under 1.20 and has been around that for quite some time. With a stay of just a few days, the discrepancy is several K of points.

Very odd, especially when the AUD>USD and various Asian currencies>USD rates they use have always been accurate (in my experience), even during fluctuating times.

Not to hijack (and glad it worked out for you) but just wanted to say it's something to check when points don't seem to be quite right.

 

[thewinchester]

Which Hilton in SIN?

Hilton Singapore, but put in a wider context as well just in case people are getting short changed for their stays at the Conrad Singapore which I know is a favourite of some members.

 

[Danger]

Hilton Singapore, but put in a wider context as well just in case people are getting short changed for their stays at the Conrad Singapore which I know is a favourite of some members.

Sadly I doubt it's just Singapore or even just Hilton.

The conversion to USD is always the hardest. If it was a simple case of one USD equals one loyalty point (in whatever program), you'd have half a chance of keeping track. But when it's, for example, one USD equals five points and then there's a percentage bonus, it's very hard to know whether you're being short-changed or not.

 

[thewinchester]

Sadly I doubt it's just Singapore or even just Hilton.

The conversion to USD is always the hardest. If it was a simple case of one USD equals one loyalty point (in whatever program), you'd have half a chance of keeping track. But when it's, for example, one USD equals five points and then there's a percentage bonus, it's very hard to know whether you're being short-changed or not.

If only someone amongst us had the technical nouse, patience and foresight to develop something which could do all of that for us....

*goes off to make it into an excel spreadsheet*