Kacee

Good find. And here's the blogger's conclusion:

I would agree. Hilton upgrades have always been discretionary.

B3nder

Wayback machine has the last archive from Jun 20, 2018. The text is different than the current version. This supports OP's assertion that the terms have changed, and indicates they have changed sometime between Jun 20, 2018 and today.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180620...rms/index.html

I think this is the section OP is referring to, refer to the first bolded portion:
"

• At Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Canopy™ by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton™ and Tapestry Collection by Hilton™ properties, Diamond Hilton Honors Members will receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability at the time of arrival (excludes Napua Tower at Grand Wailea and Imperial Floor at Rome Cavalieri). Upgrades for Diamond Hilton Honors Members may include upgrades up to “junior”, “standard” or “one-bedroom” suites. Upgrades may also be rooms with desirable views, corner rooms, rooms on high floors, rooms with special amenities or rooms on Executive Floors Upgrades. Upgrades exclude executive suites, villas and specialty accommodations (which may include, but not limited to, "Vista" and "Villa" accommodation types), subject to the discretion of the hotel. Group reservations and certain rates are not eligible for suite accommodations and may not be eligible for complimentary upgrades. All upgrades are granted on a space-available basis for the entire stay, as determined at the time of arrival. Preferred rooms are identified by each individual property and may vary within each brand. Upgrades will be given only for one room for the member, regardless of additional rooms the member may have purchased at or after the time of booking. The following brands do not offer complimentary upgrades: Embassy Suites™, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hampton by Hilton™, Tru by Hilton™, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Home2 Suites by Hilton®, and Hilton Grand Vacations®. "

I agree it seems immaterial, but it is clearly a changed in the text of the terms and conditions, although falsely dated to not have changed. The reason the change isn't very relevant is because "preferred" was defined very broadly to mean "whatever the hotel decides" and could just be a "desirable" room of the same type.

The current terms on the website Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions (same address) instead say this:
"Diamond Elite Members will receive the following during stays as a registered Diamond Elite Member: At Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Canopy™ by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Curio - A Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton™ and Tapestry Collection by Hilton™ properties, Diamond Hilton Honors Members may receive upgrades to preferred rooms, based on availability at the time of arrival. [The rest of the paragraph is unchanged]"

Honestly, they inserted a new "will receive" at the beginning of the sentence, but the later "may" overrides it. So it seems like the intent may have just been to reformat (since the entire format of the page changed) and OP is reading more into it. However, they did also remove the specific mention of the two excluded properties, so it is also likely changing the phrase to "may" is just allowing an exclusion at any properties that so choose.

bse118

So -

old T&C: new T&C: Key phrase present in both: "based on availability..."

The reality of the policy is unchanged. Diamonds might or might not get upgraded based on availability at the property. The property determines availability. The OP's much-obsessed over "may" simply makes more clear the reality that already existed.

As I said, OP has a complaint in search of a problem. OP is complaining about a problem which doesn't actually exist.

Bloggers should spend less time obsessing over meaningless minutiae.

puchong

I disagree with your assessment. If a hotel that has traditionally granted upgrades to Diamonds, suddenly stops doing so, then we as FlyerTalk members would certainly like to know. I have stayed at this hotel and was also upgraded to a suite when i stayed there last. So I am grateful to the OP for bringing this to our attention. Your attitude seems to be hostile, ab initio.

bse118

OP says he/she has not been upgraded on one upcoming stay. Perhaps the suites are booked? Perhaps he/she will get upgraded at check-in or upon arrival? One anecdote does not make a trend or conclusive evidence of a change. The policy says upgrades are space available - as it has for as long as I can remember.

The hyperbole on FT gets pretty tiresome sometimes.

ashkale

This isnt about one property, the change is significant as it means properties are not obliged to follow the space available upgrade policy.

Kacee

Yeah the problem with your argument is there was no enforceable "space available" upgrade policy. Hilton upgrades have always been at the property's discretion. The relevant prior language from the T&C (which leaves it to the property to determine what's a "preferred room" and never granted a right to suite upgrades) has already been quoted above.

ashkale

It isnt about suite upgrades, its about upgrades. This language change leaves the space available bit irrelevant should a property not decide to upgrade-even the deemed preferred rooms bit is now irrelevant. Its a substantial change!

evergrn

+1.

And I've not experienced anything different than before. Since this went into effect in April, I've had stays at 6 stays at 5 different properties. I've gotten a real upgrade 2x, preferred room within the booked category (higher floor) all other times. So I'm batting 6/6.

Similar situation before April. Occasional upgrade, almost always preferred room within the booked category, and undesirable room once in a blue moon.

Anyways, it's good that the OP brought this up, because this is a change that most of us would've overlooked and it does make you wonder legally what reasons there were that made them change the language this way.

ashkale

This change is new and from 1st August 2018...

evergrn

Oh really? Okay, someone said it was effective April 2nd above.

bse118

You've convinced yourself it is a significant change. Doesn't mean it was.
(and you keep offering assertions that it's a change, without backing it up with any evidence - but it took someone else to actually show us what the change was. And show us how meaningless it is)

Let's unpack this into a simple before and after:

Before this semantics change: You might have gotten upgraded, based on the hotels deciding to upgrade you, based on the property's interpretation of preferred rooms and space-available.

After this semantics change: You might get upgraded, based on the hotels deciding to upgrade you, based on the property's interpretation of preferred rooms and space-available.

Immaterial.

You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

arlflyer

No, it's not. The page literally says it was effective in April.

holtju2

Hilton updated the T&Cs on August 1, 2018 but didn't update the revision date on its website.

Points Scrounger

To me it means certain elites cannot shout "J'accuse!" pointing at their phone screen showing (theoretically) upgradeable rooms for sale.