Hilton HHonors - Do Reward Base Miles Count Toward VIP Tier & do joint paid/reward stays count as 2??

Ok, as my earlier thread has educated me, I will only earn 1 stay for any reward stay (not the night credits in addition) so my new questions are:

1. Question deleted since I now feel stupid for asking it :)

2. Also, I have another booking where (at the same property), I am paying for 3 nights and then staying an additional 6 nights on a GLONP reward. Would this count as one or two stays? Although I have one booking number linking the 2 reservations, can I check out and in again to get that second stay?

I am getting down to the home stretch and want to be able to make Gold again this year.

Thanks.

#1 Since you are not technically supposed to get the points that have been awarded in this situation as far as I know nobody here has been brave enough ( or should I say foolish enough) to ask that question.
I would not worry about it occurs quite rarely, in my case only once in say 20 or so awards stays and seems to occur mostly at UK properties.

# 2 Can be a little tricky I have tried that 3 times and got away with it twice, once perhaps unwittingly by making two reservations one in my name and the other in my wifes' ( we have a mutual account)
My suggestion a ) try to have two separate reservations numbers do not link them, even if it means cancelling the paid one by calling to the serrvice center and then making another on on-line.
b) if possible have the paid stay first so you can settle that one, which might post even before the GLON stay is completed.
c) When the award doesnt post, it might and you will have succeeded. Call HHonors and try to get them to post it manually if it does it will then post as two stays and you are home free. Even if that doesnt work and you are required to fax the award stay folio in there is a high chance it will post as two stays.
Good luck.
mike

On #1, you can get points for incidentals charged to the room during an award stay, and you can charge a lot of things to the room - city tours booked va the concierge,etc. In Singapore my wife even charged a taxi fare to the room -- I don't remember whether we got points for that, though. ;)

I think I ended up with $100 or so in incidentals on a 5-night reward stay in Hong Kong.

Just my opinion, but if you're down to counting points for award stays, you're getting a little desperate. Wouldn't it be much easier to work on boosting your stay count?

I think that you might be right. I am trying to decide either a week long stay in Europe at a nicer property that will get me the point minimum or split the week for 2 stays.

LHR Wannabe, My recommendation is don't gamble, split your stays. And if you are in Europe, remember 10k gets you an overnight at a Scandic, one of the world's good bargains, IMO, if you happen to be in Scandic country.

Remember, different hotels will differ on what earns points. At Hilton Mainz (Germany), it's the room rate, not the incidentals - not even the meals. At Hilton Buenos Aires, you can charge tours, remise axis, all kinds of things to your room - but you won't earn points. Ask when you are there, or check here.

BTW, there are no, well, maybe just a few, dumb questions ;) - and lots of possible dumb answers.

LHR Wannabe,Remember, different hotels will differ on what earns points. At Hilton Mainz (Germany), it's the room rate, not the incidentals - not even the meals. At Hilton Buenos Aires, you can charge tours, remise axis, all kinds of things to your room - but you won't earn points. Ask when you are there, or check here.

BTW, there are no, well, maybe just a few, dumb questions ;) - and lots of possible dumb answers.

Are you sure about this?
It has always been my understanding ( and it has been confirmed by HHonors many times) that ALL CHARGES YOU ARE ABLE to place on your folio ( except taxes) you are supposed to recieve points. If what you relate occured to you HHonors might owe you some points. This is one area HHonors bests Starwood with the latters' inconsistent policies.
mike

I am very sure of this. Hilton properties can, and will, vary on what they will allocate points for. In MOST places, anything you can put on your room charges will earn points, practically speaking. When I tried to rectify what the Hilton EZE did (in all fairness, they otherwise treated us very well, Exec Lounge AND breakfast buffet chits, huge corner room, etc. etc.,) in the US, it was a definite no go - that's their policy, it takes precedence over the HHonors T&C apparently - not that it makes me happy, but it certainly is part of the fly-in-the-ointment issues we keep running into with non-compliant hotels.

One of the worst is now a Marriott - the Monterey (CA) "Doubletree", which did not respect ANY HHonors condition (upgrades, breakfast, etc.) and allocated NO miles for anything, including room rates.

The Hilton EZE gave me a surprise even after I left. I used my VISA for the charges, (one which usually gathers dust in my safe,) there (and only there,) due to a special offer. A couple of weeks after my rerturn, Neiman Marcus had a $3,500 charge to my card, and wanted to verify the address in Miami they were to ship to. Minor problem - I live near Sacramento, California... Some desk jockey there had lifted my card data and was organized enough to have an accomplice in MIA to receive the stolen goods.

Yeah, I complained - to the bank, to Hilton International, and to the Hilton EZE - who didn't seem much bothered by it until I told the "gerente" that this chappie was probably robbing them blind, as well as robbing guests. :rolleyes:

Are you sure about this?
It has always been my understanding (and it has been confirmed by HHonors many times) that ALL CHARGES YOU ARE ABLE to place on your folio ( except taxes) you are supposed to recieve points. If what you relate occured to you HHonors might owe you some points. This is one area HHonors bests Starwood with the latters' inconsistent policies.
mike

One of the worst is now a Marriott - the Monterey (CA) "Doubletree", which did not respect ANY HHonors condition (upgrades, breakfast, etc.) and allocated NO miles for anything, including room rates.
Water under the bridge, but it was easy to fax in your folio and get HH points/credit for the Monterey DT. The front desk staff even advised to do it.

that's their policy, it takes precedence over the HHonors T&C apparently

Actually, it does not necessarily contradict the HHonors Terms and Conditions (http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/terms.jhtml):

"Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Scandic hotels as well as other selected participating hotels - may omit for purposes of point accrual, incidental charges or charges to the Member's room for non-affiliated hotel entities which are not owned and/or operated by the hotel including, but not limited to, food and beverage outlets, gift shop, drugstore, clothes, gallery or specialty stores, recreational or entertainment concessions."

2. Also, I have another booking where (at the same property), I am paying for 3 nights and then staying an additional 6 nights on a GLONP reward. Would this count as one or two stays? Although I have one booking number linking the 2 reservations, can I check out and in again to get that second stay?

I am getting down to the home stretch and want to be able to make Gold again this year.

I've been in that situation before and I've been told it counts as 1 stay (because it's all consecutive nights - checking in and out doesn't matter). So then, you should use the following strategy: Book 1st night in your name, book 2nd night in your spouse's name, book 3rd night in your name, book GLONP in your spouse's name. This way, you and your spouse each get credit for 2 stays! I've done it before and it works!

The former Monterey Doubletree is now the Portola Plaza Hotel and is not part of the Marriott hotels group. The Monterey Marriott is across the street from the Portola Plaza and a skywalk connects the two hotels to the Monterey Convention Center rooms.