Hilton Honors catapulted the value of its points to significantly higher levels with its SLH Hotels partnership.
- Hilton Honors has been a low-value program. Its points have been worth around 4/10ths of a cent apiece. They give you plenty of points (it’s an inflated currency) but even the most mid properties are at stratospheric levels for redemption.
- Hilton’s base earning for hotel stays is weaker than competitor hotel chains. They make up for it (often) with their promotions. They keep you on the treadmill just to stay even.
- And elite benefits are lacking. Diamonds are not entitled to available suites as upgrades. Late check-out is not guaranteed. And in the U.S. there’s not even guaranteed breakfast, just a food and beverage credit that may not cover the cost of breakfast.
But now that you can use your points for SLH properties, those points have much greater utility.
- Most SLH Hotels are now bookable with Hilton points.
- You can use Hilton free night certificates on these hotels. And all Hilton elite members (even Silver) et 5th night free on redemptions.
- You can even book a $4,300 luxury suite for 150,000 Honors points.
What you need to understand though going in is that these are independent hotels, and not Hilton hotels. They are happy to take Hilton’s distribution (while crowding out the ability of actual Hilton brands to monetize the eyeballs of Honors members looking to book a room) but without valuing individual Hilton customers (sometimes even more so than an individual franchised Hilton hotel which has little incentive to do so, and even less requirement to do so).
In fact, some may see Hilton guests are ‘someone else’s customer’ and Honors redemptions as the begrudging price of Hilton distribution rather than incremental revenue, putting heads in beds that would otherwise go empty.
While all of my SLH stays have been pretty good, it’s a mistake to expect uniformity, brand standards, or recognition of Honors status as though it means something.
Gold and Diamond members receive complimentary breakfast at SLH properties, although most in my experience provide it to everyone. They’re also entitled to ‘space available upgrades’ which are at about the lowest priority, and were available to all members redeeming points when SLH partnered with Hyatt.
Here’s a telling TripAdvisor review of Flemings Mayfair in London.
- The guest expected some recognition as a Hilton Diamond, which is a mistake
- But they were treated worse that an average guest, told that property benefits are for ‘paying’ customers and not for those redeeming points.
Skip here if staying as a Hilton Guest!!!
Our stay at Flemings Mayfair was a major contrast to the luxurious experience we anticipated from a 5-star hotel, and was a big letdown. While the location was very convenient, the quality of service and accommodations fell far short of expectations.From the beginning, we felt undervalued and maybe even “punished” as Diamond Hilton Honors members using points towards our stay. Despite the hotel being a part of the Hilton family, we were treated differently from guests who had booked without using points.
Upon check in, we asked if we could get an upgrade based on our diamond status and was told that there was no availability but the next time we were in the lobby, a letter explicitly stated that our Hilton status and benefits would not be fully honored, which was both surprising and disappointing.
The concierge staff was particularly rude and unhelpful, making us feel bad that we were staying as a Hilton client, further exacerbating our negative experience. We asked how to get the shuttle to the airport that was listed on the website as complimentary to only be told that this was only available to “paying” customers and not people “staying for free”.
The room was incredibly small, lacking basic amenities that one would expect from a hotel of this caliber. The bed was made up of two twin mattresses pushed together, with a dip in the middle of the bed making for uncomfortable nights. The thin walls made it difficult to escape noise disturbances, and the small television offered limited entertainment options.
The staff in the bar area were very friendly and helpful which was a nice breath of fresh air!
While the location was a plus, it couldn’t compensate for the poor service and subpar accommodations. I would strongly advise travelers to seek accommodations that offer a higher luxury of service, especially if you are staying as a Hilton guest.
The hotel room wasn’t great, but that’s the base room at the property and what they were entitled to. The problem here is the disconnect between expectation and reality, the dismissive tone of the hotel towards Honors redemptions, and… the hotel manager’s appalling response.
Loyalty Lobby flagged the review and also the manager’s response:
- The manager says the review is ‘untrue’ and ‘malicious’ but never explains how.
- He calls the guest arrogant.
- He makes clear the hotel is not “part of the Hilton family” and that benefits are not the right of the guest at his hotel (which is largely correct).
- And he tells them to stay at a Hilton property instead of his hotel “where your privilege is only acknowledged by a number, not a name.”
This article was originally published by View From the Wing on 29th December 2024. View original.
