umieesa

HI All,

So I'm 4 stays away this year from finally reaching Gold status (I seem to be forever silver). I was thinking of just booking 4 separate stays at hotels near me in the $70CAD range, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it. Next year we are planning to go to Hawaii again and I was going to use points for 5 nights in Kauai, and possibly some on Oahu or the Big Island. The breakfast seems to be a nice perk, but I'll have my kids with me, so would they also be eligible or is it only for the 2 adults in the room? And not sure if the possible upgrade would also be worth it, not too mention 80% points vs 20.

I'm questioning whether it's worth spending almost $300 just to reach Gold. Since I've never reached Gold with hilton I'm not sure how valuable it actually is!

Any advice is really appreciated. TIA!

Hippster

Good reading: What is Hilton Honors Elite Status Worth in 2018?

Upgrades are so hit or miss (mostly miss) with Hilton, I wouldn't expect or count on it for a vacation, especially one paid for with points. Resorts often have different benefits too depending. Might want to check out a specific Hawaii property thread for details on that.

jbeckett

Breakfast is the most valuable benefit. Consider that a full breakfast is probably $25 to $30 per person at the resort, if you are planning to eat there. As Hippster suggests, read the specific property threads and you may find whether the children's breakfast will be provided free too. Look at the breakfast thread (sticky) for your hotel(s) to see what is provided for a Gold - it may not be a full breakfast. Also, do not expect or put any value on the expectation of an upgrade. Just look at the guaranteed Gold benefits when considering the value.

craigthemif

Check for day use rates. They might come even cheaper than the overnight rates you've found. However if you are already staying 15 times a year and have a Hawaii holiday coming up, I would say that Gold is worth it.

And for any Americans coming along, the OP appears based in Canada so save us the "Get the Aspire card" nonsense....

COSPILOT

Aselwyn

normally only a silver here got gold this year and love the Breakfast's so i would go for it. ya i agree with @CRAugthemif in the Aspire card crap. never understand why the app and website push it so hard to a user that they know can't actually get the card

Saint4805

Can you not book the cheapest Hampton by Hilton you can find in the US that allows you to use a digital key via the app? That way you wouldn't even need to waste your time travelling and staying there.

umieesa

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice!

Didn't realize I could search for info on specific hotels in the forum, but I'll definitely do that. At the very least, my kids will be happy with an extra 4 nights of pool time ;p

Looks like I'm going for gold!

umieesa

somehow missed this post. Not a bad idea actually! thanks!

Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant

jbeckett

Don't do this. If you don't check in physically, you are likely to be considered a no-show and will not receive a stay or night credit.

pinniped

+1 this. I know there are some mixed results being posted here, but I would not bet on being able to do this with any kind of certainty.

Besides, OP has access to CN$70 rooms that are presumably not too big of a hassle to get to.

Only thing I'd add about Gold status is this:
- Do not expect to get upgraded. Highly unlikely that you will get an upgrade in Hawaii. True for Diamonds as well, so you aren't missing out on that.
- Take a look at what your specific property does for breakfast for Golds. FT probably has good information. We travel with 4 often as well. Some properties are looser than others on kids breakfasts. Some are tight on the 2x per night, but will hand you a stack of coupons effectively allowing you a full family breakfast every other day and you just go try local restaurants on the odd days. Others mark your name on a list and it's just 2 per day, no way around it. There may even be a property or two that has a lounge, but I don't see that as much anymore at the resorts.

You may enjoy one of the HGVC properties, although it wouldn't surprise me if they all have the "premium award" nonsense in the current program.

umieesa

Having breakfasts fully covered would be a great perk, but the idea of coupons to cover the whole family and trying local restaurants on other days is also nice. I have a stay at the DT fallsview in a couple weeks, so I guess I'll find out how it works there first.

And while the idea of digital check-in would've been convenient if the hotel locations were not, I live in a big city with so many Hilton properties a short drive away that I don't mind adding a few staycations before the end of the year. My kids will honestly love more pool time!

The only thing that sounds a bit disappointing is the fact that upgrades don't sound very likely. I hope since we plan to go during the off season we will have a better chance. Wishful thinking I suppose

craigthemif

When I took my nephews to Disney, they didn't care in the least about a "room upgrade" and expressed all kinds of excitement about the buffet breakfast and the pool. (when their non-elite parents were talking about getting some muffins and cereal from the supermarket)

Sometimes we adults just need the occasional reminder of what truly matters...

TomMM

I am in the same situation as OP with no travel planned for the remainder of the year. I don't care much for breakfast but the room upgrades I've gotten have been nice.