Sounds like this hotel was forced to act due to number of HHDs. Wonder what %age are real HHD and recent zero stay matches, and thus if it is current HH match offer to blame.

50/50 I'd bet

which is far too high

There's no reason to start deciding it's new Diamonds or credit card Diamonds or anything else. The lounge is small and also there's a chance that the reason the hotel has come up with isn't truthful.

Whatever it is, I'm not happy with this move and may choose to stay at the Hyatt or Marriott next time I'm there.

I spent a decent time at the Hyatt Casino and Bar area - and personally would try the Hyatt next time. Really enjoy it but haven't seen the rooms so take that for what its worth.

MASTER THREAD Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino---
 

With mods permission I thought the seamless thing would be a new thread starting
Aruba--- July 2016 and later .

The current thread is it seems majority of thread is
1- early posts speculation about what property will be like
2- complaint about Carson bookings being "recognized" for HH status , esp diamond.

Hence most of the posts on that thread are sort of moot and academic at this point.
Now we can have a master thread for the HILTON Aruba.

Posts relating to prior to the hotel rebranding as a Hilton in 2016, including discussion of Hilton HHonors benefits on stays post-rebranding on bookings made pre-rebranding, have been moved to an archive thread.

Kiwi Flyer
FT Hilton HHonors forum co-moderator

Yikes - that's kind of a crock.... was expecting to get access to EL and have a trip booked about a year in advance too.

Looks like the lounge is indeed now for people paying for it only:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26933091-post544.html

Very disappointing and it's enough to make me not want to stay there anymore.

We were actually getting ready to book a trip there, but have now changed our minds since there is no EL and will go elsewhere.

I see this as a very dangerous precedent. What is to say other properties e.g., Hilton Budapest or Conrad Hong Kong, claiming “Due to unique market and competitive conditions…..” initiate similar changes? Where does it stop?

EXACTLY! I can easily imagine all the Hilton Properties renaming their "Executive Lounges" to "Premium Access Lounge" and charging an additional $20 per day for access.

I wonder if Hilton Corporate is aware of what the Aruba property is doing?

This is exactly my concern. The HH rep who responds on the boards here corroborated what I found while staying there. But the precedent is now set. Seems to me every hotel can now sneakily remove this benefit.

The game Aruba played was removing the name lounge and renaming it Club. The Director of Ops actually told me to my face that a Club is different than a Lounge and that is why they are within bounds with Hilton Corporate :rolleyes:

As for HH Corporate being aware the HH rep who works the boards here is aware. One would assume she would let them know. But who knows. So far I've been quite underwhelmed with HH Diamond CS (I also emailed them to let them know and they could've cared less). :td:

You can read more about this issue here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...erties-37.html

We have been Hilton Loyalists for many, many years, but this sort of thing is pushing us towards making the switch to Marriott.

You do know that a lot of Marriott resorts don't have a lounge and some of the ones that do play this same "club" game. And Marriott resorts don't have to provide Gold or Plats free breakfast. :eek:

Did Hilton Corporate drop the requirement that all Hiltons were going to be required to have a lounge, i think originally by summer2015 then end of 2015. I know the required by date kept slipping.

You'd think whilst corporate might go soft on hotels not adding a lounge in some broom clossett, they would take a dim view on removing a lounge at a Hilton.

Wonder if corporate would condone this aruba shenanigans