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Booking a Hilton Corp rate for a corporation for which you do not work

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Booking a Hilton Corp rate for a corporation for which you do not work

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Old Apr 14, 2011, 3:27 pm
  #1  
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Booking a Hilton Corp rate for a corporation for which you do not work

I found a corporate code on retailmenot.com which knocked off about $20 per night at a Doubletree for one of my upcoming stays. Apparently, the Corporate Code belongs to General Electric (I do not work for GE). What do the experts think, will the hotel honor the rate when I check in or will they remove the discount and ask me to pay the rack rate?
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Old Apr 14, 2011, 3:29 pm
  #2  
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Some questions should never be asked. However, they have been asked quite frequently and a bit of search will certainly enlighten you.
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Old Apr 16, 2011, 3:25 pm
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Depends. They may ask for proof you are eligible for the rate. They may not. I've had both happen.
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Old Apr 16, 2011, 5:03 pm
  #4  
 
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Why do you think you should book under a code that is clearly not applicable to you?

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should.
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Old Apr 16, 2011, 8:31 pm
  #5  
 
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No expert here, but it seems that they could charge you rac rate, which is likely to be $20 or more HIGHER than what could get with advance purchase. I would sign up for the MVP program and use the MVP rate code, which is often the same as the advanced purchase or a few dollars higher, but refundable before a deadline. Plus, after 4 stays you'll be gold if you're not already.

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landingpages/mvp.aspx
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Old Apr 16, 2011, 8:39 pm
  #6  
 
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Originally Posted by hautecouTours
No expert here, but it seems that they could charge you rac rate, which is likely to be $20 or more HIGHER than what could get with advance purchase. I would sign up for the MVP program and use the MVP rate code, which is often the same as the advanced purchase or a few dollars higher, but refundable before a deadline. Plus, after 4 stays you'll be gold if you're not already.

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landingpages/mvp.aspx
+1 on MVP.

I normally use the MVP rate to book my rooms but if its not available I use my corp code and I rarely get asked for ID but it does happen on occasion.
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Old Apr 18, 2011, 12:57 pm
  #7  
 
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For one of the clients I worked at, my hotel stays with corporate rate may get sent to my client from the hotels. I don't know what my client will do with the report, but if they reconcile the report with the reimbursements, they will find some stays have never been reimbursed. If they look into it, they might be able to trace you down.

My client asked me to always use the corporate rate even if I am able to find a cheaper rate, becaue it is so much easier for them to balacne their book if the hotel stays use the corporate rate. Why would the rate code matter that much if they are not getting all the hotel stays information electronically from the hotel? I may be wrong on this assumption.
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Old Apr 18, 2011, 3:50 pm
  #8  
 
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I think that what the OP is thinking about doing is unethical. Wouldn't it be an embarrassing gamble if the desk clerk called you out at check in by asking for some sort of a company ID just to save you $20?
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Old Apr 18, 2011, 11:18 pm
  #9  
 
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Just say you're a contractor for GE and they gave you the code. I've booked 100s of nights on my company rate, and I don't think anyone has ever asked to see my company ID.
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Old Apr 19, 2011, 3:22 pm
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Originally Posted by rickyriver
If they look into it, they might be able to trace you down.
And do what? Thank you for pumping up their spend so they get a better deal? Call the FTPPF?
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Old Apr 19, 2011, 3:42 pm
  #11  
 
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Originally Posted by pauleeepaul
And do what? Thank you for pumping up their spend so they get a better deal? Call the FTPPF?
I don't know. Maybe send you a check for the hotel reimbursement and an apology for not getting your expense reimbursed promptly.
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Old Apr 19, 2011, 8:24 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by chimuelo
Just say you're a contractor for GE and they gave you the code. I've booked 100s of nights on my company rate, and I don't think anyone has ever asked to see my company ID.
Maybe you look more trustworthy and thus aren't being asked. I don't travel much at all for business and thus rarely use my company's codes, but I have on multiple occasions been asked for a business card or corporate ID. And (not a corporate rate, I know, but it's the same issue ultimately) just yesterday at a Hampton Inn I was asked for my AAA card since I had booked a AAA rate.

This is obviously not the first thread where this comes up, but it's every time disappointing (yet not surprising) to see that some people are willing to lie to get a discount they are not entitled to.
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Old Apr 20, 2011, 3:21 am
  #13  
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There are many legitimate ways to reduce rates - MVP rates, offers, discounts, pay points at high-price properties. So, choose to use codes you aren't entitled to, and risk embarrassment when you can't produce decent credentials, and get charged the walk-up and highly inflated rack rate. Be sure to tell lots of people about your use of others' corporate codes you are not entitled to, so they can choose to do business with people with better ethics practices.

One could even go further - for example complain about every stay at a Hampton property - after all, there is always some little defect one can complain about - and have Hilton blacklist you. (Yes, it has happened.)
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Old Apr 20, 2011, 9:10 am
  #14  
 
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I'll throw another vote in hat for MVP rates. In my limited experience, I've found prices $5 to $10 less than AAA. Awesome!
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Old Apr 20, 2011, 9:16 am
  #15  
 
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Curious somewhat OT ? How/where do you register for MVP rate?
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