Premium Room Reward only at certain properties - Major Devaluation of HH points
Oct 13, 2011, 8:54 am
#106
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
It's quite simple....5 rooms allocated (so they say) per day. Probably impossible to string more than two days together. As an outside observer, I'm just laughing that you people thought this was any kind of program to redeem points. Hhonors was gutted years ago, yet they seem to keep coming up with new ideas to make it worse.
Oct 13, 2011, 8:58 am
#107
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,560
Continuing email chain with Hilton - their latest response:
Hello Mr. jasonvr,
Thank you for your response.
We completely understand your frustration. At this time only the Hilton Moorea and the Hilton Bora Bora are exclusively set to Premium Rewards. As these hotels recently made the transition to Premium Rewards, we have no further information on whether they will be changing categories or if they will be modifying their rewards availability to allow standard rooms. I have forwarded your concerns and frustrations regarding these rewards to our Executive Team for further review.
Don't know how that jives with the other property I pointed out - WA Maldives - not having any point amount listed for their standard room category even though it was for sale with cash.
Also, a different answer than others have been getting - no real surprise.
Hello Mr. jasonvr,
Thank you for your response.
We completely understand your frustration. At this time only the Hilton Moorea and the Hilton Bora Bora are exclusively set to Premium Rewards. As these hotels recently made the transition to Premium Rewards, we have no further information on whether they will be changing categories or if they will be modifying their rewards availability to allow standard rooms. I have forwarded your concerns and frustrations regarding these rewards to our Executive Team for further review.
Also, a different answer than others have been getting - no real surprise.
Oct 13, 2011, 8:59 am
#108
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
It's quite simple....5 rooms allocated (so they say) per day. Probably impossible to string more than two days together. As an outside observer, I'm just laughing that you people thought this was any kind of program to redeem points. Hhonors was gutted years ago, yet they seem to keep coming up with new ideas to make it worse.
Oct 13, 2011, 9:09 am
#109
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Any list yet?
**EDIT** Apparently one of the mods thought this issue didn't need its own thread listing properties where the hijinx are going on, and merged my attempt into this thread. Just thought it might be nice to be able to pull that out from all the commentary. Whatever. Carry on. Guess I'll just leave this as-is.***
Folks, unfortunately Hilton has pulled a fast one with the rollout of this new "Premium Room" HHonors points booking they're claiming is going to be so great.
Long story short, many properties now only list premium rooms at hugely inflated rates (think 150,000 points per night) with no standard rates available at all.
Read here to get caught up:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...only-scam.html
Then list any hotel you find that's listing all the standard rooms as unavailable with only these exorbitant premium rates listed. Please also add what dates you tried, whether you called the hotel to ask questions, and any other relevant info. Right now the problem appears to be isolated to resort properties but is expected to metastasize.
(We're still trying to figure out what this is going to do to AXON and GLONP but it won't be pretty, I'm afraid.)
Oh, and - this is now official policy. From an email listed in the linked thread and received by FTer jasonvr:
Folks, unfortunately Hilton has pulled a fast one with the rollout of this new "Premium Room" HHonors points booking they're claiming is going to be so great.
Long story short, many properties now only list premium rooms at hugely inflated rates (think 150,000 points per night) with no standard rates available at all.
Read here to get caught up:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...only-scam.html
Then list any hotel you find that's listing all the standard rooms as unavailable with only these exorbitant premium rates listed. Please also add what dates you tried, whether you called the hotel to ask questions, and any other relevant info. Right now the problem appears to be isolated to resort properties but is expected to metastasize.
(We're still trying to figure out what this is going to do to AXON and GLONP but it won't be pretty, I'm afraid.)
Oh, and - this is now official policy. From an email listed in the linked thread and received by FTer jasonvr:
Is it only a handful of premium properties? I think this is important to know...
Regardless, this is still an incredible devaluation by HHonors, and it is shameful that they make such a drastic change without even communicating it to their customers / elites. What are you thinking Hilton?
Oct 13, 2011, 9:19 am
#111
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: OR
Posts: 1,534
It's quite simple....5 rooms allocated (so they say) per day. Probably impossible to string more than two days together. As an outside observer, I'm just laughing that you people thought this was any kind of program to redeem points. Hhonors was gutted years ago, yet they seem to keep coming up with new ideas to make it worse.
"If there’s a standard room available at any Hilton Family hotel or resort worldwide, you can redeem points for it. No exceptions, no fine print. It’s that simple." Source - https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landingpages/nobods.aspx
So HH said the garden bungalow is the standard room, yet limit to 5 rooms a day.
Can we sue them now?
Oct 13, 2011, 9:21 am
#112
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, HHonors Diamond VIP, Starwood Gold, Marriott Silver, National Executive Elite
Posts: 44
Oct 13, 2011, 9:30 am
#113
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: 10^7 mm from Ȱ
Programs: Hyatt D/HHonors D/ SPG P/ Marriott P/ IHG P/ UA 1K/ AA EXP/ DL D
Posts: 1,976
This 5 rooms allocation is exactly the opposite of HHonor advertises.
"If there’s a standard room available at any Hilton Family hotel or resort worldwide, you can redeem points for it. No exceptions, no fine print. It’s that simple." Source - https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landingpages/nobods.aspx
So HH said the garden bungalow is the standard room, yet limit to 5 rooms a day.
Can we sue them now?
"If there’s a standard room available at any Hilton Family hotel or resort worldwide, you can redeem points for it. No exceptions, no fine print. It’s that simple." Source - https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landingpages/nobods.aspx
So HH said the garden bungalow is the standard room, yet limit to 5 rooms a day.
