UA1K4EVER

Tonight means different things depending on where you. I had checked in yesterday Jan 2, without entering my HH#, and I am re-checking in today... in Singapore, where it is now already 01/03. I preferred to get the triple points for 01/03-01/06 doing it that way instead of shooting for quadruple (01/02-01/06) and winding up with nothing... Good Luck!

cjd

I certainly hope I'm wrong and that you get your quadruple points. I still don't think that Hhonors Representative fully answered your question with regard to Jan 2 check-in. This scenario of checking in the day before the promotion starts has been discussed many times with regard to all the previous promotions over the last few years and the answer has always been that you will not benefit at all from the promotion unless you can check in after the promotion start date. This might have now changed, but I'm not convinced. Hope you're right and that you and many others get the bonus points. Good luck and do let us know.

UA1K4EVER

Stay tuned but I just confirmed that stays that begin on Jan 2 will not count toward the promo. It might also be that checking in without using one's HH# for Jan 2-3 won't work if you use your real name. The system will merge the reservations. I am trying to see if there is a way to separate my Jan 2-3 from Jan 3-6 reservations. At this point, it is up to the supervisor I have been referred to by CSRs, who that it cannot be done...

flo0816

Spoken like a true hotel hopper...

I usually make Diamond all three ways by the end of June without the possibility of hotel hopping. I am glad Hilton is finally making an effort to reward BIB and guests who bring revenue instead of one nighters. ^

troyb

I'm sorry, I'm a little new to HHonors. For this promo, if you do the double dip are the airline miles also multiplied by the same amount? If so, does it matter if you are under the fixed vs variable (per night / per $)?

Thanks.

EyeTraveler

The additional points are bonus points based on base points earned. They will be hhonors points, not miles, regardless of double dip style. You will still earn miles at regular rate, based on base points earned.

troyb

Thanks. That's too bad. I had visions of quadruple BMI miles.

majorwibi

Count me as a Diamond who isnt happy about this promotion as I mostly stay at longer stay hotels that arent playing in this promotion. At least throw those of us who stay 120+ nights in Hilton family hotels (I did 187 nights in 2010) a bone with a promotion that works. I know I could move hotels to get the points but I've also built relationships with certain hotel staffs that keep me coming back instead of the Hilton bonuses.

I actually had a recent hotel GM suggest I leave their hotel and goto another family hotel in the area because of this promotion.

Between points lost in the 4Q promotion and the upcoming 1Q promotion I am going to be out nearly 250K points by my calculations because I'm loyal to hotels that dont want to play in your promotion.

sorro

So we've had a lot of questions about stays starting before the promo, but what about stays ending after the promo? Do they fall under the promo? I've got one that's ending on 4/2 and it's a 7 night stay, so this will be an amazing promo for me...if I get quadruple points.

UA1K4EVER

I just got off the phone with a supervisor at HD desk. Stays that start before Jan 3 or end after March 31 won't earn any points for this promotion. There is nothing they can do to rectify this because that is the way the system is set up. So, alter your reservation so that you stay at a near by hotel until Jan 3, and then check at the Hilton on Jan 3. At the other end, you must alter your stay to check out by March 31. My Jan 2-6 stay won't count because I already checked in on Jan 2 and there is no way to retroactively fix things so that my stay would appear to start on Jan 3.

bamboola

With NOR-1 becoming a Hilton institution, will I earn the 4x points on award stays for incidentals and the hefty NOR-1 costs?

piratejo

Based on my normal travel patterns I'd be thrilled with this promo since I usually stay 3-4 nights at a property primarily because there aren't other HHonors hotels to "hop" too. I typically requal based on nights first.

. . But even I am severely disappointed with this promo because of the 340+ hotels opting out. These aren't just resorts like the WAs (Well, there are some of those opting out as well) or higher end hotels, but mostly more lower cost "road warrior" hotels like DTs, HIs, etc.

All of my next 4 booked stays are at different hotels in different cities and all of those are listed on the Opt Out list. I mean, honestly, what reason could places like the Hampton Inn Evansville, IN give to not participate?

Maybe they know they've got you hook-line-sinker anyway in these small towns? -- It's not like I have the option to switch to SPG for the nights.

So question: What does a hotel really gain by opting out? What are the costs for participating?

EasternTraveler

I have to add my comments to this:

I have been a loyal Hilton Diamond for over ten years. During that time, I have watched the continued devaluation of the program, but have found ways of making the program work. The staff at the properties are usually very good. I did not find any use in the last program. Due to the opt outs, I decided not to even bother looking for Hilton properties and based my choices on location and price. Then Marriott came out with a good promo. Even though I have had less than 10 stays per year over the years with Marriott, I switched to them and earned top status in the last quarter of the year.

In all honesty, I can't remember which promos have been best with which chain over the years. But I can tell you that I have had Hyatt, Hilton, Radisson, IHG and Best Western top tier for several years. Yes, I spend too much time in a hotel.

The Hyatt promos have been the best and easiest to track. IHG has gotten a lot better as well. Until 2010 I always went for the Hilton promos. Once the properties started Opting Out, I decided to repay the favor and I opted out of staying there.

I also think it has been a poor marketing choice of calling some not so great hotels Waldorf, which are no better than an average Hilton in many cases.

I do want to stay at Hiltons and prefer them over most chains. However, I will go with whomever has the best promos for my 150+ nights per year. Unfortunately that is NOT Hilton right now.

cjd

Same situation has always applied to past promotions. After a long stay and then checking out after the promotion end date gets you no bonus promotion points. As UA1K4EVER has stated above, you must check out on 31 March 2011 at the latest to get the bonus points.

dcstudent

Promo doesn't work well for me but I can't fault Hilton for that....I do mostly 1 night stays...but at the same time I recognize that many people do longer term stays and some of the promos that worked for me in the past won't work for others with different travel patterns.

Now what does frustrate the heck out of me: Why does Hilton allow so many hotels to opt out? It seems that the list of non-participating hotels keeps getting longer and longer every quarter.