Hilton HHonors - Q3 2012 promo officially announced: 3x points Fri-Sun, 2x points Mon-Thu Jul 1-Sep 30

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/Quarterlypages/2012/Q3/landing.aspx

Excluded hotels:

http://hhonors1-stg.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/tripleyourtrip_nonparticipatinghotels/index.do

[(RE)EDITED TO ADD:] Please see posts 47 & 91. At least one hotel on the original excluded list was not supposed to be on the excluded list, and has been removed from that list. So (a) re-check the list periodically, as it has changed at least once, and (b) if a hotel you want to stay at is on the list, you may want to contact it and double-check whether it should be on the list.

FAQ:

http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/tripleyourtrip_faq/index.do

I got this email from HHonors about this a little while ago, entitled "For members' eyes only: A sneak peek just for you":


EARN TRIPLE
IN A SINGLE TRIP.

EARN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE POINTS ON YOUR NEXT TRIP.

Being a Hilton HHonors™ member is now more rewarding than ever. Because with this sneak peek at the Triple Your Trip promotion, you can get to your next getaway three times faster. Simply sign up and stay by September 30, 2012, to earn Triple HHonors Points for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights starting July 1, 2012. And earn Double HHonors Points for Monday through Thursday nights at participating hotels and resorts. Take advantage of this special preview today. Because whether you’re earning double points on business or triple points on a weekend away, you can always count on HHonors to get you to your next getaway faster.





See also this thread for the official FAQ:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1360629-official-q3-hilton-hhonors-promotion-faq.html

Oh boy.

Just got the email and enrolled..
For me, its basically the same promo as the current one. All my travel is Monday thru Thursday.

Just got the email and enrolled..
For me, its basically the same promo as the current one.

I agree, though honestly I would have been happier if the extended the Q2 promotion.

Do I have to change my Double Dip® Earnings Style Option in my HHonors account in order to receive Double and/or Triple Points for this promotion?
No. However, to maximize the number of points you can earn during the promotion, selecting HHonors Points and HHonors Points would be best.

I was thinking of keeping my Double Dip setting so I can earn some United miles. But looking at the above FAQ entry, I am not sure how I am able to "maximize the number of points" with setting Double Dip to "HHonors Points and HHonors Points". Wouldn't the base points be the same, and hence I will be getting the same *Q3 bonus points* under any Double Dip setting?

That's a big list of excluded hotels, some of which I would have stayed at...

I was thinking of keeping my Double Dip setting so I can earn some United miles. But looking at the above FAQ entry, I am not sure how I am able to "maximize the number of points" with setting Double Dip to "HHonors Points and HHonors Points". Wouldn't the base points be the same, and hence I will be getting the same *Q3 bonus points* under any Double Dip setting?

Yes, your bonus is the same under any earning style. They are simply pointing out that by selecting "Points and Points" you will earn the maximum number of points (while at the same time opting out of earning any miles).

That's a big list of excluded hotels, some of which I would have stayed at...

Yep... That's a bummer. I will be at the SF Union Square in July... yet another excluded hotel.

To clarify. As I read this, it's only for points, not miles as well, correct?

Disappointing. Obviously not targeted towards business travelers, but am very happy I don't have to hotel hop. Need to check out the other promotions, maybe time to loyalty hop ths summer.

Free points no need to complain. What if they offered no promo??

Yes, your bonus is the same under any earning style. They are simply pointing out that by selecting "Points and Points" you will earn the maximum number of points (while at the same time opting out of earning any miles).

Ah, that makes sense, thanks Deemus7!

To clarify. As I read this, it's only for points, not miles as well, correct?
Correct.

So it's not exactly the same, even for Mon-Thu, as an extension to the current promo would be, since for those who are getting double miles in the current (Q2) promo there is no option for that in the Q3 promo.

I'm happy! My two June trips got bumped to July, so I'll still be able to earn double points for Mon - Thursday and even triple on Sunday (when I normally fly in). I've also verified the hotels at which I'm staying aren't excluded.

