Virgin Plat hotel benefit

[RooFlyer]

Just about to hit VA Plat via their status challenge and I see that one of the benefits is:

Gold and Platinum members receive complimentary membership to the equivalent membership level of IHG® Rewards Club or Hilton HHonors™.

What level is the 'equivalent Hilton membership' to VA platinum, please?

 

[oz_mark]

Diamond

 

[stm1sydney]

And a fantastic benefit that HH Diamond membership has been for me!

 

[VPS]

and I'm pretty sure the IHG equivalent doesn't give you lounge access that Hilton Diamond does

 

[PuravidaTC]

Not sure if just me but hotel memberships/benefits could learn a lot from the FF programs.

Most of them are not worth the time signing up for in my experiences as there are so many "gotchas" connected to every benefit that they make FF points seat availability look amazing.

Can you imagine an airline refusing to accept your FF card if you didn't actually personally book through the airlines own website.

 

[oz_mark]

and I'm pretty sure the IHG equivalent doesn't give you lounge access that Hilton Diamond does

Indeed. In IHG you can select Annual Membership as a milestone bonus once you have stayed 40 nights (or again at 70 nights) in a calendar year.

Not sure if just me but hotel memberships/benefits could learn a lot from the FF programs.

Most of them are not worth the time signing up for in my experiences as there are so many "gotchas" connected to every benefit that they make FF points seat availability look amazing.

Can you imagine an airline refusing to accept your FF card if you didn't actually personally book through the airlines own website.

You need to follow the money. Airlines pay booking agents next to no commission. Hotels fork out 15-20% commission or more. If you book on the hotels own website, they can spend that 15% on you!

 

[RooFlyer]

I haven't chased hotel status by 'nights' for years. That just led me to stay at sometimes underwhelming places & not necessarily where I wanted to be. These days I just move from chain to chain for a year or so, with these types of 'bonuses' and use when its convenient, for more comfortable (I hope) stays.

 

[serfty]

Just about to hit VA Plat via their status challenge and I see that one of the benefits is:

Gold and Platinum members receive complimentary membership to the equivalent membership level of IHG® Rewards Club or Hilton HHonors™.

What level is the 'equivalent Hilton membership' to VA platinum, please?

Keep in mind, that if / when you do invoke this benefit for Diamond, generally it is better to do it in the new year (say, January). That way, if you don't requalify you'd have the status for up to 27 months. (End March 2025)

If you invoked it and became Diamond in December, you would have the status for a little over 15 months.

 

[RooFlyer]

Keep in mind, that if / when you do invoke this benefit for Diamond, generally it is better to do it in the new year (say, January). That way, if you don't requalify you'd have the status for up to 27 months. (End March 2025)

If you invoked it and became Diamond in December, you would have the status for a little over 15 months.

Excellent. Thanks Serfty

 

[tgh]

I pay my way and am mostly unmoved by status deals and perks, however the now defunct Macquarie card / HH diamond perk fortuitously delivered a lot of travel value and I will miss it when it goes...

 

[Happy Dude]

As @PuravidaTC mentioned, hotel programs are full of conditions. In the case of Hilton, you are nothing (to them) if you don't book direct which can be more expensive and/or have fewer benefits. Lots of hurdles if you want to try for a price match. The treatment of elites is wildly variable and even the published benefits vary from hotel to hotel. There might be sweet spots to be had but you'll need to research plenty on the Hilton elites thread here to keep up.

 

[justinbrett]

and I'm pretty sure the IHG equivalent doesn't give you lounge access that Hilton Diamond does

Hilton Lounges are becoming rarer than unicorns - or if they still do exist, they are not worth the effort.

The one in New York Midtown doesn't even have alcohol, just a trough of snacks in the afternoons.

Becoming harder and harder to differentiate between Gold & Diamond benefits. As they say, Gold is the sweet spot for HH.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hilton couldn’t be any worse than Accor @Happy Dude ! I always book direct but only use a chain that I have status when it’s just where I want to stay, at the price I want.

When the status runs out, I’ll either move on to the next, or do without (and probably save).

 

[PuravidaTC]

You need to follow the money. Airlines pay booking agents next to no commission. Hotels fork out 15-20% commission or more. If you book on the hotels own website, they can spend that 15% on you!

No question this is the case @oz_mark and this is always used as the "but it's only reasonable".. well my view is that's there problem to solve outside of it being something to throw into the t&c's and thus making the "loyalty" programs a true point of loyalty frustration.

even when booking outside of a hotels website, most corporate or even leisure bookers still have a choice of where to stay - I for one would absolutely make that choice more often on loyalty to a brand if I felt the effort was reciprocated.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Keep in mind, that if / when you do invoke this benefit for Diamond, generally it is better to do it in the new year (say, January). That way, if you don't requalify you'd have the status for up to 27 months. (End March 2025)

If you invoked it and became Diamond in December, you would have the status for a little over 15 months.

Thanks, Serfty,

So I presume it's a strict and straight calendar deal of 15 months of Diamond membership which commences after 12 months from 1 Jan (to get to the maximum of 27 months), in the worse case of non-requalification?

 

[serfty]

Thanks, Serfty,

So I presume it's a strict and straight calendar deal of 15 months of Diamond membership which commences after 12 months from 1 Jan (to get to the maximum of 27 months), in the worse case of non-requalification?

Yep, year you attain the status plus the next year and three months into the subsequent year.

 

[ozstamps]

Hilton Lounges are becoming rarer than unicorns - or if they still do exist, they are not worth the effort.

Really?

As a many decade Hilton Gold and now Diamond their lounges and treatment are the deal breaker for us.

Flying to Cairns tomorrow and right into Cairns Hilton. Would think of nothing else.

Guaranteed upgrades, late check-outs (we have a 4.15pm flight home) very often to Suites from the lowest room category, and always lounges and breakfasts etc. Latter getting rather patchy since COVID, but outside the USA am always delighted.

 

[justinbrett]

Really?

As a many decade Hilton Gold and now Diamond their lounges and treatment are the deal breaker for us.

Flying to Cairns tomorrow and right into Cairns Hilton. Would think of nothing else.

Guaranteed upgrades, late check-outs (we have a 4.15pm flight home) very often to Suites from the lowest room category, and always lounges and breakfasts etc. Latter getting rather patchy since COVID, but outside the USA am always delighted.

Australia isn’t so bad.

US is a wasteland. My comments were mostly related to the US. Though Hilton Munich was very disappointing.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Though Hilton Munich was very disappointing.

Which one? There are three that are Hilton branded and another six group hotels in Munich.

 

[justinbrett]

Which one? There are three that are Hilton branded and another six group hotels in Munich.

Munich City