Jun 4, 2015, 11:33 am
Last edit by: dmodemd
Hilton rolled out the complimentary Wi-Fi earlier than originally planned!
* Beginning in June 2015, premium Internet access, where available, will be rolled out globally and will be free of charge for Diamond members when they book directly through a proprietary Hilton channel or via one of our corporate travel partners.
* Starting in August, we will extend complimentary standard Wi-Fi access to Blue and Silver members when they book their stays directly through a proprietary Hilton channel or one of our corporate travel partners.
* Complimentary standard Wi-Fi will continue to be a benefit for HHonors Gold members who also book directly through our proprietary Hilton channels or one of our corporate travel partners:* This update doesn’t apply to hotels where there is a resort charge (except for Diamond members complimentary premium access - Post #6).
* This offering will not be available until August through September in EMEA and APAC.
* Free standard Wi-Fi will continue to be a benefit for Hilton HHonors Gold members who also book directly through our proprietary Hilton channels one of our approved travel agent partners.
* Free standard Wi-Fi will be available on June 4, 2015 for all HHonors members who book directly at all StayConnected properties globally.
* The HHonors Terms and Conditions will be updated on June 4, 2015 to reflect these changes.
* Starting in August, we will extend complimentary standard Wi-Fi access to Blue and Silver members when they book their stays directly through a proprietary Hilton channel or one of our corporate travel partners.
* Complimentary standard Wi-Fi will continue to be a benefit for HHonors Gold members who also book directly through our proprietary Hilton channels or one of our corporate travel partners:
- The Hilton HHonors mobile app
- Online from hilton.com, HHonors.com, or any of our brand/hotel websites
- Calling Hilton Reservations Customer Care: 1-800-HHonors or your local Hilton reservations office
- Calling an individual hotel (plus walk-ins and physical on-property too)
- Via corporate travel agencies and travel professionals that book via a Hilton proprietary channel
* This offering will not be available until August through September in EMEA and APAC.
* Free standard Wi-Fi will continue to be a benefit for Hilton HHonors Gold members who also book directly through our proprietary Hilton channels one of our approved travel agent partners.
* Free standard Wi-Fi will be available on June 4, 2015 for all HHonors members who book directly at all StayConnected properties globally.
* The HHonors Terms and Conditions will be updated on June 4, 2015 to reflect these changes.
Hilton Wi-Fi Update
Mar 3, 2015, 2:33 am
#46
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CGN (Cologne, Germany), travel agent, hardcore Sabre user
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, BA, DL, LH, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, AX Centurion
Posts: 445
being a travel agency owner I am interested in what a Hilton proprietary channel is. We use our CRS (Sabre) for most Hotel bookings - does that make our customers eligible? I do hope so!
Mar 3, 2015, 6:15 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: IAD...and loving it?!
Programs: UA Platinum (1MM Gold), HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 858
My unfortunate timing to lose Diamond this year!
Mar 3, 2015, 8:04 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
Programs: DL DM 1.929MM, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, IHG Platinum, Avis CHM, Marriott Titanium (lifetime gold)
Posts: 7,860
, except you can't get Marriott Gold just by paying a credit card fee.David
Mar 3, 2015, 9:45 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JNU
Programs: HH D, AS MM/MVPG for life/AL, Awesome Wipes VIP Club, NEXUS, Hertz 5-Star Gold
Posts: 2,893
Once the new wifi benefit goes into effect, I would wager that some portion of Blues/Silvers/Golds who have later-model, tetherable smartphones and enough shoulder room in their wireless plans will choose to go that route if they determine the performance is better that way.
That may reduce the demand on a hotel's wifi system. And then again, maybe not.
That may reduce the demand on a hotel's wifi system. And then again, maybe not.
Mar 3, 2015, 11:03 am
#51
Company Representative - Honors by Hilton
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,516
That's the speed I posted last week for the free internet at the Hampton Inn Lexington, VA. So you can understand my hesitation to be happy about this announcement.
If the "premium" is only 2x or 3x faster than this, it's still going to be an unacceptable speed.
Erin, can you please ask your team if there are plans to publish the minimum standard that is expected for both free and premium connections?
If the "premium" is only 2x or 3x faster than this, it's still going to be an unacceptable speed.
Erin, can you please ask your team if there are plans to publish the minimum standard that is expected for both free and premium connections?
I will continue to share updates that I'm provided from the team here!
Thanks,
Erin
Mar 3, 2015, 11:05 am
#52
Company Representative - Honors by Hilton
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,516
Our corporate travel partners are connected via a global distribution system that our business and professional travel agent partners use to book directly with Hilton.
Cheers,
Erin
Mar 3, 2015, 11:38 am
#53
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
Once the new wifi benefit goes into effect, I would wager that some portion of Blues/Silvers/Golds who have later-model, tetherable smartphones and enough shoulder room in their wireless plans will choose to go that route if they determine the performance is better that way.
