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Citi Hilton Honors Reserve Card [Ends Dec 2017]

Old Oct 6, 2013, 12:04 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: mia
Citi's contract to issue Hilton co-branded cards ends in December 2017. Citi will sell most accounts to American Express. The criteria for determining which accounts are eligible to be sold are unpublished. Read Hilton FAQ: http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/e...-card-faq.html


ALL known links for ALL Citi Hilton Honors cards appear to be dead now.
-----------------------------

This thread is a continuation of: Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card (2012 - 2015)


Link no longer working: https://www.citicards.com/cards/cred...7A711D5L00101W

Link no longer working: https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...s-reserve-card

- Earn two weekend night certificates - at select hotels and resorts - after making $2,500 in purchases.

- Enjoy Hilton HHonors Gold Status as long as you are a Citi Hilton Reserve cardmember

- Annual Fee: $95,
not waived


From the app page:
"Weekend Night Certificates offer is not available if you have had any Citi®Hilton HHonorsTM card opened or closed in the past 24 months"."Weekend Night Certificates offer is not available if you have had a Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card account that was opened or closed in the past 24 months." (Language change to "any" dates back to August 2016.)


When will I receive my free nights?
Some datapoints indicate that the certificates are emailed ~7 days after the statement in which the spend is met, but others datapoints indicate that it may take 1-2 additional statement cycles before they're actually sent.

How long do I have to use the free nights?
The certificates expire 12 months from the date that they're emailed to you. Your stay must be completed on or before this expiration date.

Do I need to print the certificates and take them with me?
Yes. Some people say they haven't been asked for them, but it's much better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Can the free weekend certs be redeemed online?
No, you have to call the HHonors department to book them. Even regular Hilton reservations cannot book them, although they can transfer you to the right department.


so the 2-browser trick is dead. can we still apply two HH Reserve card every 65 days, with same HH #, and get four certificates?
Several people have reported successfully churning this card, and receiving the certificates for both cards. Closing one card before applying for another doesn't appear to be required.

You can still get as many as you want of the Citi Hilton 50k cards (except that CITI only allows two cards of any type every 60-65 days).all 50k card offers without 18 month language dead as of 7/5/15

Can you get the anniversary free night bonus without paying the annual fee, or do you get the free night bonus only if you hit $10,000 in charges AND renew?
This seems to be YMMV. Some people have reported not getting it until well after their AF payment is due, while others have reported getting it in time to cancel and have their AF refunded. More data points on this are needed.

Terms and conditions for the free nights
Friday, Saturday & Sunday night, and I don't think there are any blackout nights (beyond the normal HHonors program rules). Here is the description from the Cert as well as the T&C's:

Description: You've received this reward certificate because you've met the purchase requirements with your Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card. This reward is valid for one complimentary weekend night for a standard room at participating hotels worldwide, subject to availability. This reward is not valid at All-Inclusive or Distinctive properties and cannot be combined with the 5th Night Free benefit or other promotions. Please visit HHonors.com/weekendcertificate to see a list of excluded properties.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
As with any HHonors Reward, this Reward Certificate is subject to all HHonors Terms & Conditions on participation, use, and redemption, posted at http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/terms.do. The hotel stay received with this Hotel Reward Certificate shall be treated as a Hotel Reward Stay, as defined in the Terms & Conditions, except Points & Money, Premium Room and Room Upgrade Rewards cannot be used with this Certificate.

HOTEL REWARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Reward Certificate is not transferable after issued and may be redeemed only by the individual named thereon, consistent with HHonors Terms & Conditions. If a person other than the individual named on the Reward Certificate attempts to redeem it, the Certificate will be deemed void and accommodations will be denied.
2. Reward Certificate may not be sold, auctioned, bartered, brokered or purchased except with the express written consent of Hilton HHonors. Any Reward Certificate obtained in this manner by any person or entity will be considered to be fraudulently obtained and will be deemed void if transferred for cash or other consideration. Altered Reward Certificates are void and will not be honored.
3. Reward Certificate may not be combined with other certificates, discounts, packages or promotional offers, or Hotel Reward stays beyond Standard Room Rewards, unless otherwise specified in writing by Hilton HHonors.
4. Reward Certificate cannot be redeemed for cash, prizes or credit. Reward Certificate is not exchangeable.
5. Reward Certificate will not be replaced, reissued or credited if lost, stolen or otherwise destroyed.
6. Reward Certificate is void if copied, prohibited or restricted by law.
7. HHonors members will not earn points or miles for Hotel Reward stays, unless otherwise stated on the Reward Certificate.
8. Reward Certificate expires on the date noted on the face of the Reward Certificate.
9. Reward Certificate must be redeemed in strict accordance with the procedures specified on the certificate.
10. For the purpose of Certificate redemption, a weekend night is defined as a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night, unless specified otherwise on the Reward Certificate.
11. Reward Certificate applies to the room rate and tax of one standard room at a participating hotel and as further provided on the Certificate. A "Standard room" is as defined by the hotel. Any tax liability incurred in connection with the receipt and/or use of this Certificate, including, but not limited to, local or city occupancy taxes, or individual income tax is the sole responsibility of the user. Incidental charges are the responsibility of the user.
12. Reward Certificate usage is limited to Double Occupancy. Additional occupants, age 19 and above, are subject to the standard extra person charges.
13. Reward Certificate reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card. Some hotels may require a deposit in lieu of a credit card guarantee. Deposits cannot be waived for Reward Certificate reservations. Reward Certificate reservations that are cancelled outside of the time frame set by the hotel's individual cancellation policy will be charged one night's room and tax at the hotel's minimum rate for that date.
14. Reward Certificate is valid for the number of nights noted under the description on the face of the Certificate. If the Certificate is valid for more than one night, all nights must be used and the Certificate redeemed for a single stay that includes up to all Certificate nights. The Certificate cannot be broken down and/or redeemed for more than one stay. Any unused nights will be forfeited and will not be replaced or credited.
15. No credit or substitutions will be given for any Reward Certificate including those that are only partially used.
16. Promotional Rewards are for Standard Rooms only.
17. Hotel stays resulting from Reward Certificate are non-commissionable to travel agents.
18. Recipients of Reward Certificate may be required to sign a release of liability and a statement permitting the use of their name and/or photo for promotional purposes without additional compensation.
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Citi Hilton Honors Reserve Card [Ends Dec 2017]

