Hilton hotel reservation using HGVC points

[biswassb]

I just wanted to let all HGVC owners know that if you use your HGVC points to book a Hilton hotel, HGVC gives you only 20 HHONORS points per HGVC points. It is no longer 23 HHONORS points per HGVC point for direct Hilton hotel reservation.

 

[bentlew]

Hotel Points

It is 23 hotel points per HGVC point if you convert all of your HGVC points by 12/31 in the previous year. If you use some of the points during the year to convert to hotel points, it is 20. It has been this way for years.

 

[Bourne]

I used one for the Labor day weekend and it was 23 HH pts per clubpoint.

 

[CaliDave]

Biswassb is right..

If you use the club points to book hotel rooms you get 20-1, if you convert by 12/31 you get 23-1 ...
neither is a very good deal.. unless you are booking one of the few hotels that are top dollar. Rome, etc..

 

[Seth Nock]

If you book for one of the 6 night going global awards, it is 23 for 1. It can be worth trading for points depending on what hotels you plan to book. With the value of the $, it can make sense to book many of the European hotels for the 6 nights, many of which would cost you between $2000 and $8000 for the 6 nights (about 7600 timeshare points). I have also used it for level 1 hotels (about 440 timeshare points). The hotels I stayed at would have been about $139 + tax per night. This would allow 11 nights for a 5000 point unit or 16 nights for a 7000 point unit.

 

[biswassb]

If you book for one of the 6 night going global awards, it is 23 for 1. It can be worth trading for points depending on what hotels you plan to book. With the value of the $, it can make sense to book many of the European hotels for the 6 nights, many of which would cost you between $2000 and $8000 for the 6 nights (about 7600 timeshare points). I have also used it for level 1 hotels (about 440 timeshare points). The hotels I stayed at would have been about $139 + tax per night. This would allow 11 nights for a 5000 point unit or 16 nights for a 7000 point unit.

First, you cannot book anything less than level four. In many hot areas like Manhattan, they could not find me a level four. Like many HGVC rules, in theory many things are possible, but in reality these are not. HGVC agent specifically told me that her computer does not show anything less than level four Hilton. That said, once the HGVC points are converted to HHONORS points, you can book lower levels. However, that requires conversion of the points one year in advance or you can convert 2007 points now but not 2006 points. Second, in Manhattan, HGVC could only find me two nights in Hilton for 4400 HGVC points. At London Heathrow stopover, I could get one night in Hilton-Heathrow for 40000 hhonors points or 2000 HGVC points. I could get a comparable Premier Travel Inn-Heathrow for about 50 pounds or $100 or Marriott-Heathrow for $150. they are all in Bath road close to each other.

If there is a special category called "global awards", HGVC desk should have offered me that. I never heard that one before. No where in printed material or website, HGVC makes the owners aware that if you use clubpoints for hotel reservation you get 20:1 conversion rate in addition to $49 reservation fee for even one night or the point that only level four or higher hotel reservation using club points has to be done. Over the years, I heard so many wonderful things about the HHONORS points option for HGVC owners and get 23:1 conversion rate. Even when I mad ethe reservation I was not told that I was getting 20:1 conversion rate. It is after I got the reservation confirmation, I noticed something. I called and asked them then they said: well that is the way it works. There could be rules that we may not like. But it needs to be stated upfront in the website or printed material.

In summary, if you have leftover points that is about to expire, one has very little choice. At least, HGVC should have given owners 23:1 conversion because owners are paying $49 fee for the reservation any way. It is simply penny pinching low-class corporate greed.

I would also like to make it clear that I believe TUG is the forum to make owners aware of hidden rules and regulations involving time sharing and my goal is simply to do so about HGVC.

 

[alwysonvac]

Yikes, let's not kill the messenger that shares helpful tips...It's great to know that you can still get the 23 to1 conversion rate for the HHONORS VIP Rewards booking directly thru HGVClub.

I agree, I can't find where the HGVC conversion rules are stated for Hilton hotel reservation made via HGVClub. HGVC should provide this information in the Member's Guide and online at the member's only site.

I also agree, if you have leftover points that are about to expire, one will have very limited options. That's why it pays to plan ahead. If one is not sure before the end of 2006, how they're going to use all of their 2007 points, it might make sense to pay the extra fee to bank their 2007 points to 2008 (Note: you have to do this before the end of 2006). HGVC doesn't prevent anyone from using banked 2008 points for the a 2007 reservation. I actually do this all of the time just in case I need to cancel for some unexpected reason, the points are returned to the future year.

