PL is a great way for hotels to "secretly" "dump" excess room inventory. Obviously now there is a lot of that excess room inventory with occupancies where they are. So there are a lot of GREAT deals on Priceline... it just doesn't make sense to pay 2x the price just to earn some points (of dubious value, apparently)...
This is exactly where I stand. I book rooms through Hilton.com and pay a premium over PL to get HHonors points. Now the accumulated value of my points doesn't justify that price premium. With this change it becomes cheaper and easier to forget about HHonors altogether and just PL all the time.
Angela at HHonors, write this down:
Say I have ten hotel stays coming up at an average cost of $500 each on Hilton.com, or $400 each via Priceline. I pay the cumulative $1000 (10 X $100) premium to book via Hilton.com, in order to earn 50,000 HH points. These points are good for one room-night that would normally cost a maximum of $400. I have spent $1,000 for a prize worth $400.
Or -- I book those stays via Priceline, pay $400 / stay, and use the $1,000 I saved to buy four or five additional room-nights anywhere I want.
I am not as big an idiot as HHonors perhaps thinks I am.
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Owing to heightened security you must comply with any crazy fake "regulation" we make up. Thank you sir.
I am not as big an idiot as HHonors perhaps thinks I am.
Hilton isn't counting on all its customers being like a frog slowly being boiled alive; Hilton is counting on enough of its customers behaving like a brainless frog being boiled alive.
For those who know how to really use it, Priceline is a great tool and/or supplement to avoid being treated like a brainless frog that's to be boiled alive. [And Hyatt and even Marriott provide elite status benefits while at the hotels even for Priceline bookings.]
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This game is not as much fun as it used to be: 2008/2009 Frequent Flyer Program Fleecing Award goes to Delta Airlines
Programs: Amex PLAT, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, SWA RR, NationalCar.com Executive, Elvis Costello fan
Posts: 524
Hmmmm. Yeah. Guess I was just thinking I'm going to move quite a few of my bookings to Priceline if at all possible. Sure, they're non-changeable or refundable, but losing $100 or so every now and then will probably come out in the wash as opposed to consistently overpaying.
The Homewood Suites I have stayed at gave me a corporate rate of $130. More recently, as the economy took its nosedive, they have developed a booming Priceline business offering rooms at around $65?
Pretty much all rooms are the same--I have never gotten a fancy upgrade to a two bedroom suite (I believe there are only four).
With HHONORS points far less valuable and no potential for upgrade at this property--explain to me why I would not go for Priceline?
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AA EXP 2MM; UA 1K MM; Mariott Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Starwood Gold
Look at a list of the current Cat 6 hotels. Most, if not all, of them will be Cat 7. Official list will be out late Dec. or early Jan.
Not sure where you got this info but the HHRep just confirmed in the other thread that ALL Cat. 6 hotels will be Cat. 7 hotels under the new increases. ALL hotels will move up 1 Cat.
The Homewood Suites I have stayed at gave me a corporate rate of $130. More recently, as the economy took its nosedive, they have developed a booming Priceline business offering rooms at around $65?
Pretty much all rooms are the same--I have never gotten a fancy upgrade to a two bedroom suite (I believe there are only four).
With HHONORS points far less valuable and no potential for upgrade at this property--explain to me why I would not go for Priceline?
Since you are travel expert, let me ask you a tough question. At current point valuation, why are you paying $130 for a room when it can be had for $65? Do the math. It makes no more sense today than it will in 2010.
Not sure where you got this info but the HHRep just confirmed in the other thread that ALL Cat. 6 hotels will be Cat. 7 hotels under the new increases. ALL hotels will move up 1 Cat.
She has also posted that "We will publish the list of hotels changing categories in late December of this year or early January 2010."
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that some properties will not be raised by the one category. On the other hand, some may be raised 2 categories.
She has also posted that "We will publish the list of hotels changing categories in late December of this year or early January 2010."
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that some properties will not be raised by the one category. On the other hand, some may be raised 2 categories.
Hyatt doesn't have nearly as many hotels as Hilton, but Hyatt made considerable enhancements this year:
1. Free internet at all properties for elites.
2. No blackouts, no capacity controls on point awards.
3. Current faster free night promotion (which shows up fairly regularly) is very generous.
Given the addition of lower end properties (Hyatt Place, etc), you might find it attractive.
Hyatt is my favorite program now due to recent enhancements and promotions.
I'm going to defer my judgment until new hotel categories are updated.
