Mar 1, 2015, 7:45 pm
Last edit by: beltway
For ease of navigation, the Hilton Rewards FAQ is distributed across posts 1-10 in this thread. This wiki does not duplicate that content; instead, it provides an index to the various sections of the FAQ.
- Introduction
- An overview of the Hilton chain and the HHonors program
- Standard room rewards
- "Fifth Night Free" benefit for elites
- Replaces the earlier VIP/GLON awards
- AXON awards (permanently discontinued after Feb. 15, 2017)
- Points & Money rewards
- Premium room rewards
- Room upgrade rewards
- Hilton Grand Vacations rewards (timeshare resorts)
- All-inclusive resorts
- Packages
- Getting the best value out of your points redemptions
Making sense of Hilton reward options [UPDATED January 2017]
Nov 2, 2018, 8:25 am
#361
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: MCO, YEG
Posts: 1,181
Check what the first 4 nights would be if booked together. If that matches what your 5 night stay totaled, then there is no mistake, there is just a different price for 5 individual one night bookings than there is for a single five night booking.
Nov 2, 2018, 8:33 am
#362
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,040
I am having a strange experience trying to book a 5th night free stay.
When I look at the nights individually I see standard award space of 33K, 50K, 34K, 33K, 33K. Averaging these out my cost with 5th night free should be ~146K.
But when I book 5 nights straight, the pricing per night changes and I get a total price of 169K effectively wiping out the 5th night free.
Any advice? Call HH?
When I look at the nights individually I see standard award space of 33K, 50K, 34K, 33K, 33K. Averaging these out my cost with 5th night free should be ~146K.
But when I book 5 nights straight, the pricing per night changes and I get a total price of 169K effectively wiping out the 5th night free.
Any advice? Call HH?
Last edited by flyerCO; Nov 2, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Nov 2, 2018, 9:08 am
#363
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
I am having a strange experience trying to book a 5th night free stay.
When I look at the nights individually I see standard award space of 33K, 50K, 34K, 33K, 33K. Averaging these out my cost with 5th night free should be ~146K.
But when I book 5 nights straight, the pricing per night changes and I get a total price of 169K effectively wiping out the 5th night free.
Any advice? Call HH?
When I look at the nights individually I see standard award space of 33K, 50K, 34K, 33K, 33K. Averaging these out my cost with 5th night free should be ~146K.
But when I book 5 nights straight, the pricing per night changes and I get a total price of 169K effectively wiping out the 5th night free.
Any advice? Call HH?
This is explained in post #3 :
HHonors members with elite status -- Silver, Gold, Diamond -- qualify for a "Fifth Night Free" benefit on any single reward stay of five or more consecutive nights, up to four free nights on a stay of 20 consecutive nights. (Members may obtain elite status through hotel stays or by acquiring any of the Hilton-affiliated credit cards. For more information on the benefits of HHonors status and how to earn it, see the HHonors website and the FT threads listed in the FT Hilton FAQ.) Hilton's FT liaison has stated that Fifth Night Free will continue to be available in 2017 after hotel categories are abolished.
In cases where the number of points required per night varies (for example, when a stay includes peak and off-peak nights),the point value of the free night is determined by dividing the total point cost of all nights by the number of nights in the stay. Thus, for a six-night stay in which 3 nights cost 40K each and the other 3 nights cost 30K each, the value of the free night is 35K (210K/6). In this example, the total cost for the stay would be 175K (210K - 35K discount) the cost of the last night is reduced to zero (as of Oct. 1, 2017). As a result, the benefit of the free night can now vary greatly depending on the points rate (before discount) of the last night.
Elite members need not take any extra steps to receive the benefit. Any qualifying booking receives the discount automatically. Note also that the Fifth Night Free benefit applies only to standard rooms; see the discussion at the end of post #1 concerning capacity controls.
For more information about this benefit, see the HHonors FAQand the HHonors terms & conditions.
In cases where the number of points required per night varies (for example, when a stay includes peak and off-peak nights),
Elite members need not take any extra steps to receive the benefit. Any qualifying booking receives the discount automatically. Note also that the Fifth Night Free benefit applies only to standard rooms; see the discussion at the end of post #1 concerning capacity controls.
For more information about this benefit, see the HHonors FAQand the HHonors terms & conditions.
Nov 2, 2018, 9:57 am
#364
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 333
Your price should be 150K. Hilton used to compute an average cost/night & then deduct that, but a year ago the policy changed so that the last night's cost--whatever it happens to be--drops out.
This is explained in post #3 :
This is explained in post #3 :
Thank you
Nov 2, 2018, 11:36 am
#365
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,040
Total for 5 nights at those rates would be 183k. 183k-146k equals 37k difference. 183k÷5 equals 36.6k. (Hilton always rounds up) 183k-37k equals 146k.
Last edited by flyerCO; Nov 2, 2018 at 2:04 pm
Nov 2, 2018, 1:47 pm
#367
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,040
Quite obvious that it is how it's calculating the amount of points to discount the free night. Also makes sense as a reasonable method. Have you called Hhonors or are just not liking the answer and saying no?