Hilton's reward system is no different than any other reward hotel system. It costs more reward points for better hotels and/or popular destinations. There is limited reward availability which is why HGVC states to book hotel stays on points earlier in the year. Hilton.com has made updates this year making online reward search a little easier (need to login into your HHONORS account to see this new feature)

To learn about the Hotel Reward program you need to go to the Hilton HHonors website (www.hhonors.com)

The VIP Only Reward Program is where you can find information about the Going Global Award - see http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/vip.jhtml The VIP rewards are available to all HGVC member since we're given Silver VIP status.

What is very frustating is that HHONORS doesn't provide an easy method of viewing all hotel categories in a given location. The folks on the flyertalk boards try to maintain a list - see http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462405 (click on listing by redemption category).

 

[biswassb]

Yikes, let's not kill the messenger that shares helpful tips...It's great to know that you can still get the 23 to1 conversion rate for the HHONORS VIP Rewards booking directly thru HGVClub.

What is very frustating is that HHONORS doesn't provide an easy method of viewing all hotel categories in a given location. The folks on the flyertalk boards try to maintain a list - see http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462405 (click on listing by redemption category).

Again, this is partly misinformation. You cannot do "HHONORS VIP rewards" booking directly through HGVClub at all. You have to first convert your HGVC points to HHONORS points one year ahead through HGVclub; then you have to migrate to hhonors.com to get any rewards. But you will not have that option with current year HGVC points like 2006 points that will expire this year. Only choice will be to use the HGVC points to book hotel by paying $49 and receiving 20:1 conversion rate. HGVC is not going to tell that upfront except that is going to happen to you.

When I was hotel searching, hhonors.com gave me detailed information on each Hilton hotel in Manhattan as well as hotels around Heathrow airport and the number of hhonors points needed per night.

 

[alwysonvac]

Again, this is partly misinformation. You cannot do "HHONORS VIP rewards" booking directly through HGVClub at all. You have to first convert your HGVC points to HHONORS points one year ahead through HGVclub; then you have to migrate to hhonors.com to get any rewards. But you will not have that option with current year HGVC points like 2006 points that will expire this year. Only choice will be to use the HGVC points to book hotel by paying $49 and receiving 20:1 conversion rate. HGVC is not going to tell that upfront except that is going to happen to you.

Members have always been able to book VIP hotel rewards directly through the HGVClub. I don't think this has changed.
According to my records, I used my 2005 points for a 2005 Going Global VIP reward and I received the 23:1 conversion without converting the points a year ahead. I'm guessing you probably got the 20:1 conversion rate since you chose the standard hotel reward options vs the VIP hotel reward options. I could be wrong but I think the 23:1 conversion rate only applies to VIP hotel reward bookings.

 

[gshipley]

Again, this is partly misinformation. You cannot do "HHONORS VIP rewards" booking directly through HGVClub at all.

I had a quck chuckle over this as you just provided some misinformation. You can absolutely book VIP rewards through HGVC. I did it 6 months ago.

 

[korndoc]

I just went to the sales talk for the new facility on the Big Island yesterday. This was my first introduction to Hilton and the Hilton points program, having spent most of my time learning about the Marriott system. If you bought Marriott at retail and traded your unit in for Marriott points, you would need to trade your ts twice to equal a top flight hotel in Paris or Rome.

On the other hand, I was intrigued by the salesperson's explanation that if I bought an 8400 point ts in Hawaii, I could trade 1:1 for a grade 6 hotel in Paris or Rome and have some points left over. He multiplied the 8400 points by 23 to equal 193,200 Hilton Honors points, which would equal MORE than enough for a category 6 hotel, which he told me would cost 175,000 Hilton Honors Points. I was impressed by the flexibility and the liberal exchange for the Hilton Points. Of course, he also told me it was very easy to use the Hilton Honors points to get into some of these expensive hotels.

However, I just got off the Hilton.com web site where I looked up several hotels in New York and Paris (such as the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris hotel). These were all category 6 Hilton Honors Points hotels and the web site listed them as requiring 40,000 Hilton Honors points per night. This would equal 280,000 points for the week. This is far more than the 175,000 points the salesman said I would need for a category 6 hotel.

