Apr 30, 2013, 1:02 pm
AXON Hilton Honors Award Questions and Information: The Definitive Thread
Jan 21, 2011, 11:15 am
#481
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 558
Has anyone confirmed using AXON7 at Bora Bora NUI? We are looking at "donating" a hotel stay for my brother-in-law who is getting married later this year, and wants to go to Tahiti in November. I was thinking of stacking 2 AXON7's together, and then they can pay for any upgrade they want.
Jan 27, 2011, 12:53 pm
#482
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Hilton HHonors Diamond, USAirways Silver, SPG Corporate Preferred
Posts: 7
VIP awards at Rome Cavalieri
I found this thread by sheer luck - and need all the experts' help... My husband is a Gold Honors member and we have the Hilton Amex Gold cards. We are looking to book 5 nights at the Rome Cavalieri in October, and the website says it will be 300,000 points because it is a high season award and a Waldorf Astoria property... Can we use one of these AXON codes or VIP codes to have it cost less points? I don't care about having to do one for 4 nights and one for 1 night, that is not a problem... just don't know how to go about making the reservation... Any help would really be appreciated! Thanks and happy new year to all!
I redeemed HHonors points for a 4 night stay at the Rome Cavalieri in May 2010. So lovely there. It should be only 204,000 using a VIP award. For some reason they don't have the VIP award chart up on the website anymore (http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/...POnly/index.do) but call them. I redeemed for high season for 51,000 points per night. I'm diamond but I think the gold and diamond members get the same perks, which were free breakfast (which was great) and lounge access, which was very nice even though it wasn't the super premium lounge they have at the Cavalieri. The lounge for Hhonors VIPs is small but includes free wine, beer, and canapes, and it was enough for dinner for us a couple of nights. All together, we got free breakfast, spa and pool access (nice whirlpool), wine, and light evening meals for free on top of the free room, with balcony, etc. Also free transportation to downtown on the hotel shuttle. Great value for your points.
Jan 27, 2011, 4:09 pm
#483
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8,142
Jan 27, 2011, 5:41 pm
#485
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Bay Area
Programs: HH, PC, SPG, MR, GP, US, UA, AA
Posts: 3,466
Yes you can use AXON7 at Hilton bora bora.
Has anyone confirmed using AXON7 at Bora Bora NUI? We are looking at "donating" a hotel stay for my brother-in-law who is getting married later this year, and wants to go to Tahiti in November. I was thinking of stacking 2 AXON7's together, and then they can pay for any upgrade they want.
Jan 28, 2011, 11:10 am
#487
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
Man, this Hilton redemption stuff can be confusing, what with different award charts, changes in the award categories, etc.
But I booked a Cat. 7 in Hawaii (the Embassy Suites Waikiki) for 4 nights using the AXON (AMEX card award) for 145K. Of all the awards, an AXON Cat. 7 is generally "the best deal" in the program these days, right?
BTW, the agent said there's no AXON above 4 nights. So that would leave the VIP awards as the next best deal, right? But not as good as a 4 night AXON, correct?
My head is still spinning a bit on all this.
But I booked a Cat. 7 in Hawaii (the Embassy Suites Waikiki) for 4 nights using the AXON (AMEX card award) for 145K. Of all the awards, an AXON Cat. 7 is generally "the best deal" in the program these days, right?
BTW, the agent said there's no AXON above 4 nights. So that would leave the VIP awards as the next best deal, right? But not as good as a 4 night AXON, correct?
My head is still spinning a bit on all this.
Jan 28, 2011, 12:04 pm
#488
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Washington, DC area
Programs: Air: Many; Hotel: HH D, HY G, IHG P, MR S, RR
Posts: 504
[QUOTE=iahphx;15754947But I booked a Cat. 7 in Hawaii (the Embassy Suites Waikiki) for 4 nights using the AXON (AMEX card award) for 145K. Of all the awards, an AXON Cat. 7 is generally "the best deal" in the program these days, right?
BTW, the agent said there's no AXON above 4 nights. So that would leave the VIP awards as the next best deal, right? But not as good as a 4 night AXON, correct?[/QUOTE]
Yes, if you are planning to stay four nights only in a category 7 property, the AXON is the best deal.
