Ok, since I got my Scandic card in the mail today along with the member booklet and plan to stay with both chains in the future, I thought I'd do a short comparison between the programs.

Hilton <-> Scandic

Standard earnings 10 to 15 points per USD depending on status <-> Scandic 2000 to 3000 points per night depending on status

Redemptions 7500 to 40000+ points per night <-> redemptions 10000 to 30000 points per night

Point savers <-> N/A(?)

Redemption possibilities all over the world and also special merchandise etc. <-> redemptions all over Scandinavia and the Baltic and some in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany

No blackout dates for top two tiers <-> same

Room guarantee for top tier members when reserved 48 hours in advance <-> same

Double dipping with a variety of airlines or 50% points bonus <-> double dipping with a few Scandinavian partners, with SAS a SK flight is needed in conjunction with the stay

Rolling VIP tier qualification <-> Rolling VIP tier qualification

Silver level: 10 nights or 4 stays <-> 2nd floor: 5 nights

Gold level: 36 nights or 16 stays <-> 3rd floor: 25 nights

Diamond level: 60 nights or 28 stays <-> Top floor: 45 nights

Status valid for 14 months (?) <-> Status valid for 13 months (?)

Soft landing to lower level <-> same

Spouse stays free <-> price usually per room (?)

Usually free breakfast for top two tiers <-> free breakfast for everyone staying at the hotel

Room upgrades up to the executive floor <-> N/A

Sporadic access to executive lounge <-> N/A

N/A <-> Food vouchers up to the value of a main course + drink

N/A <-> 20% restaurant discount on weekends

Welcome gift for top two tiers <-> only for highest tier

N/A <-> 50% discount on pay TV for highest tier

Free gym/sauna/pool <-> same (for everyone staying)

Late check out <-> not guaranteed?


Sorry if I forgot some benefits. And I tried to be as objective as possible.

... and let me add

Reward nights/stays count towards membership level <-> N/A

N/A <-> Food vouchers also when having a reward stay

For Europeans within the Scandic range, probably a decent deal - 'way more Scandics than Hilton affiliates in Scandinavia, Baltic and a few in Belgium, etc. For the rest of us, ho-hum.

I also see no mention of base points for status (base and bonus points.)

Just parenthetically, they have generally been quite good to us as Hilton members on paid or award stays. Most recently, I was able to secure a PointStretcher stay for my nephew and his fiancee at the Scandic Continental Helsinki, and they treated them quite well - not to mention allowing the stay through Jan 1 (I was able to arrange to pay for Jan 2 and 3 with my credit card.) I'll miss a number of Scandics (NOT all.)

I do have 50+ night on scandic each year. so far I have stayed at 3 different ones and must say that the new program really sucks compared with the other programs in same segment offered by competitors in sweden (Elite, First, BW etc).

First of all. I believe Scandic is the only one not offering upgrade (not even on availability at the time of check in basis). While I privously always were upgraded to Superior rooms, now they treat me as any other average joe, despite my top tier.

secondly, sometimes I do bring my wife with me on the business trips. With the new program I have to pay about 100SEK extra (difference between single and double room) which previously was free. Every other competing chain is offering 2 for 1 deal (even though some of them have for weekends only).

they have increased the restaurant coupon, but remember that they took away the 25% discount during weekdays, which for me was more worth than 50SEK extra.

...and yes, the famous "gift" consisting of a small box of chocolate. First time was nice too get, but now it is only annoying. I say keep that and bring back some of the more helpful advantages for your toptier customers...

I will definitely change my business to another chain that do know how to treat their top customers.

Thanks for the update but with their poorly thought out move to make you choose one or the other program they lost me as a customer. I suppose that if I return to Tallinn I might stay again at the Scandic - same for Olso Train station, and outside of Stockholm the choice is pretty limited to Scandics - but aside from that I can't see ever choosing Scandics. I for one would have joined if I could have been allowed to just transfer some points and kept most of my points with Hilton. But its their business to run as they see fit.

I'm glad they were part of Hilton for a while, especially back when they were all category one hotels but its time to move on!!

scandic does still upgrade its 3rd and topfloor members

there's still a 25% discount

the trick to that is to redeem some hilton vouchers and leave as many points open as you want to transfer to scandic, then do the "conversion" thing through their callcenter and once you receive your scandic card, call hilton honors and have them cancel your certificates.

Any idea how to get my HH points back from Scandic? It's been 6 weeks and they still have my points.

if the diamond desk can't fix it, you won't see your points again. at least not on your hilton card.

Oceanburn.

a) They DO NOT upgrade. This is the new official policy. You might get it on the discretion of the hotls, but the program doesn�t mention any upgrade

b) previously you had 25% on all weekdays (2 pax) and weekends (up to 6 pax). Now it is 20% on weekends only. Instead of the weekday discount, they have increased the voucher value to 150 SEK from previously 100 SEK.

I have talked this matter with the customer service as well as the individual hotels I have stayed at so far this year. Believe me when I say that this is true....


do you mean that doing the trick with hilton vouchers actually will give the above benefits?

DD is "working" on it. Last conversation, I was asked if needed my points anytime soon. There were 2 implications to this statement. 1. I wouldn't be getting my balance back anytime quickly. 2. HH would advance me the points if I needed them soon. I haven't given up. If necessary, I'll get my Scandic pin and fly to Scandahoovia and use the dadgum things there.

airburn.

they do still upgrade their 3rd- and topfloor members if it's possible. it's just not laid out in their policies.

you're right, it's 20% on weekends.

believe me, i'm right at the source...

if you do the trick, your left hilton points and tierlevel transfer. they have no way of controlling it nor can they forbid you to make vouchers at hilton before transferring.

p.s. i frankly don't really mind all these things in the programme, but i just think people are being a bit unfair

it's taking this long because from the scandic view of things it's simply impossible to transfer points back after one transfer has already occurred. basically if anyone filled in "conversion" (convert all hilton points to scandic points) in stead of "enrollment" (keep hilton points, get new scandic card) by accident, the answer you'll get is "tough sh..".

of course no one said you can't fly over and spend your points here but that of course means that you lost the battle of points.

Wow. Sux to be me. I may have to take the approach that Hilton simply give me my points back. Do you suppose Hilton paid Scandic to take them them?

oh no. as you had the opportunity to choose whether you keep your points at hilton or transfer them, i don't see any logic in it. if anyone would be paying, it should be scandic as they're taking business away from hilton (as the reward stays with transferred points can from then on only be done at scandic).
i suppose it was just a fair deal as hilton sold scandic and had to give the scandic customers with the deal. (as most of the people who transfer their points are frequent scandic visitors...)

sadly enough there are a few people who have transferred their points even though they didn't mean to.. and so far they've all basically been told to...

Points are a liability. Since the Scandic purchase didn't automatically come with the points, I assumed that Hilton paid a fee with every point that transferred to Scandic.

The lady from the DD who called me said she was working with several other HH Diamonds who had experienced the same problem. I'm not convinced I am at fault. I'm hoping Hilton will step up here if Scandic digs their heels in.

well, it depends on what you filled out on the form that determines whether you're at fault or not. but that's besides the point, as you want your points back

let's keep our fingers crossed then!