What gives?

Jeff

 

[CaliDave]

Hilton Honors has VIP rewards.. which as an HGVC owner you would be. For a 6 night stay they are
150K points for cat 5 hotel and 175K points for a Cat 6. If you have the Hitlon Amex, you can get 4 nights in a Cat 6 for 125K points.

 

[biswassb]

I had a quck chuckle over this as you just provided some misinformation. You can absolutely book VIP rewards through HGVC. I did it 6 months ago.

gshipley: Didn't you also have lunch with King Elvis yesterday? Your above statement is not misinformation, it is pure bologna. I called HGVC and talked to Paula and asked about booking VIP rewards. She told me that it is with HHONORS system, so I have to call and talk to them. She also added that I should ask them whether they can use HGVC points directly for making VIP reward booking.

caliDave: I have Hilton American Express. I will call and try to book Hilton Heathrow through them. Thanks.

 

[biswassb]

I checked HHONORS by telephone. The choices for category 6 are as follows:

1. one to four nights: 40000 points per night with or without Hilton Amex.
2. six nights consecutively in the same hotel: 175,000 points.

 

[alwysonvac]

I just went to the sales talk for the new facility on the Big Island yesterday. This was my first introduction to Hilton and the Hilton points program, having spent most of my time learning about the Marriott system. If you bought Marriott at retail and traded your unit in for Marriott points, you would need to trade your ts twice to equal a top flight hotel in Paris or Rome.

On the other hand, I was intrigued by the salesperson's explanation that if I bought an 8400 point ts in Hawaii, I could trade 1:1 for a grade 6 hotel in Paris or Rome and have some points left over. He multiplied the 8400 points by 23 to equal 193,200 Hilton Honors points, which would equal MORE than enough for a category 6 hotel, which he told me would cost 175,000 Hilton Honors Points. I was impressed by the flexibility and the liberal exchange for the Hilton Points. Of course, he also told me it was very easy to use the Hilton Honors points to get into some of these expensive hotels.

However, I just got off the Hilton.com web site where I looked up several hotels in New York and Paris (such as the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris hotel). These were all category 6 Hilton Honors Points hotels and the web site listed them as requiring 40,000 Hilton Honors points per night. This would equal 280,000 points for the week. This is far more than the 175,000 points the salesman said I would need for a category 6 hotel.

What gives?

Jeff

Just find 6 consecutive nights then call either HHONORS or HGVClub to reserve the nights using the VIP reward. I normally reserve the reward stay via the HHONORS desk since they have more experience in booking this type of reward request. If all of your points are in your HHONORS account then request the award certificate from the HHONORS desk at no charge. However if you are using HGVClub points or a combination of both, then you must call the HGVClub desk to obtain the award certificate and pay their service charge fee.

 

[Seth Nock]

First, you cannot book anything less than level four.

I have done this many times. I have often booked level 1 hotels in the US as well as abroad. Why are you saying I cannot book something? Do you want me to post my reservation confirmations on TUG so you can verify them? Please don't post things if your information is incorrect. You can email me privately before posting and ask me when or where I have done this if you don't believe it possible.

 

[korndoc]

Thank you, alwysonvac, biswassb and CaliDave. I thought they were trying to pull one over on me. However, I did leave the sales presentation with the feeling that the 175,000 points would equal a full week in a category 6 hotel, but I obviously misunderstood.

However, the more typical 7000 Club points will not give enough points to get 6 consecutive days at a category 6 hotel. You would have to buy a ts valued at 8400 points to cover the 175000 points. A bargain purchase at Bay Club would not be enough.

Jeff

 

[biswassb]

I have done this many times. I have often booked level 1 hotels in the US as well as abroad. Why are you saying I cannot book something? Do you want me to post my reservation confirmations on TUG so you can verify them? Please don't post things if your information is incorrect. You can email me privately before posting and ask me when or where I have done this if you don't believe it possible.

You could not have done that throgh HGVClub desk. I tried that and they told me that their computers do not display hotels which are lower than level four. You could have done it through HHONORS desk.

korndoc, you are right. With only 7000 HGVC points and nothing else, you will get approximately four nights in a category six hotel if you convert your points year before. But, if you use your HGVC points and book through HGVC desk, it will be 140,000 points or 3-1/2(hummm) nights. What a great deal.

