Hilton HHonors - Charged for room on reward stay -- what to do?

Last month I stayed for a night at the Hampton Inn in Grand Junction, CO, and paid for it with 20,000 Hhonors points. The invoice that was slid under the door said that I owned about $19 for the room night -- obviously this was instead the amount that the hotel was to get paid by Hilton as compensation for my "free" stay. Anyhow, when I did the video checkout, it said I owed nothing, so I did not go to the front desk to dispute the charge -- this incorrect billing happens to me on about half of my Hhonors stays and this is the first time my cc has been charged for anything other than incidentals.

Obviously, the property should be required to reverse my cc charge, and I expect them to -- but I am prepared to dispute the charge with the cc company if they don't. However, as a result of their mistake, I am no longer statisfied with my stay, so I also want the hotel to return the 20,000 Hhonors points (as a penalty to them for the time I will have to invest in getting the mistake corrected). Has anyone tried to do this (get Hhonors points back on a Hampton Inn Reward Stay)? If so, were you successful?

I also want the hotel to return the 20,000 Hhonors points (as a penalty to them for the time I will have to invest in getting the mistake corrected)

You're joking, right? It will probably take no more than two minutes on the phone with the hotel to resolve this.

You're joking, right?Doesn't Hampton Inn have a 100% satisfaction guarantee? If I were charged for an award stay I'd be less than 100% satisfied.

The fine print: You normally should have brought it to the property's attention so they could attempt to resolve the issue, etc., but I think in this case it would be a reasonable request given the circumstances..

It's not always about what you deserve to get, but what you deserve to ask for.

Doesn't Hampton Inn have a 100% satisfaction guarantee? If I were charged for an award stay I'd be less than 100% satisfied.

The fine print: You normally should have brought it to the property's attention so they could attempt to resolve the issue, etc., but I think in this case it would be a reasonable request given the circumstances..

It's not always about what you deserve to get, but what you deserve to ask for.

I agree that I should have brought the erroneous folio to the hotel's attention as soon as I saw it. However, when I did the on-screen check-out, it told me I owed nothing. I assumed that the information shown on the television screen was more current than what was printed on the folio, so I further assumed that the hotel had already corrected the folio.

If it's an honest mistake, the hotel will reverse the $19 without any hassle.

Don't throw a temper-tantrum about the 20,000 points. You used the award - just ask for your nineteen bucks back. If you throw a hissyfit the hotel will be less likely to help fix honest problems for others in the future.

Somewhat off-topic, but what rate would you have had to pay as the rack rate for that stay? Judging from the $ 19 they get from Hilton, I would be surprised if it was a rate that really justified spending 20,000 points.

I'd easily pay $ 100 before I would burn 20,000 points at some Hampton Inn...

Therefore...see if you can pay the $ 19 and get the 20,000 back :).

Somewhat off-topic, but what rate would you have had to pay as the rack rate for that stay? Judging from the $ 19 they get from Hilton, I would be surprised if it was a rate that really justified spending 20,000 points.

I'd easily pay $ 100 before I would burn 20,000 points at some Hampton Inn...

Therefore...see if you can pay the $ 19 and get the 20,000 back :).

Not a bad idea, except that if I let them keep the $19, I would also want my points and miles. ;)

The same thing happened to me at the Hampton Inn DCA. I received a charge to my credit card for less than $20 on an award stay. I am still trying to get them to reverse it and am about to challenge it with the cc co. They also explained that this is what they get from HHonors and aren't sure why I was charged. Not much compensation from HHonors for a room that had a best available rate of $250. The 20k stay was well worth it.

Not a bad idea, except that if I let them keep the $19, I would also want my points and miles. ;)

And a few thousand more for your trouble.

I used an award last week at Dus Do. When I checked out yest, it showed charge of 140E. I asked what it was for & they said the award rate, that I didn't owe anything, but it was an internal thing. I wanted a receipt showing a zero balance, but their computer was down. Will check my Amex & see what happens, but will call Hilton to get it credited if it does show up.

Not much compensation from HHonors for a room that had a best available rate of $250. The 20k stay was well worth it.

OK....I gotta ask...an airport Hampton for $250/nt.?!?! What's the catch?

I called the front desk at the Grand Junction Hampton Inn. The desk clerk was fairly rude about even refunding the $16.60 that was erroneously charged to my cc. So I didn't even talk with her about getting the 20,000 points back. Instead, I called Hilton Guest Services and talked with a very professional employee who promised that she would have the General Manager of the Grand Junction Hampton Inn call me within 72 business hours.

He called me the next day, seemed genuinely upset about the mistake the hotel made with my cc and said that the 20,000 points would be back in my Hhonors account by the 15th. He said that if that somehow doesn't happen, call me on my business cell phone (he then gave me the number). ^ ^ I now will seriously consider staying again at that property if I again find myself there.

The 20,000 points were put back in my Hhonors account yesterday.

Glad to hear. Can you edit the topic of a thread? I think the title I put on this post would be more helpful to people seeking this info.

It never occured to me to invoke the 100% Guarantee on a reward stay. I've even cynically mumbled to myself, "What good is that guarantee when they know you're not paying for the room?"

I'm going to keep this one in my pocket for the future. Friendly service, clean rooms, comfortable surroundings, every time.
If you’re not satisfied, we don’t expect you to pay.
That’s our commitment and your guarantee. That’s 100% Hampton.