So, no downside from my perspective :)

Free points no need to complain. What if they offered no promo??

if they offered no promo, I would stay elsewhere. There are a lot of hotels out there to choose from and I get to choose where
I stay. I think we all stay where we can mazimize our points and stays so that when we do get to take vacation we can go for free. I am on the road 150 nights a year, never get an upgrade, don't really care about them so much, but I do want as many points as I canget so I can take my vacations at a great property

thanks OP. Just switched two non participating Hampton Inn reservations in CHS for August and September to a participating Hampton Inn; also switched a 3rd in Tuscaloosa AL

Correct.

So it's not exactly the same, even for Mon-Thu, as an extension to the current promo would be, since for those who are getting double miles in the current (Q2) promo there is no option for that in the Q3 promo.

Thanks. Would have been nice to keep that means of padding my AS account. Unfortunately I drive more than I fly. Might have to give Marriott's triple miles promo a try.

So glad that I just finished my Plat Starwood challenge. Another Lame promo from HHonors IMO.

The non-participating list of 495 hotels (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/06/20/hilton-hhonors-3rd-quarter-triple-your-trip-2012-double-or-triple-points-promotion/) is indeed long, but you cannot force hotels to participate as long as they are picking up the tab for the extra points issued. My advise is to book away from the non-participating ones and let them know why.

Note that if your stay includes both weekday and weekend nights, it's not simply *3 on your weekend's rate and *2 on your weekday's rate.

They take your entire bill for the whole stay, divided by the number of nights, then *3 for your weekend nights, and *2 for your weekday nights.

"the Bonus Points you earn per night are calculated based on the average nightly folio of your total stay (average nightly folio is calculated by taking the total net folio of your stay divided by the total number of nights of the stay). Triple Your Trip Double Points are awarded for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in your stay. Triple Your Trip Triple Points are awarded for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in your stay."

Free points no need to complain. What if they offered no promo??
I book most of my wife's hotels after consulting with her. She needs only eight more stays this year with Hilton to requalify as diamond, so she is free to go where the grass is greenest.

Marriott is offering stay six get three free nights. She just managed her first Marriott stay tonight. She had a Radisson stay recently and will be getting a Country Inn stay to qualify for the 100,000 points with Club Carlson. She's been staying quite a bit with Priority Club to take advantage of some bonuses that I signed her up for over there. We've really gotten some good use out of our Priority Club points lately.

Obviously Hilton is my wife's main hotel chain. But when the have no or poor promos and the other chains are offering good ones, she jumps on them. Sometimes she will find that she really likes a non-Hilton hotel, such as the Hotel Indigo in Baton Rouge and will try to stay there regardless of the promos. So Hilton does lose business, and in some markets permanently, by not meeting the competition on promos.

One thing I really don't understand about the HHonors promos is that they are rolled out so last minute. People really do plan ahead, and when the competition has great offers it has to impact Hilton bookings.

But I agree, it is free. But a real yawner that's not competitive. No promo would lose them even more business.

Note that if your stay includes both weekday and weekend nights, it's not simply *3 on your weekend's rate and *2 on your weekday's rate.

They take your entire bill for the whole stay, divided by the number of nights, then *3 for your weekend nights, and *2 for your weekday nights.

"the Bonus Points you earn per night are calculated based on the average nightly folio of your total stay (average nightly folio is calculated by taking the total net folio of your stay divided by the total number of nights of the stay). Triple Your Trip Double Points are awarded for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in your stay. Triple Your Trip Triple Points are awarded for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in your stay."

After a couple of adult beverages, clarification needed. My first stay in the promotion period is a Thursday night-Friday night stay. The rate is the same for both days. So I will, in fact, get double points for Thursday and triple for Friday, correct?

I thought the rate differences between nights had gone away. I certainly haven't seen many recently.

After a couple of adult beverages, clarification needed. My first stay in the promotion period is a Thursday night-Friday night stay. The rate is the same for both days. So I will, in fact, get double points for Thursday and triple for Friday, correct?

I thought the rate differences between nights had gone away. I certainly haven't seen many recently.

Even if the rates are the same on both nights, if you have dining expenses at the hotel on Thursday night, half of your dining expenses will earn triple points and half will earn double.

Thanks for the heads up^. Just registered.
Happy to see this in the FAQ as I have a 10 night stay coming up, starting on June 30th;). Saves checking out and in again!

