Originally Posted by
ikar
Yes, the time has come! After being a loyal HHonors member for more than 15 years (about 6 as DIA), I feel that it is time to move on. But am not sure to where. Can you please help me?
I usually travel to Europe (UK, Benelux, Nordics, Swiss, Czech, Hungary, Turkey and seldomly to USA) on stays of 5 weekday nights. What I liked with the HH Diamond was that I would always have FREE breakfast, Internet, and Lounge access. Occasionally I would be upgraded to a better room but that was not so important for me. Let's also be frank that the 'points and points' plus the diamond bonus always gave me 20 points on the dollar. Adding the promotions, myway, and sometimes 2x point bookings made it easier to achieve enough points for bonus family vacations.
Looking into other programs I'm having hard time to chose the most close to HHonors. Some have free breakfast some don't. Almost everyone has free Internet these days. Most do not have lounges or don't offer it as a benefit unless you are very high up in their program (as opposed to GOLD in HH). Also, one does not get 20 pnts/dollar (but then their rewards might be cheaper or they may still have a promotions for extra points
). Another important thing (at least for me) is that the selected chain would have a presence in Europe.
So in the light of the above, I'd really appreciate any suggestions for a new chain that I can take my business to.
ps. Also appreciate few words about how easy is to have a status match to that chain.
Regards,
I used to be HH Diamond for many years, and I was always very happy with the Hilton HHonors benefits in special and the Hilton service in general.
When my travel locations changed from Europe and Asia to mainly homeland Germany I got a problem with coverage so I found IHG as best alternative.
The adaptation was not easy for me. During my stays as Platinum never felt like at a Hilton, as Diamond (or Gold), especially not at HIs, neither CPs. ICs: Yes they are ok or even superb in holiday destinations like Paris and Cannes. But I have a paid Ambassador card as well, so I donīt know how it is with Platinum only at ICs.
You would miss the free breakfast and the guaranteed lounge access you have as Dmd. Maybe also the Hilton team spirit. Donīt laugh at me, I can feel it. As well you could miss top hotels like Trianon Palace Versailles and Rome Cavalieri.
With IHG you can collect easier points with their promotions and bonus packages, and you spend less points on reward stays, e.g. 50.000 per night maximum at their top categories like Carlton Cannes or Le Grand Paris. But you will get no breakfast and/or or lounge access, neither on paid nor on reward stays. You will find many HIX with ok rooms and comp. breakfast. The upgrade policy is better than in the past, but depending if you stay more often at an particular hotel. Platinum status you get with 40 or 50 nights depending on the brand mix you use or 60.000 points which can be reached more easy if you book Bonus Point packages which count towards elite, reward nights same.
Accor is ok as Platinum in Sofitels or Pullmanns, maybe Novotels. But you will not find executive lounges with some exceptions mainly in Asia, practically none in Europe (except Budapest, Berlin, maybe some more) nor you get free breakfast at their restaurants. And you have to stay in a lot of elder Ibis and Mercure hotels to use the coverage advantage which will not make you always happy during your business week.
Marriott would be the logical alternative for you with similar benefits. But you need 75 nights to reach their top level, compared to 30 stays with one night (or 60 nights) only to reach/keep Hiltons highest tier.
It depends also on your no. of stays/nights per year and the amount of money you can spend per night. With my 80-100 nights per year I shifted also many nights to LHW and slh properties which are
36* in Germany together. Most rates are above Hilton or IHG average. You get free breakfast with their cards at paid and rew. stays (LHW small fee, slh for free) and one free night cert, after 4-5 paid stays dep. on type of card. But with restrictions, at LHW only 1 cert. per one stay redeemable, 3 cert. with the expensive Unlimted membership, slh no restrictions. The hotels are individually styled and you might not find electric sockets and iron and ironing board easily as in an Hilton.
Well I finally recommend you to stay Diamond at HH Honors if coverage in the regions you travel is no problem. If you spend significantly more stays/nights than needed for Dmd think of additional options. I always regretted that circumstances did not allow me to keep Diamond status, and I will go for it again now seeing improvements in Hiltons policy in Germany to increase the no. of hotels.
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