SHLTP

Hilton is getting compelling. I would like the Aspire card but don't like that to get credit $250 must be spent at a resort. Hilton's resorts in Asia are subpar. They need more Conrads and WA.

I tested Conrads in Singapore, HK and like both. I tried Ft Lauderdale and was ok. Hilton in Sydney was real nice.

In Asia Hilton's are neither high end enough or low end so one doesnt get luxury nor good value. I am going to Queenstown soon where I could have used the credit it I had card but the reviews were so bad I demurred. Same with an upcoming trip to Phuket.

Kacee

The Aspire card is close to a no brainer if you'll stay in even a handful of Hiltons per year. There are a few cities - Mexico City, Waikiki, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and FRA come to mind - where Hilton offers good options, so the card more than pays for itself. Plus the W/As now offer a breakfast benefit (unlike RC), so that opens up a few more high-end opportunities.
Ali'i at Hilton Hawaiian Village. I go at least once every year. There's also Conrad Koh Samui, which has excellent award availability.

SHLTP

I would definitely try Conrad Koh Samui but it doesn't participate in $250 resort credit (edit: I was wrong I think, Conrad does participate I think but not with the 1 weekend night)

​​​So for now LC Vana Belle wins there. Koh Samui is the only resort in Asia that I can see easily going to. Their other Thai ones seem to get terrible reviews, esp compared to Marriott, or are in dodgy areas like Pattaya.

If they gave credit for any property like SPG Luxury card, I'd pick it up and easily do 10-20 nights a year

Kacee

Where do you get that? It shows as an eligible resort when I click through from the Aspire T&C.

SHLTP

Thank you for catching my error. You are right, I think. I double-checked what I was looking at.

Conrad Koh Samui does NOT participate in the free weekend night but I think does with the resort credit. The card is getting more interesting...

WEEKEND NIGHT REWARD EXCLUSIONS

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Weekend night certificate is valid for one (1) weekend night standard accommodation, double occupancy, subject to availability, at properties in the Hilton portfolio excluding:



All-Inclusive Properties:
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Central Pacific -Costa Rica
Hilton Bodrum Turkbuku Resort & Spa
Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Spa
Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort
Hilton Marsa Alam Nubian Resort
Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort
Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa
Hilton Sharks Bay Resort
Jewel Dunn’s River Resort & Spa Ocho Rios, Curio Collection by Hilton
Jewel Paradise Cove Runaway Bay, Curio Collection by Hilton

Distinctive Properties:
Conrad Koh Samui Residences
Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk
Kingston Plantation Condos

...

EuropeanPete

Now certainly is the time for Hilton to go after SPG elites, but I think they will find it difficult. The loyalty recognition really isn't there (there's usually no advantage to being a Diamond at most properties) and Hilton lacks the breadth and quality of properties in the SPG portfolio.

SHLTP

The lack of loyalty benefits or push might indeed be an issue. I asked FD at Conrad in Singapore about Diamond status benefits and if they upgrade to suites when available. She said most was upgrade to club room. Another FD agreed.

The FD Manager heard what was being said, came over and said they definitely upgrade for Diamond when available even to suites.

The original FD said she was confused between gold and diamond benefits which is why she told me wrong. But it seems even FDs who would be in charge of upgrades are confused which does not bode well

mingzie

This is an extremely ignorant statement. How the heck does this affect lifetime status at all? Plus, Diamond status is not actually handed out like candy. In fact, Marriott has had 6 stay fast tracks to Gold (with guaranteed lounge access) for less stays than Hilton requires (8 stays). You also don't even need to have any existing status. I requested as a basic member and got a gold challenge. They even brought back status fast tracks with nights/stays which makes it even easier than Hilton for most people.

Just because people are abusing the status match by posting fake credentials and screenshots doesn't mean its easy to get diamond status. That may have been true two years ago when no stays were required but is not the case now. Plus Marriott has always had credit cards to get Gold (lounge access).