If I check-in before July 1, 2012 or check-out after September 30, 2012, do I still earn credit for that stay?
Registered HHonors members will receive a bonus only for the nights of an eligible stay completed during the Promotion Period, regardless of a check-in date before the Promotion Period begins or a check-out date after the Promotion Period ends.

Ugh, excludes the Perth (Australia) Hilton where I spend half my life. Or maybe not any more.

Don't like the Q3 promo.

No miles option. Boohoo..

That's a big list of excluded hotels, some of which I would have stayed at...

All but one of the hotels I use the most were included in the Q2 promo but they have all opted out for Q3. I imagine it's due to higher occupancy rates in the summer.

if they offered no promo, I would stay elsewhere. There are a lot of hotels out there to choose from and I get to choose where
I stay. I think we all stay where we can mazimize our points and stays so that when we do get to take vacation we can go for free. I am on the road 150 nights a year, never get an upgrade, don't really care about them so much, but I do want as many points as I canget so I can take my vacations at a great property

And when the property at which essentially all of my stays were headed opts out, they may as well offer no promo. My dreams of no hopping have been dashed.

The non-participating list of 495 hotels (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/06/20/hilton-hhonors-3rd-quarter-triple-your-trip-2012-double-or-triple-points-promotion/) is indeed long, but you cannot force hotels to participate as long as they are picking up the tab for the extra points issued.

I beg to differ. Neither Marriott nor Priority Club allow excluded properties with their promos.

Free points no need to complain. What if they offered no promo??

You mean like hyatt

It's better than nothing. I stay a lot of Fridays so I will benefit.

The exclusion list is rediculous. I will avoid these properties as usual...

No bonus for those going to the Olympics then, to expected I guess.. Just noted Hilton NYC is out as well.

Don't like the Q3 promo.

No miles option. Boohoo..

But you can still double dip with HHonors; earning regular miles plus the bonus points is always an option. Better than having one or the other in my opinion.

I beg to differ. Neither Marriott nor Priority Club allow excluded properties with their promos.

There are some promotions like the current 15K PC for 6 IC (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/06/19/intercontinental-bonus-offer-15k-bonus-points-gold-status-10-off-for-staying-6-nights-and-paying-using-amex/) stays in the Americas where the InterContinental Alliance Resorts are excluded. But you are correct. There are very few Priority Club promotions that have excluded properties.

There are some Ritz-Carlton properties that don't participate to Marriott Rewards/Ritz-Carlton Rewards like the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore where I recently stayed at.

As someone who travels occasionally on weekdays for business, and slightly more regularly at weekends for pleasure, this promo suits me fine.

Living on a small island, and with most of my travel being only as far as Europe for business, airline miles aren't easy to come by for me, so it'll be points all the way.

The central London exclusions were to be expected. None of my Belgian haunts are excluded so I am happy!

Chris

The central london exclusions are annoying as I have two weekend stays in London in Q3. But for my other 3 stays which are all weekends, I'm fairly happy.

Got to be the worst promo for years - would be easier to list the hotel participating ! Almost ever hotel I stay at is excluded, time to look at Starwood again I think.

Seeing as a lot of my stays are in London, this promo is pretty much useless to me.

Its not as if London hotels aren't charging a fortune for their rooms during the Olympics so why they have opted out I don't understand.

:td:

There are some promotions like the current 15K PC for 6 IC (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/06/19/intercontinental-bonus-offer-15k-bonus-points-gold-status-10-off-for-staying-6-nights-and-paying-using-amex/) stays in the Americas where the InterContinental Alliance Resorts are excluded. But you are correct. There are very few Priority Club promotions that have excluded properties.

There are some Ritz-Carlton properties that don't participate to Marriott Rewards/Ritz-Carlton Rewards like the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore where I recently stayed at.

Yes, I should've been more precise. I was referring to the primary promotions that MR and PC put out, that are comparable to HHonors' quarterly promos. I've not seen exclusions from these, and I don't understand the concept behind allowing HHonors properties to decide whether they want to participate. I suppose MR has a similar practice where they allow certain brands (eg Autograph) to choose which benefits to provide and which to ignore. Overall, I find it frustrating and alienating when properties who ostensibly participate in loyalty rewards programs get to pick and choose which parts of the programs they like. I very well may take your advice, though, and contact the property in question and HHonors, letting them know why I'm moving a significant number of nights away from this property, and that I don't believe I'm alone in doing so.

