Works well for me, especially as I stay mostly dogleg nights and get 500 avoids per stay, so can clock up 3000 ish a week, however a week stay in one cheap Hampton will give a very different outcome
Programs: BA Gold (somehow)!, Club Accor Silver, many others at the lowest level
Posts: 278
Just be sure that your stays will get you HHonors points and avios. Mine generally don't due to Hilton rules and my company's travel policy. I found out the hard way having booked several stays and only realising that none of them received any credits at the end. There is a long running thread on this on the Hilton board.
Programs: Jet Airways - Thank goodness i never got started.......most awful FF program out there!
Posts: 1,910
My personal favourite hotel scheme is the Starwood Preferred Guest.
With an Amex Plat, one receives 3 points per 1$ usd spent (courtesy of the spg gold). As I earn and burn in GBP, this adds up to a nice pile of SPG points over a 2-3 trips per year.
The 1 to 1 conversion to both BA and AA helps but the icing on the cake is the 5k bonus for transferring 20k spg points in one go.
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....My posts reflect my selfishness in my wish to travel in the highest cabin available at a fraction of the true cost..
Most chains give the same 500 miles per stay if you choose to collect miles. What is different with Hilton is that you get the 500 miles PLUS Hilton points.
Priority Club is probably the best hotel scheme for free night accumulation, given their bonus point promos and 'cash and points' options. Hilton suffers with high end European properties. PC has, what, 25 hotels in Paris? Hilton has 0 or 1 now, can't remember.
Personally, I look at it like this. I like free flights AND free nights, so I use hotel stays to accumulate hotel points.
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Programs: BA Gold; VS Gold; HHonors Diamond VIP; Amex Centurion; IHG Platinum; TfL Oyster.
Posts: 390
I've had status with various other hotel rewards programs (Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Radisson) but Hilton HHonors is the only one that consistently delivers the Holy Grail: those promised room upgrades. Also, Hiltons and Doubletrees are just about everywhere in North America and Europe; with plenty of airport locations. For me, those upgrades, complimentary WiFi and guaranteed lounge access mean that I can save cash by booking a cheap rate. In the long run: I think that cash beats Avios. However, I still get Hilton HHonors points and lots of Avios too. Bonus!
For the best points collection, and if in your area, you could look at the smaller chain Barceló. From my limited experience I would say they are a consistent good 4 star quality with 450 miles per night rather than per stay. It’s a Spanish chain with a lot of hotels obviously in Iberian areas and South America but also UK and Europe. You will have to open an Iberia account to collect the miles and transfer to BA if required.
For the best points collection, and if in your area, you could look at the smaller chain Barceló. From my limited experience I would say they are a consistent good 4 star quality with 450 miles per night rather than per stay. It’s a Spanish chain with a lot of hotels obviously in Iberian areas and South America but also UK and Europe. You will have to open an Iberia account to collect the miles and transfer to BA if required.
Barcelo is exiting the UK, all of the properties are being rebranded as Puma Hotels. They signed a suicidal lease deal at the top of the market and cannot meet their rental commitments.
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Hilton does work very well for me with Avios - but depends what your pattern is I guess.
If my travel was more in the US I would probably be more focused on Starwood I think (Ws and Westins), but for Europe and Asia where I mostly am Hilton is a bit better...
Programs: MUCCI! (and other minor programmes like... BA Silver, BMI Silver, FB Ivory and various hotels
Posts: 2,507
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raffles
....Priority Club is probably the best hotel scheme for free night accumulation, given their bonus point promos and 'cash and points' options. Hilton suffers with high end European properties. PC has, what, 25 hotels in Paris? Hilton has 0 or 1 now, can't remember.....
I agree that PC has the widest global coverage. If I am going somewhere where seeing the destination is more important than where we stay... I can burn PC points to find a decent hotel for free. Having said that I tend to burn them on Crowne Plaza or Intercontinental. But for one night even a HI Express is fine!
But if I am going somewhere where the hotel is important we tend to look for something special like a boutique hotel or possible an 'association' (which is not like a chain) such as the Leading Hotels of the World.
But if I am going somewhere where the hotel is important we tend to look for something special like a boutique hotel or possible an 'association' (which is not like a chain) such as the Leading Hotels of the World.
Oh I agree totally. I have done numerous Four Seasons stays etc. However, there are places where the InterContinental is genuinely at the top end of options ... Paris, Hong Kong, London, Sydney. Certainly not THE best hotel in any of these places, but near enough to stop me spending £400 per night on the Four Seasons instead.
Hilton can't really compare here. SPG can, but their redemption rates for top end properties are extortionate in my view.
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