REMINDER - Book HHonors 2010 stays before Jan 15 devaluation

REMINDER - Book your 2010 HHonors Rewards stay before Jan 15

HHonors Reward categories have been updated along with point redemption rates effective January 15, 2010.

You can make reservations at the current levels if booked by January 14, 2010. However if you need to make a change to your reservation after January 14, 2010 the new redemption rates will apply. VIP Rewards for Silver, Gold and Diamond VIP members changed - point redemption rates updated & 4-and 5-night VIP rewards added.

Current Standard Reward Level (now through Jan 14) - http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/rewards/freenight.do
Current VIP Award Level (now through Jan 14) - http://hhonors1.hilton.com/ts/en_US/hh/media/pdf/AVIPOnlyRewardsChart09.pdf

New Standard Reward Level (effective Jan 15) - http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/2010Reward/index.do
New VIP Award Level (effective Jan 15) - http://www.hilton.com/en/promotions/media/PDF/2010RewardChart_V1_9-25-2009.pdf (if link doesn't work see table on this website for new VIP levels http://members.aceweb.com/larryu/files/2010RewardChart_V1_9-25-2009.pdf)

NOTE:
(1) New hotel categories will be posted on Jan 15. There is an interim thread on Flyertalk to note the hotels changing categories that have been confirmed by HHonors - see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilt...-posting-hotel-category-changes-you-know.html
(2) I haven't read anything about changes to the AMEX AXON5 (Category 5) or AXON6 (Category 6) Reward levels. These exclusive 4 night award codes for Hilton HHonors AMEX Cardmembers currently saves 15,000 points.

TIP: If you book before the HHonors change, make sure you verify the new hotel category after Jan 14.
Some hotels will increase by 1 or more hotel categories and some will remain the same but some will actually decrease by one or more hotel categories. If the hotel you booked before Jan 15 did not increased significantly based on the combined 2010 changes then there really isn't any urgency to take a HHonors reward trip (until the next HHonors change announcement is made).

Keep in mind, even though the HHonors website states, "for the first time in six years, we do have an update to point redemption amounts..." Hilton HHonors has changed their hotel categories within those last six years which has impacted the number of HHonors points required for an award stay.

Good Luck

I'd like to know if anyone has a "special" destination they plan to book, B4 the price increase?
One fellow said awhile back that he would be going to Costa Rica next Winter.
So, if you're going to get in under the wire, where will you go?

This is a good reminder, thank you. I usually use HHonor points to book park & fly stays prior to our vacations. This is the "kick in the pants" reminder that I need right now.

Thanks for posting. I'm almost running out of time. I currently have over 397K points but I'm only a Silver member. I do have a Hilton HHonors AMEX so I guess I qualify for the AXON5 or AXON6 awards. Any good idea? I was thinking of going to Tahiti but that probably won't happen this year. Now I'm thinking about booking somewhere closer (US or Mexico) for a short stay...

We're kicking around a week in Washington DC. So much to do...

UPDATED 1st post

Added TIP to first post and updated alternate link

We had originally planned to go to Costa Rica with our HHonors redemption but changed our minds. My wife wanted to visit a friend in New York City and she was upset with me because we did not do anything other than stay at home this New Year. She was telling me that she was mad because I did not even want to stay up and watch the Time Square ball move down with her on TV. Therefore, I took out a GLON6 for 175,000 HHonors points to spend the week of New Year 2011 at the Hilton Time Square. This would normally cost $641 per night before tax. We also booked a two day stay at the Roosevelt ( Waldorf Collection) in New Orleans for two nights in April 2010 to attend a birthday party for my wife's cousin for 80,000 HHonors points. That is normally $349 per night.

This is a great post, thanks, I'd already set a calendar post to make sure I'd booked Rangali island at the old rates! We'd have lost 2 days !!!

Ugh -- Rome Cavaleri Hasn't Cleared Rewards

Just tried to book a trip to the Rome Cavaleri using our HHonors points before the devaluation. Called HHonors to schedule the trip (for October 2010), only to find out that the Cavaleri hasn't cleared any inventory for rewards stays. Seems like they are waiting for after January 14th. How nice of them. :annoyed:

judgerey said:

Just tried to book a trip to the Rome Cavaleri using our HHonors points before the devaluation. Called HHonors to schedule the trip (for October 2010), only to find out that the Cavaleri hasn't cleared any inventory for rewards stays. Seems like they are waiting for after January 14th. How nice of them. :annoyed:

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I just tried it online. I'm able to see award availability online for the entire year.

Just login and request reward availability for Rome, Italy for any date then select "View Availability Calendar" to see award availability for the entire year.

AlwayonVac is right again as usual. I booked both of my recent HHonors redemptions online. First sign into your HHonors account online. Then go to your account and click on Book A Reward. Then click on the directions that say, "More search options..."

