Delectatio

I have found a few threads about this but I haven't really found the definite answer so I started a new one.
My question:
I am Gold and I will keep my Gold status trough 2015 because I had enough stays in 2014. My partner would like to get Gold aswell and because there are a few '4 stays within 90 days' Gold challenges around, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to get Gold as well. We always travel together.
When he books the 4 stays he needs to get the Gold, will we still get the Gold benefits (like breakfast) during those stays (because I am Gold and and we will be staying in the room together during his challenge).
If both of us can be Gold it opens a lot of opportunities for us in summer, when we are planning some holidays together with another couple (2 rooms needed). Thanks in advance for the help/advice.

sbams

Not officially. You get the benefits associated with the account you put in the booking. So if your partner puts his Blue/Silver in the booking to make the required stays you are entitled to the Blue/Silver benefits.

In practice I think a talk to the Front Desk may give you the Gold benefis of your account.

IsleOfMan

I'd say in the USA you'd likely not have much problem getting the Gold benefits at most properties. Outside of the USA I'd say it'll be tougher to get the front desk to honor your status when booked on his HHonors number.

That said, is getting the gold benefits extended to the other couple worth having your earned points in two different accounts (since you say you always travel together)? I'd say you'd actually have better luck getting gold benefits extended to two rooms reserved separately on your summer travels than you would getting them extended to you now when booked in your partner's name.

jerry a. laska

There isn't a definitive answer. Depending upon the property, you may or may not receive the benefits if you either call the hotel and let them know that you will be staying in the room also or show your card at check-in. That said I think it is likely that you will receive your Gold benefits if you are nice about when checking in.

scherzva

Two years ago I went to Paris with a friend, he booked the room with a Marriott (he doesn't have status) and I am Gold they did recognize my status but he got the points.

Perhaps Hilton will do the same, I just asked and showed my card.

scubaccr

One of the more obvious issues with non-status/low-status guest/partner booking room, with partner with status as additional guest is that until checkin hotel will not know.

Typically hotels match upgrades 24-48 hours out, and if a small hotel room count wise, or a busy period, it can present hotel with difficulties even if hotel would be willing to upgrade you as needing to upgrade your booked room will be an unwanted last minute surprise.

Worse if like your mentioned status additional guest is gold (not diamond), you don't get Lounge access w/o an Exec Room upgrade (and even id additional guest is HHD, t+c's don't mean hotel has to give out lounge access)

Delectatio

My partner would just do enough stays (4 x 1 night) to complete the challenge, and get the Gold (which he would keep for 2 years if he completes the challenge by february-march 2015 as planned). We stay about every 3 weeks in the same (not very nice but cheap) Hilton so the points wouldn't be much anyway (the benefit of getting Gold would be bigger IMO). It is just so much nicer to be able to sit in the lounge together with our friends (we go on holiday together regularly) In my experience many hotels seem to upgrade Golds to the executive floor anyway (or giving them lounge access).

IsleOfMan

My main point was you'd probably have better luck getting YOUR Gold benefits extended to both rooms on your trip with your friends than get your Gold benefits honored on the stays you make with your partner during the challenge period.

Delectatio

I understand your point. But while this might be true, it would still be a gamble of course.
It would be terrible if we land up at a nice Hilton resort for 10-14 days while our friends would have to pay for their breakfasts and wouldn't be granted lounge access while we can sit there every evening (if the hotel upgrades us ofcourse but I know that many Asian hotels do this with Golds as a rule)...
If my partner is Gold we can at least book 2 rooms on a Gold account.
I guess I will have to take the chance not getting the Gold benefits during the challenge as the 'guaranteed' benefits after the challenge will be worth more.

scubaccr

Strictly by HH-G/HH-D t+c's this does not help you book 2x rooms with each of you booking 1x room for 2persons, ending up with 2x HHG booked Rooms for 2x 2Guests, and can easily be seen by hotel as attempt to circumvent (or in reality con hotel) for unentitled benefits for the second booked room.

I really do recommend being upfront with hotel when booking a second room, for good friends to stay at the same time, honesty is usually the best policy as no hotel management likes guests trying to gain advantages in underhand ways, but will reward the honesty with reciprocal 2nd room benefits (and in theory hotel is entitled to hit 2nd room couple bill with extra charges on checkout, even if in practise they rarely do, when you try to "cheat" the hotel)

Reason is the HH-G bennies (upgrade, breakfast, free internet) only apply if HHG member occupies the reserved room, whereas your intent is both HHG's occupy the same first room, and the two non-status guests occupy the second room

You will find that any hotel that will happily honour the second room in this above instance will normally also happily extend gold benefit to the second room anyway when booked by the same HHG/HHD member.

Delectatio

I get your point.
I would think that the hotel doesn't really care who sleeps with who (that's if the staff doesn't 'follow' us on the way to our rooms at night :-)) in which room... as both rooms would have been booked by Gold members anyway (and we are both unmarried couples so the hotel can't know the connection between the 4 of us)...

It's nice to know that most hotels extend the benefits to the second booked room.