V-Flyer

Eligibility for all on-property HHonors benefits, including complimentary Internet and MyWay benefits such as complimentary snacks and beverages, complimentary continental breakfast and space-available upgrades, requires a confirmed reservation made through one of the following channels:

Any official direct Hilton Worldwide hotel brand or HHonors website (for example, HHonors.com, Hilton.com, Hampton.com, etc.), Hilton Reservations & Customer Care phone line (1-800-HHonors or local Hilton reservations office), Hilton HHonors or Hilton mobile application, Directly at a hotel in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, or Through an IATA accredited retail travel agent professional (“Travel Agent”) booking through a Hilton Worldwide channel or the following Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan and S

On-property benefits are not awarded in the following circumstances:

Reservations booked through a non-Hilton Worldwide-direct booking channel or a non-designated GDS, third party website or any other channel, Rates available on “opaque” websites where the hotel brand and specific hotel are not known until the booking is made, or Third party hotel packages or travel packages not booked through one of the eligible channels.

This is from 4th June 2015

So.... Is Expedia a 'Tarvel Agent' or a 3rd Party?

Slipperman wrote-

So.... Is Expedia a 'Tarvel Agent' or a 3rd Party?

We have booked with Expedia before and not had the nights and points given for our stay.

Slipperman wrote:So.... Is Expedia a 'Tarvel Agent' or a 3rd Party?

Expedia is a member of IATA (well certainly the .co.uk site is) so it should be ok.

As it says in the last paragraph '3rd party' means sites like hotwire, price line and expedia secret deals where you don't book an actual hotel but a hotel in a general area i.e. you don't pick the hotel yourself.

On my last trip to NYC in 2013 I'd booked an expedia secret deal and there was some paperwork at the reception desk that had guests listed under the various categories and my name was on the 'secret deal' page which happened to be the one visible.

I don't think I was supposed to see it just the receptionist was being trained and I was their first guest in that category and the trainer was pointing out various things to them.

Everytime I have booked through Expedia or Booking.com I have never got any points or benefits. You pays your money and takes the choice cheaper rates or benefits?

It's pretty much the same for all the hotel chains isn't it?

I know with IHG and SPG, if you book via a third party, they do still let you add your number to the booking when you check-in but it comes up on your account as a non-qualifying stay, though you do still get the points for any extra spend charged to the room (mini bar, restaurant, bar spend etc)

It will be interesting to see what happens in a few when when I check into the Palazzo in Vegas again as this time I've booked via a 3rd party (Low Cost Holidays as it's was way cheaper plus they offer cutback via Quidco) but hopefully they will still let me check-in using the VIP desk with my IHG Ambassador card (The Palazzo/Venetian is an InterContinental property)

mitchja wrote:It's pretty much the same for all the hotel chains isn't it?

I know with IHG and SPG, if you book via a third party, they do still let you add your number to the booking when you check-in but it comes up on your account as a non-qualifying stay, though you do still get the points for any extra spend charged to the room (mini bar, restaurant, bar spend etc)

It will be interesting to see what happens in a few when when I check into the Palazzo in Vegas again as this time I've booked via a 3rd party (Low Cost Holidays as it's was way cheaper plus they offer cutback via Quidco) but hopefully they will still let me check-in using the VIP desk with my IHG Ambassador card (The Palazzo/Venetian is an InterContinental property)

Hi James.

Does IHG status offer anything at the Palazzo? It's a hotel we like to stay at so would be interested if that loyalty scheme offers anything?

This has been the way ever since I started being a hilton member. Otherwise I'd be getting the free nights from hotels.com and the benefits of being gold from Hilton (I don't value their points much).

Slipperman

I don't think standard Priority Club offers anything much other than the points and stay status. With it being an InterContinental property though, you do get all the usual Ambassador perks there (room upgrades; though last time I was there I just got a strip view suite, fruit & water delivered to your room, VIP check-in, late check-out etc).

mitchja wrote:Slipperman

I don't think standard Priority Club offers anything much other than the points and stay status. With it being an InterContinental property though, you do get all the usual Ambassador perks there (room upgrades; though last time I was there I just got a strip view suite, fruit & water delivered to your room, VIP check-in, late check-out etc).

Thanks James.

Expedia when it comes to hotels are a wholesaler, so I would not expect points and privileges. They extract anything from 15% to 25% commission for each booking. I think this is Hiltons way of encouraging people to side step Expedia.

I have missed out on points because I used booking.com etc. but you pays your money you takes your choice.

If having status with a particular chain with the associated perks that entails matters, the simple rule is book directly with that chain.

Me? A hotel room is a hotel room frankly. As long as it's comfortable and clean I don't care how big it is, what floor it's on, what the view's like or whether the tiny bottle of shampoo cost them 5p or 6p. So I book with hotels.com or ebookers who still give me lots of cashback, air miles or free nights while also giving me a much better choice of hotels than one brand ever could.