Old Jan 28, 2018, 8:19 am
  #541  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Called into Citi this am to cancel wife as AU on this card. Seemed like a reasonable thing to do, prophylactically, since who wants another needless strike against 5/24? That is, I am going to see the transition through since as cardholder I need to have card to get my hotel certificate from this past year's spend (see post just above). But what does an AU benefit relative to the risk? Yes, I do know that one can potentially talk back an AU card with Chase, but that is not guaranteed, and who needs that aggravation anyhow?

Okay, a few things gleaned from this interaction, all of which we can take with however many grains of salt suit us:
  • The Citi agent was very professional and seemed very well informed. By this I mean that she would respond in detail to all my points. It was not one of those situations where the CSR is just throwing stuff out only loosely related to what one is saying.
  • She said that the system will no longer let her cancel out cards, AU or otherwise, given that the transition to Amex is so close. Said to talk with Amex about it after 30 Jan.
  • When I pointed out that this would be too late relative to what I am hoping to avoid -- my wife picking up a pointless new card on her credit accounts -- I was told that this would not be a new account. When I pushed back saying that it would be a new card number and a new card provider, and that it was hard to imagine how this would not appear as a new account to the credit bureaus, she insisted that it would not.
  • When I asked about the hotel certificate that I have already earned, she looked into the system, checked out the dates, and -- since my anniversary date is less than six weeks prior to the 30 January changeover, said that the certificate would be honored by Amex 6-8 weeks after this recent anniversary date. That we knew. So I pushed further on my ability to qualify at $10K for another weekend night under Citi terms, given that another credit card year has started. She understood the question and said that it would occur as per Citi terms, certificate to be issued 6-8 weeks after next anniversary data (not after spend met, pace farnorthtrader).
Do I believe all (any) of this? I don't know what to believe. What I know is that on this call I was not allowed to cancel AU card.
Biggie Fries is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2018, 8:40 am
  #542  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Posts: 1,179
Originally Posted by Biggie Fries
Point taken. I've seen this; and I've also seen that this was supposed to have been happening already, and/or that certs would come right away, or immediately, or some such. And maybe they will after the transition. But I'm eight weeks past date on last Citi spend, and can't cancel because no cert has yet arrived. Also, it's the HIlton Lurker promising for Amex, and what they are promising would cost Amex one AF and customers if (in this example) OP could cancel before Dec 2018 anniversary date. Hope you are right.
Agreed and I am not counting on this happening but this was the last information provided. For the Reserve cards where spend was already made in 2017, the last information shared was that the cert should be out by the end of February. That would be nice as we are waiting on four of them for our trip at the end of March, but we aren't counting on them arriving.
I have inferred, perhaps incorrectly, that any free nights issued (and any other issues) will be exclusively the domain of American Express from this point forward, so Citi reps might not necessarily have the correct information. In fact, this seems like it matches with your experience with the Citi rep, who is no longer able to do anything with the cards.

Last edited by farnorthtrader; Jan 28, 2018 at 8:55 am
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Old Jan 28, 2018, 8:23 pm
  #543  
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Originally Posted by Biggie Fries
When I pointed out that this would be too late relative to what I am hoping to avoid -- my wife picking up a pointless new card on her credit accounts -- I was told that this would not be a new account. When I pushed back saying that it would be a new card number and a new card provider, and that it was hard to imagine how this would not appear as a new account to the credit bureaus, she insisted that it would not.
It doesn't matter whether it a new card number or a new card provider. What matters (to Chase) is what "opened on" date they attach to new account.