Seeing as a lot of my stays are in London, this promo is pretty much useless to me.

Its not as if London hotels aren't charging a fortune for their rooms during the Olympics so why they have opted out I don't understand.

:td:

Because they would be on the hook for the bonus points, and inflated rates mean inflated bonuses to be paid out.

Because they would be on the hook for the bonus points, and inflated rates mean inflated bonuses to be paid out.

I understand that but its all relative...they are still making more money than normal due to the higher rates, so any layout they may have had for a few extra thousand points per night is surely offset by the significant increase in revenue.

I understand that but its all relative...

The pertinent comparison is expected profit with promo to profit without promo. The idea that London hotels ought to be happy with a lesser profit, even if large and one-off due to the Olympics, is a little silly.

The pertinent comparison is expected profit with promo to profit without promo. The idea that London hotels ought to be happy with a lesser profit, even if large and one-off due to the Olympics, is a little silly.
So the high-dollar guest with both Hilton and Marriott status goes to the Marriott, where he's participating in the Megabonus points promotion and finds out he likes that hotel just as much or more than the Hilton he's been using and decides to use it on future London trips. And so the Hilton saves a few pennies by not having to award bonus points while foolishly risking thousands of pounds in future revenues, i.e. penny wise and pound foolish.

The pertinent comparison is expected profit with promo to profit without promo. The idea that London hotels ought to be happy with a lesser profit, even if large and one-off due to the Olympics, is a little silly.

But they are more than happy with profit and promos and making a lesser profit the rest of the time with standard rates...yet at a time where they will be charging much higher rates and making higher profits they choose to opt out??

I understand the hotel wanting to maximise their revenue during the Olympics, but significantly increased profits shouldn't mean then opting out...it just stinks of greed.

I will definitely be moving a lot of stays elsewhere this quarter.

I have a trip from June 29th to July 9th. I will earn the Q2 bonus for the first night and Q3 for the last 8. Only wont get for 1 night.

*crickets chirping*

Pretty much a cop-out bonus for Q3. As a biz traveler who has almost all Mon-Thur travel, nothing will change for me in Q3 at all. Double miles for 6 straight months.. Meh...:o

I had about 12 weeks booked this summer but saw my hotel had opted out so I emailed them and told them to cancel my reservations. I got a quick reply saying they hadnt opted out. I sent them the link from the promo page and they said there was a mistake and and they are working fix it (they didnt notice it until I brought it up). Maybe theres more hotels on there that hadnt really opted out? I think its worth asking!

One thing I really don't understand about the HHonors promos is that they are rolled out so last minute. People really do plan ahead, and when the competition has great offers it has to impact Hilton bookings.
I don't understand the difference. Which are the hotel programs which give way way more advance notice of promotions?

This promo was announced at 11 days out, and hints of it were leaked out somewhat earlier.

The latest Marriott points promo was announced only two or three weeks out as I recall, and it was only Marriott miles promo that had close to a month advance notice.

But one thing you haven't factored in: All those other programs that annouce a bit earlier have big gaps between their promos, and still don't announce the next promo typically until the last promo is already done and over with. Hilton is in a different situation because they start each promo the day after the last promo ends. This gives them less room to play with than the programs which have big gaps in the promos.

So the very fact that you can theoretically do some kind of promo on just about every night of the year at HHonors helps explain why there's a week or so less of advance notice at HHonors than at the other places.

Furthermore, how much advance notice helps is you not just dependent on when the announcement is relative to the start of the promo, but when it is relative to your travel dates. People who were doing traveling in late June (but over by late June) had many months of advance notice at HHonors, as do people traveling in late September now have. At every program you're going to have people who want to book a month or two in advance and at some point the next promo is not known that far out. It's only in a very sweet spot of a few weeks out that other programs tend to be a bit better than HHonors, but again that's due to the bigger gaps, which can hurt some people more than the lack of notice does.

Works for me. I should net about 100-120,000 extra points for the quarter on this.

TX, FL, VA, WV, NC, TN. Here I come!

obviously better then nothing... but very uninspired. way too many opt outs.

