Hotel points for incidentals only?
 

I am coming across this situation more frequently lately.

When I usually fly for businees, I pay for the hotel charges, both room rate and incidentals, with my company credit card [unfortunately, not an affinity card accruing miles/points -- http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif -- but I digfress]. Therefore -- no problem getting miles/points for the stay.

However, lately I have been travelling for clients who will pre-pay for the room rate to their corporate account. I use my CC for incidentals only. Therefore, the hotel bill with my name on it only contains those incidental charges (usually room service, phone charges).

In anyone's experience -- is it cool to ask for miles/point credit for these kinds of stayS? Or, if you submit the bill to the airline or hotel program, will you get miles/points???

Thanks


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Da DOK

As a Hilton HHonors member, I get Hilton HHonors points on incidentals only, even if I am on an awards stay. The points are based on the dollar amount which I have spent on a visit. Fewer dollars spent mean fewer points, but yes, I still get points. In addition, I even get credited the stays and nights towards elite status for the following year!

Different hotel programs may have different rules. I say go for it and ask. The worst that could happen is that you will be denied. What do you have to lose?

To which hotel program(s) are you referring, DaDOKin DC?

This idea sounds rather UN-cool to me. You are a third-party guest; the desk staff knows that; so will the hotel chain central office when they check any missing credits you might claim. Be content with your incidentals and look upon any "stay credits" you might acquire this way as good fortune.

I've never been up to get HHonors points on incidentals only on bookings made through a travel agent, prepaid, etc like that, only bookings made directly with hilton or award stays.

I don't book through expedia and sites like that, but ive seen pretty similiar rates and rate types to that on hilton.com, so i'm guessing those may allow incidentals and potentially even the cost of the booking even booked through a third party will qualify.

Thank you for that post, kawoh.

To clarify my earlier post, I book all of my Hilton hotel stays at the Hilton Internet web site, which includes Hampton Inns, Doubletree Hotels, and other Hilton Family properties.

Additionally, I have never had to ask for points to be awarded for my stays where I was charged for incidentals only.

Upon check in, just present them with your HH card and say "I want to make sure you have my HH account number on this hotel stay."

It does not matter whether you pay with cash, credit card or if the stay is prepaid, you get the points. The only exception would be if your client prepays your stay using hotels.com etc... and gets the Cheapo No-Points rate, in which case your out of luck on the points.

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AAdvantage Gold, Holiday Inn Platinum

On a related note, I recently stayed at the Washington Hilton on a Priceline bid. I tried to submit my HH card at check-in for incidentals. The desk clerk said they no longer allow credit for incidentals on Priceline stays. That seemed kind of foolish as I then purposefully didn't drink in the hotel bar or eat breakfast in the lobby restaurant.

You should STILL get credit for incidentals, though. Has held true for priceline and hotwire in the past at every property I've been to. I just make sure to hand them my HHonors card with my credit card at check-in and they seem to know what to do with it.

I guess I was not very clear in my original post. I realize that I would be eligible for points for incidentals, since I am paying for them.

What I meant to ask was: would I be eligible to get AIRLINE credit for a hotel stay when a 3rd party is paying the room rate, and therefore the room rate does not show up on my hotel bill.

To Point Scrounger -- I have not tried to 'game the sysem'. In fact, I have not applied for credit yet because I have been unsure I would be eligible. My question was purely out of ignorance.

To Canarsie -- I belong to SPG and HHonors. I realize I could just apply for credit, and if I get turned down, so be it. But I was wondering if it was even worth it to try, if it was clear to those more experienced FT'ers that airline miles would not be credited.

Thanks for all for weighing in.



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Da DOK

Didn't mean to sound so harsh. I meant that it appeared to me that your room info was flagged against credit in the system - "third party" status. My guess is that the airline miles either already went to the client or there was a negotiated rate too low to qualify as any kind of a "stay"; the latter (more likely, IMHO) case would quash any points for incidentals you might have charged.

Edited to suggest claiming the airline miles, if only to clarify the situation in future.

[This message has been edited by Points Scrounger (edited 10-13-2003).]

thanks for the input.
I had not thought about the negotiated rate issue.


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Da DOK

Neither Marriott nor Starwood will give miles or credit for nights when the room is billed to a master account, even if I pay the incidentals. I've sent both letters recently trying to get credit for the nights, and the response is NADA.

My experience is:
HHonors - yes three times.
Marriott - yes once, no once.

Thanks to all for weighing in
I just was not sure how to handle this particular situation.