Mar 1, 2015, 7:45 pm
Making sense of Hilton reward options [UPDATED January 2017]
Mar 27, 2016, 5:59 am
#196
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Points and money is a promo award, not offered every night (like the limited inventory of standard rooms). Rather than hoping for Points & Money rooms to come available, consider booking standard night awards and a few paid nights.
Mar 30, 2016, 4:38 am
#199
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, M&M, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,223
What's the best option of combining 3 different reservations to one stay.
I was going to book cash reservation and then add free night certificate for second night and points for third night. Do you think they will allow me to keep the same room if I book fancy one for cash and then cheapest room for other two nights? I think I read somewhere on the forum, to always start the stay with cash reservation and then add rewards, not the othery way around.
I was going to book cash reservation and then add free night certificate for second night and points for third night. Do you think they will allow me to keep the same room if I book fancy one for cash and then cheapest room for other two nights? I think I read somewhere on the forum, to always start the stay with cash reservation and then add rewards, not the othery way around.
Mar 30, 2016, 7:33 am
#200
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 451
What's the best option of combining 3 different reservations to one stay.
I was going to book cash reservation and then add free night certificate for second night and points for third night. Do you think they will allow me to keep the same room if I book fancy one for cash and then cheapest room for other two nights? I think I read somewhere on the forum, to always start the stay with cash reservation and then add rewards, not the othery way around.
I was going to book cash reservation and then add free night certificate for second night and points for third night. Do you think they will allow me to keep the same room if I book fancy one for cash and then cheapest room for other two nights? I think I read somewhere on the forum, to always start the stay with cash reservation and then add rewards, not the othery way around.
Mar 30, 2016, 7:51 am
#201
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
2 or more back-to-back reservations is one stay
If the three reservations are consecutive (no intervening nights), then the whole thing counts as one stay. I believe it is Hilton that considers any stay that includes any award night as being an award stay, and you would get no points for any of it.
Mar 30, 2016, 8:28 am
#202
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, M&M, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,223
I can live without points, considering the fact, that I will have 2 nights free. What about the room, do you think there will be a problem if I pay for fancy one and book cheap ones for points/free night cert?
Mar 30, 2016, 8:49 am
#203
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO/SMF
Programs: Holder of six "persona non-grata" awards
Posts: 1,914
Start with the paid night, then add on the free/points nights. When checking in, politely ask the FD person if you can keep the same paid room for all three nights. This is their decision; can always tell you to move to another room for nights 2 & 3, but unlikely. Good luck. ^
Apr 1, 2016, 6:36 am
#204
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, M&M, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,223
I messed up and booked paid night on weekend (non-refundable in flash sale) which took away possibility to use certificate. So ended up with one paid night and one for points. And my friends will have nice weekend in Waldorf Amsterdam using my free night certificate.
Apr 5, 2016, 8:30 am
#205
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: DL, SPG, HH,
Posts: 29
Did hhonors change (re-value?) the VIP/GLON awards for cat 5s?
per http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...l#post16555283
a 5 night cat 5 award should be 140k points (28k/night).
I'm just perusing some options, and all my 5 night cat 5 searches are coming back as 120k points (24k/night), which is the listed award price for 5 night cat 4 hotels.
per http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...l#post16555283
a 5 night cat 5 award should be 140k points (28k/night).
I'm just perusing some options, and all my 5 night cat 5 searches are coming back as 120k points (24k/night), which is the listed award price for 5 night cat 4 hotels.
Apr 5, 2016, 8:47 am
#206
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Did hhonors change (re-value?) the VIP/GLON awards for cat 5s?
per http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...l#post16555283
a 5 night cat 5 award should be 140k points (28k/night).
I'm just perusing some options, and all my 5 night cat 5 searches are coming back as 120k points (24k/night), which is the listed award price for 5 night cat 4 hotels.
per http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...l#post16555283
a 5 night cat 5 award should be 140k points (28k/night).
I'm just perusing some options, and all my 5 night cat 5 searches are coming back as 120k points (24k/night), which is the listed award price for 5 night cat 4 hotels.
As stated in that post, VIP/GLON no longer exists. It was replaced years ago by Fifth Night Free at the same time that Hilton introduced variable (high/mid/low season) per-night pricing for individual categories.
Today, a cat 5 costs either 30K or 40K/night, so four nights cost either 120K or 160K, with an optional fifth night free.
Apr 7, 2016, 4:43 am
#208
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London (UK), Rome (Italy)
Programs: BA, Hilton, Lufthansa, Skywards, Sofitel, IHG
Posts: 94
I have seen about 'use reward certificate' on Hilton website but (despite being Diamond) have never seen any more about them. Am I missing something?
Apr 7, 2016, 4:57 am
#209
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
In addition to points-based rewards, recall that at least one co-brand card (Citi Reserve) has a sign-up bonus that's not worth points per se, but rather 2 weekend nights. Hilton undoubtedly thinks of these as "certificates" too; like the points-related ones, they are purely virtual.
Apr 7, 2016, 5:02 am
#210
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London (UK), Rome (Italy)
Programs: BA, Hilton, Lufthansa, Skywards, Sofitel, IHG
Posts: 94
"Certificate" is Hilton's long-time in-house term for a free-night entitlement. When you redeem points for an award stay, Hilton's internal accounting system generates an electronic "certificate," which is attached to the relevant reservation as the means of payment.
In addition to points-based rewards, recall that at least one co-brand card (Citi Reserve) has a sign-up bonus that's not worth points per se, but rather 2 weekend nights. Hilton undoubtedly thinks of these as "certificates" too; like the points-related ones, they are purely virtual.
In addition to points-based rewards, recall that at least one co-brand card (Citi Reserve) has a sign-up bonus that's not worth points per se, but rather 2 weekend nights. Hilton undoubtedly thinks of these as "certificates" too; like the points-related ones, they are purely virtual.