I am assuming that the hotels in Puerto Rico are included in promotion participation? Did not see any listed on the OPT out list. Thanks!

Love how people hate the promotion. I think they should realize the Marriott bonus is essentially the same this quarter (points wise) but their program had a 1 month gap in between. I guess people want to accept their own realities. :rolleyes:

Well for those staying Friday through Sunday, the triple points are great but again the exclusion list is excessive. For those of us who travel during the week, not much of change from what we now have.

Still one does get the double dip which they do not with other programs such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, etc and that counts for something.

I am disappointed but until some one shows me a better quarter promotion, why not get double Hilton points. So as they say in Missouri....Show Me....

The whining here boggles my mind. It wasn't all that long ago that most promos were targeted and many of us had to arm ourselves with specific promo codes, call or email to plead our case, and try to get registered, sometimes retroactively. We now get regular quarterly promos, available to all members, with much less fuss and bother (with the exception of the aggravating opt-outs). Some promos work better than others, dependent on your travel patterns, but on a macro level the HH promo scene is, IMO, much better than in previous years.

The whining here boggles my mind. It wasn't all that long ago that most promos were targeted and many of us had to arm ourselves with specific promo codes, call or email to plead our case, and try to get registered, sometimes retroactively. We now get regular quarterly promos, available to all members, with much less fuss and bother (with the exception of the aggravating opt-outs). Some promos work better than others, dependent on your travel patterns, but on a macro level the HH promo scene is, IMO, much better than in previous years.

The fact that Hilton has now conditioned us to expect continuous major promotions makes me wonder how Hilton plans to get the genie back in the bottle when the economy picks up and there is no longer the need to incentivize travel.

But they are more than happy with profit and promos and making a lesser profit the rest of the time with standard rates...yet at a time where they will be charging much higher rates and making higher profits they choose to opt out??

I understand the hotel wanting to maximise their revenue during the Olympics, but significantly increased profits shouldn't mean then opting out...it just stinks of greed.

I will definitely be moving a lot of stays elsewhere this quarter.

London hotels will be full for Olympics. The promos are there to drive extra business. It would be silly for London hotels to pay bonuses when promo couldn't drive any extra traffic due to the Olympics.

obviously better then nothing... but very uninspired. way too many opt outs.

+1. Almost all of the hotels I stay at in VA, NC, SC, GA, IL, IN, PA, and OH all opted out! Kind of a bummer:td:

London hotels will be full for Olympics. The promos are there to drive extra business. It would be silly for London hotels to pay bonuses when promo couldn't drive any extra traffic due to the Olympics.

The London Olympics are on for two weeks. The rates & availability in London hotels reflect this plus maybe a couple of days either side. This promo is for 13 weeks not two.

I'm good with this promo. I have mostly weekend stays in Q3 as things stand. One is at a non-participating hotel, but them's the breaks.

The usual whining has kicked off again of course. We can't really be expecting free night certificates that often. Sure, those promos are kick-..., but they aren't cheap. Nor can we expect London hotels to shovel out points during the Olympics.

I'm happy as long as there is a promotion. I have 13 nights booked so far in Q3, of those 13, five are weekend nights.

:D

The whining here boggles my mind. It wasn't all that long ago that most promos were targeted and many of us had to arm ourselves with specific promo codes, call or email to plead our case, and try to get registered, sometimes retroactively. We now get regular quarterly promos, available to all members, with much less fuss and bother (with the exception of the aggravating opt-outs). Some promos work better than others, dependent on your travel patterns, but on a macro level the HH promo scene is, IMO, much better than in previous years.

haha, wow. this is a very valid point. when i started getting into this in like 2007 i remember all the hoops i had to jump through to get a double point promo that i wasn't originally "targeted" for. god that was a nightmare, and extrememly aggervating.

gues i've gotten spoiled recently, but you are definately right, its waaay better then it was 5 years ago

The London Olympics are on for two weeks. The rates & availability in London hotels reflect this plus maybe a couple of days either side. This promo is for 13 weeks not two.

