dealOCD

I almost posted a request for direction with my arrival issue of refusal to add my HH# but let it gon as COVID rules seem to have everyone including staff on edge but experienced multiple issues.

Seoul Millenium Hilton- checked in for 4 night stay (charges to be paid by hosted team related to tourism). I received no confirmation email but with communication barriers just let that go. Arrived with tour guide (indep consultant hired by hosting group). I inquired as to whether my HH# and diamond status was reflected. Was told multiple times not to worry my stay would be paid for. Asked multiple times for # to be input but denied and too tired after international flight to deal with it. Asked for high-speed internet password and was told that was only for HHmembers! After reiterating that these are the reasons my number should be in there and a long silence, they verified my number and added a code for the free high-speed internet but indicated they could not put my number in and reiterated not to worry my stay would be covered. I asked if there was a lounge and they indicated it was for members. more silence.

With a packed itinerary till evenings I let it go, I made a charge in the restaurant and figured Id at least be able to sort it with the diamond desk. Upon check out I asked for my folio/invoice/receipt trying all the words I could think of and was again told the stay was covered by someone else and I didn't need it, followed by they couldn't provide it! My driver was waiting for me and the translater now gets in the conversation and insists to me that I don't need it because I am not paying. I attempted to refocus the staff on my needing my folio as the guest. They advised it was a prearranged rate so it would go to the person who was paying. I let them know I had a charge so I needed it (trying anything I could at this point). Then the story changed to the room has not yet been paid so they couldn't give it to me! After more tug of war they printed something with my name but not the nights or # or any charges. Finally, I got them to put the nights on and my name...no charges and no number.

I'm floored. what would you do?

I already read posts on advanced purchase sbut that doesnt fit in this case either.

On another note, i understand this property is being torn down to make appartments so people won't have to worry about this for long.

jbeckett

I think that you should let it go. You don't know anything about the rate paid or the arrangements between the payer and the hotel.
The rate may have been ineligible for Honors credit.

Some excerpts from the Hilton Honors terms and conditions -

Qualification for all on-property Hilton Honors benefits, including complimentary Internet and MyWay benefits such as complimentary snacks and beverages, complimentary continental breakfast and space-available upgrades, requires a confirmed reservation made through one of the following channels: Any official direct Hilton hotel brand or Hilton Honors website (for example, Hilton Honors.com, Hilton.com, Hampton.com, etc.), Hilton Reservations & Customer Care phone line (1-800-4HONORS or local Hilton reservations office), Hilton Honors or Hilton mobile application, Directly at a hotel in the Hilton Portfolio, or Through an IATA accredited retail travel agent professional ("Travel Agent") booking through a Hilton channel or the following Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan and SABRE.

On-property benefits are not awarded in the following circumstances: Reservations booked through a non-Hilton-direct booking channel or a non-designated GDS, third party website or any other channel; Rates available on "opaque" websites where the hotel brand and specific hotel are not known until the booking is made, or Third party hotel packages or travel packages not booked through one of the eligible channels; Booking ineligible stays, (as defined in the Accrual of Points section) unless hotel contract has specific benefits included.

To earn Hilton Honors Points or credit toward tier status for hotel stays, a Member must be a registered, paying and staying guest at a participating hotel within the Hilton Portfolio and meet all of the conditions described herein.

Specifically excluded from the definition of "stay" are the following types of ineligible stays: wholesale/tour operator packages; contracted crew rates; travel agency discount rates; packages exclusively for casino player card holders; unauthorized Members staying on Go Hilton Team Member or Family & Friends Travel Rates; stays secured utilizing Hilton Grand Vacations Club and Hilton Club timeshare programs, Hilton Grand Vacations marketing packages with a sales presentation requirement; complimentary or barter rooms; NET Group rates; Series Group or IT Group rates; contracted Entertainment or Encore rates; third party websites bookings (irrespective of rate paid); and "opaque" channel bookings where the brand may or may not be known at the time of purchase.