That may reduce the demand on a hotel's wifi system. And then again, maybe not.
That may reduce the demand on a hotel's wifi system. And then again, maybe not.
But this is Flyertalk so suppose I spend a night at the Conrad Seoul on the way to Taiwan. My international roaming data is just as bad as Hilton's free internet. Should I buy a new SIM card for the night? Suppose I stay at one of the two Hiltons in Beirut, to my knowledge no networks have data roaming agreements with any network in Lebanon.
Mar 3, 2015, 11:42 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
That's the speed I posted last week for the free internet at the Hampton Inn Lexington, VA. So you can understand my hesitation to be happy about this announcement.
If the "premium" is only 2x or 3x faster than this, it's still going to be an unacceptable speed.
Erin, can you please ask your team if there are plans to publish the minimum standard that is expected for both free and premium connections?
If the "premium" is only 2x or 3x faster than this, it's still going to be an unacceptable speed.
Erin, can you please ask your team if there are plans to publish the minimum standard that is expected for both free and premium connections?
Based upon the nature of your response to sjpmurph01, and based upon your failure to respond to... or even acknowledge... my requests for you to give us some insight into what Hilton regards to be acceptable speeds, I am left to assume one of the following:
- Hilton has no corporate standard and it is left to individual properties to decide what they want to provide
- There is a corporate policy and the criteria are so low that it would be embarrassing for Hilton to reveal them
- There is a corporate policy, but Hilton sees a disadvantage to transparency and does not want us to have this information, because we might hold Hilton accountable for meeting the criteria.
Any of the above would be disappointing, and I am eager to hear an alternate explanation.
Bottom line, why does it seem that Hilton is avoiding being up front an open with us on this matter?
Mar 3, 2015, 11:45 am
#55
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
I have never stayed a day at Marriott in my entire life LOL. 
But it will change now. I probably going to put 75K on the RC card and get Marriott Plat and United Silver.Cit Reserve 40K -> HH Diamond
MileagePlus Club -> Hyatt Plat, Hertz President's Circle, MLife Gold, United Club access
Ritz Carlton 75K -> Ritz Carlton Plat, Marriott Plat, United MileagePlus Silver Elite, Lounge Club access
Last edited by Need; Mar 3, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Mar 3, 2015, 12:31 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: HHonors Gold, Delta Skymiles, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 34
I assume this headline will be coming in a matter of days. You see ALL Hilton Garden Inn guests receive the standard Internet for free (think tortoise speed). If you show enough loyalty to reach Gold level, that's still all you get - standard speed. But they advertise "Free Internet" in the Gold Level Benefits description as if it is some special perk reserved premium members. It's not. Since this absurd attempt at "value" seems to be Hilton's MO, why stop with just wifi? I mean everyone gets a television and bed linens, so how about adding that to the perks description for Gold members too?
Bottom line, if you're HHonors gold level this is a slap in the face. You either must pay for the better Internet option or settle for the slow speed. Here's a better idea - head over to Marriott. Gold level members get the fastest internet option at Marriott for free.
Bottom line, if you're HHonors gold level this is a slap in the face. You either must pay for the better Internet option or settle for the slow speed. Here's a better idea - head over to Marriott. Gold level members get the fastest internet option at Marriott for free.
Are Diamond + Gold stays in a single hotel night so frequent in hotels that it will impact the speed of premium wi-fi? If not, then from a business stand point I would suggest to offer the premium wi-fi to both Diamond + Gold (and this is not because I'm a Gold member but from a neutral viewpoint). Especially for hotels that already have free wi-fi for all, which is essentially useless wi-fi and not a real benefit to Gold.
Mar 3, 2015, 1:01 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond
Posts: 20,889
I know this is a travel nerd board but plain English. I am pretty sure I am good here I can't be certain.
Mar 3, 2015, 3:09 pm
#58
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JNU
Programs: HH D, AS MM/MVPG for life/AL, Awesome Wipes VIP Club, NEXUS, Hertz 5-Star Gold
Posts: 2,893
This is all well and good when we are in our own countries and when staying at a Hilton in Colombia I will certainly tether for the benefit of Hilton's delicate infrastructure and the greater good of other guests.
But this is Flyertalk so suppose I spend a night at the Conrad Seoul on the way to Taiwan. My international roaming data is just as bad as Hilton's free internet. Should I buy a new SIM card for the night? Suppose I stay at one of the two Hiltons in Beirut, to my knowledge no networks have data roaming agreements with any network in Lebanon.
But this is Flyertalk so suppose I spend a night at the Conrad Seoul on the way to Taiwan. My international roaming data is just as bad as Hilton's free internet. Should I buy a new SIM card for the night? Suppose I stay at one of the two Hiltons in Beirut, to my knowledge no networks have data roaming agreements with any network in Lebanon.
Mar 3, 2015, 3:39 pm
#59
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
Yes sorry, completely acknowledged. People that don't leave their own countries or have data roaming that works properly may well tether