I think it's a wash between the three options. I would do probably#1 if you don't have any future trips planned, # 2 otherwise. Since the AXON is 4 nights and assuming you'll need a 4th night for fair comparison, I calculated option 2 as 80K+ 252 euros ($323) and option 4 as 600 euros (768$). Option 2 saves you 65K points. This is one night between a category 7 -8, and you can probably get more value than $323 per night in those categories. Even better value if you redeem at off-season rates. Option 3 saves you 145K, two nights in a category 8 that you'd want to redeem for a hotel that costs more than $384 per night. This is still a viable option. For example an all inclusive in Bodrum, Turkey that costs over $400/night can still be had for 70K after the deval. I guess it all depends on where you would like your next trip to be and the options there.

I'm sure there are more points math savvy users on this board, but that would be my logic :)

Haven't AXONs been abolished?

Just rebooked at the Doubletree Bangkok and got 5,000 points back - now 20,000 instead of 25,000 points. Everything else has increased.

I went from over 1.1 million points to about 22,000 left. As a purely leisure Diamond for over 10 years, I had been promised a 3-year extension and my new card shows a 03/2014 expiration date. :confused:

For these kinds of all-inclusive properties, did you get VIP or AXON rewards?
Thanks!

Now normal rates have gone through the roof, perhaps we'll see more HHonors Specials? Last year I got some bargains using these specials. Changing a stay by a week saved my almost half.

Finding the HHonors Specials is not so easy though - anyone have any tips on finding them?

I had reservations for May at the Doubletree ATL and the Hampton in Chattanooga. Each had been 30,000 points so I decided to pay instead. They are now 10,000 points and I switched to award reservations.

thank you for the very thorough and helpful reply! :) i calculated the tradeoff between $ and pts in a similar manner as you did but using 3 nights as we likely will stay only 3 nights if not using the axon award (and maybe even with the axon since it's 145K w/the axon vs 150K points w/o!) then it becomes 85K pts for $246 ($0.0029/pt) or 145K pts for $585 ($0.0040/pt). honestly i don't have any upcoming trips to possibly use the hilton pts for but may be able to use if for australia - where rooms don't appear to be especially expensive and are pretty comparable price wise to those at the conrad dublin. hence the major dilemma - to burn the pts since we're unlikely to have an aspirational hotel stay any time soon or to save b/c the rooms in dublin are relatively affordable. i completely agree with you i think it's pretty much a wash between the 3 options although i'm leaning toward option 2.


it sounds like the axons made it thru the devaluations for now - at least up to cat 7! :)

My 350k now under 10k. Kind of sad but now have all my trips for the summer covered...

I got shafted with all my hotel options, but at least the Hilton Prague has gone down and also the C&P is lower.

Late March, 2014 inventory for Hilton Bentley in Miami never opened up so I got screwed there:(

Yesterday was very depressing for me for program loyalty news. The three hotels I use points at for Hilton changed to levels 8 to 10 and Delta announced their same day confirmed travel benefits are going to useless to me:(

Explanation, please.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ilability.html

Several bloggers commenting on it today.

Both the points guy and on boarding area.

Thanks.

I guess the one advantage of living outside of the country is that this change will not impact me. If you are on an international itinerary, DL does not allow SDCs even on domestic flights.

Well, serves me for not being regular enough here. I caught wind of the new categories and in my mind thought "make sure you book everything by 1 April for the year" with plans to deplete my 1M points over the next year. Imagine my disappointment when I called today and was told it was 28 March as the deadline not the last day of the month. I'm so incredibly bummed I messed that up.

Has anyone heard if there will be any combination/discount/AXON/VIP type awards that will offer discounts on Cat 8 and 9?

This on top of DL and the SDC rules and it is just not a good travel day. Marriott and United might be looking better.

5th award night free when you book 4 consecutive. That has replaced all the GLONs.

However, it's not all bad news. SOme hotels have gone down in category and the WA hotels are now given categories instead of being a separate category. Check out the "sweet spot" and "Hilton before and after:bragging" threads for ideas of where to use your points.. Several posters report hotels with favorable changes and better C&P rates at some popular hotels.