Hilton HHonors - My first 2 stays as a Diamond - just ok

This is more of an observation, not really a complaint.

I stayed at both properties before as a Gold. Times were different. Hotel business was still hurting. It seems like these days hotels are doing well. With that in mind here is a short report:

Chicago O'Hare Hilton:

Gold stay (about 1.5 years ago), cheapest available rate - without asking got upgraded to a very nice and roomy mini-suite with a view of the runway, continental breakfast coupon and had a fruit basket and a small wine bottle delivered to the room.

Diamond stay (Saturday night), cheapest available rate - no mention of any upgrade. Asked for and got a room on the 10th floor with a great view of the runways. About 1/2 the size of the mini-suite. Got the welcome letter with a coupon for continental breakfast, 2 water bottles coupons, 10% off coupon at the restaurants and a fruit basket.



Chicago Hilton:

Gold Stay (about 1 year ago), cheapest available rate - got upgraded to the Executive floor with lounge access. Good size corner room with a beautiful view of the lake and partial view of downtown.

Diamond stay (Sunday night), pre-paid rate - Got upgraded to Executive floor with lounge access. The room is a regular, small room with no view. The room faces west.


Maybe I should have stayed Gold :)

Every chain, every program, every elite status; more often than not, what you get depends on who checks you in.

Look on the bright side: Chicago Hilton upgraded you on a prepaid rate. A lot of properties (both within HHonors and otherwise) would have pointedly put you in a substandard room and denied all elite-status benefits with the prepaid rate.

For what it's worth, I've received both my best and worst treatment on prepaids with HHonors. It ranges widely - be glad you didn't get stuck in a broom closet. Yeah, I know the rules on prepaids and understand that you get what you pay for. But some HHonors hotels, not that I'm naming names MCI Airport Hilton, get downright nasty if you're on a prepaid rate.

Look on the bright side: Chicago Hilton upgraded you on a prepaid rate. A lot of properties (both within HHonors and otherwise) would have pointedly put you in a substandard room and denied all elite-status benefits with the prepaid rate.

For what it's worth, I've received both my best and worst treatment on prepaids with HHonors. It ranges widely - be glad you didn't get stuck in a broom closet. Yeah, I know the rules on prepaids and understand that you get what you pay for. But some HHonors hotels, not that I'm naming names MCI Airport Hilton, get downright nasty if you're on a prepaid rate.


Sorry I didn't make it clear. This was Hilton.com pre-paid, not a third party pre-paid. All the perks should still be available. When offered the savings are between $15-$25 off the regular lowest rates but it's also non-refundable once booked. I usually reserve the lowest rate, but once I know for sure I will be there and the pre-paid is still available, I book it.

I was at the ORD Hilton Saturday night myself, and I got the Jr. Suite on 10. :) Did you try using the online check in 24 hours ahead? I did and it offered me the Jr. Suite (room 10011) right away, so I grabbed it. Likely an upgraded room would have been on the list of options on the advance check in. Also got the breakfast and bottles of water.

The ORD Hilton is pretty decent with Gold and Diamond members ... but their idea of an upgrade is basically a higher floor.

HHonors is not that great if you want something akin to what SPG gives Plats. But if you have tons of HHonors points, being Diamond almost becomes critical to have any decent chance of redeeming points at good properties at good times of the year.

I recently turned Diamond too, and my two Diamond stays were not as good as many of my Gold stays. But of course that’s random.

But I have to admit, now that I’ve earned Diamond, it does seem to me that if you don’t need the guaranteed reservations often, it’s little different than being a Gold.

With only limited Diamond experiences, I now wonder if I should only work to maintain Gold and start spreading my business around and getting status with Marriot or SPG.

But I have to admit, now that I’ve earned Diamond, it does seem to me that if you don’t need the guaranteed reservations often, it’s little different than being a Gold.

Being diamond can make a big difference at some international Hiltons/Conrads, where diamonds get upgrades and lounge access and golds don't. Stateside, I would agree; not much difference IME.

IMO experience there is almost no difference in the USA between Diamond and Gold save an occasional room upgrade and more bonus points.

You will notice a difference when you travel overseas.

Of course the Diamond Line can be a major perk in advance of your stay.

As a gold and as a diamond I've gotten great upgrades as well as not very good rooms. Great perks and no perks at all. Great recognition and no recognition. The inconsistency is more maddening than when you get nothing!

I would figure the excitement of the Diamond level creates a playing field that acutal Diamond benefits can't match. I will say the bonuses are a plus, not to mention the Diamond force - a definite plus. :-:

Domestically most HH hotel consider Gold and Diamonds about equal (just read most of the breakfast coupons). Over the ponds........it is usually quite different.

My best and nicest upgrades domestic seem to take place at DT hotels.

MisterNice

the difference is in the redemption of awards.

as a gold i was almost never aible to use my points. now as a diamond i burned already 600K this year.

dp

You will notice a difference when you travel overseas.

Not that often IMHO.

After all the T&C of a program give you the only objective overview over the perks you are entitled to...and there is not much difference between Diamond and Gold after all and hardly any perk that would be really tangible, except add. award rooms, however even this is not guaranteed.

So I came to my conclusion that the combination of Hyatt Diamond and Hilton Gold brings me more perks and Hyatt Plat and Hilton Diamond...

I will get to test all the theories presented here very soon. I have stays in Dublin, Manchester, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires coming up. I also have DT and few more domestic Hilton stays coming up.

Anyway, like I said, it really wasn't a complaint. I did get extra goodies/upgraded to EX floor, etc., but I also got that and sometimes more being Gold.

And more importantly, my 2 experiences were based on one hotel without an executive lounge and another hotel that was extremely busy last weekend because of the 85 Bears 20th Anniversary and a game going on as well as the White Sox game. The place was crawling with Bears/Sox and some Ravens/Astro fans.

Perhaps higher expectations and a sense of entitlement lead to disappointment. I remember some poll that ranked Southwest higher than AA in overall satisfaction and that, IMO, can only be based on lowered expectations from IFLYSWA folks.