And Q3 is high season for London tourism. Some tourist destinations are starting to come back from the recession - although that may change quickly given events of this week, that is the status when the opt-out decision had to be made. Hotels look at their advance bookings, extrapolate their projected occupancy levels, and decide whether to opt out or not. While spectators might just be at the Olympics for a couple of weeks, many people have to go early and stay after to perform their jobs - broadcasters, team officials, etc. In addition, somebody who is just going for tourism will avoid the times around the Olympics, so London should see three months of tourism in two months.

Not in response to the member quoted above, but just in general:
What many here do not seem to understand is that Hilton does not own hotels, they manage hotels that are owned by others. Some competing chains own the hotels in that chain, and when they have a promo all those hotels participate, because headquarters makes that decision. Hilton has to extend the opt-out opportunity to each hotel in its chain, because their contract with the hotel requires it. A hotel owner is not going to sign a contract that requires him to participate in any unspecified promo that Hilton comes up with. If you can't live with that, perhaps another chain would better suit your needs.

Not much of a promo. I was hoping for "Ask Nice at the Desk, Get 1 Night Free"

i guess this is as good as it gets with hilton for now....

anyways, bonus points are always welcome....it just seems like the list of non-participating properties gets longer every quarter....luckily for me all my hilton stays in the quarter are not in the us or uk which seems to have the longest list....

It's better than nothing. I'm frustrated that one of my favorite hotels again isn't participating, but I guess they don't miss my business.

There were more than 170 new hotels that opted out of the promotion this quarter that had not opted out of any promotion in the last 2 years, overall more than 500 hotels total. Hard to beat up on the 13 hotels in London new to the list, but what about all the others?

A spreadsheet can be found in:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1326713-hotels-consistently-dont-participate-quarterly-promotions.html

And of course one of my favorite places (Embassy Suites -- Denver Airport) has opted out for at least the 6th straight time and given the current promotion if I have a stay of more than a night I will stay somewhere else.

Take a look at my post on The Points Guy for an interesting quirk to this promotion:

http://thepointsguy.com/2012/06/maximize-hilton-hhonors-triple-your-trip-promotion/

I'd love to get your thoughts on the possible "loophole" I point out and hear whether any of you will be hurt (or harmed) by the way Hilton is calculating the bonuses.

I'd love to get your thoughts on the possible "loophole" I point out and hear whether any of you will be hurt (or harmed) by the way Hilton is calculating the bonuses.

Almost always, the hotels I stay at have lower weekend rates. So I will benefit from the calculation method.

Almost always, the hotels I stay at have lower weekend rates. So I will benefit from the calculation method.

same here....almost all my stays (maybe all) have a lower weekend rate....

Is anyone going to post a link to sign up?

Some of us have not received anything yet.

Is anyone going to post a link to sign up?


why you don't use the link posted in the first post?

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/Quarterlypages/2012/Q3/landing.aspx

The exclusion list is rediculous. I will avoid these properties as usual...

Got to be the worst promo for years - would be easier to list the hotel participating !

The opt-out list is absurd. Hilton can't possibly call this a systemwide promo with a straight face. There will be a dramatic number of people who sign up for this thing, don't bother to scan the opt-out list, then just get mad when no bonus materializes. Effect will be worse than no promo at all for those people.

If Hilton has so little sway with its own operators that 500+ of them can duck out of a major promo, they should design a promo that isn't rejected by one in seven properties worldwide.

Some really greedy people in here. How can you expect every next promo to be better and better? Where should it end? 10x bonus points?? When will you be satisfied?

Though I feel sorry for everyone with US stays due to the opt outs.

The London Olympics are on for two weeks. The rates & availability in London hotels reflect this plus maybe a couple of days either side. This promo is for 13 weeks not two.


What about the Paralympics that stretch from 29th to Aug 9th Sept so when you add a couple of weeks either side of these dates you get mid july to mid Sept ......most of Q3. I guess a hotel can either join a promotion or not, they cannot join for a couple of weeks or the period. Its a bit like being "nearly" pregnant, you are or you are not

What about the Paralympics that stretch from 29th to Aug 9th Sept so when you add a couple of weeks either side of these dates you get mid july to mid Sept ......most of Q3. I guess a hotel can either join a promotion or not, they cannot join for a couple of weeks or the period. Its a bit like being "nearly" pregnant, you are or you are not

The rates during the para Olympics are the same as normal for the Hiltons in London. There also looks to be fairly good availability. Unlike the normal Olympics.