A Member whose individual hotel bill is billed directly to a company and the Member is responsible for authorization for settlement at check-out is eligible for Hilton Honors Points as described herein. However, group master-billing arrangements where charges for multiple rooms are placed on one hotel bill and billed to a company or common address or settled at check-out by one individual are not eligible for Hilton Honors Points.

Baze

If I am reading everything correctly this was a group stay paid for by the hosted group. In this case you are not entitled to any HHonors benefits during the stay or points and night/stay credit for the stay. I have had same situation with my company when we go to training meetings and the company gets a bunch of rooms at a group rate. jbeckett posted the rules. Let this one go as you will not win.

smmrfld

Let it go and move on…they have no obligation to provide you with what you are seeking.

dealOCD

Gotchya. This is a first time for me even when paid for by other entities they would have my honors number in there to use for room key ... internet or breakfast etc (not an issue with comp breakfast here as it was paid for as well) but wondered if it was more the case internationally. I was hoping at least for a record of my stay for business record reasons. Seems odd that getting a folio printed with anything even my charge was "not possible" as they indicated. Interesting to have to sign forms for them and provide my credit card for incidentals but not be able to get a receipt for that..but can use my credit card receipt if needed.

Letting it go! not really a big deal in the scheme of things was just surprised and wanted to be informed.

Thanks for the input to rest my mind

writerguyfl

As a former Front Desk employee, this is the only part of your experience that seems off. Regardless of whether you were part of a group, the hotel should have been able to provide this for you.

If you still need that, you should contact the company that booked this group. They would be the entity responsible for providing you with a receipt.

The hotels in which I worked didn't do a ton of group business like the type you described. Yet, each time we did the contract clearly stipulated the restrictions (like lack of frequent guest perks). It was always up to the planner to inform their guests about those restrictions.

Frankly, even without language barriers, it was difficult explaining to elite-level frequent guests that the company they booked negotiated those benefits away in order to maximize own profit. Tour groups tend to be low-rated business (which is why we really only took them during "dead" times for our hotel like Christmas). For us, rates were so low that providing elite-level benefits meant that the hotel took a loss for that room.

Of course, I have no clue if that's what happened there at the Seoul Millennium Hilton. But, that's my educated guess.

MSPeconomist

I suspect that the rate paid by your host is considered confidential. Some hotel systems can't seem to print a receipt when the guest has not paid anything, including for award stays in which nothing has been billed to the room.

1P

I'm not getting this at all. I have frequently stayed at Hiltons and Marriotts where someone else is footing the bill, and have never had an issue with my loyalty program number being entered in the record, with receiving any elite benefits I may be entitled to, and receiving a copy of the folio at the end of the stay for my records, even if the bill is addressed to someone else.

hhdl

When you say "someone else footing the bill", what exactly do you mean? Direct billing to a central account, or someone else's card being used (maybe with a faxed authorization)? Off of a normal rate or a rate that they negotiated with the property?

It's reasonably common, if buying enough rooms, to be able to negotiate away loyalty benefits in exchange for a lower rate and prohibit the rate from being shown to guests. That's basically what Expedia does.

Adam1222

The incorrect assumption is that OP was entitled to any elite benefits. As has been pointed out, many bookings are not. The issue isn't who is "footing the bill" but how and the rate issued. That my great aunt Ida paid for the room is not the same situation.

writerguyfl

Essentially, these types of bookings are wholesale business. Wholesalers include travel groups like this thread, opaque bookings like Hotwire and Priceline, and some rates at online travel agencies (OTAs). As MSPeconomist notes, rates of wholesalers are confidential because the rate they book and the rate they charge the guest are very different numbers.

Far more common is the scenario you describe where the rate isn't secret and it's just being paid by someone other than the guest.

RRROOO

When one buys a hotel through a 'package' (like Delta Vacations..AA Vacations) you do NOT get Hilton Honor points. Some of our travelers do not like us to bundle air/hotel to save money for this reason. They would rather have their Hilton Honor points!