bkramt1

I don't know if this is the right post, but there is a recently posted thread in the Marriott sub about booking via corporate travel portals and agencies - ie. Concur and CWT. The menu of options does sometimes include 3rd party bookings which may be ineligible for benefits and earnings. So the conclusion is to be careful if that's the case here. This is the recent thread: Bookings through TravelPerk : No Status Benefits and Stay Doesn't Count - FlyerTalk Forums

Dr Jabadski

Would like to clarify. Just booked JFK-LHR-JFK award on American (website and airline) for December. Last booking pages (AA Hotels, RocketMiles) offered my preferred Hilton hotel at a rate ~25% less than available at Hilton website, requiring full payment now, 5 day “free cancellation”. I’m Hilton Diamond.

Is it correct that if I book the hotel that way, I would not receive Hilton Diamond benefits and not earn Honors points and if I used my Hilton Aspire card to pay I would not receive 14 points/mile? Thank you.

TravelinSperry

That is correct, if you book through a third party, you will not officially receive those benefits (or via Aspire either). However, at check in you can show your diamond # and sometimes properties will offer you some limited menu of soft benefits (late check out, two bottles of water, etc.). Up to you to decide of the 25% cash savings +Loyalty Points earned via AA Hotels is worth the trade.

I too have recently found booking Hilton direct to be a more expensive proposition and as such have been using OTAs for 2/3s of my upcoming stays to save $$.

Dr Jabadski

Thank you very much . I haven’t booked a hotel via a 3rd party or OTA for as long as I can remember, this is the first time I’ve seen a 3rd party offer a rate lower than I can get with one of my legitimate discounts (AAA, AARP, military, etc.).

I should have added this when I first asked for clarification but is it also correct that even after a third party booking and the reservation is in the hotel’s system, calling the hotel prior to the stay to ask (grovel) them to add a Hilton Honors number (and benefits) has a very low probability of success regarding receiving all Diamond benefits, primarily nicer room?

You mention you now use 3rd party 2/3rds of the time. Have you tried to add your Hilton Honors #? If so, please let us know your experiences in that regard.

In this case I’ll probably continue with the booking directly at Hilton. Not because it’s worth the 25% but for a bunch of other reasons.
- If I book it via AA with my Aspire card it would not earn 14x so I’d use a different card (which earns 3x on all travel).
- Need legitimate organic activity on my 2-3 uses per year Aspire card.
- During the same statement cycle I’ll charge UA TB $50 and prefer to have that charge and (hopefully) the credit mixed in with other significant activity instead of being the only activity for the month.
- During same statement cycle I’ll book a Hilton Resort stay which requires 1 night (>$250) deposit and (hopefully) the credit will post quickly and then I’ll cancel the reservation and have the deposit refunded and hopefully the credit will not be clawed back and I prefer to have all that activity mixed in with other significant activity.
- Hoping for an accepted retention offer early in the statement cycle, this hotel charge would be a significant part of that required spend.
- Hope to use an Aspire anniversary FNA for one of the 3 or 4 nights, might be easier with a direct Hilton booking.
- I’ve stayed at the hotel several times, always ask for (and usually get) a different category room. Not always a more expensive or “upgraded” room but a larger room which has not been renovated as recently as many other rooms. I think it will be helpful to have the booking via Hilton with my Honors # when I start those negotiations.

It’s easy to make this stuff overly complicated .

Thanks again, greatly appreciate your sharing your wisdom.

TravelinSperry

It's hotel specific - no harm in entering/giving your Diamond # when arriving. As I say, I've received limited benefits (never points or night stay credits) but sometimes they treat me ever so slightly nicer (slightly better room, free water bottles).. but sometimes I've received nada.

Dr Jabadski

Thanks again.

Although a few years ago I switched my main hotel loyalty from Hilton to Hyatt, my paid Hilton stays since then are almost all in London 2-3 times per year, in good part due to Hyatt’s more limited footprint in London. So even with just 2-3 annual paid Hilton stays I’m keeping my 6 year old Aspire card, at least until my fall 2024 AF increase.

My experience has been that London Hilton hotel rates often decrease, sometimes dramatically, as the date of the stay nears. I always book a 24 hr or 6pm day of arrival free cancellation rate. After making initial bookings 4-8 weeks prior, I’ve cancelled and rebooked some Hilton stays in London up to 4-5 times, sometimes doing so for the last time the morning before I head to the airport for an overnight flight. I’m uncertain if OTA rates similarly decrease and I think it would be more complicated to rebook and cancel a 3rd party booking and IIRC the AA website hotel pages offered 5 day free cancellation.

I partially view the process as a calculated gamble, agree to pay more now in the hope that I’ll be able to rebook later at a lower rate (and still receive all appropriate benefits).

Have you experienced hotel rates decreasing at the stay nears? If so, have you been able to rebook and cancel? Do OTA rates decrease similarly (to London Hilton rates)?

Thanks again.

(The “♢” symbol in your profile is very impressive, took me a while to figure out how to insert it to this sentence and I still wasn't certain it was the proper symbol. )

TravelinSperry

I use Agoda (owned by Booking) as my go to OTA and cancel and rebook all the time. I almost never choose the pre-paid rates, although when I have refunds were quick. I have also received refunds via AA Hotels, hotels.com, and Booking.com. These are all large OTAs and refunds won't be an issue. Just stay away from the little guys if you're worried.

davidbrent

Good morning, FlyerTalk.

I am currently at Hilton Honors Gold (through some miracle). For the first time, I have booked a BA package holiday for next month staying in a Hilton, will I get my Gold benefits upon arrival, possibly a room upgrade and will the nights stayed count towards my status?
I apologise if this is a thick question or has already answered before.

Cheers.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi
I would not expect anything given BA holidays would be treated as a third party booking.
the hotel may give some benefits at its discretion but ymmv
Nights will not count ime
Regards

Tbs

davidbrent

Those were my thoughts exactly. Thank you, have a blessed day!

finallyhitgold

I am on a run to re-qualify for Diamond and have some skywards miles that are about to expire - if I book a hilton using these airline miles will it count towards my targets to re-qualify for Diamond?

:D!

No, because it will be an OTA booking - Emirates Hotels seems to be Agoda

potatooo

All the airline and CC portals funnel through an OTA when making flight redemptions. On the hotel side, you reservation will be marked automatically as not eligible for benefits, even if you HH# is attached. We are still nicer to you though

H.J.Simpson

Hi all,
I have just had a conversation with Hilton in regards to a Virtuoso being eligible for stay and nights credits.I was told, that since the booking was made through a 3rd party, a Virtuoso rate will not give my stay and nigths credit.
I usually stay on Impresario rates and do not have experience with Virtuoso.
Can anyone confirm that a Virtuoso will/will not give me stay and nigth credits?
Thanks H.J.

storewanderer

I was surprised recently when I had either a Priceline or Hotwire Opaque stay award me stay and night credits. This has not happened in 10+ years. I called and asked to have the reservation attached to my Honors because I wanted to use Digital Key (which I was able to use). I didn't attempt to use any on property benefits because I didn't think I had any on an Opaque stay, but was given water at check in. I am awaiting the letter from Hilton telling me to book direct in the future.