Hilton AMEX Weekend Night Reward
Aug 4, 2020, 8:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 204
Hilton AMEX Weekend Night Reward
So the Weekend Rewards given by AMEX have become rewards for any night because of COVID-19. Does anyone have experience in redeeming these? Can they only be used for nights with a very low rate or are they generally good for just about any night? Such as a hotel night that would cost 30,000 points at an Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites (with a cash price being under $150 a night?) ?
I have a Homewood Suites night coming up where I have a reservation that cost 30,000 HHonors points. I would prefer to cancel that and use the AMEX certificate instead. Am I expecting too much from the certificate in this case, or is it actually good for a more expensive reservation?
I have a Homewood Suites night coming up where I have a reservation that cost 30,000 HHonors points. I would prefer to cancel that and use the AMEX certificate instead. Am I expecting too much from the certificate in this case, or is it actually good for a more expensive reservation?
Aug 4, 2020, 9:21 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: Hilton credit card Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,653
The certificate is good at any hotel where a standard award room is available. There is no limit on the number of points that the room would cost if paid for with points.
The certificate is not good for a premium award room..
Check on the website if a standard award room is available, if so, call and make the reservation.
You can not change an existing reservation to use the certificate - you should make a new reservation using the certificate then cancel the existing points reservation.
The certificate is not good for a premium award room..
Check on the website if a standard award room is available, if so, call and make the reservation.
You can not change an existing reservation to use the certificate - you should make a new reservation using the certificate then cancel the existing points reservation.
Aug 4, 2020, 9:37 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,229
You don't need to cancel and remake a reservation with the Cert.
You would have to call to use the Cert, so why not call and just have them use the cert to pay for the existing award reservation?
They only complication is when the existing reservation isn't the standard room.
I have done this several times. This way, you don't risk the room being no longer available. Not that big of a deal now, but when inventory was tight, it was an issue.
You would have to call to use the Cert, so why not call and just have them use the cert to pay for the existing award reservation?
They only complication is when the existing reservation isn't the standard room.
I have done this several times. This way, you don't risk the room being no longer available. Not that big of a deal now, but when inventory was tight, it was an issue.
Aug 4, 2020, 10:56 am
#4
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
I just redeemed my cert at a hotel where the standard rooms are 120K points/night. The hotel has to have a standard room available to use the cert and can be used all the way to their top hotels, such as the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Waldorf Astoria Pedegral Cabo.
Aug 4, 2020, 12:33 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 204
So if the Homewood Suites has studio suites (one queen bed) and one-bedroom suites (one king bed) with the difference in price between them being $9 a night, would only the studio suite be considered a "standard room"? Both are the same number of points if you book with points.
The Embassy Suites across the street happened to have a "one room studio" (not really what you'd expect at an Embassy Suites; more like a standard hotel room) priced below the standard "two room" one bedroom suites ($5 a night less)...would the one-bedroom suites at this location not be considered a "standard" room? (33,000 points for the "studio" one room, and 35,000 points for the 1-king bed one-bedroom)
The Embassy Suites across the street happened to have a "one room studio" (not really what you'd expect at an Embassy Suites; more like a standard hotel room) priced below the standard "two room" one bedroom suites ($5 a night less)...would the one-bedroom suites at this location not be considered a "standard" room? (33,000 points for the "studio" one room, and 35,000 points for the 1-king bed one-bedroom)
Aug 4, 2020, 10:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 300
The number of points or bed size doesn't indicate whether it is a standard or premium room - a room that was standard one week could be premium the next - nor is it an indication of luxuriousness. It is terminology related to award nights. Start by being logged into your hilton account, go to the hotel website, choose your dates, and select "use points" under "special rates" and you should see each room type available, the number of points it costs, and whether it is standard or premium award. It can occur that a more basic room costs more points and/or is designated a premium award while a suite can cost fewer points and/or be a standard award night.
Aug 5, 2020, 7:28 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 204
The number of points or bed size doesn't indicate whether it is a standard or premium room - a room that was standard one week could be premium the next - nor is it an indication of luxuriousness. It is terminology related to award nights. Start by being logged into your hilton account, go to the hotel website, choose your dates, and select "use points" under "special rates" and you should see each room type available, the number of points it costs, and whether it is standard or premium award. It can occur that a more basic room costs more points and/or is designated a premium award while a suite can cost fewer points and/or be a standard award night.
Aug 5, 2020, 7:51 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,229
I’ve run into strange issues on the definition of standard rooms before. I reserved a standard room at a curio for 3 nights with points. I switched the last night over to a weekend award cert. when I called, they said that the room award would only work with an upgraded room. So, 2 nights standard, one night a slight upgrade. Fine,
I check in and am told that I could stay in the standard room all 3 nights. The morning after the second night I get a note under my door telling me I have to move to the upgraded room.
Bottom line, since you have to call to use the weekend cert anyway, they will tell you what room it applies to. And they can switch the reservation to the right standard room as needed.
I check in and am told that I could stay in the standard room all 3 nights. The morning after the second night I get a note under my door telling me I have to move to the upgraded room.
Bottom line, since you have to call to use the weekend cert anyway, they will tell you what room it applies to. And they can switch the reservation to the right standard room as needed.
Aug 6, 2020, 2:59 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 204
So I called to book the Embassy Suites one-bedroom and the phone agent said she was using my Free Night Reward that expires in 2021 (I didn't have the "Reward ID" for that one so was planning on using the one that I received recently that has a July 2022 expiration; she didn't ask for the "Reward Code" for either). My emailed confirmation has a Reward ID but says it is 35,000 points.. I forgot to look at my balance before I called so I hope that 35,000 points are not coming out of my account, and it just means that the free night is worth 35,000 points...That sound like how the Free Night Awards should work? It lists the amount of points it would have cost you if you aren't using a Free Night Award?
Aug 6, 2020, 3:09 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,229
So I called to book the Embassy Suites one-bedroom and the phone agent said she was using my Free Night Reward that expires in 2021 (I didn't have the "Reward ID" for that one so was planning on using the one that I received recently that has a July 2022 expiration; she didn't ask for the "Reward Code" for either). My emailed confirmation has a Reward ID but says it is 35,000 points.. I forgot to look at my balance before I called so I hope that 35,000 points are not coming out of my account, and it just means that the free night is worth 35,000 points...That sound like how the Free Night Awards should work? It lists the amount of points it would have cost you if you aren't using a Free Night Award?