Hilton HHonors - When is a paid stay not a paid stay?




Flyer Jon
Mar 2, 05, 1:29 pm
Mrs Flyer Jon stayed at the Hilton San Fran last week. I made an on-line reservation at Hilton.com for two nights at $180 per night.

The day before she checked in, I remembered the hotel had given her a comp night due to problems she'd encountered last October. Called hotel and they said they would comp one night and charge for other.

Yesterday, I noticed that the stay posted to our Mutual HHonors, but with 0 points & miles, and no stay credit towards status requalification.

I called CS and they told me that they will post points for the dollar amount on her bill, but not miles or stay credit. They explained:

Only paid or points reward stays will count.

But, say I, one night was charged, so it was a paid stay that happened to also have a comp night. I felt that was logical. I was wrong, a supervisor explained that if a stay contains a comp night then the whole stay is treated as comp (for rewards purposes), and, as such, is not eligible for miles or stay credit. I asked where this policy appears in terms & conditions and was told it didn't -- the only reference is related to complete comp stays:

11. No point or stay credit, airline frequent flyer mileage credit or credit toward tier status will be awarded for wholesale/tour operator packages, contracted airline crew rates, travel industry rates (including but not limited to travel agent discount rates), complimentary or barter rooms, stays on NET Group, Series Group or IT Group rates, contracted Entertainment or Encore rates and stays using airline percent-off award certificates. Stays that are booked via third party websites other than the websites of Hilton HHonors airline partners are not Eligible Stays irrespective of rate paid, for the purpose of earning points, miles or stay credit toward VIP tier status. Stays booked via "opaque" channels where the brand is unknown at the time of purchase are not Eligible Stays for the purpose of earning points, miles or stay credit toward VIP tier status, or the receipt of VIP tier benefits such as upgraded accommodations / amenities or access to health clubs. No point or stay credit, airline frequent flyer mileage credit or credit toward tier status will be awarded for "no show" situations when a member has made a reservation guaranteed with a credit card but then does not check in to the hotel--irrespective of whether or not the member's credit card is charged for any portion of the reserved stay per the hotel's "no show" policy.

The supervisor agreed to credit us for the stay, but would make a note in our profile, that it was a one-time courtesy.

Anyone else come across this anomaly?

Although we were made whole, it seems very strange that a paid stay is not always a paid stay.


pdhenry
Mar 3, 05, 11:56 am
I think as a rule you're not supposed to get points for a paid stay that is in conjunction with an award stay at the same hotel; perhaps the rule that causes this is at work in your situation. Not that this should be the case in either event...

BigLar
Mar 3, 05, 12:09 pm
I dunno ... on an award stay, don't you get points for incidentals? Wouldn't you treat additional paid nights as "incidentals"?


hhonors123
Mar 3, 05, 12:49 pm
you should always get night/stay credit for eligible stays that are paid for, even if in conjunction with a "comp" stay or reward stay.

Rut Dog
Mar 3, 05, 1:23 pm
you should always get night/stay credit for eligible stays that are paid for, even if in conjunction with a "comp" stay or reward stay.I would tend to agree, but that wasn't the op's experience. Have you had specific experience with this situation?

Unfortunately I don't have any specific experience, but my general experience is wanting to say that you were likely being fed some creative thinking Flyer Jon in the form of a bookeeping error being "explained" post-error with made up rationale.

If you were comped one night for bad service, it is ludicrous to try to deny you credit for a night you paid.

Glad it worked out for you... and I really don't think this problem is wide spread. I certainly hope not. :)

JDiver
Mar 3, 05, 6:19 pm
IMO, it sounds like one of those "face-saving pyramid" deals - someone messes up, the mess is compounded by employees trying to maintain the original mess and its justifications.

After all, if I get stay credit and points for award stays, how can it be ju8stified I do not get stay or point credits for a stay I paid for at least one night of? Then they do the "oh, well, we'll do it just this one time for you" rubbish!

If they want to do us a favor, it's to get consistent and focus on, er, uh, customer service? :eek:

Mind you, there are stranger things than that even - once I asked QF what an upgrade to J would cost, after we'd traveled about 2/3 of our trip. A CSA explaikned they would have to charge for an ENTIRE ROUND TRIP in J, even though 1) we'd already flown 2/3 of the trip in Y, and 2) QF was selling one way trips in J! What, logic is forbidden under some circumstances?

I'll be sure to keep comp and other stays sterilizingly separate - but what stupidity. Glad Mr and Mrs Flyer Jon kept to her guns and prevailed!



SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0