100,000miler

I have had several encounters with properties that refuse me, a Diamond member, with the 4pm check out. The latest is Hilton Paddington where I very much need this privilege at an upcoming stay in early November 2009and they are trying to charge me more money for the privilege.

This is total non sense for a Diamond to be treated like this. This is not the first Hilton to give me the kick either, several others have like the Embassy Suites in Montreal and the Hilton Euston in London to name just two.

Have others had the same problems. Frankly the HH Diamond program is more talk than benefit from what I have experienced. I am greatly unimpressed with it in the past 2 years since I migrated from SPG Plat service which was super!

100K

little_dc

I have been lucky with late check outs in Europe. but most of the time they can not do it for me till the night before, or even the morning of checkout. I once was told at checkin for a 1 night say after asking if I could get a late checkout for the next day "we do not do late check outs, 12noon is check out time after that you can pay for a second night" this was a Double-tree in a suburb 20 min from ORD airport.. So it was around 345pm when I was checking in, i then told the clerk, I would like to cancel my reservation.. The policy was for 4pm day of check in.. I walked out drove 5 min and checked into a HGI and got the late checkout with no problem

IAHtraveler

Is the 4PM a published benefit? I've often asked for late check-out (2 or 3pm) and often get "we can do 12 or 1"...

vysean

I tried this recently at the Hilton in MKE and was told the same, along with a roll of the eyes like I was asking for a kidney or something. Makes SPG Plat all the more valuable, and Diamond seem like lead. In fairness, I think the Hilton MKE might be the worst Hilton I've ever stayed at, so perhaps it was just that hotel and it's "lovely" staff.

JDiver

No, it is NOT a published benefit. VIP, Gold and Diamond VIP members get "Late Check-Out: Must be requested and is subject to availability." N.B. Nowhere is any late check-out time stated.

I do not know why people are so confused about this benefit (or others) - they are clearly stated in the T&Cs. Some hotels are very good about this, others are not - and some just try to avoid it completely. As with so many of the VIP perks, Hilton properties are apparently given considerable latitude in their interpretation and application.

(SPG has a similar policy and varied interpretations - the Sheraton Libertadór in Buenos Aires personnel kept stringing me along, and the day of departure said "No, we have "high people" (gente alta) coming, you must leave." I did - and will never return due to how I was treated as a Gold in all - in comparison with the Hilton, where even if they were pretty crowded, they allowed me late departure, use of the lounge, fitness facility, showers, computers, etc. until my departure for the EZE night departures.)

JDiver

Goodonya! That's hoisting them on their own sleazy petard! ^

ColumbiaPete

There was a recent thread on this, maybe ask for them to be merged?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...xperience.html

serfty

If a hotel is able to offer a late check out for $, £, € etc., then that hotel should be able to provide same for HHonors Blue, Silver, Gold or Diamond free as per the T&C's amenity.

http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/...nors_amenities

However, unlike some of the other "Amenities", it is not specifically noted as being Free or complimentary:So, in reality it is a 'nothing' amenity when taken as it is worded.

JDiver

Exactly! Some hotels are Sterling in their treatment of HHonors VIPs, some just do not care and are mercenary at best. The former I revisit, the latter I avoid - and I often learn which both are on FlyerTalk.

100,000miler

JDRIVER: I have never had any problems with SPG as a long standing Plat member (over 10 yrs in fact). You are totally incorrect in the assumption you are making.

HH is not up to the same standard as SPG and if your company wants to be attracting serious international travellors like me, it better improve itself otherwise I will find better homes. OK. Get the picture. I am not at all happy with HH.

Stripe

Very few hotels will guarantee a late checkout in advance. Even special packages at high end hotels like Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula that include late checkout always say "subject to availability". If you know you're going to need it, it's best to request it at the time of the reservation so it is noted, and call before arrival to re-request it. The day before they will have a much better idea of their bookings and may be able to confirm it then. IME they'll do whatever they can. The only way they will confirm it a month in advance is if you pay for it.

pauleeepaul

IC AMB and RA guarantee it- 4 pm for AMB; 8 pm (IIRC) for RA.

gleff

No, it's 4pm for both.

RA's get 8am check-in.

And SPG does guarantee 4pm checkout except at resort and conference properties. And conference has nothing to do with the hotel name, but rather a hotel submits specific dates for pre-approval to Starwood to be excluded from the benefit. If that didn't happen in the case above they were breaching the T&C of the program and I do hope a note was sent to Corporate Customer Service.

Keyser

the majority of my hilton stays have come in places like singapore, dubai, london, ny & dc....i don't recall more than a couple of instances over the last 3 years as diamond where i have not received a late checkout....a few places where the front desk it being difficult, i speak with the manager & it all gets sorted out....i guess it all depends from property to property....i spend close to 200 nights a year at hilton, spg & taj hotels....most of the properties i stay at are pretty good with late checkout....

drron

The only Hilton property I had regular success with late checkout was Narita.Though the more stays I had the later the checkout was extended-never went past 5pm.With SPG I have regularly had 6pm checkouts in bangkok,singapore and tokyo-services to Australia are usually late night departures.