How do Hilton treat you as an Elite?

[Freq Flier 2013]

22/12 to 25/12
Gold status
Property: Hilton Adelaide
Room booked: King Room
Rate: $140 per night
Received: Upgrade to executive king room

The check in was pleasant but the room has no bottled water, slippers or amenities. With covid they have removed everything and you need to request it. So everything was a phone call to reception.

Breakfast was a very poor selection of offerings and you have to ask the staff to put the various items on your plate. We paid $10 extra for a hot breakfast but it was still limited and we did not do it the next day. Just went to a cafe in the market.

The executive lounge is closed so drinks were in the bar downstairs - we were given vouchers. Drinks were ok and quick.
Canapés are 3 small individual items per 1 card - we got 1 card per night. It took 35 min to get the canapés. No repeats of canapés as no more cards and if we wanted more it was another 30 min wait - for 3 small items as the kitchen was slammed - the whole hotel is understaffed and it’s showing.

Overall the staff are pleasant, room are as usual - older but a decent size but it’s the lack of amenities / food qualify letting the stay down.

 

[k_sheep]

24/12/20, Diamond status
Hilton Cairns
Booked king guest room (government rate - yes I'm eligible - $145)
Received 8th floor exec room facing harbor.
Exec lounge is closed - but they close off most of the bar downstairs. You get drinks and a plate of canapes. 5-6:30pm.

 

[DC3]

24/12/20 ... Hilton Cairns ... Received 8th floor exec room facing harbor.

So, maybe they gave you a room with a view of the Lady E docked out there?

Police investigating after woman on superyacht arrives in Cairns with COVID-19

A crew member arriving in Cairns on a superyacht chartered for $780,000 a week is one of two people in Queensland testing positive to coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with the superyacht's captain saying he is "fully cooperating" with authorities.

www.abc.net.au

 

[k_sheep]

Yes indeed! If I looked at an angle I could see it

 

[JessicaTam]

Date: Dec '20
Hotel: DT MEL
Rate: Flex but very cheap!
Booked: 14th floor studio
Received : 14th floor Federation view studio
Status: Diamond

I had a very warm welcome from the staff. The hotel had kept two staff on duty for the duration of lockdown, even though the hotel was closed. Only 1 or 2 redundancies, with the rest of the staff on JobKeeper.

Drinks vouchers have gone, but I don't think all my drinks made it onto my bill.

Breakfast was a la carte, and one of the best hotel breakfasts I have had. Eggs Florentine done very well. No change as a diamond. (I think )

No coffee tax.

 

[DC3]

Date: Dec 2020
Hotel: Hilton Brisbane
Rate: Points redemption
Booked: Guest Room, king bed
Received: King bed, Level 24, 2 x bottled water. Room was in very good condition.
Status: Dia

5.00-7.00pm complimentary drinks in Lobby Bar (EL still closed). One plate of canapés.

Good buffet breakfast (served) in restaurant. Omelettes/poached/scrambled eggs, fresh squeezed orange juice, plus bacon, hash browns, smoked salmon, cold meats, yogurt, fresh fruit salad, toast. No coffee tax for the good coffee . Plenty of staff on hand.

All 3 x elevators were working (only mentioning this as a post, four weeks ago, advised that only two were operating on that stay). No waiting.

 

[k_sheep]

24/12/20, Diamond status
Hilton Cairns
Booked king guest room (government rate - yes I'm eligible - $145)
Received 8th floor exec room facing harbor.
Exec lounge is closed - but they close off most of the bar downstairs. You get drinks and a plate of canapes. 5-6:30pm.

Forgot to mention breakfast! Included as a diamond, including barista coffee. Can do buffet or a la carte - I just did the former because I had an early-ish flight.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Is Hilton blocking off suites at this time? Based off reviews here and anecdotes, I cant remember the last time i heard someeone get a suite. Just curious where other chains are still upgrading to suites.

 

[boomy]

Is Hilton blocking off suites at this time? Based off reviews here and anecdotes, I cant remember the last time i heard someeone get a suite. Just curious where other chains are still upgrading to suites.

Suites are not blocked, at least not in Australia and people are still getting upgrades albeit in smaller numbers as HSYD and HMEL are not yet open to the public (each for their own reason). HADL, HBNE and HCNS don’t have many suites. HPER has quite a few but with MM’s unpredictable border policy I assume not many dare to go west.

 

[oz_mark]

Suites are not blocked, at least not in Australia and people are still getting upgrades albeit in smaller numbers as HSYD and HMEL are not yet open to the public (each for their own reason). HADL, HBNE and HCNS don’t have many suites. HPER has quite a few but with MM’s unpredictable border policy I assume not many dare to go west.

