Hilton HHonors - HH to SPG?

For a couple years I had been saving my HH points for a trip to the Maldives. I have no decided it is impossible to be able to use them for the Conrad Maldives. I have been using the flexibility calendar on the site for months and although it shows rooms available, when I try to actually select them it tells me there is no availability (this has been tried repeatedly for any dates Jan-April 2009). Anyway, I have contacted HH customer service more than once and they just tell me "sorry there are no rooms available for redeption". The last time I called I made mention of the "if there is a standard room you can redeem points policy" and I can clearly see there are standard rooms available. The agent started stammering, seemlingly unaware of this new policy, and put me on hold only to come back to tell me that the policy had not been fully implented yet. Well, three months later I am having the same issues.

So now, we have decided to forgo the Maldives are looking at French Polynesia. Unfortunately, the obvious issue being there is no Hilton in FP. I would love to stay at the FP SW hotels again and am wondering if anyone knows of a way to transfer my 150K HH points to SPG?

I have looked at points.com and other broker point companies with no luck. Any other thoughts?

www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/

For a couple years I had been saving my HH points for a trip to the Maldives. I have no decided it is impossible to be able to use them for the Conrad Maldives. I have been using the flexibility calendar on the site for months and although it shows rooms available, when I try to actually select them it tells me there is no availability (this has been tried repeatedly for any dates Jan-April 2009). Anyway, I have contacted HH customer service more than once and they just tell me "sorry there are no rooms available for redeption". The last time I called I made mention of the "if there is a standard room you can redeem points policy" and I can clearly see there are standard rooms available. The agent started stammering, seemlingly unaware of this new policy, and put me on hold only to come back to tell me that the policy had not been fully implented yet. Well, three months later I am having the same issues.

So now, we have decided to forgo the Maldives are looking at French Polynesia. Unfortunately, the obvious issue being there is no Hilton in FP. I would love to stay at the FP SW hotels again and am wondering if anyone knows of a way to transfer my 150K HH points to SPG?

I have looked at points.com and other broker point companies with no luck. Any other thoughts?


IIRC, most of the SW are cat.7 w/limited SPG participation, so even if you can find a way to transfer 150K HH into SPG on a 3:1 ratio, it won't even be enough for 1 night at any FP SPG property.

You're within 10K points of a 4 night stay in the Maldives. Or, if you have a Hilton AMEX, you're beyond the 125K points needed for an AXON award. The Conrad is an amazing property in a breathtakingly beautiful location.

Hilton points are roughly worth 1/3 a Starwood point. Thus, your 155K is roughly 50K Starwood. The Bora Bora Starwood properties are all suites, and go for astronomical point redemptions. The Moorea Sheraton goes for 25K points/night. If you could find someone with whom to trade your Hilton points, you'd only have enough for 2 nights.

Here is a thread (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=809725) where you can learn more about the French Polynesia Starwood properties.

YIKES! Thanks for the info on the points conversions.

We would still really like to visit Maldives. We stayed at SPG properties the last time we went to FP and it was PERFECT. Too perfect perhaps because we are scared going back will ruin the memory.

I just don’t know how to get around the booking issue with Conrad Maldives. HH Customer Service has an "oh well" attitude; in spite of the supposed policy on booking a reward stay for any available standard room. The website shows they are available, it is just not allowing me to book them. Has anyone else had this issue with any properties?

HH Customer Service has an "oh well" attitude; in spite of the supposed policy on booking a reward stay for any available standard room. The website shows they are available, it is just not allowing me to book them.

If you're sincerely worried about spoiling the memory, I'd maybe rethink the destination, but if you're sure you want to go for it, I wouldn't let the property get off so easily.

My suggestion: get screenshots of the website showing the availabiity. Then, during your next call to HH, if they shut you down, politely ask for the issue to be elevated and follow it through.

If you don't, and you're REALLY set on going, you'll kick yourself later for not seeing it through. On the other hand, if you really see it through but the memory becomes spoiled, well, you'll have that to deal with.

Oh, the decisions... :cool:

HH points cannot be transferred to *wood. U could offer a trade on FT's own Coupon Connection in which U would book a room for your trading partner (TP) using your HH & s/he would use their *points to book 4U. But as SanDiego1K says, U would come out short because of the outrageous # of *points to get a room in French Polynesia.

Sounds like the Conrad Maldives has not done the paperwork to offer award space for 2009 yet. They might wait till December :eek: to do so! Can U go in Dec. 2008?
Finally, please note that since UR Silver, U can use a GLONP2 to get 6 nights for 175K--if U find that availability!

I am sorry; I should clarify that the spoiling of the memory would be for FP, not Maldives :)

I did speak to someone at Customer Service today (who seemed to be most helpful rep yet). He stated that he would call the hotel to find out when they would load the dates for 2009 (as Brendan said). Unfortunately it was 2:45am there and the skeleton staff was not able to assist. He stated to call back some late night when they could get through to someone at the hotel.

I cannot go Dec 2008 because of work, vaca time, etc. However, knowing that I eventually should be fine for 2009, I can hold off.

Thanks everyone for your input. I knew nothing about the GLONP2 or AXON deals before today... so thank you!!!

If you are not absolutely set on the Maldives, Conrad Bali is very nice, and the Hilton at Denarau in Fiji should also be nice. But, do check all the award possibilities on the Hilton / HHonors websites.

To exchange to SPG points I think you would take a serious conversion hit - but check Coupon Connection, or other "currencies" you might have (AMEX Membership Rewards points, etc.) to exchange for SPG points using the webflyer site converter linked to above by Cheap Elite.