Hilton HHonors - Since HHonors is trying to be like Starwood

HHonors has changed there hotel levels to six (like starwood). Starwood has increased it's point level (like HHonors).SO why doesn't hilton have no blackout dates like starwood? if they WANT TO BE STARWOOD. get rid of the blackout dates!!!

Its not about what HHonors wants to be.

Looks like it's about what you want HHonors to be. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Just earn 28 qualifying stays/60 qualifying nights/100,000 Base points and become Hilton Diamond VIP. Then you can enjoy HHonors Hotel Rewards without Blackout Dates.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LH738:
Just earn 28 qualifying stays/60 qualifying nights/100,000 Base points and become Hilton Diamond VIP. Then you can enjoy HHonors Hotel Rewards without Blackout Dates.</font>

As a Diamond for the last 5 years I can vouch for this. Never once had my first choice award date declined .

What if you lost your qualification for diamond and were downgraded to gold, silver etc. You now have a gazillion points that you cannot use very easily. I know because this happened to me. With Starwood there are no balckouts (no matter what your level). AND there are blackout dates for diamond. HHonors calls them Extreme Demand Dates (not even Diamond can get a room) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sanramon:
What if you lost your qualification for diamond and were downgraded to gold, silver etc. You now have a gazillion points that you cannot use very easily. I know because this happened to me. With Starwood there are no balckouts (no matter what your level). AND there are blackout dates for diamond. HHonors calls them Extreme Demand Dates (not even Diamond can get a room) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif</font>


If you want to get down to the nitty gritty of the "Extreme Demand Dates" option http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif, then SPG does not technically have a pure Anytime/Anywhere redemption option also.

FROM SPG T&C
....
Preferred Award Nights are not subject to blackout dates, apply to standard rooms only, and are non-commissionable.
....
i.e. When the standard rooms are sold out or redeemed(would always happen in an Extreme Demand Dates time), you cannot practically get a room. Period. Atleast, Diamond desk tries to squeeze a room out of an oversold situation(happened to me) and has a decent(60-70%) success rate in doing so. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

FWIW, this is my first year as Diamond. I have been a Gold since '99 and have a 80-85% success rate in getting the properties I want and a 97%(barring one time) success rate with the dates I want.

P.S. Hopefully, a 200K per year redemption rate since joining counts as gazillion points. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Bourne (edited 01-09-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Bourne:

If you want to get down to the nitty gritty of the "Extreme Demand Dates" option http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif, then SPG does not technically have a pure Anytime/Anywhere redemption option also.

FROM SPG T&C
....
Preferred Award Nights are not subject to blackout dates, apply to standard rooms only, and are non-commissionable.
....
i.e. When the standard rooms are sold out or redeemed(would always happen in an Extreme Demand Dates time), you cannot practically get a room. Period. Atleast, Diamond desk tries to squeeze a room out of an oversold situation(happened to me) and has a decent(60-70%) success rate in doing so. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
</font>

The general policy with SPG redemption is that as long as a standard room is available to book, it's available for reward redemption. The 'extreme high demand' situations would be superbowl weekend, indy-500 weekend, new years eve in a major city, election conventions, etc. I doubt the Diamond Desk could squeeze out a room for you in those 'high demand' situations.

Thats true. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The previous post had implied that SPG would let you redeem a room whenever you want while Diamonds have to contend with blackout dates during Extreme Demand Dates.

My response was that even SPG members have to face a situation where redemption is not possible even though rooms are available. In those cases, a Diamond member would normally get a room. Even in an oversold situation, space can be made available for a Diamond member for redemption.

Incase of Extreme Demand Dates, SPG would not have a room as the standard rooms would be the first to go(price factor). Diamonds cannot redeem points as they get hit with blackout dates.

IMHO, there is nothing like SPG's Anytime/Anytime as every member can use it. BUT, HH Diamond has a better chance of redeeming a room than SPG PLT.



[This message has been edited by Bourne (edited 01-09-2003).]