I dont really understand you're analogy about been pregnant?. Of course they could opt out for a couple of weeks. Am sure they could add some small print stating that promotion didnt apply during certain dates in the London area.

Not in response to the member quoted above, but just in general:
What many here do not seem to understand is that Hilton does not own hotels, they manage hotels that are owned by others. Some competing chains own the hotels in that chain, and when they have a promo all those hotels participate, because headquarters makes that decision. Hilton has to extend the opt-out opportunity to each hotel in its chain, because their contract with the hotel requires it. A hotel owner is not going to sign a contract that requires him to participate in any unspecified promo that Hilton comes up with. If you can't live with that, perhaps another chain would better suit your needs.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I don't believe that Marriott owns most Marriott hotels. Same with IHG. They are somehow able to obtain near-100% participation in promos from their property owners. So it can certainly be done. I think the point most of us are making is that the frustration of having so many opt-outs nearly outweighs the goodwill created by the promo in the first place. I, for one, am moving stays to Marriott and IHG due to a property opting out. But that doesn't eliminate my emotional need to ..... about it on FT.

...I don't believe that Marriott owns most Marriott hotels. Same with IHG. They are somehow able to obtain near-100% participation in promos from their property owners. So it can certainly be done. I think the point most of us are making is that the frustration of having so many opt-outs nearly outweighs the goodwill created by the promo in the first place.

That's exactly what I'm saying. And while this Hilton promo trips everyone up in the fine print, Marriott meanwhile has a dead simple, straightforward June 1 - August 31 promo: a free room-night after every two paid stays, period. And you can earn up to three free room nights. Not only is that far better value than this Hilton offer, there are no Marriott opt-outs that I can see. Guess where I'm booking this summer?

That's exactly what I'm saying. And while this Hilton promo trips everyone up in the fine print, Marriott meanwhile has a dead simple, straightforward June 1 - August 31 promo: a free room-night after every two paid stays, period. And you can earn up to three free room nights. Not only is that far better value than this Hilton offer, there are no Marriott opt-outs that I can see. Guess where I'm booking this summer?
Every single hotel above a Cat 4 in Marriott rewards is an opt out as far as I can tell.

Every single hotel above a Cat 4 in Marriott rewards is an opt out as far as I can tell. Not for earning. Redemption is limited to Cat 1-4 but no opt-outs on the earning side.

Somehow I think that the Bev Hills Hilton will be in the promo after this weekend.

That's exactly what I'm saying. And while this Hilton promo trips everyone up in the fine print, Marriott meanwhile has a dead simple, straightforward June 1 - August 31 promo: a free room-night after every two paid stays, period. And you can earn up to three free room nights. Not only is that far better value than this Hilton offer, there are no Marriott opt-outs that I can see. Guess where I'm booking this summer?

You are assuming that Marriott properties are better than or cheaper than Hilton properties. A Marriott property could be tens of dollars more per night than the Hilton family property right next store. Furthermore, I often find Hilton Family properties to be better than Marriott. So, your "free" night may come with considerable cost.

Not for earning. Redemption is limited to Cat 1-4 but no opt-outs on the earning side.

I can redeem Hilton points at any hotel in their system.

You are assuming that Marriott properties are better than or cheaper than Hilton properties. A Marriott property could be tens of dollars more per night than the Hilton family property right next store.

In the small city I have to visit a couple of times before August 31 the Fairfield Inn is running $60 / night less than the neighboring HGI, which has opted out of the Q3 promo. YMMV.

I can redeem Hilton points at any hotel in their system. Very often at crazy-high redemption levels that make us look like idiots for collecting the points in the first place instead of just hitting Priceline.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I don't believe that Marriott owns most Marriott hotels. Same with IHG. They are somehow able to obtain near-100% participation in promos from their property owners. So it can certainly be done. I think the point most of us are making is that the frustration of having so many opt-outs nearly outweighs the goodwill created by the promo in the first place. I, for one, am moving stays to Marriott and IHG due to a property opting out. But that doesn't eliminate my emotional need to ..... about it on FT.