I am posting what I have found. I have every right to do that. If you do not like my post just ignore it.

 

[Seth Nock]

You could not have done that throgh HGVClub desk. I tried that and they told me that their computers do not display hotels which are lower than level four. You could have done it through HHONORS desk.

korndoc, you are right. With only 7000 HGVC points and nothing else, you will get approximately four nights in a category six hotel if you convert your points year before. But, if you use your HGVC points and book through HGVC desk, it will be 140,000 points or 3-1/2(hummm) nights. What a great deal.

I am posting what I have found. I have every right to do that. If you do not like my post just ignore it.

About 7610 points will get you 6 nights at a level 6. 6525 points will get you 6 nights in a level 5 or below. If you don't know how to do it, call me (212)677-7636. I will 3 way the call with you and Hilton and help you make your reservation.

 

[bentlew]

My Experiences with HGVC Points Conversion

I have used HGVC points two ways to use them for Hotel reservations, I have 7,000 annual points. The first method is the annual conversion to Hotel points. I have done this in the years that I was unable to use the timeshare for family reasons and knew this prior to the start of the next year. In these instances I worked directly with honors reservations, the points were in my Honors account and I was able to use a global award to spend 6 nights in London for less than I had converted (23 honors points for each HGVC point). In another year, I as was able stay with my wife in a nice category 1 Hampton near my wife's mother's house out of state, for 16 nights, so that my wife could be near her mother as she was dying from cancer (priceless).

Last year was a different example of how I used the hotel conversion. In 2005, with my 7,000 points I gave a 1 week Honeymoon stay to my niece in a one bedroom in Cabo, spent 4 nights in Las Vegas in a two bedroom with my wife and sister in-law and used an Honors reservation for a stay at an Embassy suites for 4 nights to attend my nieces wedding. I still had HGVC points left after the Cabo and Vegas reservations and called HGVC with my Honors reservation number and they converted the remaining HGVC points into my honors account for 20 honors points for each HGVC point, which covered three of my four nights.

These are real life examples of how I have used HGVC points for hotels. Hopefully this real life example will help others understand how I have gone about using the program, along with Honors.

 

[SallyMagoo]

You could not have done that throgh HGVClub desk. I tried that and they told me that their computers do not display hotels which are lower than level four. You could have done it through HHONORS desk.

korndoc, you are right. With only 7000 HGVC points and nothing else, you will get approximately four nights in a category six hotel if you convert your points year before. But, if you use your HGVC points and book through HGVC desk, it will be 140,000 points or 3-1/2(hummm) nights. What a great deal.

I am posting what I have found. I have every right to do that. If you do not like my post just ignore it.

Keep in mind that you can always top off your HHonors points by other methods; i.e., since 7000 HGVC points would convert to 161,000 HHonors points (23 to 1), you need 14,000 points for the GLONP2 award which gives you 6 nights in a Category 6 hotel if you own a HGVC timeshare and therefore qualify for the VIP awards; If you sign up for the HHonors American Express credit card, I believe there is 20,000 points that you get upon your first use of the card. You can also use the card for purchases, and you get 3 points for every dollar spent. For a while it was accruing 5 points per dollar for some purchases, such as restaurants and gasoline, but I think that promotion is ending. Also, you will get 5 Honors points per dollar spent for any money spent directly with Hilton, including timeshare maintenance fees. There is also a Citibank HHonors card, but that card does not accrue 3 points to the dollar; I think it is only 2 points to the dollar, but there is also a promotion for acquiring points upon sign-up. The American Express card does not have any annual fee at all.

Another option is to purchase HHonors points to top off points needed for an award. I believe they cost $.01 per point if at least 10,000 points are purchased ($100.00).

By employing these methods, in conjunction with our Silver HHonors membership by virtue of being HGVC owners, including signing up for both the AMEX and Citibank card, we have achieved enough points for a GLONP2 award. We will use them for 6 nights booked at the Conrad Hilton in London next month ...without spending hardly anything for the HHonors points, including using any of our HGVC points. (I believe we did pay a $60.00 membership fee for the Citibank card, but cancelled it after receiving the points for the initial promotion, and that is the only cost incurred to achieve this level of points). This beats using the HGVC timeshare for a timeshare exchange to European major cities, which I have found is practically impossible through either RCI or SFX.