I've had card accounts transfer between banks before, and they kept the original "opened on" date.

The only problem you'd have is if you opened the Reserve card less than 2 years ago, in case both the Citi card and the Amex card appear with same "opened on" date, and you now have two "opened on" dates in the past 24 months instead of just one. But if you opened your Reserve card more than 2 years ago, chance are the Amex card inherit that "opened on" date and will thus not seem to Chase like a card opened in the past 24 months.
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Old Jan 29, 2018, 3:29 am
  #544  
 
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Excellent point, which I had garbled in my own thinking on this.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 10:51 am
  #545  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Anyone register their new card on Amex? I can’t find anything on the site tracking spend for the rewards.
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Old Feb 2, 2018, 9:48 am
  #546  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Originally Posted by ukyank
Anyone register their new card on Amex? I can’t find anything on the site tracking spend for the rewards.
I registered mine. Now both show (the original Amex one and the converted Citi one).

Btw, for what it's worth... I Closed my AMEX Hilton Ascend Credit Card & Received a $95 Statement Credit (Refunded Annual Fee)
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Old Feb 2, 2018, 9:23 pm
  #547  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Here is my story, and I called Citi back in 12/15/2017 to cancel both of my card and my spouse. Then in mid Jan I receive the new card covert to Amex even though I already cancel with Citi, so today I try to active the card. For some reason it give me error message, then I call the number on the back of my new Amex HIlton card. The rep say they not able to locate my card, and they ask did I cancel the account with Citi. So I told her I did but I still receive the card with Amex. She say then the card will not work, because I already cancel. I double check with her to look one more time to make sure I do not have the card, and she ensure there is no card in my profile. Should I feel better? or anyone have any similar situation like me? because I never apply for the Hilton Suprass card. So I don't want this card to be convert over with Amex, this way I can later apply to get the bonus!
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Old Feb 3, 2018, 2:43 am
  #548  
mia
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Originally Posted by newdaybegin
Here is my story, and I called Citi back in 12/15/2017 to cancel both of my card and my spouse. Then in mid Jan I receive the new card covert to Amex....!
Correct. American Express sent physical cards to all Citi account holders as of mid-November, but if you cancelled with Citi anytime after that no American Express account was created,
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Old Feb 3, 2018, 7:15 am
  #549  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 272
Originally Posted by mia
Correct. American Express sent physical cards to all Citi account holders as of mid-November, but if you cancelled with Citi anytime after that no American Express account was created,
Yeh this is great, thank you!
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Old May 3, 2018, 2:57 pm
  #550  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by Biggie Fries
Probably for the same reason I can't figure it out for a 6 January anniversary date.

The optimistic way of looking at this is since the changeover date is 30 January, and Amex is by all accounts crediting existing spending toward a free night at the old $10,000 spend from Citi, that we have a Citi year -- albeit a short one -- in process as of 30 January, just like someone who has a 1 March date and has put $7500 on so far, and wants to add $2500 for the Citi night they were working on.

Now, if and when I put that $10,000 on the card (where "the card" is the old Citi card until 30 January and its Amex Ascend version thereafter), I should get the Citi night. Same for you, although here's hoping you waited until 1 January to do the spend. Because in that case, we would only have to put another $5000 on the Amex card post-30 January, in 2018, in order to get yet another free night, this one courtesy of Amex and the new rules.

Like I said, it's the optimistic reading of things.
This ended up being the best of all possible worlds. I also had one card with an early January anniversary date. I received my citi free night in early February. I just spent $15,000 on the new ascend descended from that citi card and a few days later received another free night for spending $10,000 (citi membership year) plus another free night for spending $15,000 (ascend calendar year). Two free nights and 45,000 points for $15,000 spend and all credited within days.
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Old May 4, 2018, 6:54 am
  #551  
 
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Originally Posted by farnorthtrader
This ended up being the best of all possible worlds. I also had one card with an early January anniversary date. I received my citi free night in early February. I just spent $15,000 on the new ascend descended from that citi card and a few days later received another free night for spending $10,000 (citi membership year) plus another free night for spending $15,000 (ascend calendar year). Two free nights and 45,000 points for $15,000 spend and all credited within days.
Man, this is what I really love about this forum ... thanks for digging up my earlier musings and thanks especially for confirming that they were accurate. I was literally just now trying to decide if it was worth doing the $15,000 spend on this card, and was worrying that there would be no way to know whether it worked until a couple months into 2019. So this report is much, much appreciated. Thanks.
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Old May 29, 2018, 8:26 am
  #552  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 181
I have a citi reserve-> amex ascend with an AF renewal date of june 6. I"m 5k away from the 10k spend. If I put the spend on before then, would I still have to pay the AF in order to receive the cert (since it's issued like 6 to 8 weeks later?) TIA
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