MileKing

Two declines this year as a Diamond member for award rooms.....ouch! Don't know what properties you were trying for or when, but this is a bit disconcerting.

I've been a Diamond member continuously since late 1995 and will requalify again this year (and likely next year as well given my planned travel). I've never been declined an award room, but then again I usually plan far in advance. One of the prime reasons I've continued to achieve Diamond (even doing some mattress runs when needed) and remain with HHonors is because of the outstanding success Diamond's have had in getting award rooms almost any place and any time. Although this isn't specifically spelled out in HHonors program benefits, I believe HHonors members (including myself) have come to expect that Diamond's requests will be honored. If Hilton is moving in any way towards changing this, the benefits of Diamond will be significantly decreased and I will certainly look to move my business (all of my business) elsewhere. From other threads that have touched on this topic in the past, I believe a number of HHonors members feel the same way. By the way, Starwood already offers ALL SPG members no capacity controls on awards.

Word to HHonors lurkers or Adam Burke if you are reading.....BE CAREFUL!

Jassy-50

Oh, dear, this potential trend is alarming. I made a special effort this year to make Diamond (for the first time) for the very reason that hubby and I will be doing a bit more traveling in Europe next year and I was looking forward to having a better chance of getting award stays in hotels that are historically difficult to get into (such as the Cavialeri).

If I find that the Diamond Desk benefits are going away or being substantially decreased (and loss of 100% award availability would be a very substantial decrease), I too will have to reevaluate whether it is worth it for me to continue giving my business to Hilton.

GUWonder

My issue in one instance is that I was trying to claim an award for two consecutive 6-night awards during peak period that included a major event. The other instance where I was declined was what concerned me since rooms were showing up but the "price was too high" or something of that sort.

I was told by some FTer -- don't remember whom -- that if you get declined, an option is to book the room as a normal paid rate (invoking the guaranteed reservations benefit if necessary) and then calling up a few days later to get the booking converted into an HHonors stay.

saimike

quick question, did u have the diamond desk rep put in a special request to diamond special services?

like i said in my earlier post, only once did i ever get the room i wanted when i wanted it. all other times, i've had to go through diamond special services. as i understand it, they are a seperate group from the diamond desk.

GUWonder

Yes. One was a "special event" situation that I completely understand. The other was something about HHonors unwilling to pay the going "rate" which is what irked me.

If you are an HHonors member outside the US (and maybe the UK???), expect knowledge about the the "diamond special services desk" work on awards to be less well known and/or not known at all. I learned that the hard way before this year and I didn't make that mistake this year (although I have made many other mistakes).

tide

I started this thread and wanted to post an update on the situation.

On my 4th call, finally got an agent that said he was going to force the stay. I got the award stay. I did not have not mention the word "Diamond Special Services" as suggested earlier - Gary just said, "Sir, you are Diamond and within 48 hours, we will put you in".

I sepnt some time chatting with the gentleman (he was a real pro - he has been on the Diamond Desk since its inception) on the process:

1) "Diamond Special Services" is the same as the Diamond Desk i.e. there is no separate unit - they're synonyms.

2) 48-hours before reservation guarantee (outside extraordinary demand) - the clock starts ticking 12:01am the day of the stay i.e. for stays check-in on a Friday, you need to call before 12:01am Wednesday. The guarantee does not apply to award reservations. However, as an unstated courtesy, they will apply try their best to get the room.

3) Award reservations need a standard room available. In case, there is no availability, the "standard CSR script" is to tell the customer that nothing can be done. There is a difference between no availability for rewards (this sounds like a capacity control the hotel institutes) and no more standard rooms available for any reservation. The former is something that the Diamond Desk can override to force a stay. In my case, there were apparently no standard rooms available at any price.

4) However, all is not lost. That's where a "wink-wink" process comes into play. He called this the "special arrangement" and he says it is a commonly understood term among Diamond Desk CSRs. This is where they initiate a separate process to get that room. They need 3-5 business days for an answer. When there is no standard rooms available (hotel truly sold out), agents are trained that the "special arrangement" does not apply, they don't say this, but they will not offer you this option. But in this case, my CSR forced it anyway. That's the thing that saimike was referring to: always ask for it, escalate to a supervisor if needed and this is the thing that will boost your chances of getting a room. But you need to do it with plenty of time to spare i.e. 2 weeks out at least. It may be, at the end, you still do not get a room but by then, you will have exhausted all the options the Diamond Desk is able to do. The "special arrangement" goes to a dedicated person(s) who work this to a conclusion (favorable, sometimes unfavorable).

So the lessons learned:

1) ask for the "special arrangement" - it will not be offered to you if the hotel is sold out.

2) No surprise: not all agents are as experienced or as effective. The Diamond Desk pulled through on this one for me but it took 4 calls.

Thanks all for the help and advice

Tomphot

I have yet to be turned down and have had multiple stays at the hardest properties in Europe. When the location was sold out, the Diamond desk has always put me hold or called me back after they have reserved the room.
One time, Caan, they sent me a letter addressed to the GM of the hotel explaining the stay.
This has been a truly great benefit - hope it remains so.

thirdcoAAst

Yes, I just check last night and there was a letter in my e-mail. Strange thing was, it was to a different e-mail than I had on my profile (it went to an old e-mail) and the e-mail came with an attachment that looked like it might be junk mail. Glad I didn't delete it...

Jassy-50

tide , thank you very much for sharing this information with us. It is extremely valuable to know and I have bookmarked it for future reference.

Thanks again, and congrats on your ultimate success ^ ^ !

GUWonder

Glad to hear the series of good news here. It's time for me to put in for some more award requests too.

ontherun

The "wink-wink" special arrangement you mention is the same thing as Diamond Special Services. Each time in the past that there has not been standard rooms available for a date range that I have requested. The Diamond Desk CSR has always, without asking on my part, escalated my award request to the Special Services desk where a dedicated person works with the hotel and actually buys a room. I just turn in my certificates and the hotel bills Hilton for the room.

BamaVol

I may need to stay a night in Fort Lauderdale in January. I checked the Hilton site for hotels and got a list 3 pages long. Prices were quite high - min $130/night AARP for a Hampton. So, I changed to award reservations and got a list of 5 properties. 4 were available; the last said call Diamond Desk. What gives? Shouldn't I have seen the same 3 page list, with all but 4 saying call Diamond Desk?
The benefit may be there, but it's not out there in the open!

saimike

tide , thanks for clarifying everything! now thats some insight into the stuff that goes on at the diamond desk

tide

The story did not end well I'm afraid. Got to the hotel and upon checking in, found out that the Diamond Desk did not make a 4 night award stay after all but only 3 nights. The 4th night (which was the night with no availability) was reserved as a paid stay at Executive Floor rack rates.

An email was supposed to be sent to me with the confirmation number and as I was travelling, could not check email. No email was sent and over the weekend, the HHonors desk is closed in Singapore, had to call international long distance to the HH desk in the US and found out the people to escalate this to did not work over the weekend. The CSR who answered the phone said there was no record of a reservation made for the 4th night but the hotel insisted that I had one.

Ah, with confusion reigning, it was 1am: not a happy experience at all. In the end, elected not to spend money at the Hilton and went over to the Marriott instead (which in itself is a not a great hotel). Lots of aggravation that marred what was supposed to be a nice weekend in Singapore.

Moral of experience: plan ahead. Way ahead.

747heavy

Sorry to hear about your experience at the Singapore Hilton. Having just returned from Singapore, I can highly recommend the Conrad. I don't know if that location would have suited you in this case, but they generally bend over backwards to accomodate Diamonds in any way possible.

Hope you enjoyed Singapore anyway!