opushomes

Interestly enough one can call Hilton web services (reachable thru HHonors) and book a web rate if it is cheaper than other rates. They seem to have access to rates that are not on the website. I was forced to call them yesterday because the web-site froze up Internet Explorer yet again. I was able to get a cancellable 7 day reservation at the same price as a non-cancellable one. Could have gotten the cancellable one for 20 Singapore dollars less than the one shown on the web-site. Do not know if it was just an anomaly.

BajanYankee

http://pub109.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding is a good place to learn the how to use Pricline to get the hotel you really want. Sometimes you get HH points but it's officially a no-no. However, you should get all other HH benefits although you may have to fight for them - but then again, fighting for benefits is the norm whether or not you use Priceline.

USAFAN

I first look at the website and get "educated", than I call Hilton.
I always found the agents at the Internet help line very professional and helpful. And not only with Hilton, also with Delta and Hertz.

ontherun

Punki,
I just found this out myself. I had made a number of upcoming HGI & Hampton reservations online and had to call the Diamond Desk on another matter. While researching the issue, the Diamond agent and I got to talking about adding upgrade requests to my online record. She informed me that there was a cheaper rate available. These rates were cheaper than were available via Travelocity, Expedia, Hiltons' own web Site (where I had booked) and my corporate Travel agency. She then rebooked me at the lower rates for each res, added the upgrade request to the record. Now I'm wondering if I should have been doing this all long.

ontherun
(this week SAC)

[This message has been edited by ontherun (edited 07-31-2002).]

LLM

I must be calling the wrong number. Based on the above, I tried calling today and found the phone rates for an emergency res tonight at the Hilton LAX and HGI were $70 and $30 MORE respectively than the website. Plus it was TORTURE listening to this young lady reading lengthy room descriptions when all I wanted was the lowest rate she had. She said she "had" to read off a long list of gibberish before she could reveal the (outrageous) rate. Gave up and booked online.

Points Scrounger

After reading this thread, I called Embassy and HGI reservations, respectively, to see whether they could beat the two online reservations I'd already made.
They quoted the exact same rates as my existing reservations in each case.

ontherun

It was the Diamond Help Desk that had the lower rates when I called about an award stay. I wasn't aware that these folks took care of reservations in their normal duties, but they had the lowest rates.
The nornal Hilton res line had the same rates as the Web sites.

zakami

You will sometimes get a lower rate if you call the hotel directly. For example, I called the Sheraton in Madison, WI yesterday and they quoted me a rate of $94 a night. The lowest rate on the web was $195. Thats a $101 difference ! I knew $195 for Madison, WI seemed a little too much.

Viajera

Although it wasn't a rate by phone, I had a cheaper rate than the best available rate yesterday. I had a reservation at another HGI but after being in the area for 3 days and observing the traffic patterns, I was afraid that I could miss my flight in the morning. I decided to drive to the airport HGI and check prices. The fare quoted was $30 cheaper than on the website so I stayed there and cancelled my reservation for my last day at the other HGI.

Jim90068

Yesyerday, using Expedia, I was able to book a significantly cheaper rate at the Hilton London Paddington for 2 nights, mid-October. My rate was not paid in advance, and also included breakfast, and was $100 cheaper per night than the cheapest Hilton.com rate ( which didn't include breakfast). It was also was nerly $90 cheaper than the pay-in-advance rate that Hilton.com offers.

What's up with this?

anz5708

Thanks to this thread I was able to obtain 3 rooms in Bangor ME for half what was quoted to me on the toll free line. After making reservations thru the toll free line I called the hotel directly & asked if they had 3 rooms for the night. When the lady said she did, I gave her my confirmation number & requested she change my rate, she said "no problem". Very helpful and friendly staff at the Bangor Hampton Inn. Only problem I encountered, they made 3 seperate folios and I told them at check in I was paying for the rooms. Do I need to tell them at check in to put everything on 1 folio?

Jakester

Be warned that when calling some hotels to book a room, they might tranfer you OFF property to some booking service. Had that happen to me recently in Cal. That rate as well as the Hilton 800 number rates were higher than the current internet rate.

Had another instance with a phone reservation when I paused after being quoted a rate. The agent took that pause as a no and immediately offered a special $50 cheaper.

fredmartens

FWIW, a couple of quick "recent personal experience" notes on this subject:

Last night I called the internet res help line to "check rates" at a DT and Hilton that I have existing upcoming rezzies at (did not tell the agent that). Prices quoted were higher, and the agent told me that their prices are the same as the website as well as when you call directly to the hotel.

I have found repeatedly that Hilton DT and ES prices are often significantly lower at Expedia; when booking thru Expedia on these rates, I have been refused HHonors points several times. I also don't get Diamond status recognition and /or upgrades when booking thru Expedia. Further, Expedia ahs goofed up several reservations, booking them for the wrong nights, wrong properties or not at all. I am through booking with them.

I asked the Hilton agent last night about that, and she said that companies like Expedia, Travelocity, etc. buy blocks of rooms at "consolidator" prices, and that's why Hilton does not offer points on those rooms.

So! Nice to hear that some folks are getting through with "workarounds", but so far, my experience has been a total waste of time. The only thing that has worked is rebooking some hotels at a lower online rate as you get closer to the actual stay date.

Andrew Yiu

So when you call the hotel directly, do you ask to be transferred to reservations (I tried and sometimes they just transfer me to Hilton's central res) or just ask whoever answered the phone about rates?

Eugene

Many properties do not staff in-house reservation desk 24/7. If you want to speak to them (instead of central reservation), try calling during regular working hours (keeping in mind time difference, of course).