Then I don't know how Marriott manages to compel its franchised hotels to accept promos. I know that I would be very reluctant to sign a contract that required me to participate in a promo in the future, without knowing what that promo might be. Remember that the franchisor makes money on the promo (due to presumed increased volume) and the hotels bear all the expense (although they hope to benefit from increased volume also, provided they are not already at capacity).

Perhaps Marriott Corporate bears the cost of the promotions versus Hilton requiring the participating hotels to pay for them.

Are there actually any hotels in London participating ? I looked at the obvious ones but there's so many new hiltons in London now it's hard to tell

Basically London is excluded from these with just about all properties on the opt out list.

So I won't be staying in any Hiltons over the summer it seems.

I don't think Marriott promo are better for me. Its better for cheap and hopping style but not for expensive all inclusive holidays.

Are there actually any hotels in London participating ? I looked at the obvious ones but there's so many new hiltons in London now it's hard to tell

From checking the list I would say the following are participating:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Victoria
Courthouse DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Regent Street
The Bentley London
Wembley Plaza
Hampton by Hilton London Croydon (it's only 15 mins or so from Victoria / London Bridge)

Chris

Hello,
Quick question regarding the overlap of promotions... I have a stay june 29-July 2nd, 3 night stay.

Would I receive the double(current promo) for the 1 night June29-30, receive triple for the 1 night stay(Q3 promo) June30-Jul 1st and double points for Jul 1-2nd(Q3 Promo)?

June30-Jul1st is Sat-Sun while Jul1-2nd is Sun-Mon for references.

I would actually wish the whole stay would be Q2 Promo as it looks like one of the candidate hotels does not participate in Q3 promo (HGI Bozeman Montana)... Might have to go with the HWS Bozeman...

I had about 12 weeks booked this summer but saw my hotel had opted out so I emailed them and told them to cancel my reservations. I got a quick reply saying they hadnt opted out. I sent them the link from the promo page and they said there was a mistake and and they are working fix it (they didnt notice it until I brought it up). Maybe theres more hotels on there that hadnt really opted out? I think its worth asking!

FYI the hotel I mentioned was officially taken off the list. Check with your hotel if its on the excluded list. At the very least, you can express your dissatisfaction if they tell you its excluded.

Has anyone learned of 2012 3Q promotions yet? I am able to stay where I wish and knowing now will dictate if I do Hilton, Marriott, or Sheratons.

About 3 posts below ...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1360629-official-q3-hilton-hhonors-promotion-faq.html

Chris

About 3 posts below ...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1360629-official-q3-hilton-hhonors-promotion-faq.html

Chris

Thanks, Chris.

You can combine this with the triple Delta SkyMiles promotion (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/07/03/triple-delta-skymiles-for-stays-at-selected-hilton-family-of-hotels/) at selected 300+ hotels. But I will start double dipping with Virgin Atlantic (http://loyaltylobby.com/2012/06/27/hilton-hhonors-double-dip-strategy-with-virgin-atlantics-flying-club/) for 1K (2k HH) per stay AFTER BMI option is gone.

on second thought, i'm quite happy with this promo....i just realised that my next stay in europe will get me over 100k points (including bonus, hilton amex, etc) since i'll be booking 2 rooms for 5 nights....

i seem to have gotten far fewer points from my last stay during this promo period....please let me know if i am calculating incorrectly....

i had a 4 night stay with 2 nights falling in the 2x points category (wednesday & thursday) & the other 2 in the 3x points category (friday & saturday)....

the rate for the first 2 nights was €502.80 (excluding taxes) & the remaining 2 weekend nights was €412.20 (excluding taxes)....

the exchange rate would roughly translate the amounts into $647 for the first 2 nights & $530 for the remaining 2 nights....

this means for the first 2 nights i should get 6,470 (base points) + 3,235 (diamond vip bonus) + 3,235 (50% base points bonus) + 6,470 (2x base points) = 19,410 points....

for the 2 weekend nights i should get 5,300 (base points) + 2,650 (diamond vip bonus) + 2,650 (50% base point bonus) + 10,600 (3x base points) = 21,200 points....

this brings the total to 40,610 points....

what i've got instead is 7,119 (base points) + 3,559 (diamond vip bonus) + 3,559 (50% base points bonus) + 10,674 (2x/3x base points) = 24,911....

is my calculation correct or am i making a mistake somewhere????