Instant Hilton HHonors GOLD
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at 01:45 by SimonRowberry.
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LeTigreParticipantHi All,
After giving you all instant A Club platinum a while ago, here is another great offer, a la Australian Business Traveller:
http://www.ausbt.com.au/insider-tip-score-free-hilton-hhonors-gold-elite-status
Follow the instructions carefully.
It only works with Australian addresses though, so in order to get it, you must first change your address to an Australian one in your HHonors account settings, and after getting the status simply change it back. If it you need an address just search a company with offices in Australia (HSBC, MCDonalds, etc.) and put that address in.
Perks include free upgrades, breakfast, wifi and club access.
Hope it helps!
25 Jan 2012
at 11:54
SimonRowberryParticipantWith offers like this, I wonder why I actually bothered EARNING HH Gold Status……
Offers like this devalue the status IMHO, especially given that Lounge Access is only permitted for Gold Members if they are upgraded to an Exec Room. This is at check-in only and it mightily p+sses me off that nowadays it is so hard to get an upgrade to Exec that I almost always end up booking an Exec Room in the first place.
Offers like this increase pressure on space-available upgrades and, as I say, devalue the whole programme, especially for those who legitimately earn Gold or Diamond, rather than have it given to them gratis.
Sorry to grumble, but as I’ve posted before, HHonors has become far less generous (in practical terms) over the last few years, since Hilton was bought out by Blackstone Private Equity.
Cheers, Simon
25 Jan 2012
at 15:13
LeTigreParticipantI anticipate that this loophole will close shortly. While it does devalue the brand, it is great for most customers!
As for HHonors Gold, while it is arguably less generous than it used to be, it is still head and shoulders above the poor IHG equivalent offering which, in my opinion, deserves to be called ‘Bronze’, because it is so valueless.
25 Jan 2012
at 15:22
TominScotlandParticipantThanks, Hengli123 for this lead. I have just switched my address to Brisbane and am now HHonors Gold. As I have a 6 night stay in a Hilton Down under in a couple of weeks time, even if the upgrade does not work out, the free wifi is worth a considerable amount in itself.
25 Jan 2012
at 16:00
SimonRowberryParticipantHi Hengli,
Glad you agree that it devalues the brand – I’m not sure I’d agree that it is “great for most customers” however! I don’t think it’s at all good for those who have a long-term loyalty to the brand.
I would agree that HH beats the hell out of IHG on a benefit level.
In terms of “arguably less generous than it used to be” I would point out the following changes in the HH programme since Blackstone took over:
1 Gold members now no longer have an automatic right to use the Lounge – it depends on whether the room is upgraded. Upgrades are now much harder to get (even for Diamonds) because of the e-upgrade programme, where anyone can elect to pay for an upgrade at a substantial discount over the regular room type rate
2 The 12-month rolling renewal programme was ditched in favour of a 12-month calendar year – “in response to member demand” they said (that is b+llocks, as it cannot benefit any member, compared to a constantly rolling qualification period – it just makes the programme cheaper to administer and reduces the number of elite members)
3 The points required for reward nights has increased massively and seems now to be more destination-based than based on the standard of the hotel. If you look at London reward levels, you’ll see what I mean, as there is little difference in the points required for, say, The Trafalgar at one end of the spectrum and the Hilton Olympia at the other!
All the best, Simon
25 Jan 2012
at 16:01
SimonRowberryParticipantTom,
Yes, I fully agree – the free wifi is one of the few new benefits, and is one that is not “subject to availability” (which for Hilton usually means “whether there is someone else who is actually willing to pay for what we would otherwise give you on a complementary basis, like an Exec Room or other upgrade”).
Simon
25 Jan 2012
at 16:03
LeTigreParticipantJust to point out to you both (Simon and Tom) that the free internet does not necessarily mean wifi but also refers to in-room internet (wired Ethernet connections) as well. I apologise for not writing it clearly the first time.
As for your other comments, SimonRowberry, I can agree that the benefits have been devalued substantially. However, this follows the general trend in the market (also seen in the increasingly rubbish FF schemes). I actually like the upgrades, breakfast and internet more than free rooms because you can get those benefits all the time and save more in the long run. The free breakfast is for you plus a guest so that’s quite good (I think) as well.
25 Jan 2012
at 16:21
SimonRowberryParticipantHengli,
Good point – I’d forgotten about the free brekkie!
Simon
25 Jan 2012
at 16:27
SimonRowberryParticipantPS The internet access alone (which, thankfully is becoming increasingly wifi-based rather than ethernet) is a big money saver.
I was at the Conrad in Dublin a few days ago and I think the 24-hour internet rate was somewhere between €25 and €30. I also had a room-only rate, so the free brekkie (in the restaurant) probably saved me a similar amount. I’d booked a suite, so didn’t have an upgrade (and there’s no Exec Floor there anyway). But those two benefits were worth up to €60 on one night alone.
Where the benefits also become less tangible (apart from internet and b’fast) are in many of the UK hotels that were formerly Stakis or Hilton National properties. There is much less recognition of status there when it comes to upgrades etc than in the “real” UK Hilton hotels and in Europe in general.
I should point out that these positive points do not detract from my three critical points listed in an earlier post….. 😉
Simon
25 Jan 2012
at 16:34
LeTigreParticipantIf you don’t take breakfast as part of HHonors, you get 1000 points bonus.
Also, you get gifts depending on the brand (not core Hilton hotels) of bottles of water, cookies, sweets, chocolates, etc.
Each property has varying extra bonuses as well, from 100 to 1000 points.
Often these small things make a big difference to customer service.
25 Jan 2012
at 17:22
LuganoPirateParticipantThanks Hengli, but you also have to book a room as well to get the benefit and only enjoy the Gold upgrade after your stay. You would probably have to keep your “Australian” address until then. Problem is your credit card info will then not match the address and of course the phone numbers on your profile will out of kilter so to speak.
The profile does allow you to add two additional addresses but the Aussie one has to be the principal one.
I gave up at that point and changed it back to my Swiss address.
I understand the points about the HH Gold being devalued, but I stopped using Hilton after I lost my Gold status. I was one night short by the year end date and went to Silver. Lost the upgrades and other benefits of Gold.
I then received a free elite memebrship to LHW and have remained faithful to them ever since, so I can understand Hilton making this type of promotion as an incentive to get people staying with them.
25 Jan 2012
at 18:44
TominScotlandParticipantLugano, not quite as complicated as you suggest. It was very straightforward when i did it. The credit card number you give is the one provided on the Oz Business Traveller page, not your own. No cross checking of addresses. As I said, i am going to be there in a couple of weeks and will then probably change my address back on my return.
25 Jan 2012
at 18:53 -
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