[Anonymous]

[SwissExPat]

I am a very frequent stayer at hiltons and am a diamond member for the last 3 years.

I noticed a new upgrade offering after making a booking. Quoting from the site…..

“Early Arrival Opportunity , 8am-12pm
By selecting this option, you may be able to check-in between 8am and 12pm if a room is available.
Enjoy the convenience of up to seven (7) additional hours in your room.
Unpack, relax, and then enjoy the splendors of the property.
Note: the standard check-in time is 3pm. If awarded, this request will be fulfilled upon arrival.”

This seems to me to be another rip off. In this case the price for this is euro 19.

Given that this is not a “guaranteed” ability to get into a room earlier than the usual 3pm, I am at a loss to see what this offer is designed to give the customer.

In the past, if a room was available, then they gave you the keys etc. I once got into my room at 0700hrs after getting off a red eye flight.

Is hilton now suggesting that they’ll tell me to come back at 3pm unless I pay the 19 euro?

[TominScotland]

This not unique to Hilton but is more common with mid-market/ budget brands such as Jury’s Inns. In the UK, they offer early check-in for £10.00. I guess its just doing what airlines are increasingly doing and charging for what used to be free!!

[pdtraveller]

I have moved all hotel stats to those who offer 25 hour access to a room. Not very common in the UK but service was never a strong point for hotels here. More common in Asia and it is a far fairer system how often is it that you checkin after midnight only to be cast out at noon.

Vote with your feet if you do not like this

[Swissdiver]

I would be happy to pay … if it was guaranteed! But for an option on something in most of the cases I got for free, I don’t see the point…

[dutchyankee]

I believe this will operate as their upgarde opportunity works now. When you book online you have an opportunity to upgrade your booking and will only know at time of checkin if your upgrade was granted. If it is granted you are charged, if it isnt, you are not charged. The early check in must be the same idea, if the room is given then you are charged, and if not, you will not be charged, it is the only way I can see this working. The only way to truly guarantee a room early in the morning is to make the booking for the night before arrival and ensure the hotel knows to check you in (otherwise you could go no-show, and if it is a full hotel then your room will be given to someone else and no early arrival).

[SwissExPat]

Yes, it operates just as DutchY says…. Hence seems to be completely. Pointless. Why pay for something when it should be free I.e the room is empty then if you arrive at 11am, you should get the keys.

I used to use the upgrade options but this seems pointless if you are diamond level since you usually get an upgrade for free.

[TominScotland]

SwissExPat – why should it be free? If it was, would you agree not to use any energy or water during the period before official check-in? After all, you are not paying for use of the room or its facilities.

Seems simple to me – you rent a facility, you pay for it. Maybe, more hotels should do what airside airport hotels do and charge in one or two hour blocks.

[dutchyankee]

@swissexpat, I do agree with you, however, as with all perks, they are based upon availability at the time of checkin so if all upgraded rooms are ‘purchased’ prior to arrival then Diamond or not, there will be no upgrade. Same holds true for early arrival. I suspect and would expect that anyone who has paid for the early checkin option will have the priority as rooms become available. It seems a cunning way to charge for the perks normally associated with status, and thereby limiting the actual availability of perks associated with such status. By paying in advance it is more of a guarantee of the benefit usually associated with your status level. I can see a number of elite level members getting pretty annoyed as their perks diminish due to non-status level or lower status level members buying these perks.

[wilson3]

I have been a Hilton Honors Diamond member for about 15 years and have never encountered any difficulty (or cost) with an upgrade or with early check in. Perhaps I am just lucky…………certainly Hilton and Starwood are consistently the best at looking after their premium members, in my opinion.

[dutchyankee]

I agree wilson3, but as these initiatives are rather new, only time will tell their impact, but for sure on properties with smaller inventory of suite or upgraded rooms there could be some disgruntled elite level travellers!

[LuganoPirate]

I always thought this was a perk for Gold/Diamond and I’ve never been refused access to the room just because i’ve arrived early though sometimes i’ve had to wait a short while until the room was prepared.

I see your point Tom but the fact is in my case I usually start to order services such as tea and coffee etc which brings revenue to the hotel. in fact if working in my room there’s a standing order with room service for fresh tea every hour till I go out. So i guess it’s 6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other!

[1nfrequent]

I think I’m right in saying Hyatt already do something similar and I’ve used it to pay for late check out in the past. It is annoying (especially for people without status who’re invited to pay for wireless access if a suitable room is available) but it seems to becoming standard in the industry.

1F

[Shearer]

Don’t really have any problem with this offer.

Check-in times is xx.xxhrs.
If you are there xx hours before and you want your room, why shouldn’t you pay for the early access?

[SimonS1]

I stay at the same hotel in Dubai every month. They recognise the custom and if I show up early they usually say “no problems Mr XXX”, we can give you an early check in.

All without trying to use it as a money maker.

Isn’t that what loyalty is about?

[Author]

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