Andriyko

With so many threads with members complaining about devaluation of the Diamond/Gold status, I decided to share my recent experience.

We had a long trip over Christmas and NY's which took us to London, New York, Miami and San Juan, PR.

We stayed in Hilton London Park Lane when in London. It was a reward reservation. On the morning of check-in I checked the reservation which changed to the "Executive" room, upon arrival to the hotel we were informed that we were upgraded to "Park Lane Suite". The room and the view were amazing. A nice bouqet of roses were waiting for us in the room with two personal notes from the hotel's management.

Next stop - Doubltree JFK Airport. We just overnighted there. Received an upgraded to Junior Suite. Not much can be expected from that property but the room was actually nice.

Next stop - Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach. Booked a corner studio. Upon check-in we were upgraded to one bedroom partial oceanview suite. The suite was very nice. Later in the day two bottles of water and a bottle of wine were delivered to out room with a welcome note.

Next stop - Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza. We booked an ocean vista, and did not receive any upgrade. But according to the front desk we received one of the best oceanview rooms (indeed, the view was amazing). A bottle of wine was delivered to the room with a note from the director of operations.

Next stop - Waldorf Astoria. We booked a mini suite. Did not receive an upgrade. But the room was in a nice location (overlooking Park Ave.) and on a high floor. According to the Diamond Reception, they hand pick the rooms for Diamond members. Surpisingly, we were not charged for highspeed internet, and we were allowed a late checkout at 4pm.

Overall impressions? Not that bad. We were treated nicely at each property and got pretty good upgrades. What else could we ask for?

Perhaps not all is bad with HHonors?

nissan motor

Here is already the first point that makes me (the Diamond member) feel like an idiot with Hilton. Gold members get almost the same as Diamonds... Credit card spending Diamonds get the same as many-stay Diamonds. Is that good? No, not at all.

Condition One

Nice upgrade at the Hilton Park Lane! I was told last January that they don't upgrade Diamond members on award reservations to suites. They then offered to upsell me to a suite

RonGinDC

Ditto

Andriyko

The point of this thread was not to compare Diamond members with Gold members. But to address your point - I was told in many properties that although on paper the benefits may sound the same Diamonds often get better treatment, like better upgrades or nicer/renovated rooms.
I just wanted to share my experience and to say that I am personally happy with Hilton. As long as they are nice to me, who cares that other members get to be treated nicely as well?

Andriyko

I was surprised (pleasantly) myself. I stayed on rewards a few times there and always got a nice executive room. I was also upgraded one time to Mayfair Suite (nice as well) on a paid reservation.
They are, however, inconsistent. Once time I was allowed free breakfast in the restaurant (which is going above official benefits) but other times I was only allowed access to Executive lounge (which I rarely use for breakfast anyways).

Keyser

andriyko....it seems like you had a very nice trip....i do believe that being a diamond member helps, but i think your great stays depended more on the individual properties you stayed at....i have memtioned this before in other threads, i have been diamond for over 3 years now & have yet to receive even a single suite upgrade so far....

i am a regular at some properties like the hilton singapore & the hilton metropole london (spending close to 70 - 80 nights combined every year at these 2 places) & i get treated very well....i am always received by the manager on duty, sometimes get perks like free internet & breakfast/lounge access for people traveling with me, free laundry facilities, etc....but i have never ever received a suite upgrade....

the hilton honors program & diamond status has lost a lot of its charm over the last year or so....i have noticed a lot of properties have started closing or reducing their lounge hours, the diamond desk has agents who are very misinformed, i have had problems getting points for promos that i successfully rgistered for & a bunch of other problems i can go on & on about....

baring the 2 properties i mentioned above, i do not plan on staying at another hilton hotel this year....my travel is going to be a bit reduced this year so i may not make diamond, but to me it really doesn't matter anymore....i think i would still get the same treatment at these 2 properties, diamond or no diamond....it just seems like the hilton honors program is not worth it anymore for me....

nissan motor

Yes, saas, I remember you. In other threads (was in in the SPG forum?) are you sometimes called "Mr. Book-a-suite-if-you-want-one"

What you wrote is absolutely the point: You often don't get the good treatment because of your status (i.e. because of being loyal to Hilton) but because of the fact that you are a good customer of a particular hotel.

Shouldn't one primarily get a good treatment for being loyal to Hilton (i.e. being a gold member) and an outstanding treatment for being very loyal to Hilton (i.e. for being a Diamond member)?

Keyser

yup....that's me....i have had stays at hilton properties paying well over $400 a night but i still get better treatment at hotels where i stay often, even if i pay as little as $120 a night....

as far as the suites are concerned, i have always been firm on the fact that if you want one then book one....don't rely on an upgrade....but i find it really strange when people post here that they get a lot of upgrades to suites at hiton properties....i have been diamond for a while & i know a number of diamond member....none of us have ever been that lucky....

Andriyko

Wow, that's a lot of nights!
I would expect that these two properties treat you nicely because you stay there so often.
I stayed at Hilton Park Lane 3 or 4 times a year the most. I do, however, e-mail guest services with requests for rooms on a high floor facing Hyde Park (but nenver asking for an upgrade). Perhaps you are right that upgrades vary upon each individual property and especially if you are a good customer at that particular property.
It also depends upon the room type that members book. I never expect upgrades so I book nicer rooms (e.g. I would book an executive room at Park Lane or Deluxe Plus at the Trafalgar), so perhaps upgrades are easier to come by (especially to junior suites/suites) if it is not a standard room.
It's not that I alsways get treated well at Hilton properties. Once I was upgraded to a studio (suite) at the Trafalgar in London from a paid Deluxe Plus room but never got any upgrade three times when I stayed there on reward. I also got an upgrade to a suite at Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh but also from the highest paid non-suite room category. Upgrades are not a sure thing at London Paddington, Waldorf Astoria, LAX Hilton, and other properties where I stayed as well.
Again - I just wanted to share my experience during a particular trip. I don't get treated so nicely at all properties all the time but I think I get upgarded from standard rooms probably 75% of my stays. WHen it is not a reward stay I always book a room that I actually want to stay in and if they upgrade me it is a nice surpise (but more likely I am to hear that I already have the highest non-suite room...)

Beckles

I'm all for them treating all the rest of you Diamonds badly as long as they treat me well.
That's quite surprising, I got a suite upgrade just last night

Of course it was just a Hampton Inn and Suites, but still a suite upgrade none-the-less. I have received much more spectacular upgrades at Hilton, HGI, and Doubletree properties as well.

travelmi

I got regular upgrade as a gold and diamond member at Waldorf in New York. almost 8 out of 10 chances to a suite

Andriyko

That's nice. I only booked a standard room there once (a reward stay) and was upgraded to a superior room which is slightly nicer than the standard room (but in an excellent part of the hotel).
Whenever I book minsuites or one bedroom suites I get nothing.
When I checked out last week I was told that on average 200 (!) Diamonds are staying at the Waldorf every day, so I assume it is hard to upgrade all of them.

littlevoices

I feel a real test of diamond's value is when booking on points personally (For me that is leisure travel when I'd like to enjoy with my wife). I find Hilton treats diamond's pretty well for the most part... but Marriott treats its Platinums better.

Glad you had a nice trip - sounds like you got some pretty good upgrades

travelexpert

These two points are Hyatt's huge strength.

Hyatt Diamond gets big benefits, Platinum far less.

And there is no Hyatt credit card.

Surprise surprise--many Hilton Diamonds are now heading towards the HHONONORS exit--straight into Hyatt's welcoming Gold Passport program....