BigLar

Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what they could do to be super special. My experience has been limited, but on an award stay in Paris last year as a Diamond, they fell all over me to accomodate us. Should we require grovelling?

Maybe you should go over to the Marriott forum and suggest their top level elites get guaranteed suite upgrades. They've never thought of that over there.

PremEx

The danger here is what would happen to normal Diamond if they did this.

Speaking from personal experience when new higher levels were added...the old highest level would certainly and almost instantly lose a lot of it's "clout" in the mind of Hilton employees. It's a physiological thing. Many employees in these hierarchy situations reserve their best service only for the highest level customers.

Hotels and airlines know this would likely occur, and don't want to upset the majority of their high-end bread and butter customers, which is exactly why they resist plopping in higher levels past a certain point.

This personal experience was backed up by 2 separate marketing folks from 2 separate travel providers who explained their resistance to such ideas with this same logic. They also explained to me research that showed that if some customers can't achieve the absolute highest level of a program, then they cease to be loyal to that company and often then head to other providers where their service expectations and egos might be satisfied by being top dog over there.

In other words, they don't want to loose 1,000 very good customers just to satisfy 20 mega-travelers.

Some companies, like United Airlines, have to a degree successfully addressed both segments by creating a little something special for the big $$$ spenders. But they wisely kept that out of their frequent flyer program and operate it separate and relatively transparent to generally good effect and have minimized any negative backfire from the highest level members of their frequent flyer program.

jabez

PremEx ,I tend to agree with you. "New" higher levels might eventually be no more rewarding than today's diamond level, but at a higher threshold.
HH should ,however, think about relatively inexpensive ways to reward their "super travellers". The logic of being top tiered at another chain makes sense after you've exceeded your necessary requirements. Last year I found myself at Marriotts and using PL the last part of the year.

PremEx

Righto.

Just what I suggested to United some time ago. Doubt if I alone was directly responsible for it, but just this year they began "throwing a few bones" to those 1Ks (100,000 mile flyers) that continue on past the 100,000 mile basic qualification requirement, and hit 125,000 miles and 150,000 miles, by awarding them 2 extra Systemwide upgrades at each threshold. Thereby giving incentive to stick with 'em past the 100,000 mark, yet not creating an additional level in the program that would certainly diminish basic 1K status.

MisterNice

A HH DD would probably be of little value as many of the FD clecks do little (or know enough of the HH program) to get you what the HH T&C currently states. And with the omission of the "upgrade to the best available room" clause what do you think you would get with a HH DD or even a HH DDD?

MisterNice

Canarsie

Why does this sound more like a discussion about the bra sizes of women rather than a discussion about elite levels in the Hilton HHonors program?

Anyway, I am also against adding another elite level but all for promoting incentives for “super travelers” to keep them staying at Hilton properties.

jetsetter

If you stay and spend that much money, you can negotiate your own personalized higher level, with the benefits that are most important to you. However, the hotel and/or program might ask you not to disclose the benefits publically.

I would contact either the GM(s) at the properties you frequent the most, and/or
[email protected]
(he is an HH VP)
and negotiate whatever benefits are most important to you for your loyalty well above and beyond requirements for Diamond. This may be an advantage for you since you can negotiate specifically what is important to you as opposed to getting some cookie cutter benefits.

I would be very surprised if Adam or your hotel gm(s) just tell you there is nothing they can do, and to go ahead and start perhaps working towards Starwood. However, again, I think the company would handle this quietly as to avoid a deluge of similar requests quite possibly from customers that don't contribute as much revenue as you do.

And how do we really know there is not some ultra-secret level above Diamond that is on the hush hush?

fromYXU

Hilton (and other brands) want a certain ratio in elite levels. For example:

Diamond ~1%
Gold ~5%
Silver ~20%

(Those #s are mine, but something like that was posted a while back).

So, why would HH try to develop a program for 0.1% of their customers only. I would think that if a level get diluted they would simply adjust the requirements for that level.

GuinnessMan

Excellent idea and works well. I have about 130 nights the last 12 months at the same Hilton Garden Inn. I talked to the GM and I get two of the $5 pantry coupons (good for alcohol at this one too) each visit and I also get full breakfast coupons instead of the continental ones. A nice gesture on their part. I'm sure I could get more but no need to be greedy

Just as an FYI - most HGI's I've been to have the full breakfast coupons hidden in the desk and will give them out upon friendly request to Diamonds.

MisterNice

I once had a talk with the asst GM at a hotel I had very frequest stays at. At my request I usually received my chosen room, they added higher wattage bulbs, a lounge chair, put in the newest tv and provided *FREE* high speed internet etc. And suprise, suprise! Every month or two a chilled bottle of wine etc was greeting me upon arrival. It cost the hotel little, I felt "wanted" and they got a lotta $$$.

Thanks for the FULL BREAKFAST tip. I will give it a try. Two bucks aint much but again itsa nice benny.

MisterNice

isogyre

Because that 0.1% (or whatever the number is) produces a lot more than 0.1% of HH's revenue!

fromYXU

I suppose so, but I was trying to make the point that their top elite is well compensated at the moment. I am certain that better customers are well rewarded in specific hotels (likely VIP type treatments). The question is how hard do they need to go after those few that surpass the Diamond standards by >100%.

liveon777

Or do you go and build points/stays on other programs?

Or do you keep on building those HH points?

Survey says. . . . .

JDiver

Yes. Well-traveled Diamond, known at the hotel by staff and GM.

I'm building HHonors points (all points / no miles) for future awards.

I do also maintain SPG Gold, or Priority Club whatever I can get (Platinum right now,) for places that have no HH or maybe (unfortunately) do not have a decent HH property.

Stefan Daystrom

No, there is nothing past Diamond.

But I don't "go on" to other programs, it's more like I have to work to get enough stays in to JUST requalify as Diamond. My problem is that all my stays are on my own dime, and where I stay most often it's much easier to find a Priority Club property close by at a really good rate, while I have to go many miles out of my way (and even that only during weeks of lower demand) to get similar rates at an HHonors property.

So it's more like a balancing act to at least requalify for Platinum with Priority Club (during their best promo months, which include summer when HHonors is stingy with promos), and at least requalify for Diamond with HHonors, and slip in those occasional 6000-miles-for-3-stays and such AA promos at Starwood in between! Excess miles tend to go to Priority Club because it rewards me with bonus points and/or miles typically more robustly than HHonors does, and since I don't earn many miles by actual flying, that matters to me more than room upgrades...