Can we sue them now?
Basically, b/4 Oct. 3, there were two types of garden bungalow at Moorea: King GB and Twin GB. Per the rationale from Hilton Moorea, now only Twin GB is labelled as standard room for 50K redemption, while King GB is for premium award (just like Hilton BBN). So although King GB is available for $$, the hotel can still get away from it by saying "Twin GB is not available for $$".
Oct 13, 2011, 9:32 am
#114
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: 10^7 mm from Ȱ
Programs: Hyatt D/HHonors D/ SPG P/ Marriott P/ IHG P/ UA 1K/ AA EXP/ DL D
Posts: 1,976
Continuing email chain with Hilton - their latest response:
Don't know how that jives with the other property I pointed out - WA Maldives - not having any point amount listed for their standard room category even though it was for sale with cash.
Also, a different answer than others have been getting - no real surprise.
Don't know how that jives with the other property I pointed out - WA Maldives - not having any point amount listed for their standard room category even though it was for sale with cash.
Also, a different answer than others have been getting - no real surprise.
This email, however, proves my speculation - only Hilton in FP got affected by this premium award scheme.
Oct 13, 2011, 9:32 am
#115
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 422
Oct 13, 2011, 9:35 am
#116
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 422
I completely agree with you; this is why I had chosen Hilton as my reward program of choice. Now, it does not make much sense, as Hilton points are not even good for the aspirational properties any more. I feel it's much better to accrue Starpoints now (credit card spending and hotel stays) because those points are actually valuable/usable for hotel stays, on top of the ever-so-valuable transfers to airline miles.
Oct 13, 2011, 9:41 am
#117
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 422
Unfortunately, the simple answer is NO.
Basically, b/4 Oct. 3, there were two types of garden bungalow at Moorea: King GB and Twin GB. Per the rationale from Hilton Moorea, now only Twin GB is labelled as standard room for 50K redemption, while King GB is for premium award (just like Hilton BBN). So although King GB is available for $$, the hotel can still get away from it by saying "Twin GB is not available for $$".
Basically, b/4 Oct. 3, there were two types of garden bungalow at Moorea: King GB and Twin GB. Per the rationale from Hilton Moorea, now only Twin GB is labelled as standard room for 50K redemption, while King GB is for premium award (just like Hilton BBN). So although King GB is available for $$, the hotel can still get away from it by saying "Twin GB is not available for $$".
(1) Complete elimination of ANY standard rooms and introduction of grossly overpriced Premium Rooms; [WORST CASE]
(2) Narrowing of "standard" room definition to only the lowest category (including bed type; so only Twin GB, no King GB) AND limiting availability to only five Standard room redemptions per night (despite Hilton's no blackout policy); or
(3) Narrowing of "standard" room definition to only the lowest category (including bed type; so only Twin GB, no King GB) AND limiting availability to only the first five Standard rooms booked per night (despite Hilton's no blackout policy) -- which would mean 5 cash-booked rooms on a given night would zero the standard award bucket. [Unlikely?]
Oct 13, 2011, 9:51 am
#118
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,655
there seem to be no redemption rooms available in manhattan after march....i swear i saw plenty of availability when i was looking earlier this month....i have a sneaky feeling the rooms will be available in a few days time with the enhanced premium rates meaning a room which used to be a 'standard' room will now be available for over 100k points a night....
this is without a doubt the worse hilton devaluation of all time....
this is without a doubt the worse hilton devaluation of all time....
Oct 13, 2011, 10:12 am
#119
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: AC 75K
Posts: 828
Hilton Whistler is in on the switcheroo too
Same as posted by others earlier in this thread:
Tried booking a Saturday night stay next month at the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa. All room types are available at standard point rates when searching, which then all promptly disappear once one is selected and I log in. All that remains are basic rooms at the cash & points rate ($81 + 25,000 points for a $130 room).
Tried booking a Saturday night stay next month at the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa. All room types are available at standard point rates when searching, which then all promptly disappear once one is selected and I log in. All that remains are basic rooms at the cash & points rate ($81 + 25,000 points for a $130 room).
Oct 13, 2011, 10:17 am
#120
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Received an interesting response from [email protected]. Their response to me seems different than what others have received. The following is the email:
Mr. T,
The Hotel converted to use expanded rewards and has currently set aside Premium rooms for reward usage. We unfortunately do not know the estimated time when they will correct this to have a standard room type set up for reward usage. Management is aware of this and is working to correct this situation. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this.
Thank you,
Mina S.
Coordinator
Looks like HHonors is pointing the finger at FP and FP is pointing the finger at HHonors. Someone at Hilton needs to take control of the situation and get a real story out to everyone.
Also noticed today that Sydney appears to have no standard rooms available in 2012. If you use flexible dates, some dates show up as 50K per night but when you go to actually book, it changes to over 106,000 per night. Of course this is for a "King Plus". No "standard" rooms even show up for a paid reservation.
Mr. T,
The Hotel converted to use expanded rewards and has currently set aside Premium rooms for reward usage. We unfortunately do not know the estimated time when they will correct this to have a standard room type set up for reward usage. Management is aware of this and is working to correct this situation. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this.
Thank you,
Mina S.
Coordinator
Looks like HHonors is pointing the finger at FP and FP is pointing the finger at HHonors. Someone at Hilton needs to take control of the situation and get a real story out to everyone.
Also noticed today that Sydney appears to have no standard rooms available in 2012. If you use flexible dates, some dates show up as 50K per night but when you go to actually book, it changes to over 106,000 per night. Of course this is for a "King Plus". No "standard" rooms even show up for a paid reservation.