To me the lesson reiterated in this thread, and which I have also learned by reading through many HGVC posts, is to plan ahead; i.e., before year-end regarding points that might expire; go ahead and convert them to the HHonors points or push them to the next year for borrowing, which can always be done.

 

[biswassb]

You are right in that there are many ways of getting HHONORS points and I did get 15000 points from Amex. The question is what those points are really worth. Here is what I found. I was trying to find a hotel in Allentown PA for Sept 30th. I searched first for Hilton hotels. My results are as follows: There are mostly category 3 hotels in Allentown. Hilton garden Inn (Cat 3) is 25000 points per night, Hampton Inn cat 3 is 25000 points and Hampton Inn category 2 is 20,000. If you pay case using Hilton reservation systen without any points they are $89-99. It boils down to 25000 points are worth about $99.00.

In big cities, "Hilton" hotels are all mostly cat 6 and that is 40000 points per night, if you can find other Hilton brand hotels they are cat 4 or 5 and requires 30000 or 35000 points per night respectively. In Manhattan, I (and HGVClub) could not find anything less than cat 6. However, HGVClub found me a cat 4 Double tree near JFK airport for 30000 hhonors points and 1500 HGVClub points per night +$49 for club points reservation. Same situation is in London, but there are nothing less than Cat 6 near Heathorw.

It definitely makes sense if you have leftover club points and cannot be used for anything else and that was my case. Financially, it is a bit tough to use points like this.

P.S. The reason I decided to put this unbiased information on this board is basically to inform the utility and the nitty gritty of club points and hhonors points involving HGVClub and hope it is helpful to other HGVClub owners.

 

[korndoc]

Keep in mind that you can always top off your HHonors points by other methods; .

Thank you. Now I understand how easy it is to up my points so I can go for the 6 days to a category 6 hotel.

This BB thread leads me to 3 new questions

How cAN I find a list of the category 6 hotels before I purchase a Hilton timeshare?

Is there any risk Hilton might increase the points needed for category 6 hotels while not increasing the value of the timeshares accordingly?

SallyMagoo says "This beats using the HGVC timeshare for a timeshare exchange to European major cities, which I have found is practically impossible through either RCI or SFX". Have others found this to be true? Is this worse because you own a HGVC timeshare compared to other timeshares, or just the nature of owning timeshares in general? Of course, being able to stay in a category 6 timeshare while traveling in Europe gives you wonderful flexibility that most other "normal" timeshares don't give you. A real attraction to me while I consider this purchase.

Thank you,

Jeff

 

[Bxian]

If you have the Hilton AMEX, you can get a 4 night stay at any Hilton affiliated hotel (including category 6) for 125,000 points. In addition to normal retail purchases, recurring monthly expenses such as your cell phone and cable bills can also be put on the AMEX. If you sign up for e-mail via MyPoints, you can also earn points that convert to HiltonHonors points. If you have kids in college, you can sometimes pay the tuition using the card (we do that and then pay off the balance in full when it is due using the funds that we would have otherwise used to pay the tuition). While I am holding off on a timeshare purchase (because I think I need to learn a bit more from all of you wonderful TUGGERS), I would think that someone who combines their Hilton credit card usage with their HGVC ownership could earn Honors points fairly easily. In addition, if you have a Hilton Honors Gold or Diamond status, you get bonus points every time you have a paid stay in a Hilton affiliated hotel.

 

[bentlew]

Jeff,

Question 1 - On the HiltonHonors website, you can search via reservations for award codes that will give you a listing of category 5 (C501), category 6 (C601) for a particular location such as United Kingdom. Remember that a VIP award for Category 1 - 5 is 150k Honors points. For example, Hilton Metrople in London is where I stayed and it is a category 5 and right across from a Tube station.

Question 2 - This is a risk. A few years back, they increased the VIP award from 100k points to 150k points for Category 1 - 5. HGVC did not change their conversion rate. This is why I carry the no fee AMEX and Visa to add points to my account.

Question 3 - In metropolitan areas there are limited timeshares to trade into. For me it is a matter of location and availability that drives me to use Hotels in these occasions instead of trying to exchange into a timeshare. This is the real plus of Hilton in terms of flexibility.

Hope this helps,

Rich