italdesign

I have an award stay of 5 nights. I may need to shorten it to 2 nights. When the need arises, if there's no more new availability (but I already have the reservation), would it let me modify the reservation with the reduction? I'm hoping it'll just charge points for 2 nights instead of 5.

missamo80

For stuff like this calling the front desk of the hotel directly is the best bet. If you ask nicely and politely they'll almost always do it.

Neil

italdesign

Sure, but I just want to know if this is something that can be easily done online. In theory it should be possible, since the new reservation is a subset of the old reservation so I'm not taking anything new from the inventory. But I just don't know how the hotel/website treats it. Has anyone done it before?

xooz

For short stays, I always book back to back single night stays. You have a 5 night stay, so this would probably complicate it since you are getting the free night,I assume. Reducing to 2 nights would take back the free night.

Depending on cancellation fees, you could book a second room for 2 nights and cancel the reservation you don't need within the cancellation period. Also cancelling the reservation with the front desk is one thing, but getting your points back is not done by the front desk but by HHonors, so that's another activity.

craigthemif

Can't be done online, unless you previously cancel your existing reservation and hope that it goes straight back into award inventory (not guaranteed).

You can make a second award booking now for 2 nights (if you have the points) and cancel the unnecessary reservation before the deadline (usually 24 hours)

Otherwise, call the hotel or HHonors and see what they can do.

KCflyerguy

Completely agree with Craig. If you have any status at all with Hilton (and even if you don't) they should be able to help you on the phone. I have never been turned down in situations like this when I have called.

writerguyfl

I completely understand why people think that they should be able to shorten a reservation, but that's not how most hotels will view the situation. The problem is that a hotel may have a length-of-stay restriction affecting your dates. There might have been a minimum-stay requirement when you made your reservation. Or, a minimum-stay requirement may have been added after you made the booking.

Although it's not explained, Hilton does technically inform you of this by including the following line in the Rate Details: "Reward value rates quoted apply and are only valid for arrival date and length of stay shown."

Minimum length-of-stay restrictions will block you from making any changes (other than cancellation) to the reservation. This is true with either the website or by calling Hilton. Despite what other's have written, Hilton/HHonors does not have the authority to override any restrictions that have been set by the hotel. All revenue management is done at the hotel level. That said, the Hilton/HHonors rep may offer to contact the hotel on your behalf.

If you can't change your booking online, your best bet is to call the hotel directly. You may reach someone who is authorized to make the change or who is willing to ignore any active length-of-stay restrictions.

RogerD408

Yes, the net effect is you are returning a few days. However, process wise, you are cancelling your current rez and booking a new one. Unfortunately, the cancellation may not go back into the inventory you booked and there is no assurance you will be the next in line for those rooms when booking the new rez.

Two choices: 1) Book a new rez for the desired dates and then cancel the current rez, or 2) call the hotel and nicely ask them to adjust the dates of the existing rez, or 3) hope you can make the change at time of check-in.

PayItForward

Do be reminded that for 5 night award stays where the "5th night is free", in practice, hotels averages out the point requirements for 4 nights over 5 nights.

E.g.

For a Cat 1 property, each night is 5,000 points. 4 nights is 20,000 points. Your reservation will however show 4,000 points per night over 5 nights (= 20,000 points). Should you managed to reduce the stay to 2 nights, the points required is not 8,000 but 10,000 points. Some guests are startled at being charged 10,000 instead of 8,000 but the above explains why.

italdesign

Thanks for all of your insight. Uncertainty is a fact of life and knowing how the system works helps me handle it appropriately.

helosc

I have just changed a reward reservation online without a problem.
I changed to one day more, though.
My reservation shows a 'change' option for each category : Room and Plan selection, Stay Information, Guest information, and Payment information.

I used the Stay information 'change' option to change my dates.

A few weeks ago, I changed the same reservation to a different week ( same amount of days ) without a problem.

leeky

who is it that claims they've been "startled"?

jeffandnicole

Probably the many people that don't fully understand how the point system works...or think they can game the system.

cblaisd

Several years ago, back when paper reward nights were still required, properties were unable to do points adjustments. When HHonors IT was upgraded (I'm aware the irony of that statement ) and paper certificates were not longer required, I have been told that hotels were also able to directly access and credit/debit points.

A few weeks ago I had a two-night reward stay due to a family emergency. It turned out that I didn't need the second night and I spoke to the manger the morning of the second day, explained what was happening, and despite the fact that the cancellation deadline for the second night had passed he canceled the second night and the points were returned to my account immdiately.

SPLP007

similar thing happened to me -- the hotels have "all kinds of power" IF they want to use

I even had them cancel a few awards nights that I used airline points for - and they worked it out so that the miles were credited back to my f.f. account--even though the nites " could not" cancelled based on the airline t/c