Hilton HHonors - No Diamond Awards if Room Rates over $500?

I have just tried to book an award through the Diamond Desk for New York Doubletree Times Square. Although there is a blackout date of 3 Dec, the agent said she should be able to get me the Award for the 4 nights I requested from 30 Nov as I was a Diamond member. Then suddenly when she started looking at the room rates and saw the cheapest rate was $549, she said she was unable to request the Diamond Award. As it was over $500, she stated the room rate was too high for an award. Anybody else had this experience or is it just Glasgow HHonors with incorrect information?

I have just tried to book an award through the Diamond Desk for New York Doubletree Times Square. Although there is a blackout date of 3 Dec, the agent said she should be able to get me the Award for the 4 nights I requested from 30 Nov as I was a Diamond member. Then suddenly when she started looking at the room rates and saw the cheapest rate was $549, she said she was unable to request the Diamond Award. As it was over $500, she stated the room rate was too high for an award. Anybody else had this experience or is it just Glasgow HHonors with incorrect information?
Hmm, I once had a award room at the Heathrow Hilton and I happened to see the actual bill and it was over 400 pounds, so I would not say that $549 was excessive (unless I had to pay for it :p ).

Not neccesarily true, I got a Diamond force at the Cavalieri in March room rate was a whopping 845 euro.

mike

Not neccesarily true, I got a Diamond force at the Cavalieri in March room rate was a whopping 845 euro.Mine was ~ €710/night for 6 nights :D

I'd suggest you call back and ask again. Speaking with a different agent will likely yield different results.

Is this the rate that the hotels charges Hhonors for letting people use points in their hotel? If so I cant understand why awards is not available all the time since this is way over the normal rate right?

On award rooms I have booked on Scandic I have seen rates for over 2000SEK on the bill.

There are more than a handful of ill-informed/under-trained HHonors reps working the Diamond Desk line. If you get an answer you don't like, then be polite, hang up the phone and call back again.

Two years ago, Cannes was $700 a night, and Hilton actually paid the hotel in excess of $350 per night, according to the points I "accidentally" accrued (nice welcome home, I must say!). Not a problem then. Do look into this with a US based Diamond Desk agent...... and repost here to let us know how you did. It'd be a whole new ballgame if we weren't able to use our points at the best properties, and would make me re-think next year's hotel planning.......

Is this the rate that the hotels charges Hhonors for letting people use points in their hotel? If so I cant understand why awards is not available all the time since this is way over the normal rate right?

On award rooms I have booked on Scandic I have seen rates for over 2000SEK on the bill.

My Scandic Brussels Grand Place stay was rated at €299!

Two years ago, Cannes was $700 a night, and Hilton actually paid the hotel in excess of $350 per night, according to the points I "accidentally" accrued (nice welcome home, I must say!). Not a problem then. Do look into this with a US based Diamond Desk agent...... and repost here to let us know how you did. It'd be a whole new ballgame if we weren't able to use our points at the best properties, and would make me re-think next year's hotel planning.......

I forgot to add I just some ten days ago secured a AXON ( 4 day) award booked at the Barbados Hilton cheapest available room rate was $700 /night.
This was and has all my other rewards been booked at the US HH desk.

mike

Here's an update on my Award request. I rang Glasgow Diamond Desk the next day after being refused my Diamond Award at the Doubletree Times Square in New York. This time I got a much more willing agent, who was very helpful. Although she was unable to book the Award, she said she would have to contact the hotel direct to see if they would release the 2 rooms I was trying to book. No mention at all about the room rates being over $500. Two days later I received an e-mail saying the rooms are available. Rooms are now booked and she has requested upgrades if available. Rate is actually shown as:
Rate type: DIAMOND DIRECT BILL
Rate per Night: Confidential rate
Total rate for stay: Confidential rate

Just goes to show that as stated many times on this board - it's always worth ringing back to get a different agent. I just wonder why the first agent came out with the "over $500" nonsense as it's obvious from threads above and many others that many rooms are over this rate and this is one of the main advantages of saving HHonors points to use in these expensive situations.

Here's an update on my Award request. I rang Glasgow Diamond Desk the next day after being refused my Diamond Award at the Doubletree Times Square in New York. This time I got a much more willing agent, who was very helpful. Although she was unable to book the Award, she said she would have to contact the hotel direct to see if they would release the 2 rooms I was trying to book. No mention at all about the room rates being over $500. Two days later I received an e-mail saying the rooms are available. Rooms are now booked and she has requested upgrades if available. Rate is actually shown as:
Rate type: DIAMOND DIRECT BILL
Rate per Night: Confidential rate
Total rate for stay: Confidential rate

Just goes to show that as stated many times on this board - it's always worth ringing back to get a different agent. I just wonder why the first agent came out with the "over $500" nonsense as it's obvious from threads above and many others that many rooms are over this rate and this is one of the main advantages of saving HHonors points to use in these expensive situations.
Nice job getting the rooms!

My advanced technique for hanging up on the "rookie" agent is to do it while I'm talking. Right in mid sentence hang-up on yourself. It seems like you were cut off - after all, who hangs up on them self?

:cool: Let me explain the way we get our Diamond Members rooms using points when no reward rooms are available! As long as a "Standard room" is available we can pull that inventory and negotiate with the Hotel to use your points! It is not a 100% thing and if an extraordinary demand date is involved we cant make it happen! IE Superbowl or A major Convention etc.......We can't do it short term...We need advance lead time! At a minimum 3 days in a huge pinch!

Not recommended because it might not be feasible and if you have flights etc etc this could be bad because its not a a promise that we can do it!

2 Week notice for this is what I recommend! I certainly realize how it might be frustrating getting different answers from different agents you might talk to and, Trust me! I know! But as with any thing else or any industry we can only learn by growing and learning and we are only human! As I have said before, You are heard and I will do everything I can in my own small way to improve things! You! Our members is what makes me go to work each day and make sure you get the best service of any program out there!

D Man....

:cool: Let me explain the way we get our Diamond Members rooms using points when no reward rooms are available! As long as a "Standard room" is available we can pull that inventory and negotiate with the Hotel to use your points! D Man....

Thanks for that info. I am a bit surprised that you say a "Standard room" must be available, because in the past, I have always been upgraded as a Diamond. So in effect, the standard room is not used on the Award. I have also been able to book Executive rooms on Awards directly using the HHonors website, when there are no blackout problems. Last one was fairly recently at the Heathrow Hilton. The site gave me the option of a Standard room or an Executive room, so obviously I took the Executive rooom. :D

I'm more surprised that the doubletree was quoting $549. Then I looked at rooms that whole week in the area Hilton hotels and see that even the Waldorf is stretching their prices into the upper-echelons levels with standard rooms starting at $679. These are the same rooms that, in January, will sell for only $249 or less.

The reason this week, in particular, is high - Christmas Tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. You're fortunate to have gotten a room at this point.