AXON and VIP awards can only be compared directly for stays that are four (or increments of four days), and for four day stays it differs (by category) in terms of which is a better value. This is the points for a four night stay (from my notes based on a post on FT and information on the Amex site), but I don't have a link:
Cat 5 – 125K (AXON) v 119K (VIP)
Cat 6 - 125K (AXON) v 136K (VIP)
Cat 7 - 145K (AXON) v 170K (VIP)
The bold value is the better option.
Eight night VIP stays are 210K, 240K and 300K for categories 5 - 7 respectively, so overall it looks like the following is best for an eight night stay:
Cat 5: VIP (save 40K)
Cat 6: VIP (save 10K)
Cat 7: AXON (save 10K)
I don't think there are AXON awards except for Categories 5 -7. There are VIP awards for categories 3 and 4; see this link if you are interested in the whole chart: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/s...howLinks=false
I hope this helps.
BTW, the agent said there's no AXON above 4 nights. So that would leave the VIP awards as the next best deal, right? But not as good as a 4 night AXON, correct?[/QUOTE]
Yes, if you are planning to stay four nights only in a category 7 property, the AXON is the best deal.
AXON and VIP awards can only be compared directly for stays that are four (or increments of four days), and for four day stays it differs (by category) in terms of which is a better value. This is the points for a four night stay (from my notes based on a post on FT and information on the Amex site), but I don't have a link:
Cat 5 – 125K (AXON) v 119K (VIP)
Cat 6 - 125K (AXON) v 136K (VIP)
Cat 7 - 145K (AXON) v 170K (VIP)
The bold value is the better option.
Eight night VIP stays are 210K, 240K and 300K for categories 5 - 7 respectively, so overall it looks like the following is best for an eight night stay:
Cat 5: VIP (save 40K)
Cat 6: VIP (save 10K)
Cat 7: AXON (save 10K)
I don't think there are AXON awards except for Categories 5 -7. There are VIP awards for categories 3 and 4; see this link if you are interested in the whole chart: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/s...howLinks=false
I hope this helps.
Jan 28, 2011, 12:20 pm
#489
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
Thanks, needtoescape.
So let's say I'd want to stay 5 nights instead of 4 at a Cat. 7.
This would suck because my 4-night AXON is 145,000 and a 5 night VIP would be 200,000. I'd actually do marginally better using the 4 night AXON and just paying 50,000 for the extra night.
Of course, the reality is that I'll just stay 4 nights.
Kind of a shame. Flexibility is good. How often do you want to stay exactly 4 nights?
In my case, it's pretty rare, which is why I tend not to use my HHonors points very often. Of course, this means I have the 145,000 points sitting around when I do want to stay 4 nights.
So let's say I'd want to stay 5 nights instead of 4 at a Cat. 7.
This would suck because my 4-night AXON is 145,000 and a 5 night VIP would be 200,000. I'd actually do marginally better using the 4 night AXON and just paying 50,000 for the extra night.
Of course, the reality is that I'll just stay 4 nights.
Kind of a shame. Flexibility is good. How often do you want to stay exactly 4 nights?
In my case, it's pretty rare, which is why I tend not to use my HHonors points very often. Of course, this means I have the 145,000 points sitting around when I do want to stay 4 nights.
Feb 5, 2011, 4:32 pm
#490
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
First post in this thread provides a number to call for AXON awards.
If you tell the agent that you want to book award code AXON7N, they should be able to book it for you. As travelinfoo noted, you do have to call to book, can't be done online. If the agent doesn't know what to do, ask to be transferred to someone that can help you.
If you tell the agent that you want to book award code AXON7N, they should be able to book it for you. As travelinfoo noted, you do have to call to book, can't be done online. If the agent doesn't know what to do, ask to be transferred to someone that can help you.
Feb 11, 2011, 7:20 pm
#491
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: United 0, HH Gold
Posts: 2,827
My wife just asked if we wanted to take a long weekend at a Cat 7 hotel for 3 nights this summer.
Am I right to tell her that it would actually cost 5000 pts LESS to stay for a 4th night?
Am I right to tell her that it would actually cost 5000 pts LESS to stay for a 4th night?
Feb 11, 2011, 8:44 pm
#492
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
Feb 12, 2011, 8:22 pm
#493
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: United 0, HH Gold
Posts: 2,827
Feb 23, 2011, 7:09 am
#494
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,214
Just to be certain, as the thread has some contradictions: Is an AXON reward exclusive to holders of the HHonors/Surpass American Express card issued in the United States, or is it available to any Amex cardmember?