The hilton in Perth is closed at the moment anyway. I've heard when it reopens it will have a lower room count, so maybe they are creating more suites.

 

[Flashback]

The hilton in Perth is closed at the moment anyway. I've heard when it reopens it will have a lower room count, so maybe they are creating more suites.

Hopefully it's getting a massive modernisation overhaul....

 

[oz_mark]

Hopefully it's getting a massive modernisation overhaul....

well, its getting a lounge

(rooms are getting a makeover - air conditioning, flooring, bathrooms, and update in-room technology).

Guess we'll find out in Feb....

 

[Moopere]

The hilton in Perth is closed at the moment anyway. I've heard when it reopens it will have a lower room count, so maybe they are creating more suites.

Less rooms? I'm quite surprised to hear that. I realise that an executive lounge is coming, and thank goodness because they'll need one to stay competitive. Still, I sort of assumed that the overly massive king suites would be cut down to a reasonable size and thus more rooms created.

 

[oz_mark]

Less rooms? I'm quite surprised to hear that. I realise that an executive lounge is coming, and thank goodness because they'll need one to stay competitive. Still, I sort of assumed that the overly massive king suites would be cut down to a reasonable size and thus room rooms created.

It was a staff member that told me about there being less rooms. Further investigation suggests the staff member may have got it the wrong way around (from 284 rooms to 309 rooms is what I have been told most recently)

I don't think the lounge is replacing any rooms - it is near reception

 

[Moopere]

It was a staff member that told me about there being less rooms. Further investigation suggests the staff member may have got it the wrong way around (from 284 rooms to 309 rooms is what I have been told most recently)

I don't think the lounge is replacing any rooms - it is near receptionView attachment 237462

Its hard for me to tell what I'm looking at in the photo. I'm pretty familiar with the 'old' HH PER but I can't imagine where this new look lounge is placed.

I'm guessing that the bar area will stay mostly as-is, given that it spills out onto the street which is sort of nice.

Where reception currently is sort of makes sense too, so I can't imagine it moving somewhere else. Perhaps the restaurant is moving? Still, even if so, I can't see that whole space becoming an exec lounge.... It just makes sense, for breakfasts at least, to have the current restaurant area remain more or less as-is. I'm quite intrigued.

I hope they don't just bolt on a 'lounge' to the current breakfast area, next to the bar, where traditionally they like to sit Diamonds for breakfast. Nice and exclusive feeling as that is, its not really going to provide a proper EL lounge experience.

 

[DC3]

I don't think the lounge is replacing any rooms - it is near reception

Thanks for posting the image. I haven’t stayed at the Parmelia for a few years, but am keen to see the results of the makeover.

 

[boomy]

Property: HSP
Booked: King Guest Room
Received: King Relaxation Room
Rate: 33,000 points (cash was $355)

Check in was fast and efficient, no suites available but the room we got was large enough with direct ocean views. Hotel was quite full, mostly with families being school holiday. Thankfully there was an adult area down at the pool section which was nice and quiet.

Executive lounge was temporarily moved to the ballroom on level 1. Plenty of space to keep guests separated but with seating arrangements it felt we were attending a wedding. An average canapé selection was provided as well alcoholic drinks by request (everything was on display but it was table service).

Breakfast at restaurant was buffet style, pretty much the same as before just no self service. We went down to eat late and didn’t have to wait for a table, it was not crowded.

Overall it was nice stay at a city where life is pretty much normal with almost no restrictions. I know this property is controversial and while it had its issue years ago it’s quite a decent these days. If I had to pick one negative it was the curtains in our room which couldn’t be closed perfectly so it wasn’t dark enough and the sun woke us up early. Luckily I wasn’t hungover that morning

 

[eric2011]

If I had to pick one negative it was the curtains in our room which couldn’t be closed perfectly so it wasn’t dark enough and the sun woke us up early. Luckily I wasn’t hungover that morning

Which is why I always have a couple of bulldog clips in the bottom of my suitcase for this very reason

 

[Moopere]

> Thankfully there was an adult area down at the pool section which was nice and quiet.

Oh? I haven't been to HSP for about 6 years or so - how did I miss the pool? Has it always been there? Which tower is it in? The Residences or the Hotel proper?

 

[boomy]

Oh? I haven't been to HSP for about 6 years or so - how did I miss the pool? Has it always been there? Which tower is it in? The Residences or the Hotel proper?

There is only one pool area AFAIK, on level 2.
The adult section with plunge pool is slightly hidden near the bar so, easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.