Like the other person said, they're not going to run out of premium WiFi, resort fee waivers, breakfast just because there are a few more elites. The benefit of lifetime is that you never have to requalify. Seriously how does what Hilton is doing devalue lifetime whatsoever - they're INCREASING benefits!!

And get out about Marriott offering more upgrades etc. If that was the case you wouldn't get the endless posts complaining about no upgrade and you wouldn't even need SNAs

Happy

Here is a little system bug - a friend recently booked a DT prepaid rate paid with the Aspire. To his surprise and annoyance - the $210 was automatically reimbursed from the $250 credit. He felt annoyed because he did not feel like to make a resort stay just to use up the remaining $40 bal...

Our guess is, the prepaid is charged by the Hilton corporate and somehow it is treated as a resort booking.

Explorer789

I completely agree that it is incredible value for the benefits it offers. I only recently gave it a second look and applied for it myself.

I think this is fair for most hotels though. It all depends on how booked the hotel is at the time you visit. Not sure if check-in time also makes a difference as well since upgrades may also be first come first serve if multiple Diamonds are staying the same night.

Happy

Conrad in both Singapore and Hong Kong are tough locations to get big upgrades. I would say Singapore is tougher than Hong Kong based on friends' experiences though we have not stayed at Singapore location. When we stayed at Conrad Hong Kong on points, we were given a frontal Harbor View on high floor. Did not know why we deserved it as most folks got the mountain view. At JWM we know to specify room type being double double room which is the 2 corner rooms each floor with the other 2 corners being suites. But that is not an upgrade at JWM, just knowing which room to select with the guaranteed room type for elites.

Conrad Macau constantly upgraded even Golds to huge suite with one bedroom and big living/dining room combo. For the Diamonds they get one extra room - the entertainment room. It was great on our last stay because it was during F1 weekend. Husband could stay watch his live F1 broadcast all evenings from qualifying to the final, without interfering me.

One time we were in Turkey - the DT at Cappadocia gave us their best type of suites on the property without ever asked and we were just Gold at that time.
We stayed at 3 properties at Istanbul (were doing a HHonor Fast Track). The DT on the Asia side by Kadikoy ferry pier had a to die-for terrace restaurant / bar that was a local hang out due to the view to the Old Palace both day and night. We got a corner suite on the top floor with 2 sides of floor to ceiling glass walls overlooking the water and the park.
Conrad Istanbul we did not get meaningful upgrade, but at the grand dame of luxury hotels in Istanbul, the Bosphorus Hilton which was the first Western luxury hotel opened in Istanbul, we got a huge room with a big balcony on the high floor. All were while we were just Golds. When we had breakfast at downstairs restaurant (could choose either at lounge or downstairs), the dining room was rather crowded. As soon as the dining room manager learned about us, he immediately moved us to the table by the window where it was quieter as well as having a much better view.

At Hilton Vienna by the Danube, we were upgraded to a River View room, also just being Gold.

At Hilton FCO where we stayed whenever we had a forced overnight connection at FCO, it always gave us room at executive floor so even Gold got lounge access. Breakfast can be taken at the lobby restaurant, despite in recent visits the quality has gone downhill quite a bit due to the packaged Chinese tour groups.

Like any other chains, how upgrades are handled are very dependent on locations and neither Marriott nor Hilton has "confirmed upgrade" per se.

UA-NYC

There's juuuuuuust a bit of difference with a $450 AF fee card (that goes down to $0 with credits) vs. one you spend $75,000 on. And the latter doesn't even get you top tier status FYI.

UA-NYC

I find that a lot less upsetting than if Marriott gave away status that took me 75 nights and at least $10K to earn (or that I spent a decade staying to get).

UA-NYC

Your response is quite ignorant. Diamond status is handed out for $450 (down to $0 with credits). Were you aware of that?

Kacee

The exclusion is for Koh Samui Residences, not the resort.