What was your first Hilton stay?
May 22, 2014, 7:55 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Globalist, M life Gold, IHG Spire
Posts: 918
For me it was the recently demolished Los Angeles Hilton. The experience turned very sour when my class ring got swiped. Security never got it back.
May 22, 2014, 8:08 pm
#17
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Fun fact: Flyertalk's Facebook page featured this thread as a status!
May 22, 2014, 9:52 pm
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Paris Hilton - Memorial Day weekend 2013. One thing I recall is that the front desk clerk greeted me in English before I opened my mouth. Wow - that obvious I thought. We could see the Eiffel Tower from our balcony which made my g/f (now my wife) so happy. Also remember watching them play soccer across the street.
I wasn't a HHonors member, but did get an early check-in. We must have arrived around 8:00AM and only had to wait a little while for our room.
I wasn't a HHonors member, but did get an early check-in. We must have arrived around 8:00AM and only had to wait a little while for our room.
Hotel Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower
May 23, 2014, 12:06 am
#20
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
First ever Group Brand stay was DT LHR
First Hilton was Brussels
First Conrad was Bangkok
First WA will be Amsterdam this coming August.
First Hilton was Brussels
First Conrad was Bangkok
First WA will be Amsterdam this coming August.
May 23, 2014, 12:14 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Singapore
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 362
First ever Group Brand Stay: Hampton Inn Dulles/Cascades Nov 2009
First Conrad Stay: Conrad Centennial Singapore Oct 2012
First Hilton Stay: Hilton Millennium Bangkok Dec 2012
First Conrad Stay: Conrad Centennial Singapore Oct 2012
First Hilton Stay: Hilton Millennium Bangkok Dec 2012
May 23, 2014, 1:06 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: HH Diamond, BA blue, Virgin flying club silver, Skywards silver, SPG Platinum, Marriott silver.
Posts: 145
Signed up to HHonors in September 1999, stayed 3 nights at the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador and 2 weeks later a gold card landed on the door mat! 
May 23, 2014, 1:34 am
#24
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: PER
Programs: BA Gold, QF Gold, VA Gold, IC Diamond Amb., HH Diamond
Posts: 777
Pretty sure it was the Hilton Windhoek in 2012.
Newly minted gold through Virgin Australia, ended up with the presidential suite for my one night stay.
Shame that set the bar high for the rest of my subsequent Hilton stays elsewhere in the world
Newly minted gold through Virgin Australia, ended up with the presidential suite for my one night stay.
Shame that set the bar high for the rest of my subsequent Hilton stays elsewhere in the world
May 23, 2014, 3:44 am
#26
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Commuting between AMS, CDG and IAH
Programs: FB LTPE, hhonors diamond, hertz 5*, Thalysthecard Platinium, A-club Silver, IHG Platinum
Posts: 521
DT Guest Suites Houston Galleria in 1998.
Stayed all over the place back then, but comped to gold in 2003 and Hilton Orlando Walt Disney with family and complimentary executive lounge access opened my eyes to brand loyalty. Been non-stop diamond since 2004.
Still always stay at that DT when in Houston and have stayed over 400 nights at that hotel.
Stayed all over the place back then, but comped to gold in 2003 and Hilton Orlando Walt Disney with family and complimentary executive lounge access opened my eyes to brand loyalty. Been non-stop diamond since 2004.
Still always stay at that DT when in Houston and have stayed over 400 nights at that hotel.
Jun 7, 2014, 10:30 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: FLL -> Where The Boyars Are
Programs: AA EXP 1.7 M, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, AARP Sophomore, 14-time Croix de Candlestick
Posts: 18,669
San Francisco Downtown Hilton and San Diego Mission Bay Hilton, summer 1969, as part of a family summer vacation.
Jun 8, 2014, 5:04 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,198
Hilton Leeds in 2000 or 2001 for a graduate job interview with IBM.
They didn't book the property, they just gave us a £50 accommodation allowance. I seem to recall that the Ibis was £2 more through Expedia. A lot of my stays have been like that.
I got through that round but didn't get the job because frankly I talked myself out of it with my presentation - and it wouldn't have been right for me.
They didn't book the property, they just gave us a £50 accommodation allowance. I seem to recall that the Ibis was £2 more through Expedia. A lot of my stays have been like that.
I got through that round but didn't get the job because frankly I talked myself out of it with my presentation - and it wouldn't have been right for me.
Jun 8, 2014, 5:51 am
#30
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol, UK
Programs: HH D, Rad VIP, Marriott G
Posts: 5,357
I definitely had stayed at a Hilton chain hotel for work before this mention but they were simply conference hotels and I wasn't aware of the various FF programs so the most convenient hotels were what I would choose...
The first time I remember staying at a Hilton was in Bremen sometime between 2005 and 2007 for a conference and a friend had made me aware of the Hhonors program just before that during a trip to the US so I had made silver for my stay at the Bremen hotel, which i was rather chuffed about
It was a great hotel (much better than the US Hiltons I had stayed in up to that point), very conveniently located and I received a nice upgrade at the time (first upgrade I had received as well with Hilton).
The reason I remember it though is that on the first night I was coming back to the hotel and was surprised to see a massive queue of people waiting outside the hotel with an empty red carpet running to the door....
At first I waited along with the people to see what was going on, then after about 10 minutes I decided I'd had enough and just wanted to go inside to my room so started into the hotel (had to use the red carpet)...of course, just then the coach arrived from one of the German bundesliga teams, that apparently were staying there that night as well...They were very nice and had a whole floor to themselves but did chat with one or two during breakfast the next morning. ^
I'm no football fan but it was interesting to see the fanfare
The first time I remember staying at a Hilton was in Bremen sometime between 2005 and 2007 for a conference and a friend had made me aware of the Hhonors program just before that during a trip to the US so I had made silver for my stay at the Bremen hotel, which i was rather chuffed about
It was a great hotel (much better than the US Hiltons I had stayed in up to that point), very conveniently located and I received a nice upgrade at the time (first upgrade I had received as well with Hilton).
The reason I remember it though is that on the first night I was coming back to the hotel and was surprised to see a massive queue of people waiting outside the hotel with an empty red carpet running to the door....
At first I waited along with the people to see what was going on, then after about 10 minutes I decided I'd had enough and just wanted to go inside to my room so started into the hotel (had to use the red carpet)...of course, just then the coach arrived from one of the German bundesliga teams, that apparently were staying there that night as well...They were very nice and had a whole floor to themselves but did chat with one or two during breakfast the next morning. ^
I'm no football fan but it was interesting to see the fanfare