Last month I stayed for a night at the Hampton Inn in Grand Junction, CO, and paid for it with 20,000 Hhonors points. The invoice that was slid under the door said that I owned about $19 for the room night -- obviously this was instead the amount that the hotel was to get paid by Hilton as compensation for my "free" stay. Anyhow, when I did the video checkout, it said I owed nothing, so I did not go to the front desk to dispute the charge -- this incorrect billing happens to me on about half of my Hhonors stays and this is the first time my cc has been charged for anything other than incidentals.

Obviously, the property should be required to reverse my cc charge, and I expect them to -- but I am prepared to dispute the charge with the cc company if they don't. However, as a result of their mistake, I am no longer statisfied with my stay, so I also want the hotel to return the 20,000 Hhonors points (as a penalty to them for the time I will have to invest in getting the mistake corrected). Has anyone tried to do this (get Hhonors points back on a Hampton Inn Reward Stay)? If so, were you successful?

This was because the hotel didn't have your Folio set up correctly.

Your folio should have been set up as a direct bill for room and tax on a second receipt. They use the lower rate to track what Hilton owes them for providing a room for rewards stays. In reality, though this amount is deducted monthly from franchise fees owed to Hilton. Rather than setting this up to the proper Direct Bill account, they were using your card as payment.

Nonetheless, you should NOT have even been given an express checkout or been billed for anything unless you had any incidentals, which would have went to your first receipt. You should only be given an express checkout to inform you of the total being billed to your CC.

The only reason for this, is because the person that checked you in did not set up this properly, so it IS the hotel's reason for your being inconvenienced by even being billed for a rewards stay.

...partial quote...
This was because the hotel didn't have your Folio set up correctly.

Nonetheless, you should NOT have even been given an express checkout or been billed for anything unless you had any incidentals, which would have went to your first receipt. You should only be given an express checkout to inform you of the total being billed to your CC.


I disagree with the idea of NOT getting an express checkout bill/receipt.

I have made many points stays and usually receive an express checkout bill showing zero owed. For two reasons I not only expect, but insist on a check-out receipt on every stay.

1. Many times the $15.00 or so charges do appear and need to be removed. This has always been easy to do with a phone call from the room. I expect a checkout bill just to confirm that charges or incidentals are accurate.

2. I also want a receipt to confirm my stays in case credit does not appear on my Hhonors account. Usually this can be remedied online without proof, however sometimes a fax of the bill is required.

hinklesc, GDIW is correct: one should always get a receipt showing $0 on a reward stay, if nothing else to have proof for stay credit (reward stays count for stay credit), but also to make sure that the hotel hasn't charged you. This problem of being charged the reimbursement amount for reward stays is very prevalent, and many front desk staff are clueless about it.

Meanwhile...

I called the front desk at the Grand Junction Hampton Inn. The desk clerk was fairly rude about even refunding the $16.60 that was erroneously charged to my cc....

[The GM] seemed genuinely upset about the mistake the hotel made with my cc and said that the 20,000 points would be back in my Hhonors account by the 15th....

I now will seriously consider staying again at that property if I again find myself there.BTW, I assume you got both your money and your points refunded, right?

By all means, once the attempt to resolve the issue was met with rudeness, you were 100% within the 100% satisfaction parameters from a reasonability standpoint, IMHO, in addition to the strict legal conditions which you had already met.

Again, I'm really pleased to have my eyes opened to the possibility of using the guarantee when redeeming points.

And your last sentence (quoted above) is the whole reason for the guarantee. Mid-tier properties know that customer retention is crucial, and how hard it can be to weed out the bad apples in their (very low paid) staff. So they incentivize the customer to provide the feedback that is so valuable to them. That's the whole reason for the guarantee.

Something tells me Mr. Rude may soon be front desking at the Super8.

I'd write a letter to the manager, thank him for his help in resolving this to your satisfaction & mention that you will indeed stay at his hotel again in the future. Reinforce good customer service. Cheers. Sharon

If you are having problems getting the hotel to credit your charge, call Guest Assistance (800-426-7866 and ask to be transferred to Guest Assistance)

Usually, the only thing you are charge for on a redemption stay is incedentals. Sounds like a plain billing error to me. Hope this helps.

The same thing happened to me at the Hampton Inn DCA. I received a charge to my credit card for less than $20 on an award stay. I am still trying to get them to reverse it and am about to challenge it with the cc co. They also explained that this is what they get from HHonors and aren't sure why I was charged. Not much compensation from HHonors for a room that had a best available rate of $250. The 20k stay was well worth it.

Everything worked out fine. I got the money back and I got the points back.

I presume that the 100% satisfaction guarantee ONLY applies to the Hampton Inns. No such guarantee at regular Hiltons?

Maybe Mr. Rude will soon be employed at the DoubleTree Club hotel in Houston. :D

(The hotel that is the subject of Tom Farmer and Shane Atchison's timeless classic PowerPoint presentation "Yours is a Very Bad Hotel"...)


<snip>
Something tells me Mr. Rude may soon be front desking at the Super8.

This hotel - or perhaps the desk staff in particular - hasn't learned from the OP's experience. I got hit for $20 + taxes on an award stay a couple of weeks ago after being told 'no charges' at checkout. I guess I should have spoken with the general manager rather than finance types in seeking a reversal.