Not getting benefits when booking via atThird party is par for the course. And I don't blame the hotels for doing this.

I have no real loyalty to any hotel brand- they all have good and bad hotels, so it is the individual hotel that is important to me, not the chain per se. In fact I much prefer independent boutique hotels.

However, I am a fan of Sofitel. I have Platinum status with them and they DO honour the benefots even when I book with third parties, though do not credit loyalty points. They also do good discount promotions from time to time so I often book direct with them anyway.

Recently I have used Rocketmiles, Kaligo and others who are offereing good airmiles rewards with bookings, but their rates are frequently more expendive than other third parties or even booking direct with the hotel.

Does the room upgrade with Hhonors gold basically mean they put you in an exec room? Or is the complimentary breakfast taken in the main restaurant rather than the exec lounge?

abraxias wrote -

Does the room upgrade with Hhonors gold basically mean they put you in an exec room? Or is the complimentary breakfast taken in the main restaurant rather than the exec lounge?

The upgrade is supposed to be the next category up from the room you have booked, if space is available, however they seem to do their best to give golds an executive room.
The breakfast is supposed to be taken in the exec lounge but being HH diamond members we are often given the choice of the lounge or main restaurant for breakfast, if the room rate does not include breakfast.

Daffodil wrote:abraxias wrote -

Does the room upgrade with Hhonors gold basically mean they put you in an exec room? Or is the complimentary breakfast taken in the main restaurant rather than the exec lounge?

The upgrade is supposed to be the next category up from the room you have booked, if space is available, however they seem to do their best to give golds an executive room.
The breakfast is supposed to be taken in the exec lounge but being HH diamond members we are often given the choice of the lounge or main restaurant for breakfast, if the room rate does not include breakfast.

y) as HH Diamond we always eat breakfast in the main restaurant.

Gold gets you a continental breakfast, but I have been given the full breakfast in the restaurant.

Interesting difference between Hilton and Club Carlson chains is that if you get upgraded to "Business Class" room in a Radisson hotel, you often don't get the lounge. Of course, with Hilton the room is pretty much the same as standard, so the lounge is the difference...

I'm HH Diamond & have never not been upgraded to an Exec room. Stayed at the Hilton Tower Bridge recently & booked a second room for a friend - he got upgraded too. The array of food options in the lounge in the evening was incredible, I'm sure some people must have their 'dinner' for free in the lounge! We had a table booked elsewhere was stuck to snacks (and copious G&T's)!

I have Hilton Gold , never had a room upgrade in all my time except when I asked for it specifically at Hilton Newcastle when I showed him they had availability on their website . Never had a problem eating my free continental sorry fully breakfast at any of our stays y) even when I book 2 rooms on my gold number.

I have to admit I always use the hotel website as they usually always have the cheapest rates and over on HFP you can always pick up a good discount code

Vegascrazy wrote:I'm HH Diamond & have never not been upgraded to an Exec room. Stayed at the Hilton Tower Bridge recently & booked a second room for a friend - he got upgraded too. The array of food options in the lounge in the evening was incredible, I'm sure some people must have their 'dinner' for free in the lounge! We had a table booked elsewhere was stuck to snacks (and copious G&T's)!

I have the same status - and have for a decade - find that most times I do not get upgraded in terms of room, but always get Lounge access and a welcome gift where appropriate.

We too are fans of the food offerings at the Tower Bridge lounge. It's our pied a terre if we stay after a matinee, and we have sometimes had to give up on evening plans after a less than disciplined approach to the lounge. Last time we were there we buddied up with a Welsh version of the posh couple from Gogglebox and had great fun.

One of the big pluses of the Hhonors scheme in the UK is reward stays count toward your status.

Neil wrote: y) as HH Diamond we always eat breakfast in the main restaurant.

I take it on a case by case basis. Sometimes the main restaurant - Warsaw a recent example - is too manic and I take refuge in the Exec lounge and stick to a bacon roll.

Hmmmmmm just had a very interesting experience whilst checking into the Palazzo here in Vegas. I'd made the booking this time via Low Cost Holidays as it was considerably cheaper booking through them (I've tried and failed before with the IHG price match guarantee thing they offer) so I just presumed there would be none of the usual InterContinental Ambassador / IHG privileges...seems I was wrong!!!

I'd already planned on using the VIP check-in by just flashing my Ambassador card (the standard check-in line was long as usual!!!)...well along with that, I also received the complimentary room/suite upgrade (strip facing suite with this being Vegas), the option of a late check-out (which I don't need as my UA flight departs at 11:29), a free in-room film and also I received the complimentary in-suite water and fruit bowl

I guess the only thing I'm probably not going to get are the points and stay status, but hey I'm not complaining