Once your are there select your location and be sure to enter your dates and your reward code. This may be found near the bottom of the page. The Waldorf collection may be booked for redemptions just as easily as the other Hilton brands.

A quick question: if I book something but then can not go, would I lose the reservation and points, or could I at least get my points back?

alwysonvac said:

I just tried it online. I'm able to see award availability online for the entire year.

Just login and request reward availability for Rome, Italy for any date then select "View Availability Calendar" to see award availability for the entire year.

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As we say in Brooklyn, "Dude!" Thanks. It's working, although not as much availability as I'd hoped.

judgerey said:

As we say in Brooklyn, "Dude!" Thanks. It's working, although not as much availability as I'd hoped.

Click to expand...

You're welcome
However, for some reason I'm not seeing the VIP Waldorf Astoria Collection award codes on the dropdown list so we may have to call when we want the VIP Waldorf Astoria Collection award vs the Standard Waldorf Astoria Collection award.

NOTE: You can book the HHonors VIP awards online only if you sign in via the VIP award page - http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/VIPOnly/index.do (click on "Go to Search" and it brings up the Sign On Page. This will add the VIP GLON series to the dropdown list of award codes.) It seems for the Waldorf Astoria Collection, we can only book the standard awards online (not the VIP awards).

alwysonvac said:

You're welcome
However, for some reason I'm not seeing the VIP Waldorf Astoria Collection award codes on the dropdown list so we may have to call when we want the VIP Waldorf Astoria Collection award vs the Standard Waldorf Astoria Collection award.

NOTE: You can book the HHonors VIP awards online only if you sign in via the VIP award page - http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/landing/VIPOnly/index.do (click on "Go to Search" and it brings up the Sign On Page. This will add the VIP GLON series to the dropdown list of award codes.) It seems for the Waldorf Astoria Collection, we can only book the standard awards online (not the VIP awards).

Click to expand...

Yup. Found that out too. Still trying. Will let you know when and if I'm successful. I have 320,000 pts and would like to get a 7 night stay with a VIP award. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

dmbrand said:

This is a good reminder, thank you. I usually use HHonor points to book park & fly stays prior to our vacations. This is the "kick in the pants" reminder that I need right now.

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How do you do that? Those part and fly packages have never showed up when I search for rewards online; I can only see standard rooms.

LisaH said:

A quick question: if I book something but then can not go, would I lose the reservation and points, or could I at least get my points back?

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I've done this before in the past and have always gotten my points back when I canceled the award reservation. They expire only if you don't maintain points activity in your account for some period of time, which I think is one year (or thereabouts). I don't know if that procedure will change now, though.

POST DELETED...same basic answer Amy provided a minute earllier

Thanks! I have nothing to lose then by making the reservations before Jan 15.
Amy, good to see you on this board again!

judgerey said:

It's working, although not as much availability as I'd hoped.

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It doesn't look too bad for Oct 2010.

Based on your post, I'm assuming you're looking to book an October 2010 stay at the Rome Cavalieri. Based on the HHonors Availability Calendar, only one night (Oct 10) is unavailable so any seven night stay that includes a stay on Oct 10 is not available. The calendar is showing that you can check-in any day in Oct for seven consecutive nights (except check-in dates that begin on the 4th thru 10th since they include the one night in October that is not available). If you really wanted to travel in the first two weeks you can choose a check-in date of either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or the 11th.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you

Looking at the new Going Global awards, I note that the major change, aside from point-creep, are awards for 4 or 5 nights. I wonder if, going forward, this isn't meant to supplant the AXON awards. Although AXON was not as favorable as GLON, it did have the advantage of booking fewer than 6N.

There are no going global rewards at most of the Waldorf Collection that I am aware of. You book the reward by the number of days. Another option to book the reward online is to go to the Waldorf Collection and pull up the indiviudual hotel you want. You can book a reward online that way as well.

I have previous described how to get into the VIP rewards page with my previous post.

pianodinosaur said:

There are no going global rewards at most of the Waldorf Collection that I am aware of.

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See the VIP link under the 1st post.

For example, the Rome Cavalieri for 6 nights during high season is
- 360,000 HHonors points using the Standard Award Code WRH1N
- 265,000 HHonore points using the VIP Award Code WRVH6

I appreciate the reminders on this thread. I just booked a 4 night reward stay over Labor Day weekend at the Doubletree Times Square. As a Hilton Amex cardmember I was able to get it for 125k points using AXON5. A very good deal given that it is moving up to category 7 on Jan 15. It took 3 calls to HHonors as the reps were not familiar with the 4 night AXON certificate. Someone finally found it and explained that it had to be booked through the Diamond HHonors desk.

I have a week booked at the DoubleTree Suites Times Square NYC in June, I think I will make a couple more reservations just in case. They are always cancellable. I'm thinking about the Hilton Whistler Resort in Canada in March for starters... (the Intrawest is booked for the week I want now; I will keep checking availability closer in).