ETA -
Note a simple Google search for "Hilton fifth night free" returned the following result
Hilton 5th Night Free Calculation
I'm guessing someone read the terms last year incorrectly. The wording will pay 0 points for the fifth night could be read as they zero out the fifth night. It would be better written as the fifth night will be free.
ETA -
Note a simple Google search for "Hilton fifth night free" returned the following result
Hilton 5th Night Free Calculation
I'm guessing someone read the terms last year incorrectly. The wording will pay 0 points for the fifth night could be read as they zero out the fifth night. It would be better written as the fifth night will be free.
Last edited by flyerCO; Nov 2, 2018 at 4:52 pm
Nov 3, 2018, 12:01 am
#368
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Quite obvious that it is how it's calculating the amount of points to discount the free night. Also makes sense as a reasonable method. Have you called Hhonors or are just not liking the answer and saying no?
ETA -
Note a simple Google search for "Hilton fifth night free" returned the following result
Hilton 5th Night Free Calculation
I'm guessing someone read the terms last year incorrectly. The wording will pay 0 points for the fifth night could be read as they zero out the fifth night. It would be better written as the fifth night will be free.
ETA -
Note a simple Google search for "Hilton fifth night free" returned the following result
Hilton 5th Night Free Calculation
I'm guessing someone read the terms last year incorrectly. The wording will pay 0 points for the fifth night could be read as they zero out the fifth night. It would be better written as the fifth night will be free.
A statement from the HH liaison to FT, on the other hand: Latest Update to T&Cs: 5th Night Free
Last edited by beltway; Nov 3, 2018 at 12:12 am
Nov 3, 2018, 1:04 am
#369
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,040
Hilton is notorious for leaving legacy pages with outdated policy online. This proves exactly nothing.
A statement from the HH liaison to FT, on the other hand: Latest Update to T&Cs: 5th Night Free
A statement from the HH liaison to FT, on the other hand: Latest Update to T&Cs: 5th Night Free
AS for 169k, What is the rate if you try and book just the first four nights as a reward? This should be 169k also, if the fifth night is simply zeroed out.
May 3, 2019, 11:29 pm
#370
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Is redeeming points in Canadian HH properties generally a bad deal compared to the US?
I was just looking at redeeming for a night at the Hampton Inn in Chilliwack, BC. In Canadian dollars, the value per point is almost 0.005 Dollars, but calculated in USD, it is a paltry 0.0036 Dollars. It seems like they took the 0.5 cents/point value and use it whether it is Canadian or US Dollars. Or is this just a coincidence with bad redemption value at that property?
I was just looking at redeeming for a night at the Hampton Inn in Chilliwack, BC. In Canadian dollars, the value per point is almost 0.005 Dollars, but calculated in USD, it is a paltry 0.0036 Dollars. It seems like they took the 0.5 cents/point value and use it whether it is Canadian or US Dollars. Or is this just a coincidence with bad redemption value at that property?
Last edited by sokolov; May 4, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Sep 1, 2019, 6:38 am
#372
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Central Europe
Programs: AY Gold, A3 Gold, UA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 482
Looking to book some HH point nights at some of the three Seychelles properties in August 2020. However, there is not standard award availability at EITHER of three properties. Seems that all three are playing award games and re-naming their standard rooms/suites in order to avoid standard award availability.
Last edited by mirror74; Sep 13, 2019 at 1:12 am Reason: Now available also for 8-2020. Seems that they load those standard award rates appx. 40 days later than standard paid rates.
Sep 12, 2019, 2:26 am
#373
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ether
Programs: Some, not all.
Posts: 1,595
Is it normal for a points booking to cost more for a 1 room 2 adults vs 1 room 1 adult when the room type is the same? It's only 1k points per night, but when the benefits list "second guest stays free"...
Oct 28, 2019, 2:46 am
#374
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), ANA (Plat), Club Carlson (Gld), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Plat), SPG (Gld)
Posts: 447
Looking to book some HH point nights at some of the three Seychelles properties in August 2020. However, there is not standard award availability at EITHER of three properties. Seems that all three are playing award games and re-naming their standard rooms/suites in order to avoid standard award availability.
Also, seeing that the Hilton Copacabana Rio De Jeniero is also playing games with standard award availability where they literally have only premium rewards available any night throughout the schedule and their base room they list as a Oceanview room. If we complain to Hilton Honors about this will they do anything?
Last edited by Joe1690; Oct 28, 2019 at 3:06 am
Oct 28, 2019, 12:07 pm
#375
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Central Europe
Programs: AY Gold, A3 Gold, UA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 482
Also, seeing that the Hilton Copacabana Rio De Jeniero is also playing games with standard award availability where they literally have only premium rewards available any night throughout the schedule and their base room they list as a Oceanview room. If we complain to Hilton Honors about this will they do anything?