Because of most of my biz travel destinations which are small cities, Hyatt and SPG aren't option. So I have to deal with HH, MR and PC. Among three, I have been giving most of biz to HH so far this yr. Once I finish current 25K promotion, I'll be moving stays to MR or PC.
Had just moved to HH from PC thanks to the BD bonuses, and quickly reached 17 nights booked.
In my brief experience it seems there's a real difference in attitude between Hilton and IHG: Generally IHG and PC will try to be helpful, whereas Hilton is only interested in optimising by providing the bare minimum allowable.
Programs: MR Plat, Hilton Gold, UA 2P, Hertz 5 Star, I-70 Million Miler
Posts: 605
My business travel is up a lot this year to the point I might be able to qualify for top tier in two programs. I am already a Marriott Platinum (have been for years). Hilton seemed like a good option based on the plethora of property locations at a similar price point to Marriott, so earlier this year I decided to use Hilton as my secondary program. I went from Hilton Blue to Hilton Silver this fall.
With the 25K bonus for every four stays, I was going to go for Diamond this year even if meant not completing the current Marriott Megabonus promotion. I needed a total of 13 stays to reach Diamond. The ROI from Hilton was better. I already had 4 stays done when the devaluation was announced with 3 more stays booked this week. I did go ahead and keep the stays for this week. But now that I have done the math, I am going back to focusing on Marriott after completing one more Hilton stay (to get the 2nd 25K bonus point installment). I still might finish Diamond if I complete the Marriott bonus program early.
For next year, I will have to re-evaluate which chain to go with as my secondary program. I'll probably take a more serious look at Hyatt. Our two favorite family vacation destinations are Hawaii and the South Carolina Beaches (Myrtle or Hilton Head). IHG doesn't play well there. Hyatt is good in Hawaii. Not sure about South Carolina. Bottom line, HHonors lost a new Diamond member over this point devaluation.
I am a business travel who frequents Hilton, my wife and I own a vacation share at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, and I have at least 500k HHonors points in my account on avg. We are in the habit of taking 5-7 day vacations at different Hilton properties at least once a year.
Following this devaluation, I've switched my travel for the rest of this year to SPG, and we will no longer vacation using Hilton. Me and my family will do everything in our power to avoid giving the Hilton brand any more of our money since their recent changes prove they do not value their loyal customers.
It's a shame that Blackstone and private equity are destroying the Hilton brand and loyalty programs in favor of improving bottom the line. I may use points to cover our room costs, but we more than make up for it with restaurant bills, bar bills, spa visits, etc.
I think folks are forgetting that there are several aspects to diamond membership that are still quite good.
1. Hilton allows you to earn diamond in three different ways. While Marriott requires 75 nights, Hilton requires 28 stays, or 60 nights, or 10K spend. Seems pretty good to me.
2. Hilton has finally clearly specified and enforced Diamond benefits at the hotel. Breakfast and an upgrade/access to lounge......or internet.....or more points. As a long time Diamond member I'm very pleased with this change.
3. VIP awards which are used at the most expensive properties.
Now I'm not happy that it appears there is a general 20% increase in the going rate for hotel redemptions. I can understand the increase at the top end hotels. When I look at hotels that charge a room rate of $350 euros - 6 nights costing 2100 Euros or about 3500 USD I'm not surprised they decided 150 or 175 points is enough.
Where I think they have missed the boat is at their category 2, 3, 4, 5 hotels. Many of those hotels (to my eyes) are half full at best currently unless their is a convention/meeting at the hotel. I've been at some international properties that aren't the Moscow/Paris/Berlin type cities when there is one person (myself) in the lounge from 9-11pm. I asked a few times earlier this year and heard occupancy rates as low as 20%. Now would be the time you want any/all stays you can get. Award stay people might order room service, drink at the bar, shop, etc. I also realize thats just my opinion.
Marriott did the same thing last year. They did it with attitude though. They told me I didn't want the reduced rates for longer stays, they told me they were "enhancing" the program, they told me "no blackouts" when the properties are still blacking out for any old reason, they jacked up the travel package, etc, etc.
I'm not a starwood member, so maybe they are dramatically better. I am a Marriott member and I think Hilton will still be a better choice. I am a Hyatt member (admittedly its been a number of years since I was elite there), and they just don't have enough hotel locations. So Hilton will still be my primary choice.
If Hilton cuts the service at the hotels that would make me more likely to stay less than the raising of the rates. After all enjoying the actual hotel stay is the primary thing I want when choosing a hotel. The points are nice but they are at best #2 reason for staying.
