GeorgeJ

Some Hiltons that I regularly stay at are great about Gold benefits---ie, Phoenix Airport, Houston SW. They either give me a card key for club floor lounge access for breakfast or a breakfast coupon. Without asking!

Chicago downtown Doubletree gave me coupons for 2 waters out of the mini-bar and a coupon for breakfast. Without asking, and on a really cheap rate. Why can't most Hiltons offer the Gold benefits without asking (or even with asking!)?

andersja

The very fact that this needs to be suggested indicated that something is very wrong in the Hilton HHonors system.

Go SPG! Great benefits for Gold members and not to mention exceptional benefits for Platinums....

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/001817.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/002173.html

wormwood

could the 'dilution' of benefits, including hotel reluctance to give them be somehow related to the huge increase in golds out there with the recent promotions? Of course, Hilton put the promos out there but at the same time numbers are numbers and it has to be tough

homey

i knew this would happen. they gave away gold status like it was free candy. gold people are coming in the window now, and the hotels are being obstinate, trying to cut their expenses. thats all it is. imagine, you own a hotel. you have to give free breakfast to guy who stays with you 16 times, or whatever it is. thats maybe a couple of people a day. hilton runs the promotion, and the total number of gold members goes wayyyyy up. now, you have to give free breakfast to a lot more people who might not be "real" gold members.

there are no fake diamonds, (unless they get comped somehow - cubic zirconia? ) so i bet the diamonds dont get f-ed with as much as the golds do over the next few months. diamonds weigh in, are you getting the same BS?

my theory assumes the total number went way up, and that the hotels are deliberately trying to reduce their costs, by denying some of these services. i could be totally wrong, it could just be lousy service. they have that too.

hedoman

Diamond. Perhaps life is a bit easier, but some joints are better (more generous) than others. I'm not about to wave some printout in a desk clerk's face over not getting a breakfast coupon. And I'm not going to send an e-mail to Adam about a non compliant hotel regarding no breakfast.

And for the golds that are making a big deal about no breakfast at Nevada casino hotels. In all my diamond years, breakfast has never been a handout.

You wouldn't know it by reading these boards, but I'm surprised at how many regular business travelers are still handing over their silver cards at check-in.

An additional comment about Hawaii properties. In Hawaii, breakfast really does mean something in terms of dollar value for golds. I think it foolish for these hotels to be cheap about handing out breakfast coupons. Great treatment at these hotels can be an opportunity for keeping a customer loyal for years.

[This message has been edited by hedoman (edited 07-18-2001).]

jan_az

Diamond. No problems, even on priceline stays which are officialy not covered.

Off to the Hilton SD and Hilton Bonaventure Montreal. Will let you know how it goes

Off note - am on a special thing with Marriot to get next level on a rolling yr rather than calendar yr. Call today and they tell me I need one more nite and 5 nites will expire 7/23. OOPS - jump on web site find a Fairfield Inn 2 miles from house for 46USD. Mke res. Go to check in. Front desk clerk asks me my preferences - tell dont care - not staying. HUH???? Explain to her whats going on. She laughs so hard that mgr comes to see whats going on. She tells him. He says to me - are you going to sleep in the room - I say no - he says give her room for $39.00 . Now thats service

MIKESILV

Homey I wish the answer was as simple as you make it out to be. Gold members have been having problems getting upgrades and breakfast certs LOOOONG before the current promotions. In fact I would probably attribute any increased obstinence on the hotels' part on the popularity Flyertalk. I for one did not know that the upgrades were actually owed to us until I started visting this board , but I sure make it a point to insist of late. I can remember many stays when I did get ugrades I actually thought the particular proporty was being really nice to me, but there were so many more that I did not get even a bottle of water it makes me mad.

[This message has been edited by MIKESILV (edited 07-18-2001).]

dingo

A very valid point and question. Of course, I've taken advantage of all of these promos, but I've also been leery of what all those points will do...this may be the answer.

Indo-flyer

Thanks Flying High. I told my son with the Citrus singers and he remembers the performance. Just finished my fourth stay under the ewrdc promo and earned 100k points for a free stay at HWV Will hopefully be there next year April. Certainly have learned a lot what to expect and ask for from the posts on this great board!

luv2go

Is the Kohala Spa 'operated' by the Hilton Waikoloa---my real question being will they allow me free access with Gold status under any circumstance?? Also, the Towers lounge---IF I wanted to be really cheap about it,could I have breakfast there, and then some snacks later, and just go out to dinner at night?? Are there enough 'afternoon' snacks to sort of use as a lunch??(besides eating my kids leftover overpriced pool snack bar food) Do they give you a hard time about bringing kids in to the lounge??-(well behaved ones, hopefully) Lastly, anyone have any recommendations for the best family dining in the hotel and the surrounding area? Kids are 11 and 14. Thanks!!!

MisterNice

You can load up on breakfast (many people do), but I dont believe they offer afternoon snacks. As for kids, many people bring their cute little running-n-noisy things into the lounge and use it as their personal playpen. You see the cute kiddies all over fondling rolls, strawberries, desserts etc, dropping such and putting them back for the adults to eat. I dont travel with my (older) kids now, but I mostly use the tables immediately OUTSIDE the lounge entrance door. They are far quieter, less busy, roomier and you have a nice courtyard view too. I do it for both morning and evening.

Casual dining is reasonable at the HWV. I recommend the Orchid Lounge where the prices are low and the quality high. Non-casual dining is out-of-sight in price and so-so. You can do much better off campus.

Also stop at a HI mini-mart store or supermarket for snacks, soda, beer, crackers, cheese etc and really save a bundle.

MisterNice

doc

Yes to all your questions but the lunch which I was never around for and the Ex Lounge folks are just great and will likely treat your kids like Kings! I forget their names but two Concierges, Mark (?) and long dark haired____ (?) are especially wonderful and I recall them from the former Hyatt days! And I agree with MisterNice yet some may well find it reasonable to high depending!

My wife absolutely loves the soaps/shampoo etc., from the Spa!

And the store for snacks (& decent inexpensive wines in my case! ) is VERY nearby!

Enjoy tour trip! We need to get back here soon!

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 08-07-2001).]

FancyNancy

The Kohala Spa is terrific. We were there last summer and I used it everday. As a Gold I got to go to the Spa for free and use the workout room and cardio room, they requested $10 per day to use the sauna, whirlpool, steam room section of the spa. (This is comped for Diamonds). On days that I had scheduled other SPA services, they waived the $10 fee for those services.

It is an incredibly nice Spa, and I thought the $10 for the sauna, steam, whirlpool was worth it!

------------------
Fancy

Karen2

There certainly are kids in the lounge but we have never encountered problem kids. However, the afternoon snacks are more toward dinner time. Suggest you buy lunch and eat snacks for dinner to save money. We found the cafe near the dolphins had great sandwiches, large enough to split. You could always pretend you are a kid and buy kids' lunches by the pool! The shopping center (free shuttle) has lots of lunch choices and we liked Roy's for dinner - though it was crowded and service slow. There is also a free shuttle to the other hotel and its beach (reciprocal agreement). No beach at Waikoloa. Watch out for jellyfish this time of year in the nearby beaches. You will not get your kids off the waterslides! Bring some extra bucks for the dolphin encounter and sign up the minute you walk in - long list of applicants. Be sure to take romantic boat rides at night...

Markie

I was there last November and YES the kid problem is terrible!